Molly Martens and her father Tom Martens have accepted a plea deal of voluntary manslaughter of Limerick man Jason Corbett. 

Mr Martens pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, while Ms Martens entered a "no contest plea", meaning she accepted the charge without an explicit admission of guilt.

The case will resume later today in the North Carolina court as a sentencing hearing, which is expected to take between one and two weeks. 

In return for their plea, the state has dropped the murder charges against the father and daughter. 

Jason Corbett, aged 39, was beaten to death in his Lexington home in 2015. 

He had moved to the states with his two children in 2011 after marrying Ms Martens, who had been the children’s nanny. 

Ms Martens and Mr Martens were convicted of murder in 2017 but were allowed a retrial after US courts ruled that certain evidence had been excluded. 

'They could walk free'

Irish Independent Correspondent Ralph Riegel told Newstalk earlier today the pair could face no further time in prison. 

“The parameters for voluntary manslaughter range between three years in prison, or up to nine years in prison if the judge determines that there are aggravating factors,” he said.  

“If the judge opts for the lower, both Tom and Molly Martens will walk free from custody because they have already served three and a half years of the 20-to-25-year sentence that was imposed in August of 2017.” 

Mr Riegel said the case has been “long and very torturous” for Mr Corbett’s family.  

“At the very centre of this, a family have lost a beloved father and a beloved brother,” he said.  

“They have been radically dignified throughout the years, which really has been a judicial nightmare for them.  

“That was borne out last night because here in Lexington, Mr Corbett’s children – Jack who’s 19 and Sarah who’s 17 - organised a special balloon release at the plants that their father used to manage.”  

17-year-old Ms Corbett previously said she had “lost faith” in the US justice system.