Killers Tom and Molly Martens have been transported to separate state prisons where they are expected to remain until next summer.
The North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections has retracted its earlier confirmation that the two of them were to be released from prison this week - a statement that led to upset and uproar - and forced the department to review the dates and "correct" them.
Now the prison system says the pair will not be released until next June of next year - in line with the expectations of Tom Martens lawyer Jay Vannoy on sentencing day last month.
This afternoon both were transported to separate state prison facilities from Davidson County Jail in Lexington, where both had been held since 8 November, awaiting a written order about their detention and release dates from the Department of Adult Corrections.
An initial version of the release order - which became public yesterday - stated both were to be released this week: Tom Martens today, Tuesday, and Molly Martens Corbett tomorrow, Wednesday 6 November.
This information was found on a searchable database of the Department of Adult Corrections.
Today the same searchable database shows a new release date of 27 June next year for the pair - minus the prison mugshots of the pair contained on earlier forms.
This evening the Department of Adult Corrections told RTÉ News it has taken down the pages for both prisoners "to get them accurately updated".
A spokesman said "Corbett was admitted to North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh, while Martens was admitted to Piedmont Correctional institution in Salisbury.
"These two prisons are admission centres in the North Carolina prison system. "These offenders may be transferred to other prisons after the completion of the admission and evaluation process."
The latest statement confirms 27 June 2024 as the release date for both prisoners.
Late last night, after a day of controversy and questions about the proposed very early release date, the department said "After further review, the initial projected release dates calculated in response to resentencing for Molly Corbett and Thomas Martens were found to be incorrect.
It says the wrong release dates were posted as a "result of human error during the sentence calculation process."
It has denied reports that an internal investigation or inquiry is taking place.
The Corbett family in Limerick said they found it incredible that the error was spotted only on a second check - one they believe was forced on the Department of Corrections by media inquiries and the Justice for Jason campaign.
"We find it incredible that it was only on a second check of the early release sentence calculations that the error was spotted.
"We also remain convinced that, but for the actions of the Irish media and the Justice for Jason supporters in highlighting this injustice, the two killers who cruelly took Jason's life and tried to attack his good name would be released after the shocking period of just four weeks behind bars," the family said in a statement to media.
They say the events of the past few weeks raise serious questions about the fairness and the empathy of the justice system in North Carolina.
"Other criminals in North Carolina are getting sentences of 20 years plus for non-fatal assaults.
"A seven-month sentence extension for two people who beat a helpless man to death with a baseball bat and a concrete paving slab is nothing less than a shocking injustice."
