Martha Moxley Case: Michael Skakel Opens Up
Fifty years after the tragic murder of Martha Moxley, a young girl from a wealthy Connecticut family, Michael Skakel—related to the Kennedy family—has finally spoken out about the case that once consumed the public’s attention.
Skakel, cousin to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was imprisoned for eleven years following Moxley’s murder in 1975. Although he was released in 2013 and his conviction was overturned, he continues to assert his innocence.
In a recent NBC News podcast titled “Dead Thirteen: The Martha Moxley Murder Case,” he’s shared his perspective publicly for the first time since the overturning of his conviction, discussing both his background and his views regarding the infamous murder.
Moxley was just 15 when she was brutally killed in her Greenwich, Connecticut, backyard on October 30, 1975, having been last seen enjoying a night of pranks with friends. Her death was later confirmed to have been caused by injuries inflicted from a golf club, which was found at the Skakel residence.
Initially, investigators looked into Michael’s older brother, Thomas, and their family’s live-in tutor, Kenneth Littleton, but they gradually turned their focus toward Michael, who was just a teenager at the time of the incident.
For a long time, Skakel remained largely silent about the ordeal, but he now aims to share his truth, touching on the painful episodes of his upbringing.
He reflected on how strict Catholic values shaped his childhood, including an instance where he faced punishment for simply picking up a Playboy magazine. He described feeling neglected as his parents showed more affection toward his younger brother, Tommy, often disregarding him, especially during times when he needed support the most, like after a serious injury.
Skakel also mentioned a particularly harsh moment: when his dying mother’s condition was downplayed, with his father blaming her hair loss on shampoo rather than her cancer treatment. He recounted hurtful remarks from his father after his mother passed, which left him feeling deeply conflicted and isolated.
Drowning in sorrow, Skakel turned to alcohol as a teenager, and on the day his mother died, he drank an entire bottle of vodka in the yard. Dr. Carol Lieberman, a forensic psychiatrist, remarked on the profound psychological impact his abusive home life had on him, arguing that such trauma undoubtedly affected him as he grew older.
In 1978, following an incident where he crashed his brother’s car, a legal agreement sent him to the infamous Elan School in Maine instead of facing drunk driving charges. Skakel vividly described his unsettling experience there, where students endured severe punishments and were often treated harshly.
After leaving that school, he was diagnosed with PTSD and spent time in a care facility in California. Though he later married and attempted to build a new life, everything changed dramatically in 2000 when authorities sought his arrest in connection with Moxley’s murder.
Skakel recounted how, upon turning himself in in early 2000, he faced a whirlwind of media frenzy that swept through every news outlet within hours. His initial conviction came in 2002, after which he received a 20-year sentence.
After a series of legal battles, Skakel was eventually granted a new trial in 2013 due to inadequate legal representation. The Connecticut Supreme Court ultimately vacated his conviction in May 2018, with prosecutors opting not to retry him.
Dr. Lieberman expressed her belief that Skakel was wrongfully convicted, citing numerous inconsistencies in the investigation, the legal counsel, and a lacking forensic foundation for the case against him.
Described as a victim of continuous trauma, both in his past and in the courtroom, Skakel now fights to maintain his innocence as the mystery surrounding Moxley’s murder lingers. His story offers a new perspective on an enduring narrative shrouded in silence for decades.
