Sarah Corbett Lynch has penned a memoir about the loss of her father, Co Limerick native Jason Corbett, with the 18-year-old ready to share her "truth" after it being "distorted, twisted and changed" over the years.
Jason was killed by his wife, Sarah’s stepmother, Molly Martens, and Molly's father Tom Martens in North Carolina in 2015. Sarah was eight at the time and asleep upstairs.
Speaking as her memoir was revealed, Sarah said: "Since 2015, I've always had someone else tell my story. There are podcasts, documentaries, magazine articles and forums dedicated to uncovering the truth about my father’s killing, with so many front pages over the years that I lost count. All of which attempted to tell my story but without my words.
"I’ve had my truth distorted, twisted and changed because I was a child but the truth will always force its way into the light. My brother and I had our words weaponized against us by the people we had trusted and loved so they could mitigate their crime of killing the most important person in my life. They betrayed our trust to avoid consequences for their actions."
She continued: "In telling my story, I relive the emotion I felt sitting in courtrooms as our family fought for justice and the heartbreak at every email sent to my family from across the world to deliver yet more disappointing news.
"Every teardrop that fell as I asked myself 'Why me?'. But this story will also explore what I discovered inside myself to keep fighting for justice for my Dad.
"I am not the victim in my story nor am I the hero. I am the survivor and I want this book to show that anyone who has experienced trauma can survive too."
Limerick man Jason Corbett was murdered in 2015.
Jason's death left Sarah and her brother Jack orphaned and started a nine-year judicial nightmare as the Corbett family fought for justice for Jason, a battle which ended in November 2023 when an appeal by Molly and Tom Martens saw a second-degree murder conviction overturned and the Martens accepting a plea deal of voluntary manslaughter.
In the absence of a second trial, Sarah was denied her chance to take the stand to give evidence against the Martens. Now, in her powerful memoir, she finally speaks her truth.
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A blurb for the memoir says that the book will see Sarah reflecting on the aftermath of her father’s death and the family’s battle for justice as well as their devastation when the Martens were released from prison in 2024, after serving just three and a half years.
Drawing from diaries she has kept since she was eight, Sarah also writes about her journey of grief and recovery from trauma, as she and Jack were welcomed into the safe, loving home of her aunt Tracey, her father's sister, in Ireland.
Sarah also looks to the future in the memoir and what she can do to change the world for the better.
The memoir, which has been acquired by Hachette Books Ireland, will be titled "A Time for Truth: A Daughter’s Search for Justice and Healing" and be published in February 2025.
*This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.
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