It was 10 years ago, at approximately 3.15am on 2nd August 2015, when eight-year-old Sarah Corbett Lynch was lifted from her bed by a Davidson County police officer and carried downstairs, shielded from the chaos around her. Hours passed before Sarah learned that her beloved father Jason was dead. And the people who killed him were her stepmother Molly Martens and Molly’s father Tom.
Now 18 years old and living in Co. Clare with her dad’s family, Sarah has written a book, telling her story for the first time, revealing the startling truth of life behind closed doors in the family’s suburban North Carolina home. She writes about the manipulation, the gaslighting and the traumatic years after her father’s death as she and her brother Jack fought for justice and looked for healing.
Tw weeks before the big book release, in just her second press interview ever, this bright, gentle and courageous young woman – who did her Leaving Cert last year and is now a qualified swim teacher, life coach and commercial diver – sat with me and shared her story…
Sarah, the book. Look at it! Can you believe it? How did you feel when you first saw it?
I’m very proud of it. A lot of work went into it, and a lot of people helped me out. I’m just so glad it’s done.
Did you leaf through it when you first got it, read any particular sections?
I looked at the photo section because I wanted to see how it came out on paper, and it came out perfectly. It really represents my family, especially the descriptions underneath each, they’re lovely.
Your story is one of unimaginable loss and grief but it’s also one of courage, strength and love. It was a hard story to tell but I imagine that it was one you had to write?
I wasn’t able to say anything for so many years due to a gag order and my age—I was only eight years old. I had so much that I wanted to say because my dad’s truth was twisted. I was made to lie, and that’s a big reason why the Martens are out today. It’s because I did lie, but someone that I loved and trusted, my stepmom, told me to lie about someone else I loved and trusted, and called it the truth. There was a lot of manipulation and coercive control. I’ll regret that and live with that for the rest of my life. Writing the book, I realised that I cry a lot less now. It feels like I’m closing a chapter on my life and just putting it out there, saying, “This is really what happened.” People can do with it what they like, but I think it’s a story that could help a lot of people going through traumatic experiences—it might help someone, and that’s all I want.
About the manipulation, the coercive control and the lies you were told to tell…how have you made peace with that? Has that been a hard road for you?
Yeah, it was very difficult, especially because I didn’t understand a lot of it for so long. It’s only been in the last five years that I’ve understood the impact of me lying. During the sentencing hearing, the defence made a very clear statement that Jack and I lied for them, but they called it the truth. They made it their main story. It was extremely difficult for Jack as well. I’ve been in every type of therapy you can think of. I’ve been in talk therapy since I was eight. I have a really supportive family, and everyone in my family never judged me because I was only eight years old. We watched the recordings in the courthouse, and the first thing I thought was, “That poor little girl, I just want to take her out of there.” I think that was the first time I was able to look at it for what it was and not through the eyes of an 18-year-old thinking, “Oh my God, how could I have done that?”
You did your Leaving Certificate last year and wrote this book after you finished. But how were you able to sit the Leaving at all because weren’t the Martens getting out of prison at the same time?
I actually had a really good experience doing the Leaving Cert. Obviously, the Martens were getting out of prison, which made it extremely hard to focus, and I got tonsillitis and had to be admitted to hospital! But I half wished that I was more nervous about it, all of my friends were panicking about it. However, I got great results and had options. My school was amazing. Everybody was so discreet about it all, which helped make my student experience normal.
Would you say that you’ve had a normal teenage life?
Yeah, I definitely have. We moved to Clare two years ago, and the community down there in Kilkee makes it feel like home. It’s where I fell in love with diving, and I made so many friends there. I’m able to go out and be a teenage girl and then do interviews like this, yet all of my friends are so supportive. I’ve always said I want to live my life to make my dad proud, to make my family proud, and to make myself proud. I get asked a lot how I feel about the Martens and if I am angry. I don’t feel anything towards them anymore because I can’t change their actions, I can’t change their words, but I can tell the truth, and I can live my life as my father and mother’s daughter. I’m not going to let it define my life. It’s a part of my life and a part of me, but it’s not everything.
When was it that you decided to write the book?
I was actually having a panic attack in the courthouse. I was in a bathroom stall, just feeling frustrated. I had been listening to lies about my mom, my dad, my family and me for days. I couldn’t control my panic attack, I had to leave and everyone saw me. I didn’t want them to see me as a little scared girl because I’m not, I’m very strong and well able. And that’s when I said, “I’m writing a book.” I need to do it. And I’m extremely happy that I did.
How hard was the remembering while writing?
It was very difficult. There were certain aspects where I had to put it away, step back, or go for a walk. Sometimes, I just had to leave the topic for another day because it was all the worst things that had ever happened to me condensed into one. Gaslighting, manipulation, and coercive control are all forms of psychological and emotional abuse, and I think the book really shows how much control Molly had over me and Jack.
Was that the biggest learning from the book?
It took me years to realise I was a victim. I always knew that what happened was wrong, but I never thought of it as abuse because what happened to my dad was more extreme. It was only through therapy that I understood how deeply I was impacted. Some days the writing process was extremely difficult, but I also got to share stories about my dad that I want the world to know.
How hard was it to process what happened to your dad?
I knew the details from being in the courts, and it was really difficult to hear.
Were you able to comprehend those details from a young age?
It was about two years ago that I truly realised the brutality of it. I knew it was awful, but it’s different when you start visualising things, even though you don’t want to. I’ve never seen the crime scene photos. I’ve seen my dad’s hand and the blood splatter, but never actual photos of him, and I never want to. In my head, he’s a ray of sunshine. Actually, today would have been his birthday, he would be 49. He was so young when he passed, and he had just gotten to where he wanted to be.
Happy Birthday Jason! Your life being so public and everyone knowing your details, what was that like?
I was very sheltered for the first few years, not just by Tracey and David (her legal guardians who she calls mum and dad), but also by Tracey and David’s sons. We weren’t allowed to go to the shops, didn’t have phones, and I wasn’t even allowed to be in school photos because Molly once tried to fly a plane over my school with a banner saying, “Happy Birthday Jack and Sarah.” She even befriended a girl sitting next to me in class to get information about me and did the same with Jack’s friends. We were very protected, so when I started learning details, it was difficult because my friends and their parents already knew. I struggled to make friends easily—parents wanted to protect their kids, and I was seen as “the troubled girl.” But over time, everyone was supportive. No one was mean, but kids ask inappropriate questions.
Being under that spotlight and known as the so called “troubled kid”, what did that do to you?
It knocked my confidence. At first, I didn’t realise what was happening, but I got really good at being the “new girl,” the girl that parents knew about but the kids didn’t. Eventually, I just owned it. No one has ever said anything negative to my face. Social media is different, but in Ireland and even in America, most people have been understanding. They see that I’m young, that I lost my dad and my mom, and that I’ve been through a lot. The negativity was more directed at Tracey and David rather than me and Jack, which I know must have been difficult for them since they did everything they could to protect us.
How did Tracey and David and the wider family deal with the loss and grief?
For a long time, Tracey and David never cried in front of us. Losing my dad changed my nana and granddad forever. My nana passed away during Covid, and my grandfather is in Limerick. It took a big toll. My dad was a social butterfly, always there for everyone. He used to drive to work at 6:30am in America just so he could make the 1pm call to talk to everyone in Ireland. He always put Jack and me first. I know it sounds weird, but I always feel like my dad died for us. If he had lived, our lives would have been extremely different. I wish he had lived, but his care for Jack and I shaped where I am today.
What have the long-term effects been on you?
I’m definitely not as open with people. In interviews, I’m open, but when I meet new people, I don’t tell them who I am straight away. Over the years, people have claimed to be my friend just to get information. People are naturally nosey, I get that, but I have to protect myself. I’m also very sensitive to arguing, I just leave. I don’t like violence in any form. Ambulances also trigger me, though I’m getting better. My mom died in an ambulance, so I used to think every ambulance meant someone was going to die. Flashing lights, in general, affect me. But I’ve become more emotionally intelligent and aware of what triggers me and how to handle it.
What helps you now? I know you love diving and music…
Music, yeah. I listen to everything, one day, it’s Bach, the next it’s 50 Cent. My therapist has been with me for years, she knows me better than I know myself. One phone call, and she answers. And diving is a new passion for me.
What is it about diving?
It’s quiet. You can’t bring your phone down there. You’re in someone else’s world, and it’s amazing that so few people experience it. The ocean is mostly unexplored, and diving has given me a strong community. I’ve made friends across all age groups, and I couldn’t be more grateful. The Kilkee Water World, the Sub Aqua Club, and Ocean Life have been incredible. My diving instructor once said, “When you look into any nook and cranny, there’s always something looking back at you.” It’s slow-paced, I can’t think about anything else besides being in awe or checking my air tank. It forces me to be present, just like horse riding.
How did you get into horse riding?
My dad and I were on the beach in Spanish Point when I saw these jockeys riding huge, beautiful horses. I was mesmerised. I told my dad I wanted to do that, and the next time we were in Ireland for Christmas, he got me riding boots, a velvet hat with roses, and a matching crop. The boots were too big, but he wanted me to grow into them. They didn’t fit until I was 12, so even after he passed, I had a gift from him.
Beyond the book, what’s next?
I need to get my driver’s license! I’m also starting English and Drama teaching in college. I deferred my place last year, but I’m ready now. I love teaching, I teach swimming and aqua aerobics in the summer. I also love English and Shakespeare. Writing has been my way of expressing emotions.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Emily Quinn
A Time for Truth: My Father Jason and My Search for Justice and Healing is published in Trade Paperback by Hachette Books Ireland, €16.99
Thanks to Elaine Egan