posted on June 1, 2002 07:59:31 PM new
So whats the deal? Anyone know what brought all this on? I remember seeing a movie about this once..or maybe it was a tv show geared like "unsolved mysteries" or something. But why after all this time do they think they have enough evidence in this case? Anyone have a clue?
Prosecution Shifts Gears at Skakel Trial
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
.c The Associated Press
NORWALK, Conn. (May 30) - Prosecutors in the murder trial of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel proposed and then abruptly withdrew a request that could have reduced the penalty if Skakel is convicted in the 1975 slaying of Martha Moxley.
Skakel, 41, is charged with beating Moxley to death with a golf club when they were 15-year-old neighbors in Greenwich. Skakel is a nephew of Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy.
During a hearing Thursday outside the presence of the jury, prosecutors dropped their request that if jurors decided Skakel is guilty, they could also consider whether he acted under extreme emotional disturbance. If so, the judge would reduce the verdict of murder to manslaughter.
Murder is punishable by 25 years to life in prison, manslaughter by up to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors said they withdrew the motion because they feared it might create grounds for an appeal.
``We decided that we feel strongly enough in the integrity of our case,'' Deputy Chief State's Attorney Chris Morano said.
The idea had been proposed earlier Thursday as lawyers for both sides discussed the instructions Superior Judge John F. Kavanewsky Jr. will give jurors after closing arguments Monday.
Defense attorney Michael Sherman had opposed the request.
``Maybe they realized they made a big mistake,'' Sherman said after the hearing. ``I think they filed this motion in a display of a lack of confidence in their case.''
A manslaughter conviction could raise a statute of limitations question. Sherman previously lost a bid to have the case thrown out on those grounds, but said Thursday that in 1975 there was a five-year limit on manslaughter prosecutions.
On the other hand, prosecutors could have argued that such a verdict would still be a murder conviction and thus not subject to a limit.
During the trial, witnesses have testified Skakel told classmates at a substance abuse treatment center in Maine that his brother ``stole his girlfriend.'' Investigators have said both Michael and his older brother, Thomas, were romantically interested in Moxley.
Prosecutors also played a tape of Skakel telling an author in 1997 that he had been drinking and smoking marijuana the night of the slaying, and had sat in a tree outside the Moxley home yelling her name and becoming sexually aroused.
But Sherman said there is no basis to argue that Skakel - who has steadfastly denied any involvement in Moxley's murder - was affected by extreme emotional disturbance.
``He didn't do it while he was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or Twinkies,'' Sherman said.
posted on June 1, 2002 08:29:25 PM new
You probably saw the movie based upon the Dominick Dunne novel (one of my absolute favorite writers!). I think the book was called "Season in Purgatory" but I don't remember the name of the movie. But it was based on the Moxley murder, although with fictitious names, as is the way with most Dominck Dunne novels.
Mark Furhman (he of O.J. fame) wrote a fascinating book a couple of years ago and was the one to name Michael Skakel as the suspect. He had always been under suspicion, but because of the family standing nobody seemed to really want to do much with the evidence they had. Fuhrman was hired by Mrs. Moxley to see if he could definitively come up with who murdered her daughter. And he did.
posted on June 1, 2002 08:29:32 PM new
I haven't been following this but i watched the news for 10 minutes a few days back and say the victims brother saying, "I now know who killed my sister." Did he mean Skakel?
posted on June 1, 2002 08:35:20 PM newa little side trivia...
After Dominck Dunne wrote the book about the Moxley murders, he was involved in a family murder case of his own...his daughter's. She was an up and coming actress who was strangled to death by a boyfriend and it was pretty high profile in LA for awhile. As I remember the guy got some ridiculously light sentence. I don't remember all the particulars, but it devastated Mr. Dunne. I don't believe he wrote for a long time after that until his last novel which was loosely based upon the O.J. trial, which he covered as a commentator for various news stations. Someone will have to help me out with the name of the book, I don't remember it..but in the end, the main character died (which was based on Mr. Dunne himself). Anyway, alot of people didn't like it, and while it isn't one of his best, I liked it except for the ending.
posted on June 1, 2002 08:59:46 PM new
Yes, I think it was the movie I saw. I cant place the name of the guy who played skakel, though.Been a long time.
The kennedys have some bad luck. Or they are so comfy as to who they are as to not worry so much about actions (or lack thereof). Wasnt Ted Kennedy in some sordid mess with a woman that died in a car wreck or something? And then there was the kennedy that raped someone.
posted on June 1, 2002 09:02:29 PM new
>>After Dominck Dunne wrote the book about the Moxley murders, he was involved in a family murder case of his own...his daughter's<<
posted on June 1, 2002 09:13:49 PM new
Dominique Dunne did a lot of TV and played the older sister in the first "Poltergeist".
Hepburn101
"Wasnt Ted Kennedy in some sordid mess with a woman that died in a car wreck or something? And then there was the kennedy that raped someone."
Skakel is just upholding a fine family tradition. There have been several murderers, a couple guilty of manslaughter, at least 2 rapists, at least 1 statutory rapist, legions of drug addicts and alcoholics.
As to why after all these years, maybe there are new prosecutors who are tired of hearing how he told this one or that that he bumped her off. At least the other Kennedys were no where near that stupid. They kept their mouths shut and let the lawyers handle it.
posted on June 1, 2002 09:29:08 PM new
Skakel is Ethel's side. He isn't a Kennedy. Only related by marriage. Ethel is his aunt. But the Skakels were wealthy in their own right. Not as wealthy as the Kennedys. But Catholic, which is how Ethel hooked up with Bobby.
Anyway, alot of people didn't like it, and while it isn't one of his best, I liked it except for the ending.