Podcast Summary: Clues with Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore

Episode: The Martha Moxley Case: A Murder Hidden by Wealth and Influence
Release Date: February 4, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore delve into the complex, infamous Martha Moxley case—a brutal 1975 murder in the wealthy enclave of Greenwich, Connecticut, with deep ties to privilege, wealth, and the Kennedy family. They unravel the puzzle of what happened to 15-year-old Martha, using forensic details, timelines, and both famous and lesser-known sources. The discussion explores the evidence, the suspects (including the Skakel family and family tutor Ken Littleton), the botched investigation, and the decades-long journey to find justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene – The Murder (07:58–12:00)

• October 30, 1975 (Mischief Night): Martha Moxley goes out with friends in the wealthy Belhaven neighborhood of Greenwich, CT.
• Timeline of Events:
  • Martha last seen with neighbor Tommy Skakel around 9:30–10:00pm (11:19).
  • Mother Dorothy grows worried when Martha misses curfew and starts calling friends and neighbors (12:09).
  • At 3:48am, Dorothy calls police to report Martha missing (08:23).
  • Martha’s body is found by classmate Sheila around noon the next day—under a tree halfway between the Moxley and Skakel homes, her head bloodied beyond recognition (08:50).

Quote:
“Martha had blonde hair, and this girl’s hair looked red...She realized the red was not hair dye, it was blood.” – Kaelyn (08:53)

2. Martha’s Background & the Skakel Family (09:45–15:00)

• Martha: Athletic, popular, described as “a ray of sunshine”; recently moved to Greenwich from California in 1974.
• The Skakels: Next-door neighbors, immense family wealth (heirs to Great Lakes Carbon fortune), seven children, absentee father Rushton, links to the Kennedys.
• The Skakel house: Known locally as a party house, little parental oversight, frequent underage drinking.

Quote:
“Amongst all of this wealth and opulence, it seemed like a curse had been placed on the [Skakel] family and was following them around.” – Kaelyn (30:55)

3. Timeline & Alibis of the Night (12:09–16:00)

• Martha spends the evening with friends; observed flirting and horseplay with Tommy Skakel.
• Friends Helen and Jeff leave around 10:00pm, leaving Martha with Tommy.
• Skakel children and tutor all interviewed; both Tommy and Michael provide detailed but ultimately shifting alibis.
• Tommy claims he went inside to do homework at 9:30; Michael went with brothers to a cousin’s house (37:20).

Observation:
Police initially take the Skakel’s detailed alibis at face value, despite inconsistencies that emerge later.

4. Crime Scene Evidence (15:33–25:39)

• Blood Evidence: Large pools of blood found, indicating a violent attack; drag marks showing Martha was moved across the yard (19:33–21:34).
• Jeans & Underwear: Lowered to her knees—no definitive evidence of sexual assault but possible result of dragging.
• Poor Crime Scene Management: Notable failures, e.g., a dog licking up a pool of blood (21:59), police not securing the area promptly.

Quote:
“There is one source that observed a dog licking a pool of blood. That’s a mark on our botched board.” – Morgan (21:59)

5. The Golf Club – Smoking Gun? (22:19–27:12)

• Murder weapon: Tony Penna six iron, exclusive and expensive club, part of a set only owned in Belhaven by the Skakels.
• Club found in pieces at the crime scene; set at Skakel home is missing the matching six iron; set labeled with “Mrs. R.W. Skakel” (25:39).
• Despite this, police dismiss Skakels as suspects, theorizing a transient stole the club.

Quote:
“You find a bunch of Tony Penna golf clubs with a six iron missing, and your first thought is, oh, a kid probably left it out in the yard…It’s a little far-fetched.” – Kaelyn (26:47)

6. Suspects and Investigation Missteps (27:12–36:59)

• Focus initially on outsider suspects (ex: neighbor Ed Hammond), all cleared.
• Skakels not interviewed by police until two weeks after the murder—a large lapse allowing potential evidence to be destroyed or altered.
• Both Michael and Tommy reportedly flee town less than 24 hours after Martha’s body is found, returning only for her funeral (29:44–36:15).

Quote:
“I mean, two weeks after, you guys…by that point, you have two weeks to get rid of any potential evidence.” – Morgan (36:15)

7. The Diaries & Sutton Files – Revelations (39:21–54:12)

• Martha’s Diary: Details unease and discomfort with both Tommy and Michael; describes “flirtatious horseplay” and boundary pushing by the boys (40:48).
• The Sutton Report (1990s): Private investigators hired by Rushton Skakel reveal both Michael and Tommy lied about the night’s events. Tommy admits to a sexual encounter with Martha not previously disclosed; Michael confesses to masturbating in a tree by Martha’s window that night, altering his alibi (48:14–51:15).

Quote:
“The report starts with this dramatic line: 'Tommy Skakel has lied...Michael Skakel has lied...’” – Morgan (48:11)

8. Psychological Profiles, Theories, and the Ken Littleton Angle (52:48–56:18)

• Sutton team’s profile fits both Tommy and Michael.
• Suspicion also falls on tutor Ken Littleton—but he had no connection to Martha and suffered traumatic mental health decline after the murder.
• Forensic results on hair found at the scene inconclusive; polygraph results ultimately unreliable due to Littleton’s heavy medication.

9. Confessions and Michael’s Troubled History (58:20–64:02)

• Reports of Michael making incriminating statements to friends and peers, both at the Elon School (notorious reform school) and later in life, including:
  • “I’m getting away with murder because I’m a Kennedy.” – reported by a former schoolmate (61:22)
  • Michael’s aborted autobiography proposal: “I pulled my pants down, I masturbated for 30 seconds in the tree. And I remembered thinking, oh God, I hope nobody saw me.” (63:19)
• These shifting stories, together with psychic distress and hearsay confessions, pivoted the case narrative against Michael.

10. Trial, Conviction, and Controversy (64:02–69:47)

• Michael charged in 2000, convicted in 2002; sentenced to 20 years to life.
• Prosecution leans on his revoked alibi and confessions; defense claims unreliable evidence and scapegoating due to family name.
• Michael ultimately wins new trial due to ineffective counsel, conviction vacated (76:19–76:59), never retried; remains free but not exonerated.

11. The Kennedy Connection & Alternate Suspects (69:15–76:59)

• RFK Jr. (Michael’s cousin) campaigns for Michael’s innocence, publishing “Framed” (70:55); puts forward theory that two out-of-town youths committed the crime using Skakel clubs (“going caveman”).
• This alternate theory lacks evidence, is not corroborated, and is dismissed as opportunistic by many.

Quote:
“It’s so funny because it’s conveniently the story that police tried to go off at the beginning… It happens to be the same story that Tony comes forward and starts telling.” – Morgan (74:27)

12. Current Status and Lingering Mystery (79:02–85:26)

• Case remains unsolved, conviction vacated, no further prosecutions likely.
• Family’s openness with police, but possible blindness to sons’ actions.
• Timeline problems: unreliable alibis, possible cover-ups, conflicting evidence.
• Hosts discuss their own theories, noting the likelihood points toward one of the Skakel brothers, but the precise truth remains elusive.

Quote:
“Everyone has lied throughout the entire investigation. So who do you believe?” – Kaelyn (85:01)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Crime Scene Botching:
  “There is one source that observed a dog licking a pool of blood. That’s a mark on our botched board.” – Morgan (21:59)
• On Michael’s Shifting Stories:
  “Why would you confess to doing that? It’s less embarrassing to confess to the murder.” – Kaelyn (50:21)
• On Family Influence:
  “The Skakels were so wealthy you guys… it was joked about in these circles that Robert Kennedy had actually married Ethel for her money.” – Kaelyn (30:44)
• On Lasting Mystery:
  “Whoever murdered Martha Moxley had up to 15 hours to cover his or her tracks before her body was found.” – Morgan (78:04)
• On the Hosts’ Frustration:
  “For me, I don’t know what story to believe that these people are telling…I’m like, they’re so clearly lying.” – Morgan (79:27)

Key Timestamps

• Setting the Scene / Martha’s Disappearance: 07:58–12:09
• Crime Scene Evidence & Botched Investigation: 15:33–25:39
• Golf Club Discovery & Police Focus: 22:19–27:12
• Skakel Background & Kennedy Connection: 29:51–33:47
• Private Investigation / Sutton Report: 45:12–54:12
• Michael’s Alleged Confessions & Autobiography: 61:22–64:02
• Trial, Conviction, and Appeals: 64:02–69:47
• Alternate Suspects & Tony Bryant Theory: 70:55–76:19
• Wrap-up & Theories: 79:02–85:26

Tone & Language

The hosts maintain a conversational, sometimes darkly humorous tone, with marked skepticism regarding investigative errors and about the integrity of all major players in the case. They approach the topic empathetically regarding the victim but critically dissect timelines, motives, and family privilege shielding suspects from scrutiny.

Summary Takeaway

The Martha Moxley case epitomizes the entanglement of privilege, botched investigation, and family secrets: a 15-year-old murdered in one of the nation’s safest, richest neighborhoods, a case unsolved and shrouded by confusing timelines, shifting alibis, and community reluctance to look inside its own gates. While Michael Skakel was convicted then freed, the question of true justice for Martha remains open, a shadow lingering over Greenwich and the Kennedy legacy.

For more on this case, the hosts recommend the NBC podcast “Dead Certain,” which delves even deeper into the case files and new research.