Molly Martens and her father Tom have pleaded guilty to the voluntary manslaughter of Jason Corbett.
They accepted plea deals in return for the dropping of murder charges.
A sentencing hearing is expected to commence later today, with the court to hear from witnesses relating to the case.
Read more: Molly Martens’ life in prison, trying to contact Jason Corbett’s kids and facing retrial
The guilty pleas were entered during a special setting of the Davison County Superior Court, with Judge David Hall presiding.
Tom Martens entered a guilty plea when asked by the judge how he pleaded to the charge of class D Manslaughter.
Molly Martens Corbett replied “no contest” when asked by the judge how she pleaded to the same charge.
She was informed by the judge that by stating “no contest” the justice system will regard that as a guilty plea and that by accepting the plea deal, she will be treated as a felon by the state of North Carolina.
Assistant District Attorney, Alan Martin, informed the court that the state dropped the second degree murder charges against both defendants in return for their guilty pleas to the manslaughter charges.
The defendants were told that they were giving up their right to a trial by jury and the right to have a jury determine if aggravating factors existed, by pleading guilty and accepting the plea.
The court will now consider if the presence of persons under the age of 18 was an aggravating factor in the case, as Jason Corbett's two children were asleep in the house at the time of this death.
The presence of minors was not an aggravating factor in North Carolina law at the time of the offence, however, this has changed since then.
The Class D charge of manslaughter carries a sentence in a range that runs from 17 years in prison in severe cases, to probation if the judge finds exceptionally strong mitigating factors.
The sentencing hearing is expected to begin at 2PM local time in Lexington, North Carolina.
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