Mischief Night Turns to Murder: Unraveling the Chilling Case of Martha Moxley

[00:00:00] Are you ready to take the next step in your health journey, but tired of being shamed and blamed for your weight?

[00:00:06] Let me introduce you to Mochi Health, because weight loss isn't about the next fad diet.

[00:00:11] It's about having access to professional healthcare advice to help you with your goals.

[00:00:16] Mochi takes a holistic approach to weight loss, combining science-backed medications, personalized nutrition, and real support from board-certified doctors.

[00:00:26] At Mochi, you'll get access to powerful FDA-approved medications like GLP-1s.

[00:00:33] Think Ozempic and even generic compounded versions that are affordable and delivered right to your door.

[00:00:38] You'll also receive customized support from registered dietitians who work hand-in-hand with your medication to design a nutrition plan that fits your everyday life.

[00:00:48] No more guesswork. Whether you have insurance or not, Mochi makes this process affordable and accessible to everyone.

[00:00:55] That means expert care from start to finish, without the red tape.

[00:01:00] I'm very much a fact and science-based thinking kind of person.

[00:01:05] Quite frankly, I'm tired of feeling shamed into losing weight.

[00:01:08] It's not about dropping numbers on a scale.

[00:01:11] It's about making science-backed decisions about your body in partnership with board-certified doctors and dietitians who will guide you every step of the way.

[00:01:21] And Mochi is giving Serial Napper listeners an incredible deal.

[00:01:25] $40 off their program by visiting joinmochi.com and using my code, Serial Napper, all one word.

[00:01:34] Save yourself $40 off a health program that's truly personalized to you by using code Serial Napper at checkout at joinmochi.com today.

[00:01:44] The case featured in this episode has been researched using police records, court documents, witness statements, and the news.

[00:01:52] Listener discretion is advised.

[00:01:55] All parties mentioned are innocent until proven guilty, and all opinions are my own.

[00:02:19] Hey everyone, my name is Nikki Young and this is Serial Napper, the true crime podcast for naps.

[00:02:26] I'm back with another true crime story to lull you to sleep or perhaps to give you nightmares.

[00:02:31] This is episode 4 of another season of Serial Nightmare, a Halloween series that I do every year for the month of October.

[00:02:39] So everything I release this month will either be Halloween-related or a little bit more on the spooky side, but of course, always true crime.

[00:02:48] It was the night before Halloween, October 30th, 1975, also known as Mischief Night.

[00:02:55] An evening filled with pranks like throwing toilet paper on trees and egging houses.

[00:03:02] For 15-year-old Martha Moxley, it was an ordinary night of hanging out with her friends, including 15-year-old Michael Skakel and his 17-year-old brother Tommy.

[00:03:13] The Skakel boys were part of a wealthy, well-known family related to American political royalty, the Kennedys.

[00:03:20] Before the clock struck midnight, Martha would be violently murdered, her battered body found under a pine tree near her Bellhaven home the following morning.

[00:03:30] She had been bludgeoned with a golf club, one that would match a set from the Skakel home.

[00:03:36] It was a vicious attack that felt extremely personal, with several potential suspects, varying witness statements, alibis, and motives.

[00:03:47] What followed was a messy murder investigation and a trial that would take decades to unfold.

[00:03:54] So, dim the lights, put your phone down, and listen to the tragic unsolved murder of Martha Moxley,

[00:04:02] a beautiful life lost in a world of privilege, leading many to question if the wealthy truly are above the law.

[00:04:11] So, let's jump right in.

[00:04:14] Martha Moxley was known as the It Girl.

[00:04:17] Born on August 16th, 1960 in Oakland, California to her parents David and Dorothy,

[00:04:22] she's been described as a ray of sunshine by those who knew her.

[00:04:27] This California girl spent the majority of her life living in the hilly suburbs of Montclair, about an hour away from LA.

[00:04:35] She had a very active childhood, enjoying activities like ballet, piano, and the Girl Scouts.

[00:04:43] She was the kind of girl who needed a full social calendar in order to be happy.

[00:04:49] Martha absolutely thrived being around other people.

[00:04:53] So, basically, she was the complete opposite of who I am as a person.

[00:04:57] When she was in the 7th grade, her family, including her parents and older brother John,

[00:05:03] moved to Piedmont, where she attended junior high as an honor student.

[00:05:07] She was also voted the girl with the best personality by her classmates.

[00:05:12] Close family friend Rosemary would say,

[00:05:14] quote,

[00:05:15] She was very bright, in the gifted class, and her family felt that she might enjoy the challenge at a private school.

[00:05:23] Another one of her strengths was her ability to adapt to change,

[00:05:27] which was needed because after a short stint in Piedmont, her father was transferred to New York.

[00:05:33] The Moxley family moved into the quiet, upscale community of Bellhaven in Greenwich, Connecticut.

[00:05:40] They purchased a beautiful three-acre property in this gated community,

[00:05:45] feeling like it would be a safe place to continue raising their family.

[00:05:49] Bellhaven was home to wealthy families.

[00:05:52] Think CEOs, politicians, doctors, and lawyers.

[00:05:57] Now, as a military brat, I can testify to how challenging it is to move to a new school, especially as a teenager.

[00:06:04] High school is hard enough, but then having to start over at a place where you know no one?

[00:06:11] Friend groups at that point, they've already been established,

[00:06:15] especially if you're moving into an area where generations of families have lived.

[00:06:20] It's really tough, but Martha, she stepped right up to the challenge.

[00:06:26] She signed up for field hockey and basketball,

[00:06:29] she became the sports editor of the yearbook,

[00:06:32] and she was once again an honor student.

[00:06:35] She seemed to be thriving in her new life.

[00:06:39] The pretty blonde teenager with braces had also found a small friend group to fall in with.

[00:06:44] It was this friend group that she was hanging out with on the evening of October 30th, 1975,

[00:06:51] the night before Halloween.

[00:06:53] Now, it might be a regional thing because I've never heard of it,

[00:06:58] but the kids in the area called it Mischief Night.

[00:07:01] Basically, it was an evening of pranks,

[00:07:04] where the younger crowd would teepee trees and egg each other's houses,

[00:07:08] other silly little pranks like that.

[00:07:11] On this night, Martha was hanging out at the Skakel family home,

[00:07:15] which was just across the street from her own house.

[00:07:18] The Skakels were very wealthy.

[00:07:20] They had what's referred to as old money,

[00:07:24] inherited from the family's mining company.

[00:07:27] They were also related to American royalty, the Kennedys.

[00:07:31] Rushton Skakel, head of the household,

[00:07:33] he had a sister named Ethel,

[00:07:35] who was married to Robert Kennedy in 1950.

[00:07:38] The seven Skakel kids were cousins with the younger Kennedys,

[00:07:42] and they made sure that everyone around them knew it.

[00:07:46] The matriarch of the Skakel family, Anne,

[00:07:49] had recently died from cancer,

[00:07:51] and the patriarch, Rushton,

[00:07:53] he was struggling to parent their seven children,

[00:07:56] meaning he worked a lot,

[00:07:58] and then he took a lot of vacations,

[00:07:59] while the kids were left to do whatever they wanted to do.

[00:08:03] Needless to say,

[00:08:05] there was a lot of partying and underage drinking happening in the home.

[00:08:09] It's said that at just 13 years old,

[00:08:12] one of the boys, Michael,

[00:08:14] had already developed a drinking problem.

[00:08:16] They were rich, entitled,

[00:08:19] and left mostly to their own devices.

[00:08:22] What could possibly go wrong?

[00:08:24] Martha was a friend to all seven Skakel children,

[00:08:27] but on this night,

[00:08:28] she was hanging out with 15-year-old Michael Skakel

[00:08:31] and two other friends in Lincoln

[00:08:33] that was parked in their driveway.

[00:08:36] Michael and Martha were sitting in the front seat,

[00:08:38] with the other teens piled into the back of the car.

[00:08:41] It was around 9 p.m. that night,

[00:08:44] when older brother,

[00:08:45] 17-year-old Tommy,

[00:08:47] decided to join them.

[00:08:48] He squeezes into the front seat

[00:08:50] with Martha and Michael,

[00:08:51] and they all listen to music in the car

[00:08:54] until around 9.30 p.m.

[00:08:56] That's when two of the other Skakel boys

[00:08:58] come out of the house

[00:08:59] and say that they need the car

[00:09:01] to drive over to their cousin's house

[00:09:02] to watch the U.S. premiere

[00:09:04] of Monty Python's Flying Circus.

[00:09:07] Martha and her friends,

[00:09:09] along with Tommy,

[00:09:10] all get out of the car

[00:09:11] and go hang out elsewhere in the neighborhood.

[00:09:14] Michael stays behind

[00:09:15] and would later say

[00:09:17] that he went with his two brothers

[00:09:19] to go to his cousin's house.

[00:09:21] Now, the two other friends,

[00:09:22] with Martha and Tommy,

[00:09:24] they don't stay around too long

[00:09:26] because she and Tommy,

[00:09:28] they're getting really flirty

[00:09:29] and maybe a bit hot and heavy,

[00:09:32] playing around with each other,

[00:09:33] fooling around,

[00:09:34] and some making out.

[00:09:35] So these two other people,

[00:09:37] they take off.

[00:09:38] What happens after they leave,

[00:09:40] no one knows,

[00:09:41] but we do know that Martha

[00:09:43] would not return home that night,

[00:09:44] and she would never live

[00:09:46] to see the light of day.

[00:09:47] Around 1 a.m.,

[00:09:49] her mother notices

[00:09:50] that her daughter still isn't back

[00:09:52] and she begins to worry.

[00:09:53] So she starts calling

[00:09:54] all of her friends,

[00:09:56] but no one has seen

[00:09:57] or heard from Martha

[00:09:58] since they were all

[00:09:59] hanging out earlier in the evening.

[00:10:01] The following day,

[00:10:03] Martha still wasn't home

[00:10:04] and now her mother

[00:10:05] is completely distressed.

[00:10:07] She calls the police

[00:10:08] to alert them

[00:10:09] that her daughter was missing

[00:10:11] and then she went out

[00:10:12] looking for her.

[00:10:14] Dorothy knew that Martha

[00:10:15] had been over at the Skaggle house,

[00:10:16] so that's her first stop.

[00:10:18] According to Dorothy,

[00:10:20] Michael is the one

[00:10:21] who answers the door

[00:10:22] and he appears to be hungover.

[00:10:24] She asks if he has seen Martha,

[00:10:27] so he checks around their home

[00:10:28] and reports back to Dorothy

[00:10:29] that Martha was not there.

[00:10:31] Word spread quickly

[00:10:32] that Martha was missing

[00:10:33] and her friends began

[00:10:35] to organize groups

[00:10:36] to go out

[00:10:36] and look for her

[00:10:37] in the neighborhood.

[00:10:38] It was just before noon

[00:10:40] on Halloween day

[00:10:41] when she was found.

[00:10:43] Her battered body

[00:10:44] was discovered

[00:10:45] underneath a tree

[00:10:46] located on the back

[00:10:47] of her family's property.

[00:10:49] One of her friends

[00:10:50] had only just spotted the body

[00:10:52] because it had been shielded

[00:10:53] amongst tall grass.

[00:10:55] It was a bloody scene.

[00:10:58] Whatever had happened to her

[00:10:59] was very violent.

[00:11:01] Her light blonde hair

[00:11:02] was unrecognizable

[00:11:03] because it was stained red.

[00:11:06] Her pants were pulled down

[00:11:07] to her knees,

[00:11:08] but later tests would reveal

[00:11:10] that she hadn't been

[00:11:11] sexually assaulted.

[00:11:12] The police were called

[00:11:14] and they quickly set up

[00:11:15] a crime scene parameter.

[00:11:16] There was evidence

[00:11:18] that Martha had been dragged

[00:11:19] from her driveway

[00:11:20] over to the tree

[00:11:21] where her body

[00:11:22] had been found.

[00:11:23] Near the driveway,

[00:11:25] investigators located

[00:11:26] a piece of the murder weapon.

[00:11:28] It was the head

[00:11:28] of a golf club.

[00:11:30] Martha Moxley

[00:11:31] had been bludgeoned

[00:11:32] to death

[00:11:33] so violently

[00:11:34] that part of the shaft

[00:11:35] of the golf club

[00:11:36] had broken off

[00:11:37] and then it had been used

[00:11:39] to stab her in the neck.

[00:11:40] The sheer rage

[00:11:41] that was showed

[00:11:42] in this attack

[00:11:43] was shocking.

[00:11:44] Who would want

[00:11:45] to hurt the California girl

[00:11:47] that everyone seemed

[00:11:48] to love?

[00:11:49] They lived in a safe,

[00:11:50] secure, upscale neighborhood.

[00:11:52] Much of the community

[00:11:53] felt like it had

[00:11:55] to be an outsider.

[00:11:56] It couldn't possibly

[00:11:57] be one of them.

[00:11:59] Investigators continued

[00:12:00] searching the neighboring

[00:12:01] properties for

[00:12:02] any other evidence

[00:12:03] that may have been discarded.

[00:12:05] And that's when they find

[00:12:06] a matching golf club

[00:12:08] on the Skakel property.

[00:12:09] It was clearly

[00:12:11] from the same set of clubs

[00:12:12] that the one

[00:12:13] that was used

[00:12:14] to kill Martha was from.

[00:12:15] When they questioned

[00:12:16] the Skakel family,

[00:12:17] they learned that

[00:12:19] this particular golf set

[00:12:20] was owned by Ann Skakel

[00:12:22] who had passed away

[00:12:23] two years prior.

[00:12:24] Clearly,

[00:12:25] it wasn't Ann

[00:12:26] who had last used it.

[00:12:27] The police questioned

[00:12:29] both 15-year-old

[00:12:30] Michael Skakel

[00:12:31] and 17-year-old

[00:12:32] Thomas Skakel.

[00:12:33] Both admitted

[00:12:34] that they had been

[00:12:35] with Martha

[00:12:36] earlier on in the evening.

[00:12:37] Based on statements

[00:12:39] made by neighbors

[00:12:40] who had heard

[00:12:40] their dogs barking

[00:12:41] around the time

[00:12:42] of the murder,

[00:12:43] it was believed

[00:12:43] that Martha

[00:12:44] had been killed

[00:12:45] sometime between

[00:12:46] 9.30 and 10pm.

[00:12:48] Michael told the police

[00:12:50] that the last time

[00:12:51] he saw Martha

[00:12:52] was around 9.30

[00:12:53] when he left

[00:12:54] with his brothers

[00:12:55] to go to his cousin

[00:12:56] Jimmy's home.

[00:12:57] Martha,

[00:12:58] her two friends,

[00:12:59] and his older brother

[00:13:00] Tommy

[00:13:00] all stayed behind.

[00:13:02] Tommy also reported

[00:13:03] that it was shortly

[00:13:05] after 9.30pm

[00:13:06] that he last saw Martha.

[00:13:08] The two were

[00:13:09] playfully goofing

[00:13:10] around for a bit

[00:13:10] after getting

[00:13:11] out of the car,

[00:13:12] but then he decided

[00:13:13] that it was time

[00:13:14] to go inside

[00:13:14] to write a report

[00:13:15] on Abraham Lincoln

[00:13:17] for school.

[00:13:18] Though police

[00:13:19] would later learn

[00:13:20] this whole story

[00:13:21] about the Abraham

[00:13:22] Lincoln report

[00:13:23] was bogus,

[00:13:24] Tommy did have

[00:13:25] a solid alibi.

[00:13:26] He had been seen

[00:13:28] inside of his home

[00:13:29] around 10pm

[00:13:30] by Ken Littleton.

[00:13:31] Now,

[00:13:32] Ken had very recently

[00:13:33] been hired as a tutor,

[00:13:35] and he had just

[00:13:36] moved into the

[00:13:36] Skakel home.

[00:13:37] He confirmed

[00:13:38] to the police

[00:13:39] that Tommy

[00:13:40] was at the home

[00:13:40] around 10pm

[00:13:41] and that the two

[00:13:42] of them were

[00:13:43] watching TV together.

[00:13:44] He also reported

[00:13:46] that Tommy

[00:13:46] was acting

[00:13:47] very normal,

[00:13:48] like nothing was wrong

[00:13:49] or anything had happened.

[00:13:50] It's difficult

[00:13:51] to imagine

[00:13:52] that a person

[00:13:53] just having committed

[00:13:54] such a violent

[00:13:55] and bloody murder

[00:13:56] would be able

[00:13:57] to keep

[00:13:57] a calm composure.

[00:13:59] Still,

[00:14:00] Tommy was

[00:14:01] the last person

[00:14:02] to see Martha alive.

[00:14:03] As investigators

[00:14:05] began to speak

[00:14:05] to Martha's

[00:14:06] friends and neighbors,

[00:14:08] they have trouble

[00:14:09] identifying

[00:14:09] a particular suspect.

[00:14:11] The Skakel family

[00:14:13] appeared to have

[00:14:14] alibis backed up

[00:14:15] by witnesses,

[00:14:16] yet something

[00:14:17] still felt

[00:14:18] a little off

[00:14:19] about their stories.

[00:14:20] And what about

[00:14:21] the murder weapon

[00:14:22] coming from their house?

[00:14:24] Police were also

[00:14:25] learning about

[00:14:26] the complicated

[00:14:26] relationship

[00:14:27] between Martha

[00:14:28] and Tommy.

[00:14:29] It was pretty

[00:14:30] well known

[00:14:31] that Tommy

[00:14:32] had a crush

[00:14:32] on Martha

[00:14:33] and he wanted

[00:14:34] to date her,

[00:14:35] but she didn't

[00:14:36] necessarily feel

[00:14:37] the same way.

[00:14:38] Martha was also

[00:14:40] casually dating

[00:14:41] a boy named

[00:14:41] Peter at the time.

[00:14:43] This was backed

[00:14:44] up in diary entries

[00:14:46] written by Martha

[00:14:47] shortly before

[00:14:48] her death.

[00:14:48] One entry

[00:14:50] from September 12,

[00:14:51] 1975

[00:14:52] read,

[00:14:52] Dear Diary,

[00:14:54] Today was nothing

[00:14:56] extra special

[00:14:56] at school.

[00:14:57] Peter was being

[00:14:59] his usual self.

[00:15:01] Me,

[00:15:01] Jackie,

[00:15:02] Michael,

[00:15:03] Tom,

[00:15:03] Hope,

[00:15:04] Maureen,

[00:15:04] and Andra

[00:15:05] went driving

[00:15:05] in Tom's car.

[00:15:07] I drove a little

[00:15:08] and then I was

[00:15:09] practically sitting

[00:15:09] on Tom's lap

[00:15:10] because I was

[00:15:12] only steering.

[00:15:13] He kept putting

[00:15:14] his hand on my knee.

[00:15:16] I drove some more

[00:15:17] and Margie and I

[00:15:18] kept yelling

[00:15:19] out of the sunroof

[00:15:20] and then we went

[00:15:21] to Friendly's

[00:15:21] and Michael treated me

[00:15:23] and he got me

[00:15:24] a double

[00:15:24] but I only wanted

[00:15:25] a single,

[00:15:26] so I threw

[00:15:27] the top scoop

[00:15:28] out the window.

[00:15:29] Then I was

[00:15:30] driving again

[00:15:31] and Tom put

[00:15:32] his arm around me.

[00:15:33] He kept doing

[00:15:34] stuff like that.

[00:15:36] Jesus,

[00:15:37] if Peter ever

[00:15:37] found out,

[00:15:38] I would be dead.

[00:15:39] I think Jackie

[00:15:40] really likes Michael

[00:15:41] and I think maybe

[00:15:43] he likes her

[00:15:44] maybe because

[00:15:45] he was drunk

[00:15:45] but I don't know.

[00:15:48] Speaking of Peter

[00:15:49] because obviously

[00:15:50] we always look

[00:15:51] to the significant

[00:15:52] other first,

[00:15:53] he had an alibi

[00:15:54] for the night

[00:15:55] of the murder.

[00:15:56] His mother

[00:15:57] had asked him

[00:15:57] if he'd like

[00:15:58] to maybe borrow

[00:15:59] the car

[00:15:59] to go hang out

[00:16:00] with Martha

[00:16:00] that evening

[00:16:01] but he didn't

[00:16:02] have a valid

[00:16:03] driver's license

[00:16:04] and he had

[00:16:05] smoked some pot

[00:16:06] so he didn't

[00:16:07] want to risk it

[00:16:07] and he ended up

[00:16:08] staying home

[00:16:09] watching TV

[00:16:10] before falling asleep.

[00:16:12] This would be

[00:16:13] backed up

[00:16:13] by his mother

[00:16:14] and by passing

[00:16:15] a lie detector test.

[00:16:17] I just wanted

[00:16:18] to mention this

[00:16:18] now because

[00:16:19] obviously

[00:16:20] if perhaps

[00:16:21] he had caught

[00:16:22] Martha and Tommy

[00:16:23] together,

[00:16:24] he may have

[00:16:25] had a motive.

[00:16:27] It's time

[00:16:28] for a quick break

[00:16:29] and a word

[00:16:30] from tonight's

[00:16:30] sponsors.

[00:16:31] Hang on,

[00:16:32] I'll be back

[00:16:32] before you know it.

[00:16:35] Some of you

[00:16:36] may know

[00:16:37] that I recently

[00:16:37] moved to Germany.

[00:16:39] Taking the time

[00:16:39] to actually learn

[00:16:41] some German

[00:16:41] has helped me

[00:16:42] a ton

[00:16:43] to order

[00:16:44] at restaurants,

[00:16:45] to set up

[00:16:45] my internet,

[00:16:46] and to say

[00:16:47] Guten Morgen

[00:16:48] to my neighbors.

[00:16:49] Which is why

[00:16:49] I've been using

[00:16:50] Rosetta Stone.

[00:16:51] Many of us

[00:16:52] have tried

[00:16:52] those free apps

[00:16:53] but they don't

[00:16:54] actually teach you

[00:16:55] how to talk

[00:16:56] like a local

[00:16:57] native speaker.

[00:16:58] Rosetta Stone

[00:16:59] does.

[00:17:00] For over 30 years

[00:17:02] they've helped

[00:17:02] millions of users

[00:17:04] master 25 languages

[00:17:05] including Spanish,

[00:17:07] French,

[00:17:08] Italian,

[00:17:09] German,

[00:17:09] Korean,

[00:17:10] Chinese,

[00:17:10] and more.

[00:17:11] What makes

[00:17:11] Rosetta Stone

[00:17:12] different?

[00:17:13] It's all about

[00:17:14] immersion.

[00:17:15] No English

[00:17:16] translations

[00:17:16] so you learn

[00:17:18] to think

[00:17:18] in a language

[00:17:19] not just

[00:17:19] memorize it.

[00:17:20] You start

[00:17:21] with simple

[00:17:21] words

[00:17:22] then phrases

[00:17:23] and before

[00:17:24] you know it

[00:17:24] you're speaking

[00:17:25] full sentences.

[00:17:27] It's designed

[00:17:28] for long-term

[00:17:28] retention

[00:17:29] so you're

[00:17:30] not just

[00:17:30] learning

[00:17:31] you're keeping

[00:17:32] that knowledge

[00:17:32] for life.

[00:17:33] With true

[00:17:34] accent

[00:17:35] their built-in

[00:17:36] speech recognition

[00:17:36] tool

[00:17:37] you'll get

[00:17:38] instant feedback

[00:17:39] on your

[00:17:39] pronunciation.

[00:17:40] It's like

[00:17:41] having a

[00:17:41] personal trainer

[00:17:42] for your accent

[00:17:43] ensuring you

[00:17:44] sound natural

[00:17:45] and confident

[00:17:45] in your new

[00:17:46] language.

[00:17:47] And the best

[00:17:47] part?

[00:17:48] It's super

[00:17:49] convenient.

[00:17:50] You can learn

[00:17:50] anywhere

[00:17:51] anytime

[00:17:52] on your desktop

[00:17:53] or with their

[00:17:54] mobile app.

[00:17:55] Rosetta Stone

[00:17:55] fits into your

[00:17:56] schedule

[00:17:56] not the other

[00:17:57] way around.

[00:17:58] And right now

[00:17:59] you can get

[00:18:00] a lifetime

[00:18:00] membership

[00:18:01] for all 25

[00:18:02] languages

[00:18:03] at 50%

[00:18:04] off.

[00:18:05] So don't

[00:18:06] put off

[00:18:07] learning that

[00:18:07] language.

[00:18:07] There's no

[00:18:08] better time

[00:18:09] than right

[00:18:10] now to get

[00:18:10] started.

[00:18:11] Serial Napper

[00:18:12] listeners can

[00:18:13] get Rosetta Stone's

[00:18:14] lifetime membership

[00:18:15] for 50%

[00:18:17] off.

[00:18:18] Just visit

[00:18:18] rosettastone.com

[00:18:20] slash

[00:18:20] today.

[00:18:21] That's 50%

[00:18:22] off unlimited

[00:18:23] access to

[00:18:25] 25 language

[00:18:26] courses for

[00:18:27] the rest of

[00:18:28] your life.

[00:18:28] Redeem your

[00:18:29] 50%

[00:18:30] off at

[00:18:31] rosettastone.com

[00:18:32] slash

[00:18:33] today

[00:18:33] today.

[00:18:36] Now back

[00:18:36] to our

[00:18:37] story.

[00:18:39] In another

[00:18:40] entry she

[00:18:41] wrote quote

[00:18:42] Michael was

[00:18:43] so totally

[00:18:44] out of it

[00:18:44] he was being

[00:18:45] a real

[00:18:46] asshole in

[00:18:46] his actions

[00:18:47] and words.

[00:18:48] He kept

[00:18:49] telling me

[00:18:49] that I was

[00:18:50] leading Tom

[00:18:51] on when I

[00:18:51] don't like

[00:18:52] him except

[00:18:52] as a friend.

[00:18:53] I said

[00:18:54] well how

[00:18:55] about you

[00:18:56] and Jackie?

[00:18:56] You keep

[00:18:57] telling me

[00:18:58] that you

[00:18:58] don't like

[00:18:58] her and

[00:18:59] you're all

[00:19:00] over her.

[00:19:00] He doesn't

[00:19:01] understand that

[00:19:02] he can be

[00:19:02] nice to

[00:19:03] her without

[00:19:03] hanging all

[00:19:04] over her.

[00:19:05] Michael jumps

[00:19:06] to conclusions.

[00:19:07] I can't

[00:19:08] be friends

[00:19:08] with Tom

[00:19:08] just because

[00:19:09] I talk

[00:19:10] to him.

[00:19:10] It doesn't

[00:19:11] mean I

[00:19:11] like him.

[00:19:12] I really

[00:19:13] have to

[00:19:13] stop going

[00:19:14] over there.

[00:19:15] The police

[00:19:16] didn't have

[00:19:16] any evidence

[00:19:17] that pointed

[00:19:18] to Tommy

[00:19:18] or anyone

[00:19:19] else in

[00:19:19] particular.

[00:19:20] So at

[00:19:21] that point

[00:19:21] no arrests

[00:19:22] were made.

[00:19:23] Still the

[00:19:24] investigation

[00:19:25] continued.

[00:19:26] Police looked

[00:19:27] closely at

[00:19:28] the Skakel

[00:19:28] tutor Ken

[00:19:29] Littleton.

[00:19:30] Shortly

[00:19:31] after

[00:19:31] Martha's

[00:19:31] murder,

[00:19:32] he was

[00:19:33] fired by

[00:19:33] the family

[00:19:34] and his

[00:19:34] life quickly

[00:19:35] went downhill.

[00:19:37] He began

[00:19:38] to drink,

[00:19:38] do drugs,

[00:19:39] and he

[00:19:40] was arrested

[00:19:40] for petty

[00:19:41] crime.

[00:19:42] Maybe

[00:19:43] the guilt

[00:19:43] of killing

[00:19:44] Martha

[00:19:44] was eating

[00:19:45] him alive.

[00:19:46] But what

[00:19:47] possible motive

[00:19:48] did he have?

[00:19:49] He didn't

[00:19:50] even know

[00:19:50] the young

[00:19:51] girl and

[00:19:52] with how

[00:19:52] violent

[00:19:52] the crime

[00:19:53] was,

[00:19:54] police

[00:19:54] thought that

[00:19:55] the killer

[00:19:55] was likely

[00:19:56] someone who

[00:19:57] was close

[00:19:57] to her.

[00:19:58] It felt

[00:19:58] very personal.

[00:19:59] The years

[00:20:01] would pass

[00:20:01] and Martha's

[00:20:02] killing went

[00:20:03] unsolved.

[00:20:04] And then,

[00:20:05] another case

[00:20:06] related to the

[00:20:07] Skakel and

[00:20:08] the Kennedy

[00:20:08] family,

[00:20:09] it would hit

[00:20:10] the news,

[00:20:10] sparking a

[00:20:11] renewed interest

[00:20:12] in Martha's

[00:20:13] murder,

[00:20:14] which was now

[00:20:14] a cold case.

[00:20:16] William Kennedy

[00:20:17] Smith was charged

[00:20:18] with rape in

[00:20:19] 1991.

[00:20:20] Because of the

[00:20:21] defendant's last

[00:20:22] name, the

[00:20:23] trial would

[00:20:24] make headline

[00:20:24] news worldwide.

[00:20:26] rumors began

[00:20:27] to swirl

[00:20:28] that maybe

[00:20:28] this Kennedy

[00:20:29] family member

[00:20:30] was connected

[00:20:31] to Martha's

[00:20:31] death.

[00:20:32] There were

[00:20:33] even false

[00:20:33] allegations made

[00:20:34] that he was

[00:20:35] at the Skakel

[00:20:36] home the

[00:20:37] night of the

[00:20:37] murder.

[00:20:38] Ultimately,

[00:20:39] William Kennedy

[00:20:40] Smith was

[00:20:40] acquitted,

[00:20:41] and the rumors

[00:20:42] of his

[00:20:43] involvement in

[00:20:43] Martha's

[00:20:44] murder,

[00:20:44] they all

[00:20:45] died down,

[00:20:45] but the

[00:20:46] public pressed

[00:20:47] the police

[00:20:47] to find

[00:20:48] Martha's

[00:20:49] real killer.

[00:20:50] Without any

[00:20:51] new information

[00:20:52] or tips,

[00:20:54] investigators

[00:20:54] didn't really

[00:20:55] have any

[00:20:56] avenues to

[00:20:57] pursue,

[00:20:58] so they

[00:20:58] created a

[00:20:59] tip hotline

[00:21:00] and they

[00:21:00] announced a

[00:21:01] reward for

[00:21:01] any information

[00:21:02] leading to

[00:21:03] an arrest.

[00:21:04] While the

[00:21:05] police are

[00:21:05] reviewing their

[00:21:06] files and

[00:21:07] following up

[00:21:07] with any

[00:21:08] new potential

[00:21:08] witnesses,

[00:21:10] the Skakel

[00:21:10] family hires

[00:21:11] their own

[00:21:12] investigator.

[00:21:13] They want

[00:21:14] to get ahead

[00:21:15] of this whole

[00:21:15] thing,

[00:21:16] knowing that

[00:21:16] both Tommy

[00:21:17] and Michael

[00:21:18] are pretty

[00:21:19] much suspect

[00:21:20] number one

[00:21:21] and number

[00:21:21] two as

[00:21:22] being two

[00:21:23] of the last

[00:21:23] people to

[00:21:24] see Martha

[00:21:25] alive.

[00:21:26] The information

[00:21:27] discovered in

[00:21:27] this private

[00:21:28] investigation would

[00:21:29] be compiled

[00:21:30] into a file

[00:21:31] known as

[00:21:31] the Sutton

[00:21:32] Report,

[00:21:33] and it was

[00:21:34] full of new

[00:21:35] shocking revelations

[00:21:36] that would

[00:21:37] change things

[00:21:37] up completely.

[00:21:39] Both Tommy

[00:21:40] and Michael's

[00:21:41] stories that they

[00:21:42] had initially

[00:21:43] told the police

[00:21:44] had changed.

[00:21:45] Originally,

[00:21:46] Tommy told

[00:21:47] police that

[00:21:47] he said

[00:21:48] goodbye to

[00:21:48] Martha and

[00:21:49] headed inside

[00:21:50] to work on

[00:21:50] that school

[00:21:51] report at

[00:21:52] around 9.30

[00:21:53] p.m., but

[00:21:54] when interviewed

[00:21:55] by the Sutton

[00:21:55] investigators,

[00:21:57] he claimed it

[00:21:57] was later than

[00:21:58] that and that

[00:21:59] he and Martha

[00:22:00] had spent

[00:22:01] around 20

[00:22:02] minutes making

[00:22:02] out getting

[00:22:03] hot and heavy,

[00:22:05] which would

[00:22:06] line up with

[00:22:06] Ken Littleton's

[00:22:07] report that he

[00:22:08] saw Tommy

[00:22:09] inside the

[00:22:09] house around

[00:22:10] 10 p.m.,

[00:22:11] but it does

[00:22:12] leave that half

[00:22:13] an hour gap of

[00:22:14] time that is

[00:22:14] kind of

[00:22:15] unaccounted

[00:22:15] for.

[00:22:16] Most shockingly

[00:22:17] was Michael's

[00:22:18] news story.

[00:22:19] His official

[00:22:20] statement to

[00:22:21] the police

[00:22:21] said that he

[00:22:22] went with his

[00:22:23] two brothers

[00:22:23] to go to

[00:22:24] his cousin

[00:22:24] Jimmy's house

[00:22:25] and he

[00:22:26] didn't return

[00:22:27] home until

[00:22:27] around 11.30

[00:22:28] p.m.

[00:22:29] when he went

[00:22:29] directly to

[00:22:30] bed, but

[00:22:31] that wasn't

[00:22:32] true.

[00:22:33] Now Michael

[00:22:34] said that he

[00:22:35] arrived home

[00:22:36] and he was

[00:22:36] drunk and

[00:22:37] horny, so

[00:22:38] he decided to

[00:22:38] climb a tree

[00:22:39] located just

[00:22:40] outside of

[00:22:41] Martha's

[00:22:41] bedroom window

[00:22:42] and then he

[00:22:43] masturbated.

[00:22:45] There's actually

[00:22:46] an audio

[00:22:46] recording of

[00:22:47] Michael himself

[00:22:48] talking about

[00:22:49] the situation.

[00:22:50] In the 90s,

[00:22:51] he was working

[00:22:52] on an

[00:22:52] autobiography

[00:22:53] called

[00:22:53] Dead Man

[00:22:54] Talking,

[00:22:55] A Kennedy

[00:22:55] Cousin Comes

[00:22:56] Clean,

[00:22:57] and in this

[00:22:58] audio recording,

[00:22:59] he could be

[00:22:59] heard saying,

[00:23:00] quote,

[00:23:01] I pulled my

[00:23:02] pants down.

[00:23:03] I masturbated

[00:23:04] for 30 seconds

[00:23:05] in the tree,

[00:23:06] and I remember

[00:23:07] thinking,

[00:23:07] oh my god,

[00:23:08] I hope to god

[00:23:09] nobody saw me

[00:23:10] jerk off.

[00:23:10] Then I woke

[00:23:12] up to Mrs.

[00:23:13] Moxley saying,

[00:23:13] Michael,

[00:23:14] have you seen

[00:23:15] Martha?

[00:23:15] And I was

[00:23:16] like, oh my

[00:23:17] god, did they

[00:23:17] see me last

[00:23:18] night?

[00:23:18] This recording

[00:23:19] would later

[00:23:20] become a

[00:23:21] contentious piece

[00:23:22] of evidence.

[00:23:23] It didn't

[00:23:24] look good for

[00:23:25] Michael, and it

[00:23:26] didn't help

[00:23:26] that now,

[00:23:27] one-two years

[00:23:28] later, there

[00:23:29] were people

[00:23:30] coming forward

[00:23:31] claiming that

[00:23:31] Michael had

[00:23:32] admitted to

[00:23:33] murdering

[00:23:33] Martha Moxley.

[00:23:35] John Higgins

[00:23:36] and Gregory

[00:23:37] Coleman attended

[00:23:37] a reform school

[00:23:38] with Michael

[00:23:39] when they were

[00:23:40] in the 70s.

[00:23:42] Michael had

[00:23:43] been sent to

[00:23:43] this residential

[00:23:44] substance abuse

[00:23:45] treatment center

[00:23:46] for youths when

[00:23:47] he was caught

[00:23:47] drinking and

[00:23:48] driving at

[00:23:49] just 17 years

[00:23:50] old.

[00:23:51] Remember,

[00:23:51] Michael is the

[00:23:52] one that allegedly

[00:23:53] had a drinking

[00:23:54] problem at

[00:23:55] just 13.

[00:23:57] Higgins alleged

[00:23:58] that Michael had

[00:23:59] confided in him

[00:24:00] about his memory

[00:24:01] from the night

[00:24:01] of the murder.

[00:24:02] According to

[00:24:03] Higgins,

[00:24:04] Michael told him

[00:24:05] that he remembered

[00:24:06] rummaging through

[00:24:07] the family's golf

[00:24:08] clubs that were

[00:24:08] stored in the

[00:24:09] garage,

[00:24:10] and then he

[00:24:10] remembers running

[00:24:11] through tall grass

[00:24:12] and seeing some

[00:24:14] pine trees.

[00:24:14] He said that he

[00:24:16] couldn't remember

[00:24:17] if he had actually

[00:24:18] killed Martha,

[00:24:19] but he thought

[00:24:20] maybe he had.

[00:24:23] Coleman claimed

[00:24:24] that Michael would

[00:24:24] brag about his

[00:24:25] family's wealth

[00:24:26] and status,

[00:24:27] going as far as

[00:24:29] to say that he

[00:24:30] could get away

[00:24:30] with murder if

[00:24:31] he wanted to.

[00:24:32] According to

[00:24:33] Coleman,

[00:24:34] Michael said

[00:24:35] something to the

[00:24:35] effect of,

[00:24:36] quote,

[00:24:36] I'm going to

[00:24:37] get away with

[00:24:38] murder.

[00:24:39] I'm a Kennedy.

[00:24:40] He also allegedly

[00:24:41] confessed that he

[00:24:42] beat Martha with

[00:24:43] the golf club after

[00:24:45] he had made a move

[00:24:45] on her and she

[00:24:47] rejected him.

[00:24:48] With these witness

[00:24:49] statements and

[00:24:50] Michael's new story

[00:24:51] of what happened

[00:24:52] that night,

[00:24:53] investigators felt

[00:24:54] like they finally

[00:24:55] had enough evidence

[00:24:56] to pursue murder

[00:24:57] charges.

[00:24:58] Charges against

[00:24:59] Michael Skakel,

[00:25:00] who was now 41

[00:25:01] years old.

[00:25:02] The prosecution

[00:25:03] alleged that his

[00:25:05] motive was rage

[00:25:06] and jealousy.

[00:25:07] Martha had been

[00:25:08] fooling around

[00:25:09] with Michael's

[00:25:10] older brother,

[00:25:10] Tommy, that

[00:25:11] evening.

[00:25:12] But when Michael

[00:25:13] made a move on

[00:25:14] her, she rejected

[00:25:15] him, she turned

[00:25:16] him down.

[00:25:16] And this enraged

[00:25:18] him, so he

[00:25:19] retrieved a golf

[00:25:20] club from his

[00:25:21] garage and then

[00:25:22] he viciously beat

[00:25:23] her, according to

[00:25:25] the prosecution.

[00:25:26] They called

[00:25:27] several witnesses

[00:25:28] who all told the

[00:25:29] jury that Michael

[00:25:30] had either confided

[00:25:31] in them that he

[00:25:32] had killed Martha

[00:25:33] or he implied

[00:25:34] that he was

[00:25:35] involved.

[00:25:36] There were also

[00:25:37] concerns with his

[00:25:38] changing story.

[00:25:39] First, he went

[00:25:40] with his brothers

[00:25:41] in the car to his

[00:25:42] cousin's house,

[00:25:43] came home and

[00:25:44] went to bed,

[00:25:44] long after Martha

[00:25:46] had allegedly

[00:25:47] been killed.

[00:25:48] Then, after

[00:25:49] returning from

[00:25:50] his cousin's

[00:25:50] house, he was

[00:25:51] drunk, he climbed

[00:25:52] a tree near

[00:25:53] Martha's home,

[00:25:54] and he

[00:25:54] masturbated.

[00:25:56] However, there

[00:25:56] was a witness

[00:25:57] called to the

[00:25:58] stand that even

[00:25:59] further discredited

[00:26:00] Michael.

[00:26:01] Andrea Shakespeare

[00:26:03] was at the

[00:26:04] Skakel home that

[00:26:04] night, and she

[00:26:05] said that Michael

[00:26:06] never left with his

[00:26:07] brothers.

[00:26:08] He stayed behind.

[00:26:10] The prosecution

[00:26:11] also played that

[00:26:12] damning audio

[00:26:13] recording of

[00:26:14] Michael where he

[00:26:15] says,

[00:26:15] Oh my god, did

[00:26:17] they see me last

[00:26:18] night?

[00:26:18] Michael didn't

[00:26:19] really have much

[00:26:20] of a defense,

[00:26:21] despite hiring a

[00:26:23] bigwig expensive

[00:26:24] lawyer.

[00:26:25] All he really had

[00:26:26] was his denial

[00:26:27] that he did it.

[00:26:28] It took the jury

[00:26:29] just four days to

[00:26:30] convict Michael of

[00:26:31] Martha's murder, and

[00:26:33] sentenced him to

[00:26:34] 20 years to life in

[00:26:35] prison.

[00:26:36] But not everyone

[00:26:38] believed that Michael

[00:26:39] was the real killer.

[00:26:40] His cousin, Robert

[00:26:42] Kennedy Jr., spoke

[00:26:43] publicly at length

[00:26:44] about how he

[00:26:46] believed Michael

[00:26:46] was innocent, and

[00:26:48] that his trial was

[00:26:49] a miscarriage of

[00:26:50] justice.

[00:26:51] His main point of

[00:26:52] contention was that

[00:26:53] audio clip that was

[00:26:54] played to the jury,

[00:26:55] which made it appear

[00:26:57] as if Michael

[00:26:57] himself was confessing

[00:26:59] to the murder.

[00:27:00] The portion of the

[00:27:01] audio that was

[00:27:02] played was, quote,

[00:27:03] Oh my god, did

[00:27:04] they see me last

[00:27:05] night?

[00:27:05] But the prosecution

[00:27:07] left out the parts

[00:27:08] where he's actually

[00:27:09] referring to getting

[00:27:10] caught masturbating

[00:27:11] in that tree, not

[00:27:12] getting caught

[00:27:13] killing Martha.

[00:27:14] Robert Kennedy Jr.

[00:27:16] began a crusade

[00:27:17] to find the real

[00:27:18] killer because he

[00:27:19] did not believe

[00:27:20] that Michael was

[00:27:21] the one.

[00:27:22] He started doing

[00:27:23] media interviews and

[00:27:24] speaking publicly

[00:27:25] about the matter.

[00:27:26] He even wrote a

[00:27:27] book, and he was

[00:27:28] calling for a

[00:27:29] retrial.

[00:27:30] That's when he

[00:27:31] received a tip from

[00:27:32] a man named Tony

[00:27:34] Bryant, who was

[00:27:35] Michael's former

[00:27:36] classmate.

[00:27:37] Tony allegedly

[00:27:38] confessed to being

[00:27:39] involved in

[00:27:40] Martha's murder.

[00:27:41] In a recorded

[00:27:42] confession, he

[00:27:43] alleged that on

[00:27:44] the night in

[00:27:45] question, he and

[00:27:46] two friends, Al

[00:27:48] Hasbrook and

[00:27:48] Burton Tinsley,

[00:27:50] they made a trip

[00:27:51] to Belhaven,

[00:27:52] Martha's gated

[00:27:53] community.

[00:27:54] According to

[00:27:55] Tony, Al was

[00:27:56] completely obsessed

[00:27:57] with Martha, and

[00:27:58] the two had met

[00:27:59] on a few different

[00:28:00] occasions, including

[00:28:01] at a dance.

[00:28:02] Tony said that Al

[00:28:04] and Burton had

[00:28:05] stolen some golf

[00:28:06] clubs from the

[00:28:06] Skakel backyard

[00:28:07] earlier in the

[00:28:08] night, and now

[00:28:09] the two were

[00:28:10] talking about how

[00:28:11] they wanted to

[00:28:11] hurt someone.

[00:28:12] Tony claimed to

[00:28:13] not want anything

[00:28:14] to do with whatever

[00:28:15] they had planned, so

[00:28:17] he says he left.

[00:28:18] But later that

[00:28:19] night, when he

[00:28:20] met up with Al and

[00:28:20] Burton again, the

[00:28:22] two confessed to

[00:28:23] going through a

[00:28:24] third plan and

[00:28:24] hurting someone.

[00:28:25] After hearing about

[00:28:27] Martha's body being

[00:28:28] found the next

[00:28:28] morning, he put the

[00:28:30] pieces together.

[00:28:30] It had to have

[00:28:32] been Al and

[00:28:33] Burton who killed

[00:28:33] her.

[00:28:34] With this new

[00:28:35] confession, Michael

[00:28:37] filed an appeal for

[00:28:38] a new trial, but it

[00:28:40] was denied.

[00:28:41] It didn't help that

[00:28:42] Tony was no longer

[00:28:44] willing to cooperate

[00:28:44] when he learned that

[00:28:45] he would have to

[00:28:46] testify in court

[00:28:47] without being

[00:28:48] offered any sort of

[00:28:49] immunity for his

[00:28:50] knowledge of the

[00:28:51] murder.

[00:28:52] It should be noted

[00:28:53] here that Al and

[00:28:55] Burton, they both

[00:28:56] deny even being in

[00:28:57] Belhaven that night.

[00:28:58] And there are no

[00:28:59] witnesses who saw

[00:29:00] them there.

[00:29:01] Al was a young

[00:29:03] black man and the

[00:29:04] Belhaven community

[00:29:05] was predominantly a

[00:29:06] white affluent

[00:29:07] community, so if he

[00:29:09] was there, it's

[00:29:10] likely that someone

[00:29:11] would have noticed.

[00:29:13] Also, there isn't

[00:29:14] any other evidence to

[00:29:15] connect either man to

[00:29:16] the murder.

[00:29:17] No DNA, no

[00:29:19] fingerprints, nothing.

[00:29:20] And so that would

[00:29:22] keep Michael in jail

[00:29:23] for now, but not

[00:29:25] for long.

[00:29:26] Michael hired a new

[00:29:27] attorney named

[00:29:28] Hubert Santos, and

[00:29:30] they argued

[00:29:31] ineffective counsel at

[00:29:32] his 2002 trial when

[00:29:34] he was represented by

[00:29:35] defense attorney

[00:29:36] Mickey Sherman.

[00:29:37] Their reasons

[00:29:38] included his former

[00:29:39] attorney leaving out

[00:29:40] a key witness who

[00:29:41] supported Michael's

[00:29:42] alibi.

[00:29:43] Michael claimed to

[00:29:44] be at his cousin's

[00:29:45] house at the time of

[00:29:46] the murder.

[00:29:46] Though his brothers

[00:29:48] and cousin could back

[00:29:49] him up on those

[00:29:50] claims, they obviously

[00:29:51] weren't taken very

[00:29:52] seriously because his

[00:29:54] family could easily

[00:29:55] just lie for him.

[00:29:56] However, there was

[00:29:57] another witness named

[00:29:59] Dennis Osorio, who

[00:30:00] was also at the cousin's

[00:30:02] residence that night.

[00:30:03] He had no relation

[00:30:05] to Michael and no real

[00:30:07] reason to lie for him.

[00:30:08] Yet, he was never

[00:30:09] interviewed or called

[00:30:11] to the stand by

[00:30:12] Michael's original

[00:30:13] lawyer.

[00:30:14] Michael also claimed

[00:30:15] that his former

[00:30:16] attorney failed to

[00:30:17] call other suspects in

[00:30:18] the murder case, like

[00:30:20] Tommy, Michael's

[00:30:21] brother, who just so

[00:30:22] happened to be the

[00:30:23] last person to see

[00:30:24] Martha alive.

[00:30:25] His testimony alone

[00:30:27] could have been enough

[00:30:28] to raise reasonable

[00:30:29] doubt to keep Michael

[00:30:30] out of jail.

[00:30:31] According to Michael,

[00:30:33] his press-loving

[00:30:34] attorney botched his

[00:30:35] entire trial.

[00:30:37] To the surprise of

[00:30:38] many, especially

[00:30:39] Martha's friends and

[00:30:40] family, the jury

[00:30:42] agreed and overturned

[00:30:43] his conviction.

[00:30:44] He walked out of

[00:30:46] prison as a free man

[00:30:47] after spending 11

[00:30:48] years behind bars.

[00:30:50] But his legal woes,

[00:30:51] they weren't over.

[00:30:53] In 2016, the

[00:30:55] Connecticut Supreme

[00:30:55] Court reinstated his

[00:30:57] conviction.

[00:30:58] Michael fought this

[00:30:59] ruling, and then the

[00:31:00] Connecticut Supreme

[00:31:01] Court reversed itself

[00:31:02] again.

[00:31:03] The judge ruled that

[00:31:05] Michael Skakel should

[00:31:06] have a new trial.

[00:31:07] But that day would

[00:31:09] never come.

[00:31:10] Ultimately, the

[00:31:11] state of Connecticut

[00:31:12] decided that they

[00:31:13] would not retry him

[00:31:15] for Martha Moxley's

[00:31:16] murder.

[00:31:17] For whatever reason,

[00:31:18] they felt like they

[00:31:20] just didn't have enough

[00:31:20] evidence to secure a

[00:31:22] conviction.

[00:31:23] So much time had

[00:31:25] passed since the

[00:31:25] murder that, out of

[00:31:27] the 51 potential

[00:31:28] witnesses, 17 of

[00:31:30] them were now dead,

[00:31:31] and there was no

[00:31:32] new forensic evidence

[00:31:34] that would actually

[00:31:35] help the case.

[00:31:36] No one else to this

[00:31:38] day has been charged

[00:31:39] with Martha's

[00:31:40] killing, meaning

[00:31:41] that after almost

[00:31:42] 50 years, her

[00:31:44] murder remains

[00:31:45] unsolved.

[00:31:46] Police suspect that

[00:31:48] either Michael or

[00:31:49] Tommy, who are now

[00:31:50] completely estranged

[00:31:51] from one another,

[00:31:52] one of them, or

[00:31:53] maybe even both of

[00:31:54] them, committed the

[00:31:55] crime, but they

[00:31:56] simply can't prove it.

[00:31:58] At the beginning of

[00:31:59] this year, in January,

[00:32:01] Michael sued the

[00:32:02] case's lead police

[00:32:03] investigator and the

[00:32:04] town of Greenwich

[00:32:05] for alleged malicious

[00:32:06] prosecution and civil

[00:32:08] rights violations.

[00:32:09] According to court

[00:32:11] records obtained by

[00:32:12] CBS, the defendants

[00:32:14] quote, knew that

[00:32:15] there were other

[00:32:16] more likely suspects

[00:32:17] and that there was

[00:32:19] no probable cause to

[00:32:20] arrest and or

[00:32:21] maintain a prosecution

[00:32:22] against the plaintiff,

[00:32:24] Michael Skakel, but

[00:32:25] continued to do so

[00:32:26] intentionally and

[00:32:27] maliciously in order

[00:32:29] to convict a

[00:32:30] Kennedy cousin.

[00:32:32] The lawsuit was

[00:32:33] seeking an unspecified

[00:32:34] amount of monetary

[00:32:35] compensation.

[00:32:36] However, I haven't

[00:32:38] seen any updates

[00:32:38] about whether it was

[00:32:39] settled outside of

[00:32:40] court or was being

[00:32:42] fought.

[00:32:43] So, what happened

[00:32:45] the night before

[00:32:45] Halloween in

[00:32:46] Belhaven?

[00:32:47] There's only one,

[00:32:49] maybe two people

[00:32:50] who know.

[00:32:51] Unfortunately, the

[00:32:52] truth has been

[00:32:53] buried for decades

[00:32:54] and unless money

[00:32:56] stops talking, we

[00:32:58] may never know

[00:32:59] who killed Martha.

[00:33:00] I'm going to end

[00:33:01] this episode with a

[00:33:02] short clip from

[00:33:03] Martha's mother,

[00:33:04] Dorothy, from an

[00:33:05] interview 10 years

[00:33:06] ago.

[00:33:06] I pray there

[00:33:08] will be a

[00:33:08] conviction in the

[00:33:09] case.

[00:33:10] I believe that

[00:33:11] prayers are

[00:33:12] answered.

[00:33:13] I really think

[00:33:14] that in this

[00:33:16] country today,

[00:33:19] there are too

[00:33:19] many crimes that

[00:33:21] are not punished

[00:33:22] and I think

[00:33:23] that the people

[00:33:25] are just taking

[00:33:27] advantage of

[00:33:28] this.

[00:33:29] You know,

[00:33:30] the moral fiber

[00:33:31] of the United

[00:33:31] States seems to

[00:33:32] be falling by

[00:33:34] the wayside

[00:33:35] because people

[00:33:37] are not

[00:33:37] punished for

[00:33:38] crimes that

[00:33:39] they do.

[00:33:40] I know

[00:33:41] maybe there

[00:33:42] are a lot of

[00:33:42] people that

[00:33:43] don't agree

[00:33:43] with me,

[00:33:44] but I think

[00:33:44] that we

[00:33:46] need to

[00:33:47] show people

[00:33:48] that you

[00:33:49] cannot do

[00:33:50] these things

[00:33:51] without being

[00:33:52] punished.

[00:33:54] That's it for

[00:33:55] me tonight.

[00:33:56] If you want

[00:33:56] to reach out,

[00:33:57] you can find

[00:33:57] me on Facebook

[00:33:58] at Serial

[00:33:59] Napper.

[00:34:00] You can find

[00:34:01] my audio on

[00:34:02] Apple or Spotify

[00:34:03] or wherever

[00:34:04] you listen to

[00:34:04] podcasts.

[00:34:05] I post all

[00:34:06] of my episodes

[00:34:07] in video format

[00:34:08] over on

[00:34:08] YouTube,

[00:34:09] so go check

[00:34:10] it out.

[00:34:10] And if you're

[00:34:11] watching on

[00:34:12] YouTube,

[00:34:12] I'd love if

[00:34:12] you can give

[00:34:13] me a thumbs

[00:34:13] up and

[00:34:14] subscribe.

[00:34:15] Every little

[00:34:15] bit helps.

[00:34:17] I'm over on

[00:34:18] X, formerly

[00:34:18] known as

[00:34:19] Twitter,

[00:34:19] Serial

[00:34:20] Napper,

[00:34:21] and I post

[00:34:22] things on

[00:34:22] TikTok,

[00:34:23] Serial

[00:34:23] Napper

[00:34:23] Nick,

[00:34:24] and that's

[00:34:24] all one word.

[00:34:26] Until next

[00:34:26] time,

[00:34:27] sweet dreams,

[00:34:29] stay kind,

[00:34:30] especially in

[00:34:31] the comments.

[00:34:33] Bye.

[00:35:00] Hey everybody,

[00:35:01] I'm Amber,

[00:35:01] and I'm Maddie,

[00:35:02] and we're

[00:35:03] Witches Talking

[00:35:04] Tarot,

[00:35:05] and this season

[00:35:06] we've got for

[00:35:07] you ghosts,

[00:35:08] cryptids,

[00:35:09] conspiracies,

[00:35:10] oh my.

[00:35:11] Check out what

[00:35:12] role we cast

[00:35:12] Emma Robertson

[00:35:13] on our myth

[00:35:14] episodes this

[00:35:15] season.

[00:35:15] Yes!

[00:35:17] And in addition

[00:35:18] to our myths,

[00:35:19] we will be

[00:35:20] bringing you

[00:35:20] the holidays,

[00:35:21] because we may

[00:35:22] or may not

[00:35:22] have missed

[00:35:23] one this last

[00:35:24] season.

[00:35:25] I guess you'll

[00:35:25] have to listen

[00:35:26] to the last

[00:35:26] episodes to check

[00:35:27] it out,

[00:35:27] and then

[00:35:28] catch all

[00:35:29] our new

[00:35:29] episodes coming

[00:35:30] up every

[00:35:31] Tuesday and

[00:35:32] Thursday on

[00:35:33] your favorite

[00:35:34] podcast platforms

[00:35:35] and see us

[00:35:36] on YouTube.

[00:35:37] Come and sit

[00:35:37] with us for a

[00:35:38] spell.