Michael Skakel spent almost 20 years in jail for a crime that he always defended that he had not committed despite the fact that the notes written in the victim's personal diary convinced the jury.
Martha Moxley, 15, of Connecticut, was
found dead under a tree in her parents' home
, allegedly struck with a golf club, in a crime that shocked the nation in October 1975.
Her friends related that she was last seen the night before with Thomas Skakel, Michael's brother;
the young men are
political nephews of Senator Robert F. Kennedy
.
Michael Skakel listens to the judge at a trial hearing for the murder of Martha Moxley on November 6, 2013 in Vernon, Connecticut. Fred Beckham / AP
Although Michael Skakel immediately became a person of interest in the case, investigators ultimately did not press charges against him, and the murder
remained unsolved for years
.
"It was devastating. You have no peace. You have lost everything," Tori Holland, a childhood friend of the young woman, told CBS, who is releasing the documentary
The Diary of Martha Moxley
these days
.
[These children went to jail for a crime that does not exist]
But following
a rumor that took hold
, investigators resumed their investigations and in January 2000 arrested Michael Skakel, who was 41 years old at the time, as the alleged perpetrator of the crime.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence found in the days after the murder with which it wanted to demonstrate the rivalry between the two brothers: the victim's personal diary.
In it, the young woman captured her thoughts about Michael and Thomas Skakel.
More than 90 people are arrested in Mexico for generating fear with their organized crime disguises
Nov. 2, 202100: 31
"I've been in Tom's car ... and I was practically sitting on Tom's lap. He kept putting his hand on my knee," Martha wrote on one occasion.
"I went to a party ... Tom S. acted like an idiot. At the dance, he kept putting his arms around me and doing movements," he noted on another occasion.
In another entry he wrote: "Michael was so out of his mind, he was being a real jerk. He kept telling me that he was cheating on Tom. Michael draws conclusions ... I really have to stop going there."
"He did not commit this crime"
Despite the fact that Michael Skakel always defended that he was at a cousin's house the night Martha died,
a dozen witnesses claimed that he had allegedly made comments that incriminated him in the murder
.
[This man was arrested for a crime he did not commit. When he denied it, they put him in an asylum]
His cousin Robert Kennedy Jr. then became
his best defender
.
"I know Michael Skakel and I know he did not commit this crime," he told CBS.
After four days of deliberation, the jury found him guilty, condemning him to a sentence of 20 years to life imprisonment.
Criminals use video games to recruit children and launch alert in Mexico
Oct. 22, 202 101: 57
After more than 11 years in prison, Michael Skakel achieved a first victory when a judge accepted that his legal defense during the trial had been inadequate and
overturned his conviction
, granting him the opportunity for a new trial.
In October 2020, he scored a second victory when the Connecticut state attorney announced that he was resigning from prosecuting him.
But 45 years later, the murder of Martha Moxley
remains a mystery
.
