Analysts ‘did not identify' DNA of Dublin firefighter accused of raping woman in Boston hotel, US court hears
The complainant, a 29-year-old attorney, claims she was raped last year by Terence Crosbie (38) while his Dublin Fire Brigade colleague Liam O'Brien slept in a separate bed in a shared hotel room. She says she had consensual relations with Mr O'Brien after meeting him at the Black Rose bar in Boston.
She later fell asleep in a separate bed but then awoke to Mr Crosbie raping her.
Mr Crosbie denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty.
READ MORE
Alexis Decesaris, a DNA analyst, testified on Thursday that a process was conducted to eliminate female DNA and isolate male DNA from samples collected from the complainant. She said the results were 'consistent' with there being 'two individuals' separate from the complainant who are both male.
Earlier in the day, the court heard from a Boston police crime lab analyst that there was a high likelihood that one of those male profiles belonged to Mr O'Brien.
However, Ms Decesaris, an analyst at Bode Technology,said it was unclear if the second set of male DNA, collected from the complainant's genitals, was deposited by Mr Crosbie.
[
Dublin firefighter accused of raping woman in Boston hotel says he 'didn't touch' her, US court hears
Opens in new window
]
Ms Decesaris then faced cross-examination from defence lawyer Patrick Garrity. Addressing her, he said: 'Your testing did not identify Terence Crosbie's DNA on that genital swab, did you?'
Ms Decesaris said that was 'correct'.
Under questioning from Suffolk assistant district attorney Erin Murphy, Ms Decesaris again confirmed the finding of 'two distinct male contributors' in a sample collected from the complainant.
The jury previously heard a Boston police detective testify that the complainant did not recall Mr O'Brien's name and did not recall meeting Mr Crosbie before the alleged assault.
The court was told the detective tracked down Mr Crosbie with the help of hotel security footage as well as images of Mr O'Brien and Mr Crosbie provided to him by a federal agent.
He said that on March 16th, 2024 – a day after the woman reported the alleged rape – he approached Mr Crosbie by the lift of the hotel.
[
US woman awoke in Boston hotel to 'somebody on top' raping her, jury in Dublin firefighter trial told
Opens in new window
]
Detectives initially asked Mr Crosbie of his whereabouts on March 14th and March 15th.
Mr Crosbie said he was one of 10 members of Dublin Fire Brigade who travelled to Boston to march in the city's St Patrick's Day parade.
Mr Crosbie said he had interacted with the woman in the bar and again briefly when she went up to the hotel room with Mr O'Brien. He told detectives he waited in a chair in the corridor outside of room 610 while the complainant and Mr O'Brien were inside, jurors heard.
He told detectives he later knocked on the door, used his phone as a torch and 'didn't see anybody in the bed'. Mr Crosbie said he removed his trousers and shirt, pulled the bed covers off and got into the bed.
A minute and a half later, he said, he 'heard a girl moving' and saw her collect her belongings in the dark and leave.
He told detectives he did not have any interactions with the complainant before she left.
When detectives asked whether Mr Crosbie had sex with the woman, he replied: 'No, I didn't touch her.'
Mr Crosbie was arrested later that evening after booking an early flight back to Ireland and boarding an aircraft.
The woman has told the court through tears that she 'woke up to somebody on top of me' raping her. She testified that she told him to 'stop' and that she eventually managed to manoeuvre her legs off the side of the bed and break free.
According to the complainant, Mr Crosbie continued to follow her around the hotel room. When she collected her clothes and went to the bathroom, she said Mr Crosbie tried to get in and 'was jiggling the handle' after she locked the door.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘We await with interest': Family of Sophie Toscan du Plantier supportive of fresh DNA tests in murder inquiry
The family of murdered Sophie Toscan du Plantier say they will accept whatever findings Irish forensic scientists make on foot of a series of new DNA tests on exhibits from the near 30-year-old investigation . Ms Toscan du Plantier's uncle, Jean Pierre Gazeau, said the family fully supports the decision by the Garda Serious Crime Review Team and Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) to engage US DNA collection experts irrespective of what the move yields. Mr Gazeau said he was interested to see that the Garda and FSI had decided to avail of technology provided by M-Vac Systems to examine exhibits including the stone and concrete block used to murder his niece in west Cork in 1996. 'I think it is the last chance for the Garda – unless, of course, some witness comes forward with new evidence. But even then, they may retract their story, which has happened before, but DNA evidence is objective and scientific and definitive, so it is a welcome development,' he said. READ MORE Mr Gazeau, president of the Association for the Truth about the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, said he did not want to speculate, but that the latest approach could produce a number of different scenarios. 'They may find nothing but obviously if they find DNA and it does not match that of Ian Bailey , then it has the ability to clear Bailey of any culpability,' he said. 'But even if it means the outcome is not what we expect ... it is a scientific outcome, and we must respect that finding and accept it because DNA testing is very definitive. We await with interest to hear from the Garda on what the scientists find.' Ian Bailey, the chief suspect for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, died last year aged 66. Photograph: Courts Collins Mr Bailey, an English journalist, was twice arrested in connection with the French film producer's murder, but was never charged, and repeatedly protested his innocence before his death last year at the age of 66 . He was convicted in his absence at a trial in Paris in 2019 of the voluntary homicide of Ms Toscan du Plantier and sentenced to 25 years in jail. However, attempts by French authorities to have him extradited to serve the sentence were shot down by the Irish courts . M-Vac Systems chief executive Jared Bradley and a scientist from the firm travelled to Dublin last month with their equipment and spent a week examining various exhibits gathered during the original Garda investigation into Ms Toscan du Plantier's murder. The 39-year-old's badly beaten body was found on the laneway leading to her isolated holiday home in Toormore near Schull on the morning of December 23rd, 1996. A postmortem revealed she had been bludgeoned to death with a rock and a concrete block. As well as the cavity block and rock, gardaí from the cold case review team based in Bantry brought several exhibits to the FSI laboratory for examination by the M-Vac team including Ms Toscan du Plantier's dressing gown, leggings, vest and boots. Investigators are hoping that any DNA evidence obtained will enable FSI scientists to make comparisons with DNA samples taken during the original Garda investigation from about 10 people, including Mr Bailey, identified as suspects at the time.
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Raising my son in Dublin, I believed there was nowhere safer or more welcoming'
The riots in Dublin on November 23rd, 2023 jolted Ireland awake, sending shockwaves through communities and prompting anxious calls from relatives abroad, all seeking answers from a country renowned for its friendliness and peace. Having called Ireland home for 25 years, I've witnessed the warmth and openness that define Irish society. When I first arrived from India in my mid-20s, I was struck by how strangers would go out of their way to help, sometimes even walking me to my destination. Over time, my initial caution faded and many Irish friends became as close as family. Raising my son in Dublin , I believed there was nowhere safer or more welcoming; he grew up feeling no different from his Irish peers. But the aftermath of the riots brought a sudden, unwelcome shift. The day after, when I picked up my son from college, his Irish friends escorted him to my car, protective and wary. For the first time in 21 years, my son felt 'different', and his friends feared for the safety of their friend because of those differences. This wasn't what I knew Ireland to be. I refuse to accept the riots as an expression of true Irish sentiment. Instead, they seemed a case of opportunistic hooliganism, not racist intent. Through it all, most Irish people have stood against hate, reinforcing the values of kindness, inclusion and solidarity that make Ireland a truly special place to live and grow. Sohini De In recent years, Ireland has faced a troubling rise in racial attacks within its communities. For the longest time, few incidents were reported. Reliable statistics on racial attacks are hard to find, as such incidents remain largely unreported. Within the Indian community at least, I know they have an attitude of 'let us not draw too much attention'. Lately, the scale and frequency of attacks have stirred fresh anxieties, echoing abroad as loved ones question whether Ireland is still as safe and welcoming as it once felt. READ MORE [ 'Widespread media coverage in India' of attacks on Indian people living in Ireland Opens in new window ] The incident in Tallaght on July 19th - when a man in his early 40s, who had arrived from India three weeks earlier on a critical skills visa to join a leading international tech company in Dublin, was brutally attacked by a group of teenagers - was a stark reminder of this shift. Yet the courage shown by local resident Jennifer Murray, who not only assisted at the scene but also defended the victim against false claims, showcased the true Ireland — one that steps up for those in need rather than amplifying hateful, misinformed narratives fuelled by social media. Jennifer Murray, who came to the aid of an Indian man attacked in Tallaght, meets attendees of the United Against Racism and Dublin South-West Together demonstration against racism last month. Photograph: Dan Dennison The overwhelming majority continue to stand firmly against these acts, determined to uphold the country's values of inclusion and kindness. 'Not under my watch', many now say, drawing a line against intolerance. Ireland's story has always been one of welcoming immigrants , who now play an essential role as skilled workers, taxpayers and contributors to society and the economy. [ 'He kept saying: what wrong have I done? Why me?' An Indian man is left stripped and bloodied on an Irish street Opens in new window ] Still, a worrying minority use social media to fuel divisive and dangerous stories. The real issue is not the number or size of such incidents, but the principle: a respected doctor who has served this country for three decades, when told to 'go back to where you came from' by strangers, can be deeply demoralised. Every person deserves to go about their life in Ireland without fear. Defending this right and maintaining Ireland's spirit of solidarity is more vital now than ever. Ireland today faces a moment of reflection and action. The nation's increasing diversity is a testament to its growth — more cultures, languages and backgrounds enrich everyday life. Yet this very progress comes with challenges that require careful stewardship from all corners of society. Our educational institutions are admirable examples of inclusion, creating environments where students from every background thrive together. Still, the question stands: how do we extend this culture of learning and belonging beyond the classroom, into homes, neighbourhoods and the digital spaces where so many of our opinions are formed? Likewise, public and private organisations recognise the value of skilled migrant workers, both in bridging labour gaps and strengthening the fabric of our communities. Recent events have made clear that more, not less, must be done to support integration and mutual understanding. [ Gardaí struggle to reassure Indian community amid spate of high-profile attacks Opens in new window ] My engagement with both local Irish and migrant communities has revealed a host of practical steps that, taken together, could help Ireland confidently navigate the challenges we face. First and foremost, there's an urgent need to increase Garda presence, not just in Dublin, but nationwide. This isn't about heavy-handed policing —it's about deterring hate crimes and responding swiftly if they occur. But more gardaí alone won't solve everything. They need specialised training to recognise and address hate-driven incidents, while also working closely with IT experts and social media platforms to keep a vigilant eye on online hate speech and take appropriate actions. Transparency matters too, so regular updates on hate crime cases, within the bounds of privacy laws, will reassure the public, keep authorities accountable and deter miscreants. There are practical steps that can be taken to help Ireland navigate the challenges we face. Photograph: Alan Betson It's vital we run nationwide campaigns that celebrate the contributions migrants make to our economy and society. Business chambers can lend their influential voices to the cause, for further impact. Victims should be given easy access to counselling, legal support and safe reporting channels. Community engagement is also key — migrants joining local events, GAA clubs and neighbourhood projects enriches us all. The Indian community, among others, brings valuable expertise in Stem, digital literacy and sport. Open community events and skill-sharing programmes can foster positive connections. Most importantly, we need a clear framework for action, using national strategies such as the national action plan against racism to guide us. With collective effort, Ireland can rise above today's fears and build a future where inclusion is more than a promise — it's a way of life. While we are rightly worried about the recent developments, I have hope that in Ireland we will do the right thing. The majority of Ireland is peace-loving - a friendly place that wants to remain so. But we cannot rest on our laurels and let things get out of hand. By fostering collaboration between government, businesses and migrant communities Ireland can strengthen inclusion and diversity. Structured action plans, community engagement and educational initiatives empower migrants to contribute meaningfully, while promoting nationwide understanding of their positive impact. Together, through these efforts we build a more vibrant, inclusive and resilient Irish society for all. Sohini De is a businesswoman and mother who left India for Ireland in 2000.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Irish Times
How an anonymous phone call helped convict Molly and Tom Martens of Jason Corbett's killing
Sitting in Cagney's Kitchen, a classic American diner deep in the North Carolina countryside, retired sheriff David Grice pauses over his breakfast of pancakes with buttered syrup and bacon to reflect on a key moment in the Jason Corbett homicide investigation – an anonymous call to the detective unit. The diner is just a few miles from the Meadowlands home where Corbett, from Limerick, was beaten to death in August 2015, aged 39, by his American wife, Molly Martens (31) and her father, Thomas (Tom), a former FBI agent. Although convicted of second-degree murder in 2017 and sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison, the Martenses' convictions were quashed on appeal in March 2021. Avoiding a retrial, they entered a plea deal in October 2023, which saw Tom plead guilty, and Molly plead 'no contest' to the charge of voluntary manslaughter. Handed seven-month sentences, they were freed in June 2024. Legally the case was over, but so many questions remained, not just for Corbett's family but for the detectives who had spent eight years investigating the killing. For Grice it began on August 2nd, 2015, when he was awoken by a 5am phone call. He drove 80km to Meadowlands to view the scene. Jason's body had been removed and CSI officers had bagged a bloodied brick and baseball bat found in the master bedroom, but Grice instinctively knew the descending pattern of blood spatter on the south wall did not match the 'self-defence' story the Martenses had told detectives. The scene was so bloody, one of the first responders asked Molly where the gun was, as he assumed Jason had been shot. READ MORE . Sheriff Grice's instincts were shared by the three lead detectives on the case – Lieut Wanda Thompson and detectives Michael Hurd and Brandon Smith. To secure search warrants early in the investigation, all three filed supporting affidavits stating their suspicions about the Martenses' claims of self-defence. [ Fresh information in Netflix documentary sheds new light on the killing of Jason Corbett Opens in new window ] More than 10,000 pages of new documentation, released following a public records request, make clear that the assistant district attorney for Davidson County, Alan Martin, shared the detectives' concerns, particularly over the weapons used. A baseball bat and a brick were not typical weapons used in a crime of passion, he said, and were generally not items often found in someone's bedroom. Tom Martens claimed, in his voluntary police interview with detectives Smith and Hurd hours after the killing, that he brought the baseball bat as a gift for his step-grandson, Jack, Jason's 10-year-old son from his first marriage. Martens said he and his wife, Sharon, both 65, had spontaneously decided that Saturday to drive 4¾ hours from their Tennessee home to Meadowlands, the affluent neighbourhood where Molly lived with Jason, a manager of a paper packaging plant. The detectives found it strange that any grandparent would bring a gift for one grandchild, but nothing for the other – they had not brought a gift for Jason's eight-year-old daughter, Sarah . Tom had met Jack that night, yet he did not give him the bat. The caller told detective Hanna it would 'not be good for me in Tennessee' if he revealed his identity Grice felt the 480km road trip was suspicious, especially as Tom said he was due at work in Tennessee on Monday. His was no ordinary job. He was a counterintelligence officer with the US Department of Energy, charged with protecting US energy secrets from hostile foreign spies. He had a Q Level security clearance at Oak Ridge National Laboratory – one of two sites where the atomic bomb was developed during the second World War – the highest security clearance issued by the department. Martens would later be psychologically assessed – in court documents submitted to the sentencing hearing in 2023 – as a classic Type A personality, calm and unemotional, driven by rules and facts. He was not a spontaneous character. Exhibit 124: Thomas Martens at police station The prosecutors and the investigators all wondered whether Tom had in fact been summoned to North Carolina by Molly. Then the anonymous call came. Det Mark Hanna received the call at 6.50pm on Friday, August 14th, 2015, the same day Molly was in court testifying in a guardianship hearing, where she was battling Jason's sister, Tracey Lynch, for custody of Jack and Sarah. Lynch had been named as Jason's preferred guardian for Jack and Sarah in his will, but Molly wanted a US court to override this and grant her sole custody, as she had been the children's de-facto mother for seven years. She had joined the family as an au pair in March 2008, a year and four months after Jason's first wife, Mags Fitzpatrick, died aged 31. Molly and Jason moved to the United States and married in 2011. The caller told detective Hanna it would 'not be good for me in Tennessee' if he revealed his identity, but he encouraged detectives to look at Tom's phone records. He said the Martenses were lying about their impromptu visit to Molly. In fact Tom had had dinner plans that evening with his boss, Selin Warnell, who was a former CIA station chief in Tokyo and Seoul, before becoming head of the counterintelligence unit at Oak Ridge. The caller told Hanna that Tom had cancelled the dinner plans and sought Monday off work 'due to an issue with Molly'. The caller advised detective Hanna to interview all of Tom's 12 colleagues in the counterintelligence unit. 'The male subject on the phone asked if I was aware that Mr Martens hated his son-in-law. The male stated that Mr Martens made comments to his coworkers about hating his son-in-law.' All the detectives met the following Monday, August 17th, to discuss interviewing Tom's coworkers. That Monday the judge in the guardianship hearing, Brian Shipwash, ruled that the children should be taken from Molly and raised in Ireland by Tracey Lynch. Shipwash later told The Irish Times he believed Molly felt a 'deranged entitlement' to the children, and he was worried about her mental health. Exhibit 116: Molly Martens at police station As Lynch was reunited with Jack and Sarah – bar a brief call with Jack lasting less than a minute, the Martenses had refused to allow her contact with the children for 15 days after the killing – detectives prepared to travel to Tennessee. Tom and his boss were close – Warnell gave Molly and Jason two gifts at their 2011 wedding: a rocking chair and a crib. The crib was never used. Despite the couple spending $25,000 on fertility treatments, Molly could not have children of her own. Detectives believed Molly's burning desire to be a mother was at the root of what happened at 160 Panther Creek Court in Meadowlands. Detectives suspected Molly found out Jason was leaving, panicked and summoned her parents. The anonymous tip-off only underscored their suspicions, according to Lieut Wanda Thompson, the head of the criminal investigations division in Davidson County. Lieut Wanda Thompson and Sheriff David Grice on her retirement in May 2018 'It must have been a real family emergency for him to cancel dinner with his boss,' Thompson told me in 2023. 'You might let friends down, but when your boss is a former CIA chief, that dinner was important. Why did he drop everything?' Detective case notes reveal how crucial the anonymous tip-off proved. It ultimately led detectives inside the counterintelligence unit where they learned that Tom 'hated' Jason and referred to him as 'that son-of-a-bitch son-in-law' and an 'asshole'. One former FBI agent told detectives that Tom was 'manipulative, calculative and a planner' and 'uses things and people to his own advantage'. It was 'odd' for Tom to cancel dinner with Warnell, because Tom was not 'spontaneous', the FBI agent added. Another colleague said Tom spoke of Molly's bipolar disorder and 'openly expressed his dislike for Jason'. Armed with these insights, detectives executed search warrants for Tom, Sharon, Molly and Jason's phone records on the days immediately before and after the killing. These records heightened the detectives' suspicions. Molly had 20 calls on her mobile phone on August 1st, beginning with a 2.21pm call from Tom. Fifteen minutes later Tom made the first of four calls to Jason, but Jason did not answer. On the fourth call, Tom was forwarded to Jason's messaging service, and he left a 37-second message. Sarah Corbett Lynch, daughter of Jason Corbett, on her memoir A Time for Truth Listen | 70:10 While Tom was trying to reach Jason, Molly had a two-minute call with Sharon. What did Molly tell her parents that Saturday to prompt the change in dinner plans and incite Tom to call Jason, the son-in-law he hated? About an hour later the Martenses set off for North Carolina. During the journey, there were 11 calls between Sharon and Molly. Jason's phone, laptop and home computer were all mysteriously missing from the crime scene and were never found. The detectives never discovered the content of Tom's 37-second message to Jason. Journalist Brian Carroll was co-producer of the Netflix film A Deadly American Marriage. A Deadly Marriage by Brian Carroll is published by Sandycove, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and is available from August 21st
