The Case Which Refused to Go Away: For investigators in Greenwich, Conn., the unsolved Moxley murder refused to go away. Many pointed the finger at the police, suspecting that family position and money influenced the investigations. The Skakel family, was after all, one of the most elite and well connected families in the community. As books about the crime began to surface, interest in finding the murderer and justice for Martha was renewed and the investigation was reopened.
Sutton Associates: In July 1992, Rushton Skakel, frustrated with the never ending suspicions surrounding his family and the murder of Martha, hired Sutton Associates, a top private investigation firm, to find evidence which would prove the Skakels had nothing to do with the murder. It was during the investigation interviews that both Tom and Michael Skakel changed their original alibis for their whereabouts during the time that Moxley was murdered.
A New Alibi: At the time of the murder, Michael told police he was at his cousin's house in north Greenwich and returned home at 11 p.m. and went to bed. When interviewed by the Sutton investigator, he changed his story and said he did not go to bed but instead peeped through neighbors' windows then climbed a tree and tossed pebbles at Martha's bedroom window to awaken her. He called out her name and when he failed to get a response he masturbated while still in the tree and returned home at 12:30 a.m.
A Season in Purgatory: In 1993 Dominick Dunne's fictional novel which mirrored the Moxley case, A Season in Purgatory, hit the best-seller list and fueled public interest in the case even more. Soon after, Michael accepted a position to work for his cousin, Michael Kennedy, as the director of international programs at the Citizens' Energy Corporation.
Mark Fuhrman's Murder in Greenwich: In May 1998, the book, Murder in Greenwich hit the bookstores. Author, Mark Fuhrman, the former detective who had gained notoriety during the O.J. Simpson case, concluded that evidence pointed to Michael as the killer of Martha Moxley. The book exposed the Sutton report and Michael's own confession to the murder during his stay at Elan. Fuhrman concluded that it was Michael's jealousy over a kiss between his brother Tommy and Martha that sent him into the murderous rage.
Grand Jury Investigation: In June 1998 a one-man investigative grand jury was appointed to investigate the Moxley murder. Superior Court Judge George Thim was appointed and an 18-month deadline was set. During the investigation several former friends, classmates and teachers of Michael Skakel testified. In January of 2000, Judge Thim released his report which said there was enough reasonable cause pointing to Michael Skakel as the murderer of Martha Moxley.
Skakel Surrenders: Soon after, Skakel flew from his home in Florida to Greenwich and surrendered to the police. It was later decided that he would be tried as an adult even though he was 15 years old when the crime occurred. Michael's trial began in May 7, 2002, in Norwalk, Conn., 27 years after the murder was committed.
Michael Skakel Found Guilty: The trial lasted four weeks, and Michael Skakel was found guilty of murder. Choking back tears, Michael listened to Judge John F. Kavanewsky Jr. sentence him to 20 years to life in prison. Voicing his innocence, he refused to apologize for the murder which he insisted he did not commit.
The Appeals: Skakel's attorneys fought for a new trial in September 2003 after Gitano Bryant, cousin of NBA star Kobe Bryant, offered new evidence indicating that two friends of Bryant's confessed to beating a girl "cave man style" with a golf club they picked up Skakel's yard. The attorneys also tried to get the conviction thrown out because of the statute of limitations had run out and because prosecutors failed to turn over crucial evidence which could have exonerated Skakel.
Skakel's Murder Conviction Upheld: On January 13, 2006, the Connecticut Supreme Court unanimously upheld the murder conviction, rejecting all appeal issues. For Michael, who was raised around enormous wealth and has family connections to one of the most powerful families in the nation and opportunities far exceeding the average citizen, the future looks grim.
< Previous < Michael Skatel - Part one
See Also: The Appeals of Michael Skakel
Sources:
Murder in Greenwich – Who Killed Martha Moxley?
The Martha Moxley Website - Court Transcripts
Old Views Of Skakel Remain At New Address By John Springer, The Hartford Courant
