Jason Corbett with his children Jack (10) and Sarah (8)
The children of slain Irish man Jason Corbett are to be cared for by his sister, Tracy and American judge has ruled.
His children 10-year-old Jack and 8-year-old Sarah were being cared for by their step mother Molly Martens.
Martens and her father, Thomas Martens (65) are named as 'persons of interest' in the death of Jason Corbett.
A custody battle has been ongoing between the relatives of Mr Corbett and Ms Martens, who wanted to adopt the children.
The children's birth-mother, Mags, Mr Corbett's first wife, died following an asthma attack in 2006.
However, Mr Corbett had decreed in his will that in the event of his death his children should be cared for by his sister, Tracey Lynch and her husband David.
A hearing for guardianship was held on Friday and a North Carolina official presiding over the case ordered on Monday that the children be taken from the care of Ms Martens, The Irish Daily Mail reports.
Under the order all concerned parties have to attend a custody hearing tomorrow morning, where it is expected that the judge in charge of the guardianship case, Jude April Woods, will dissolve the hearing in light of the earlier ruling.
The children will have to stay in North Carolina until then, but the ruling will bring the Lynches one step closer to bringing the children back with them to Limerick.