On the night before Halloween in 1975, Martha Moxley, a vibrant 15-year-old, set out to spend the evening with friends and neighbors in the upscale community of Belle Haven, Greenwich, Connecticut. By the following morning, the quiet neighborhood would be forever scarred. Martha’s lifeless body was found in her backyard, brutally murdered with a golf club—a crime so shocking it reverberated across the nation.
In the days following her death, investigators were faced with a tangled web of leads. What began as a local tragedy quickly unraveled into a case that highlighted the sharp divide between privilege and justice. The focus soon turned to the Skakel family, neighbors of the Moxleys and relatives of the Kennedy clan. Reports indicated Martha had spent her final evening with the Skakel brothers, Michael and Thomas, both of whom became central figures in the investigation.
As the case developed, whispers of influence and power began to overshadow the pursuit of justice. Despite mounting suspicion and evidence, including accounts of inconsistent alibis and troubling behavior from members of the Skakel family, the investigation stalled. For years, the case remained cold, leaving Martha’s family and the community in anguish, haunted by the lack of accountability.
Over the decades, the case would resurface, each time with renewed attention and controversy. In 2000, Michael Skakel, the nephew of Ethel Kennedy, was arrested and charged with Martha’s murder. His trial captivated the public as prosecutors laid out a timeline implicating Michael, citing his alleged confession to a classmate years earlier. Convicted in 2002, he was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
However, this was far from the resolution many had hoped for. In the years following his conviction, Michael Skakel’s legal team challenged the verdict, citing insufficient representation and procedural flaws. In 2013, his conviction was overturned, and he was released on bail. The case remains a contentious topic, with ongoing debates about guilt, privilege, and the elusiveness of justice.
Originally recorded and release as EP 52 and EP 53 in January 2023.
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