MovieChat Forums > Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) Discussion > Martha was an accompliace to a homicide.

Martha was an accompliace to a homicide.

posted 11 years ago by mymai5500
9 replies | jump to latest

As much as I wanted Martha to kick the shackles of insecurity, and forget about the crutch that was her cult family. In the end, even if she got help, theres no turning a blind eye that she was an accomplice to a homicide.

Even if she got help, it would have probably come out in therapy that she was part of a murder, and then would have been reported to the authorities. Eventually landing herself in jail for the next twenty years.

Kinda ruins the comeback-kid feel you want to happen in the movie.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] TracesOfLove 11 years ago

If you are with someone who commits murder, you are an accomplice. Especially if you do not alert the authorities immediately after it occurs. She may be able to cut a deal but she's going to do time at least for the robbery. But that's only a maybe that they will even give her a deal. So Martha is not going to take the chance and come clean. The fact that she could cut a deal is what puts Martha in danger that the cult will come and silence her.

...even in a valley without mountains the wind could still blow.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Princess_Ashmi 11 years ago

But why? Sure she joined them to rob the house but thats no reason as to why she should get so many years simply because one of them chose to go fully psycho and kill the guy. Especially if she explained her case, i know with the right lawyer and back up she can prove that she was brainwashed into being in that cult in the first place and brainwashed into taking part.

If many people in the US can get off for actual murder then theres no reason as to why a person who witnessed it can't..

Ashmi any question

[–] anonymust 11 years ago

I agree with Princess_Ashmi, she'd probably get some kind of immunity as well if she chooses to testify about her abductors. Especially if a lot of young girls are going missing.

She was clearly not in the right mental state, she was raped, drugged, isolated from the outside world, apart from the robberies lol. Maybe there was duress, she was possibly frightened by the threat of violence. Who knows, but I honestly think there's a good argument for her to not face jail time.

[–] susanemccool 11 years ago

I don't believe that it matters one iiota - at least in most states - whether she knew a murder would, or even might have, been committed. And her defense attorney would have a hard time indeed arguing that she was not responsible due to brainwashing; the DA would point out that she *was* aware the cult was not a good place to be, or else why did she run from it? Shows she could reason/tell right from wrong, and wasn't so extremely brainwashed as to have earlier committed burglary (doesn't matter whether anything was taken) then watched a murder occur and opt to stay with the group and keep quiet and not be responsible for her in/actions.

I do agree, however, that she might very well be able to get a good plea deal, even all of the above.

[–] gallopingghost 9 years ago

I don't believe that it matters one iiota - at least in most states - whether she knew a murder would, or even might have, been committed

Deciding whether or not to go after someone as an accessory, those details do matter.

her defense attorney would have a hard time indeed arguing that she was not responsible due to brainwashing

I don't think that would be her defense. She has a legitimate case that she feared for her safety, and that's why she ran.

That is, if the DA even went after her, which doesn't make much sense, particularly if she is the one who comes forward.

Martha is a material witness, the cult leader is the big fish; and a much better high profile case to prosecute. Coercing sexual acts from young women, covering up manslaughter; they could put him away for life.

[–] susanemccool 11 years ago

(What I meant in the first sentence was that she would be guilty of murder.)

[–] sd-172 10 years ago

Anything that one reports in therapy can't be reported to the authorities as long as she wasn't making future threats towards people