STAMFORD, Conn — The State's Attorney's office has decided it will no longer pursue Kennedy cousin, Michael Skakel.
Skakel, now 60, was convicted of the 1975 murder of his Greenwich neighbor Martha Moxley, who was bludgeoned to death with the shaft of a golf club. However, after spending 11 and a half years in prison, Skakel had his conviction overturned in 2013. And the state had been trying to build a new case ever since...
On the 45th anniversary of the murder, a six-minute hearing in Stamford Superior Court resulted in Skakel, free on $1.2 million bonds, finally being guaranteed of no further prosecution related to this case.
"Looking at the evidence, your honor, looking at the state of the case, it was my belief that the state cannot prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt," said Chief State's Attorney Richard Colangelo.
So, the state will not proceed. But, Martha Moxley's brother expressed his gratitude for their efforts.
"The commitment that they’ve shown my mother and I and to Martha and I agree with what’s going on today, the decision," said John Moxley.
One reason for ending the pursuit: The Chief State's Attorney said of the 51 potential witnesses, 17 have died.
"It’s the right result," said Skakel's attorney Stephan Seeger. "Michael Skakel is innocent of this crime. He has been innocent from day one. The crime should have never been something that ended up in a trial in the first place."
"I'll say this, that I don’t think Michael Skakel is the devil," said John Moxley. "I think that he did something in a fit of jealous rage."
At Skakel’s trial, in 2002, prosecutors suggested he killed Martha because she brushed off his advances while she was having sex with his brother, Tommy.
Skakel claimed to be at a friend's house, several miles away, watching Monty Python on television at the time of Martha's murder.
As a result of the state's decision, his attorney says Skakel will now finally be able now able to live his life without restrictions.
"He’s been through a lot," Seeger said. "He spent 11 1/2 years of his life behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit."
But, John Moxley also said, of Skakel, "I wouldn’t want to walk a mile in his shoes."
