Kennedy cousin tied to Martha Moxley case breaks silence 50 years later as murder remains unsolved

Fifty years aft the girl of a affluent Connecticut household was recovered murdered successful the gait of their quaint suburban home, questions stay surrounding the engagement of a Kennedy comparative who was convicted of her sidesplitting – but yet walked escaped aft the blameworthy verdict was overturned. 

Michael Skakel, relative of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., spent 11 years successful situation for the 1975 execution of Martha Moxley. However, since his apprehension successful 2000, Skakel has maintained his innocence – and is speaking retired for the archetypal clip successful a caller NBC News podcast titled, "Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder." 

Moxley was conscionable 15 erstwhile she was beaten to decease with a play nine connected Oct. 30, 1975. In the hours starring up to her murder, Moxley was hanging retired with friends connected Mischief Night, known arsenic the evening earlier Halloween erstwhile teenagers partake successful pranks passim their neighborhood. 

According to friends, Moxley was seen flirting with Thomas Skakel, Michael’s older brother, aboriginal that night. By 9:30 p.m., the brace were seen "falling unneurotic down the fence" adjacent the Skakel household pool, the Hartford Courant reported.

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File photograph of Martha Moxley erstwhile she was 14 years old.   (Erik Freeland/Corbis via Getty Images)

The adjacent day, Moxley’s battered assemblage was discovered with her pants astir her ankles, alongside a breached play nine nether a histrion connected her family’s estate, according to The Associated Press. 

An autopsy aboriginal revealed Moxley had been beaten and stabbed to decease with the play club, which was yet traced to the Skakel family’s home. 

Initially, investigators pointed to Thomas arsenic the superior fishy successful Moxley’s murder, earlier turning to the Skakel children’s live-in tutor, Kenneth Littleton. However, neither antheral was ever charged with a crime.

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Michael Skakel reacts to being granted bail during his proceeding astatine Stamford Superior Court November 21, 2013, successful Stamford, Connecticut.  (Bob Luckey-Pool/Getty Images)

Their absorption yet shifted to Michael Skakel, and 15 years later, connected Jan. 19, 2000, helium turned himself successful to authorities aft constabulary issued a warrant for his arrest. 

"This is what I telephone the cross-finger pointing problem, erstwhile lone 2 radical successful the household are the suspects," Wendy Murphy, a prof astatine New England Law Boston, told Fox News Digital. "In the full world, we lone person these 2 suspects and they’re family, truthful they instrumentality unneurotic similar glue. [If] they some instrumentality the Fifth and they hold to beryllium each other's built successful tenable doubt, you’ve got a problem." 

Michael Skakel was yet charged with Moxley’s execution and arraigned arsenic a juvenile, since helium was 15 erstwhile the sidesplitting took place. The lawsuit was aboriginal moved to regular court.

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A photograph from the proceedings grounds showing a close-up of the play nine head.  (Pool Photo/Getty Images)

A photograph from the proceedings grounds showing a close-up of the play nine shaft.  (Pool Photo/Getty Images)

During his arraignment, Skakel, who was 39 astatine the time, pleaded not blameworthy and reportedly approached Moxley’s parent earlier telling her, "You’ve got the incorrect guy." 

Two years later, connected June 7, 2002, Skakel was convicted of execution by a sheet of 12 jurors successful Norwalk Superior Court. He was sentenced to 20 years to beingness successful prison. 

However, questions remained regarding Skakel’s guilt – and his quality to accurately recount a transgression that was committed astir 3 decades before.

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The Moxley residence successful the Bellehaven conception of Greenwich, Connecticut, successful 1975.  (MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

"When helium was convicted, it was 27 years aft the murder," John Clendening, writer of "Julia’s Angels," told Fox News Digital. "So, conscionable ideate you being called arsenic a witnesser successful a proceedings successful 2002. How overmuch bash you truly retrieve astir a definite nighttime erstwhile you were 15, 16, oregon 17?" 

In 2013, pursuing aggregate failed attempts to entreaty his conviction, Skakel was granted a caller proceedings aft a justice ruled his attorney, Michael Sherman, did not adequately support him successful his archetypal case. 

Skakel’s execution condemnation was yet vacated by the Connecticut Supreme Court connected May 4, 2018, with prosecutors aboriginal deciding to not question a 2nd proceedings for Skakel connected the execution charge.

Skakel, Sherman and NBC News did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment. 

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Kennedy comparative Michael Skakel gets into a car aft walking retired of a Stamford, Connecticut, courthouse aft his execution condemnation successful the decease of Martha Moxley was vacated erstwhile a justice decided helium did not person capable practice successful his 2002 proceedings connected November 21, 2013. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

However, Moxley’s brother, John Moxley, has vocally denounced the court’s decision. 

"Just due to the fact that he’s retired connected the thoroughfare doesn’t mean what we cognize isn’t right," helium said successful "Murder and Justice: The Case of Martha Moxley," a three-part documentary connected his sister's beingness and death. 

"Where we are present is that it’s each astir judges and technicalities. It’s not astir who killed Martha. At this point, him being retired doesn’t alteration thing for me. And he’ll beryllium successful situation for the remainder of his beingness careless of wherever he’s walking the streets. He volition beryllium successful his ain situation for the remainder of his days."

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Following Skakel’s 2nd accidental astatine freedom, the enigma surrounding Moxley’s decease remains – with listeners awaiting the accidental to perceive Skakel’s communicative successful his ain words. 

"I deliberation what's going connected present is [Skakel] sees an accidental to get his broadside of the communicative retired there, and I can't blasted him for that astatine a clip erstwhile the satellite is revisiting the crime," Clendening told Fox News Digital. "He's lone going to person truthful galore opportunities to bash that. So I deliberation that's what's going on. I deliberation helium sees an accidental to archer his broadside of the story." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.