The Murder of Martha Moxley (Part 1)

Summary

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Morbid Podcast – Episode Summary

Podcast: Morbid
Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Episode: The Murder of Martha Moxley (Part 1)
Date: June 1, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode kicks off a two-part deep dive into the notorious and tragic 1975 murder of Martha Moxley. Set in the affluent enclave of Greenwich, Connecticut, the case is laced with scandal, privilege, investigative blunders, and a decades-long fight for justice. Ash and Alaina frame the story with their signature blend of meticulous research and comic relief, examining the impact of wealth, the incompetence (and possible bias) of the original investigation, and the enduring shadow the murder cast over American high society.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Case Introduction & Social Context

• Historical Importance: The murder of Martha Moxley was the first such case for the Greenwich, CT police, a department with almost no homicide experience.
• Wealth & Influence: The children involved were from the nation’s richest and most powerful families, notably the Skakels (Kennedy relatives).
• Public Perception: The community’s quick judgment was that police work was sloppy and progress stalled due to the involvement of wealthy families.
  • Quote: “For decades, the power, the influence, all that kind of stuff … stonewalled the investigators at every turn.” – Alaina (06:46)

2. Who Was Martha Moxley?

• Personal Background: Born in 1960 in San Francisco, an athletic, well-liked, upbeat teen. Moved to Greenwich after her father landed a prestigious Manhattan job (08:51).
• Family Dynamics: The Moxleys were successful but not nearly as affluent as others in Belhaven, the exclusive, insulated neighborhood where they settled.
• Social Integration: Martha was quickly popular and well-adjusted—“When Martha came in the room, it was like the sun coming up in the morning.” (15:12)
  • Quote: “She was friendly, she was athletic, she was talented in the arts. Everything seemed to come very easy to Martha.” – John Moxley (08:51)
  • Astrological aside: Martha was a Leo – “That makes her ruled by the sun,” Ash (15:17)

3. Introduction of the Skakel Family

• Background: The Skakels were local royalty, related to the Kennedys through Ethel Skakel Kennedy.
• Family Trauma: The Skakels had endured multiple tragedies—plane crashes, accidents, and premature deaths (18:30).
• Spoiled Reputations: Known for unruly, entitled behavior, which worsened after the matriarch, Anne Skakel’s, death.

4. Social Dynamics and Teenage Relationships

• Martha and the Skakel Brothers: Diary entries clarify that Martha was uncomfortable with Tommy Skakel’s advances and found Michael Skakel’s behavior erratic, especially when drunk (24:21–24:37).

5. Night of the Crime – Mischief Night (Oct 30, 1975)

• The Events:
  • Martha, after being lightly grounded, is allowed out for "Mischief Night" with friends (26:17).
  • The group congregates at the Skakel house; Tommy makes unwelcome advances, which Martha rebuffs.
  • Friends last see Martha and Tommy "play fighting" before leaving them alone (27:34–28:23).
• Timeline:
  • ~9:30pm: Michael and others leave for cousin Jimmy’s house; Tommy and Martha are reportedly alone.
  • Aftermath: When Martha isn’t home by 4am, her mother calls police (29:02).

6. The Murder Scene & Investigation

• Discovery (12:30pm, Oct 31): Martha’s body is found just 200 feet from her home, brutally beaten with a six-iron Tony Penna golf club, pants and underwear down.

  • Graphic details: “The beating was so savage … it tore pieces of Martha's scalp from her skull.” – Alaina (32:00)
  • The murder weapon is missing from the Skakel’s set; the shaft is embedded in Martha’s neck (32:36).
  • Quote: “Her mom is in the house and this is happening to her daughter 200 feet away from her house.” – Ash (32:42)

• Police Incompetence and Mishandling:

  • Investigators do not collect key evidence (the golf clubs), push for warrants, or effectively challenge Tommy’s changing alibi.
    • Quote: “The only one that's used as a murder weapon. And they took nothing.” – Alaina (39:28)
  • Chief suspect is Tommy Skakel, but wealth, social standing, and lack of police experience stall progress.
  • Detectives later admit, “Did we tread lightly? Probably out of respect or fear, I don’t know.” – Detective Steve Carroll (40:35)

7. Stonewalling and the Fallout

• Skakel Cooperation Withdrawn: As scrutiny intensifies, the Skakels cut off police access and lawyer up (47:12).
  • Tommy takes two polygraphs—results are inconclusive, then “show no deception.”
• Public Outrage: State’s Attorney Brown publicly accuses the Skakels of “frustrating” the police investigation.
• Wasted Resources: Police cast a needlessly wide net, even briefly suspecting Martha’s own family and neighbors rather than focusing on mounting evidence against Tommy (49:13).

8. The Impact of Privilege & the Shift in Public Sentiment

• Societal Backdrop: The case is set against growing cynicism toward America’s “aristocratic” class.
  • Both hosts discuss how high society is often shielded from scrutiny and consequences (52:43–53:34).

9. Case Goes Cold, Then Revives (1991–90s)

• Investigative Renewals: New speculation arises in the wake of another Kennedy-related scandal (William Kennedy Smith), though rumors are ultimately debunked.
• Dominick Dunne’s Involvement: The famed journalist, himself the father of a murdered daughter, connects with Dorothy Moxley to research a book and raise awareness (56:15–57:10).
• Evidence Advances: Technological progress and possible witness guilt may help, but local resignation persists that money can “buy anything in this town” (58:44).
  • Quote: “Whenever you get around the Kennedy name, people start to tiptoe and do things they wouldn’t normally do.” – Christy Callan (58:46)

10. Reinvestigation and the Mysterious Sutton Report

• Rushton Skakel’s Counterinvestigation: Instead of cooperating, the Skakels hire their own team for over $1M, producing the secretive Sutton Report.
  • Revelations: The report confirms Tommy lied about his whereabouts, but also hints at new evidence about Michael (60:15–60:33).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On privilege and police hesitancy:
  • “Do you want to be a shady fuck who doesn’t want to question a wealthy, powerful family? Or do you want to be a dumb detective who didn’t do the most basic shit?” – Alaina (40:12)
• On Martha’s personality:
  • “When Martha came in the room, it was like the sun coming up in the morning.” – Teacher, read by Alaina (15:12)
• On investigative failures:
  • “They didn't say. Hey, can you show me the project?” – Ash (39:23)
  • “The only one that's used as a murder weapon. And they took nothing.” – Alaina (39:28)
• On the influence of the Kennedy name:
  • “Whenever you get around the Kennedy name, people start to tiptoe.” – Christy Callan (58:46)

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Key Timestamps

• [06:41] – Greenwich’s insular, elite environment and police inexperience
• [15:12] – Martha’s shining personality and quick popularity
• [18:07] – The Skakels’ Kennedy connection
• [27:33] – Sequence of events on the night of Martha’s murder
• [32:36] – Graphic details and forensic scene
• [39:34] – Investigation: evidence overlooked, missteps
• [47:12] – Skakels withdraw cooperation
• [52:36] – Hosts discuss public resentment of the upper class
• [56:15] – Journalist Dominick Dunne’s personal connection
• [59:42] – The Sutton Associates private investigation
• [60:33] – Cliffhanger: hints at Michael Skakel’s emerging role

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Closing & Teasers

The episode ends with the revelation that Tommy Skakel lied to police and something unexpected about Michael Skakel is forthcoming. The hosts express disbelief and foreshadow major developments in part two:

• Quote: “What was less expected was what the Sutton investigators, and soon many others, would learn about Michael Skakel.” – Alaina (60:33)

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Tone & Language

Ash and Alaina approach the episode with empathy for the victim, skepticism toward power, and flashes of humor (including tangents about ginger ale and cat allergies). Their banter underscores the surreal disconnect between wealth and reality in Belhaven while never losing sight of Martha’s humanity.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking a detailed, content-rich guide to Morbid's exploration of the Martha Moxley case.

Transcript

[Ash]

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[Elena]

Hey, weirdos. I'm Elena.

[Ash]

I'm Ash.

[Elena]

And this is morbid.

[Ash]

Morbidito.

[Elena]

It certainly is. Period.

[Ash]

I channeled Caleb on that one. I did.

[Elena]

I felt it. Yeah.

[Ash]

I miss Caleb.

[Elena]

I do too. I need Caleb to come here.

[Ash]

Cale.

[Elena]

We miss the Khalib.

[Ash]

We do.

[Elena]

And also this is a case that people. I wonder if it's like people of a certain age are going to see this case and be like, oh, I remember that. And then people of a lesser age are going to say what?

[Ash]

I know, I. I know I've heard

[Elena]

of this case and I think we've

[Ash]

discussed it like together before.

[Elena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

But never on the pod.

[Elena]

Never on the pod.

[Ash]

Never on the microphone on the ones in the tombs.

[Elena]

It's pretty. It's a crazy case. Yeah, it's. You know what? I'm just gonna let you tell it. I'm not even gonna ask things yet. It's a wild one. It's got a lot of skindal involved in it. Scandal. A lot of very wealthy people.

[Ash]

Oh, you know, I love a wealthy story.

[Elena]

Yeah, there's a lot of COVID up rumors happening here. Lots. All that kind of stuff. A lot of scandalous. And the. And the murder itself is absolutely horrific. I mean, it's a horrific story. I mean, Martha's young, she's like, she was an amazing gal. And this is a truly horrific story. But before we get into the whole thing. Yes. We just wanted to say something really quick because I think some people were having trouble with playback of a couple of episodes on Apple Podcasts. It was doing, like, a buffer thing where it would, like, start you over

[Ash]

randomly, like in the middle of the episode.

[Elena]

I think. Yeah, it's not. We can't really fix anything on our end because it's not like a. A broken thing in the episode. It's more. You might need to update your app because sometimes that can happen. If you don't update it, it just. It's like the iPhone. If you don't get one, it just starts itself. So I think the app does that as well.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Elena]

So give that a shot if you're having problems with that and see if it fixes it.

[Ash]

I thought that I had all of

[Elena]

my apps on automatic update. Like, I thought I did that when

[Ash]

I set my phone.

[Elena]

And you might think that too. Maybe you might not, because I didn't. But see if it works. It. I think that might help. If it doesn't help, let us know and we'll. We'll go further.

[Ash]

We'll troubleshoot some more.

[Elena]

I think that should be it. But, yeah, I think if you want to come to our live show in New York City, June 27, Radio City Music hall, there's still some tickets left. Go grab them.

[Ash]

We're literally so excited. They're like. Things are moving and shaking.

[Elena]

Yeah, we got some. Some fun things. Oh, my God. And we have a fun guest. It's just. It's all going to be fun. Yeah.

[Ash]

We just bought some. Some dressings. Oh.

[Elena]

And we figured.

[Ash]

Oh, I can't even tell you.

[Elena]

Yeah, we can't even tell you.

[Ash]

There's one thing in particular, and it' honestly, like, a pretty small thing in the grand scheme of things that I am so excited for.

[Elena]

I know exactly what you're talking about, and I, too, am excited for it.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Elena]

So, yeah, go get your tickets while you can. It's gonna be a fun time period. So I think that's all we have for business. So look at that. The minute. The minute mark is low this time. Better get going. Don't lie about it because.

[Ash]

Listen, listen, Carl, listen, George, Listen, George.

[Elena]

Paul.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Elena]

What's Matthew? That was an Apple podcast that was Ash not updating, so just give her a second.

[Ash]

I was looking out the window and trying to talk, and I'm like, that's hard.

[Elena]

No, no, no.

[Ash]

I was also itching my chest, those three things. And I was trying to remember the name of a book too.

[Elena]

So there was a lot happening.

[Ash]

And of course, I had to breathe as well. So there was that.

[Elena]

Oh, man, that always trips. No, it's crazy. Oh, now what I'm going to say

[Ash]

isn't even going to be funny. For some reason, when I said George, I just thought of a Mice and Men.

[Elena]

Bye. Tap it out.

[Ash]

What just happened?

[Elena]

I'm not really sure.

[Ash]

I got to go.

[Elena]

All right, here we are. Let's talk about. So for. I'm going to give you a quick summary of what's going to happen here so you know what you're getting into. If this is a twoada, this is a two pas. So, um, and if. And if you're someone who's like, what is this? Like, I've never heard of this. This will be your summary. If you're someone who thinks you remember this name and you're confirmation. Here's your confirmation. So what's interesting about this is Martha Moxley's murder was the first murder case that the detectives in the Greenwich, Connecticut police department had ever seen.

[Ash]

Oh, wow.

[Elena]

And when I say one of the first, I mean, you could count on a hand in the history of the apartment how many murder cases there were. That's insane. Yeah. But because of that, I mean it. Almost immediately, it drew a lot of criticism, the investigation. The public was kind of perceiving it as sloppy police work. They said the public was thinking there was like a real failure to make any progress in this case. And further complicating the matters was the fact that those that were closest to the case, like the kids who were with Martha Moxley the night she was murdered, they came from some of the wealthiest and most powerful families in. In the nation.

[Ash]

Wow.

[Elena]

Yeah. Not just in Connecticut.

[Ash]

Also, Greenwich is like a very gorgeous area.

[Elena]

Yes, it is. In fact, for decades, the power, the influence, all that kind of stuff, like the shadiness that comes along with all that, that we all see come along with that even now. Yep. It kind of stonewalled the investigators at every turn. And for decades, this prevented Martha Moxley's killer from being a held accountable.

[Ash]

That's so. Because that's the thing. It's like in these cases where these rich families don't want to be a part of it and they want to keep things hush, hush and yada yada, it's like, okay, but a woman lost her life and like a young girl,

[Elena]

and it's like, you can still Love your child and admit that they did something wrong. Yeah, exactly. It's like, you know, there's a, there's a, there's parents who go too far the other way and say, well, I'm just not going to cooperate because I'm not going to. It's like, okay, but somebody else's child was killed. So, like, you do have to look at it. Like, you can still love your kid. Right. You can still think that sunshine glows out of their ass. Probably doesn't. You have to admit that they did something wrong when they did something wrong and have them face the consequences. Now, Martha Moxley was born August 16, 1960 in San Francisco, California. She was the second of two children born to Dorothy and David Moxley. Oh, Dorothy and David.

[Ash]

Dorothy's such a cute name.

[Elena]

Who was? Dorothy was a teacher. David was an accountant. She had a brother, John. And in Piedmont, California, for most of her life, she was just kind of the quintessential American kid. Yeah, she was outgoing, she was athletic, she was a good student. Like, she had it all going for her. Dorothy said Martha was always a very good child, very easy to handle. Although she never had any trouble making friends. According to John, Martha often kind of just liked spending time with her family or sketching in her notebook. She was like, pretty low key. Yeah. But everyone liked her. Her brother John said Martha was a person who had everything in the world going for her. She was friendly, she was athletic, she was talented in the arts. Everything seemed to come very easy to Martha. She was very easy to get along with, upbeat, friendly, the kind of kid you'd like to be around, like that's who.

[Ash]

What more can be better for.

[Elena]

Yeah. Although the Moxley had never struggled financially, they did pretty well. They weren't exact like what would be considered like a wealthy family at that time, especially by Southern California standards. Yeah, Southern California SoCal, you know. But that all changed in the summer of 1974 when David Moxley accepted a very high profile job. It was a job as a managing partner with a global accounting firm. But this required them to move 3,000 miles to the other side of the country.

[Ash]

Yes.

[Elena]

So, you know, David needed to be close to the New York headquarters. Like many who worked in New York's finance industry at the time, they chose not to settle in the city itself, but instead to move to one of the suburbs that they could, like, take a train in.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Elena]

They chose Greenwich, Connecticut. Now, in his 1997 profile of the Moxley case for the Hartford Current, journalist Joe Lang described Greenwich as Quote the Connecticut suburb of choice for Manhattan executives. Most, if not all of them lived in the very exclusive waterfront neighborhood of Belhaven. While all of Greenwich would definitely be considered a wealthy suburb, even still. Yeah. Belhaven exists basically as its own world. It was like a town apart. That's crazy. It was a gated community. It had its own auxiliary police department, private roads, its own yacht club on the Long Island. Sounds.

[Ash]

It's like. It's like Stepford.

[Elena]

It literally is. Yeah. It feels like. Don't worry, darling. Yes. Like, it feels like that. It's like its own thing now. Among those who called Belhaven home was the president of Schweppes usa, the other ginger ale.

[Ash]

I was gonna say that literally. I'm not gonna. I'm not trying to come for big ginger ale, but

[Elena]

I apologize to Big ginger ale, but we're a kid. But dry family has always been super ale. Ginger ale of choice.

[Ash]

If I. Drew is a ginger ale.

[Elena]

Al.

[Ash]

I was gonna say ginger ale. Alcoholic.

[Elena]

A ginger aleaholic.

[Ash]

He's a ginger ale aholic.

[Elena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

He actually hides ginger ale at our house.

[Elena]

Good for him.

[Ash]

Because he doesn't want it all gone.

[Elena]

Good for him. But if there.

[Ash]

If Schweppes enters our household.

[Elena]

Oh, man, that was growing up. My mom. Ma.

[Ash]

Yup.

[Elena]

Is a ginger ale girl. And she would. And we were that family. You got sick, she would stir those bubbles out. She would give you that flat ass ginger ale, and it would soothe your worries. To this day.

[Ash]

When I'm sick. When I'm sick.

[Elena]

I asked Drew to please strain the

[Ash]

bubbles out of my ginger ale.

[Elena]

My kids have just recently discovered the joys of a flat ginger ale on an upset stomach.

[Ash]

Nothing like it.

[Elena]

And I remember when I gave it to my oldest for the first time, I'm, like, stirring the bubbles out, and she was like, that's soda. Because they don't drink soda.

[Ash]

And you're like, yeah.

[Elena]

And I just haven't let them yet. Yeah, but this is a. This is an emergency.

[Ash]

We must give her some soda.

[Elena]

She was like, that's soda. Like, I get soda when I'm sick. And I was like, girl, hell yeah. You don't even know. She took that first sip and she. It was like. I don't know if anybody's seen the bluey episode when she, like, takes the first lick of ice cream after she's earned it.

[Ash]

Is that when she says, this changes

[Elena]

everything until she literally changes everything. Like, she goes floating through, like, clouds and shit. That was what she did.

[Ash]

Oh, so big Ginger ale.

[Elena]

We love Canada Dry here. This place for Schweppes. Somewhere else. It's just not here. It's just.

[Ash]

It's in Connecticut.

[Elena]

It's in Connecticut. So, yeah. The president of Schweppes, president of Big Ginger Ale. Also the president of the National Dairy Corporation Corporation, which seems pretty big.

[Ash]

It does.

[Elena]

Because you know, Dairy.

[Ash]

National Dairy Corporation. I didn't even know that was a thing.

[Elena]

Also the CEO of Pepsi. PepsiCo. Are we gonna get into this again? We're a Coke. Are we gonna get into this again? Not Big Soda. Not Big Soda.

[Ash]

You know what, though?

[Elena]

We have to be honest here.

[Ash]

You went through a phase with your bands where you guys were a strictly Pepsi home. And I remember being like, ok, had a moment.

[Elena]

You did.

[Ash]

It was like a few years, I would say.

[Elena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Like your first apartment. Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi.

[Elena]

That's what you do in your first apartment. No, you figured it out, you know? I guess so. That's true. You make the mistakes and then you move on. Mike, he's looking at me like he is. He's something absolutely horrifying about me. Yeah, it was. You move into your first apartment. We weren't even married yet. Yeah. We didn't figure it out. We figured it out.

[Ash]

You guys loved Pepsi.

[Elena]

Yeah. Yeah. But then now.

[Ash]

Well, now you're like a Dr. Pepper, girly. And Coke.

[Elena]

We're a Coke. A Cola. Yeah.

[Ash]

Just to make that clear, We're a Coca Cola.

[Elena]

Family.

[Ash]

God damn family. Okay, we're not Pablo Escobar, but we are Mr. Charisma.

[Elena]

You don't need to say hello to my little friend. But yeah, we are reckless today. We're Canada Dry. Wear Coca Cola. And we're. We're. We like dairy. And a lot of us are lactose. I was gonna say.

[Ash]

Here's the thing. We're big fans of big dairy, in fact. But we're also into big lactate. Big enzyme. We love big Enzyme.

[Elena]

Oh, Lord. But there was also a lot of actors, musicians, filmmakers that lived there. It was crazy. And that summer, the Moxley settled into what considered a fixer upper.

[Ash]

But I'm surprised they even existed there.

[Elena]

Well, a fixer upper by Greenwich standards was a large, just stunning old colonial house. I love a colonial. Yeah. Now, for any teenager having to give up their friends and their lives move completely. Like. Just ask Max Dennison from yes, the Hocus Pocus. It sucks. That's a tough move. It is. It can be kind of like a. A quasi traumatic experience, I would say. That's a lot of Change. But Martha, she took it all in stride.

[Ash]

She reveled in it.

[Elena]

She. Nothing bothered her like she was just an easygoing gal.

[Ash]

I love that.

[Elena]

She sounded awesome.

[Ash]

Hell, yeah.

[Elena]

That first year at Western Junior High, she adjusted very quickly. She wasted no time building a brand new social circle. She got it. I'll just make new friends. One teacher wrote on her report card that year, when Martha came in the room, it was like the sun coming up in the morning.

[Ash]

That's actually crazy because I was just thinking to myself, you said her birthday was August 16th.

[Elena]

Yes.

[Ash]

That makes her a Leo. So she's ruled by the sun.

[Elena]

Oh, isn't that fancy? That's interesting. Yeah.

[Ash]

I'm just making sure.

[Elena]

Just imagine we've all seen the. A pleasure to have in class.

[Ash]

Oh, yeah. I've never said. No teacher ever said to me, you are the sun.

[Elena]

To say that when she comes in the room, it's like the sun coming up in the morning. That's why I would be like, I've done it.

[Ash]

Absolutely.

[Elena]

Like, Dorothy should feel like I did it like that. And Dorothy and David should feel like we've done it.

[Ash]

Absolutely.

[Elena]

Like, that's a high compliment for. For a teacher to feel that way.

[Ash]

How do you even get better than that?

[Elena]

Yeah, that's real. That's big. After just nine months, Martha had surrounded herself with a huge group of friends. She was voted the most popular girl in school. Wow.

[Ash]

Imagine that still being brand new.

[Elena]

I know. Can you imagine?

[Ash]

That's wild.

[Elena]

And one of her closest friends, Christy Callan, said Martha was just incredibly fun. Oh. In the summer of 1974, she actually started dating a boy named Peter Zaluka. They had like a pretty teenager y relationship. In her diary entries that were later discovered, she kind of describes their relationship as like, a little stormy, nothing crazy. Like there's nothing damning or like wild in there. I mean, you're 15. She would just frequently talk about his dark moods and that she was frustrated with him. Like, pretty typical stuff. He was never looked at as a prime suspect for what came later, but he obviously was spoken to. He had an alibi and he was clear and it checked out okay. Unfortunately, I believe he passed away in 2011.

[Ash]

Oh, wow.

[Elena]

Okay. Yeah. The summer after completing the eighth grade, Martha spent much of her time at the Belhaven Club. Swimming, playing tennis, laying by the pool. It sounds like it's like you can

[Ash]

picture, like a movie.

[Elena]

I can see it. Yeah. Yeah. It was there that she met a new set of friends, the people who lived in Belhaven and Attended elite private schools. The ones that she wasn't going to school. Among that group was Tommy and Michael Skakel. If you know this case might sound familiar. They were two children of Rushton Skakel, the wealthiest man in Greenwich.

[Ash]

Imagine being known as the wealthiest man in Greenwich.

[Elena]

And Rushton, you have to.

[Ash]

His.

[Elena]

His first name is Rushton or Rushton Skagel.

[Ash]

Rushton. I've never heard that name.

[Elena]

That's the father. So why are you in such a. Rushton. Right. Rushton Skakel's fortune came from Great Lakes Coal, a company found. Founded by his father, that recycled waste products from mining operations. But it wasn't just the money that made Skakel so influential. Influential? That's hard to say. In addition to his wealth, Skakel's sister Ethel was married to Robert F. Kennedy. Oh, y' all know Ethel? Oh, so he. Yeah. So he had direct.

[Ash]

I know where we are.

[Elena]

He had direct access to one of the most famous families and infamous families in America to this day, if not the world, honestly. Yeah. And so Dorothy Moxley later recalled, as soon as you moved into Greenwich, they'd tell you that's where the Skakels live and that they were related to the Kennedys, which obviously, that's a big deal. Yeah.

[Justworks Advertiser]

Of course.

[Elena]

Now, despite his economic success, the Skakel family, like the Kennedys, had more than their fair share of experience with tragedy. In 1955, Rushton and Ethel's parents were killed in a private plane crash. Oh, wow. A few years later, their brother George Jr. Was also killed in a plane crash.

[Ash]

Jesus.

[Elena]

Not long after, his wife choked to death during a dinner party.

[Ash]

Oh, my God.

[Elena]

Isn't that horrific?

[Ash]

Yes.

[Elena]

In 1962, when he was four years old, Tommy Skakel was thrown from a car during a crash and suffered severe head injuries. Wow. And finally, in 1973, Rushton's wife Anne died after a particularly agonizing battle with cancer. Oh. Anne's death not only left Rushton a widower a lot earlier than anyone would expect, but it also made him the sole provider for his seven children.

[Ash]

Holy.

[Elena]

Six boys and one girl. Now, the Skakel boys. Yeah. The Skakel boys had always had a bit of a reputation for being an entitled and often unruly bunch of kids. But for at least a few of them, their behavior got significantly worse when their mother died.

[Ash]

I mean, that makes sense.

[Elena]

Yeah. Trauma.

[Ash]

This episode is brought to you by SoFi, the all in one finance app where you can bank, borrow, and invest all in one place. Let's talk about bank accounts for a second. The average bank Savings rate is 0.39% in interest. You're earning pennies on your savings and it doesn't have to be that way. But with so far high yield checkings and savings, the money barely making moves sitting in your savings account can earn over eight times the national average savings rate with eligible direct deposit, no account or overdraft fees. We love transparency. You can get your paycheck up to 2 days early plus get up to a $300 welcome bonus when you sign up with eligible direct deposit. Sign up for SOFI Checking and [e-mail] Morbid Sofi checking and savings is offered through Sofi Bank NA member FDIC terms apply. This is a paid ad by BetterHelp. There have been times in my life where I have been work, work, work and nothing else, but that simply doesn't work for me. So I feel like the older I've gotten, I've really gotten much better at taking a step back, being able to prioritize a work life balance that works for me. Not everybody thrives when life gets busy. You might catch yourself feeling drained even during things that you usually enjoy, or realize that you've been pushing yourself more than you need to. It's important to take care of yourself when things get busy by resting, recharging and saying no when you need to. Therapy can also be a great way to get out of autopilot and get a solid reset. Therapy with better help may help you understand your needs, feel more confident setting boundaries, and create a rhythm that feels sustainable. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform. Just take a short questionnaire to identify your needs and Preferences and BetterHelp will handle the initial therapist matching work for you. You can also feel confident knowing that BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully qualified. Take a pause with therapy. BetterHelp can help life feel manageable again. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com morbid that's betterhelp H-E-L-P.com morbid every good detective needs a partner to support them on important cases. Think of a State Farm agent like your Sidekick, there to help you along the way in your search for coverage. State Farm can help you choose the coverage you need, whether it's for your home, car, boat, or even rv. With so many options, it's nice knowing you have help finding what fits for you so you can get back to solving all of life's bigger cases. Go to state farm.com or use the award winning app to connect with a local agent and get a quote like a good neighbor. State Farm is there.

[Elena]

Michael, in particular seemed to take his mother's death harder than the others and started acting out in very obvious ways while also apparently developing a pretty significant drinking problem.

[Ash]

Oh.

[Elena]

In the summer of 1974, before starting high school, Martha began socializing with a group of friends at the country club that occasionally did include Tommy and Michael Skagel.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Elena]

Although they weren't very close as friends go, Martha wrote in a letter to her friend that summer that Tommy, quote, had hit on her and she wasn't interested. Oh, good for her. Good for her. And a year after Martha's death, her mother actually discovered her diary, which is where they got a lot of information about what was going on in her life. And it included a few mentions of the Skakel brothers. Oh. Now, in a passage from September 12, 1975, which is only about a month before she was killed. Yeah. Martha talked about a random evening that she had spent with Tommy and Michael Skakel. This is what she wrote. She wrote, dear Diary, today was nothing extra special. At school, Peter was being his usual self. Me, Jackie, Michael, Tom, Hope, Maureen and Andra were driving in Tom's car. I drove a little, and then I was practically sitting on Tom's lap because I was only steering, and he kept putting his hand on my knee. I drove some more and Margie and I kept yelling out the sunroof. And then we went to Friendly's, which immediately was like, oh. And Michael treated me and got me a double, but I only wanted a single, so I threw the top scoop out the window. Then I was driving again, and Tom put his arm around me. He kept doing stuff like that. Jesus, if Peter ever found out, I would be dead. Oh, I think Jackie really likes Michael, and I think maybe he likes her. Maybe because he was drunk. I don't know.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Elena]

So that was on September 12th. September 15th, she talked again about hanging out with them and saying that she doesn't think that or that Michael told her he doesn't like Jackie, but he leads her on, but she thinks he leads her on. So it's like very teenager.

[Ash]

Like, super, like summer of 75. I'm 15.

[Elena]

Yeah. And a few days later, she journaled and said Michael, meaning Michael Skakel, was so totally out of it that he was being a real asshole in his actions and words. He kept telling me that I was leading Tom on when I don't like him, except as a friend. I said, well, how about you? And Jackie, you keep telling me you don't like her, and you're all over. He doesn't understand that he can be nice to her without hanging all over her. Michael jumps to conclusions. I can't be friends with Tom just because I talk to him, it doesn't mean I like him. I really have to stop going over there. Oh, my God. That's just, like, very chilling. Yeah. And it's because. It's just. At the very least here, what we're seeing is like, she was just annoyed. Yeah. By Michael. Kind of, like, tell it, like, accusing her of leading Tommy on and Tommy being a little too.

[Ash]

She wasn't having a good time.

[Elena]

Yeah, she wasn't having a good time.

[Ash]

She seemed like she wanted to move on from it.

[Elena]

Yeah. Oh, wow. I know. Now, although she had always been a really good girl, a really easy kid, and generally got along very well with her parents, Martha wasn't. You know, she wasn't a robot. Yeah, she was.

[Ash]

She's a teenage girl.

[Elena]

She's a teenage girl in a very wealthy suburb with a lot of stuff at her disposal. Disposal. Her brother John said she had a wilder side as well, occasionally missing her curfew, drinking a beer, or smoking. In mid October, it was that wilder side of her personality that had landed her in a little trouble with her parents, who grounded her for some teenage infraction. Nothing crazy. Okay. Nobody even remembers what the infraction was. It was that.

[Ash]

So it obviously was that little.

[Elena]

But when Martha's country club friends came calling for her on the night of October 30, which is a lot of times dubbed Mischief Night, Dorothy Moxley took pity on her daughter and allowed her to go out with her friends for a little while, as long as she was back at a reasonable hour. Okay. I think because Martha was such a good kid, she's like.

[Ash]

She probably was like, you learned your lesson.

[Elena]

Yeah. Like, I'm not too worried about you doing a lot more. After leaving the Moxley house that night, Martha and her friend Helen Xfix Fitzpatrick met up with two other friends, Jackie Wentenhall and Jeffrey Byrne, and the two walked over to the Skakel house. When they were there, they all just kind of piled into Tommy's maroon Lincoln, which the Skakel boys referred to as the Lust Mobile. Ew. Like, ew. Yeah, I don't like it. And they sat parked in the driveway. Within a few minutes, Tommy, who had been drinking that night, started rubbing Martha's leg without her permission, to which she responded by pushing his hand away repeatedly. After A certain amount of times, yeah. Now, a little before 9:30pm Tommy and Michael's brothers Rush Jr. And John came out of the house with their cousin Jimmy Tyrion. And they announced that they were going to Jimmy's house, the cousin for the rest of the night.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Elena]

So Michael was kind of feeling like the. Michael Skakel was feeling like the fifth wheel. So he got out of the car and decided to go along with them instead of staying with Martha and her friends.

[Ash]

So now it's just. Is it just Martha and Helen and

[Elena]

Tommy and then Jeff? I think so, yeah. Okay. And Jackie.

[Ash]

And Jackie.

[Elena]

Yeah. Okay. Okay. So later, when they gave their statements to police, Jeff and Helen said they remembered seeing Martha and Tommy play fighting in the Skakels driveway not long after the other group had left.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Elena]

The report says Martha was pushing Thomas and Thomas pushing. Martha was that playful. At one point, Thomas pushed Martha down and either fell or got down on her. I'm here to tell you that that doesn't sound like play fighting. That sounds like he was trying to attack her. Yeah, that's just what it sounds like in that report.

[Ash]

Yep.

[Elena]

Eventually, when Tommy and Martha began kissing, Jeff and Helen decided to leave to give them some alone time. And it was the last time they would see Martha alive.

[Ash]

But let's all remember that Martha wasn't interested in Tommy.

[Elena]

So later that night, when Martha still hadn't come home, Dorothy Moxley began calling around to her friends to find out where Martha was. From Helen, she learned that Martha was last seen around 9:30 with Tommy Skakel. So Dorothy called the Skakel house and spoke to Tommy. According to Tommy, not long after Jeff and Helen walked off, he went inside the house and he went up to his bedroom. The last time he'd seen Martha, she was walking across the lawn in the direction of her own house.

[Ash]

Now, completely by herself.

[Elena]

Yeah. So Dorothy was concerned, but Martha hadn't given a specific time that she was going to come home, so she tried not to panic. Dorothy later said Martha was a very sharp girl. She wasn't stupid about things. But when several more hours went by and Martha still hadn't returned home by 4am oh man. Dorothy finally called the police to report her missing. Yeah. An officer was dispatched to the Moxley house and they ran through the usual questions, you know, about a missing teen, especially in the 70s. Remember, had there been an argument? Did Martha usually stay out this late? Had she run away before? Had Martha been a younger child, the police would very likely have fanned out to search the neighborhood. But at the time. The common belief among law enforcement was that when a teenager disappeared for a short time, they were probably just blown off steam and or run away and they would eventually come home. Yeah, we've seen that that is not true most of the time. And you end up wasting a lot of valuable time. Yeah. So after taking a quick look around the outside of the house and finding nothing. Because what the fuck would they find on a quick cursory search of the

[Ash]

house when she hasn't returned to the house?

[Elena]

The officer logged the report and told Dorothy to call back. If Martha still hadn't returned home in a few more hours, then he returned to the station.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Elena]

Now feeling helpless at this point because what does she do now? Right. Dorothy called her husband, who was in in Atlanta on business, and asked him to come home. Okay. Then when the sun came up, she decided to go over to the Skakels house where mother was last seen. Good for her. When Dorothy knocked on the door, Michael Skakel answered. And Dorothy remembered that he was quote unquote disheveled and looked like a mess, as though he hadn't got much sleep. Sleep. Now, Michael explained that he hadn't seen Martha since he left with his brothers to go to his cousin's house the night before. And he'd gone straight to bed when he got home a little before midnight. Okay. It's like you look real tired. Yeah. Several more hours passed with no word. Then a little after 12:30pm One of the Moxley's neighbors, a girl on her way to school, made a terrifying discovery. Oh, God. Lying on the ground beneath a clump of pine trees about 200ft from the Moxley's front door stop was Martha's body. She was lying on her stomach in a pool of blood. Her pants and underwear were pulled down around her ankles. She had been severely beaten in the head and face. A former detective, Steve Carroll, said her face, her head was a bloody mess. She was a blonde, but you could never tell because her hair was matted down with blood. Very thick and heavy.

[Ash]

Oh my God.

[Elena]

Martha was lying in a large pool of blood. And near the body, investigators found a Tony Penn six iron golf club broken into three pieces.

[Ash]

Holy shit. An iron golf club?

[Elena]

Yeah. Based on the limited evidence at the scene, Carol and the other investigators theorized that Martha was first attacked near the Skakels driveway. Then after she'd broken free, the killer chased her through the backyard and caught up with her not far from her own home. Once Martha was on the ground, the assailant struck her in the head and face with the six iron, as many as eight or nine times, according to the coroner's report. This is very graphic. Just to warn you, the beating was so savage that it tore pieces of Martha's scalp from her skull, leaving it dangling over her face. Oh my God. After the eighth or ninth blow to the head, the shaft of the golf club broke into multiple pieces. At which point the killer took up the broken pieces with the handle and rammed the jagged end of the club into Martha's throat.

[Ash]

Oh my God. And she's like 200ft from her house.

[Elena]

Her mom is in the house and this is happening to her daughter 200ft away from her house.

[Ash]

Oh my God.

[Elena]

I, when I read that. That'll stay with me. I didn't even know that detail of this or I didn't remember it at the very least. I. That's unthinkable. That is completely.

[Ash]

And to think that she was running away from somebody and was so close to home. It was a matter of feet.

[Elena]

Yeah, I just. Oh, it like. Honestly, it makes my, like it turns my stomach. It really turns my stomach. Like. Oh, that's wild now. Although the medical examiner found no concrete evidence of sexual assault, he did note a quote, reddish mark on both her inner thighs, which he stated were consistent with bloody hands trying to push the victim's legs apart. Oh, awful. Now for investigators at the scene and those who would later be assigned to the case, Martha Moxley was the first murder case any of them had ever seen. And it is one of the most brutal things to ever. This is one of the most brutal murders you can think of. And this is their first murder case. That's unthinkable in the history of the Greenwich Police Department. The number of homicide cases on record could be counted on one hand. Wow. They were not experienced in the investigation of homicide, let alone one so brutal and someone so young.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Elena]

Which would prove seriously consequential for their investigation. Oh no. And. But Steve Carroll and his associates took up the case, determined to find out who did this. That afternoon, Chief Thomas Keegan assigned the case to detectives Steve Carroll and James Lunney, who would act as co lead investigators. At 3:00pm James Lunnie and his partner went to the Skakel house to interview the kids while Carol and his partner began interviewing the Moxley's neighbors. At the time, Rushton Skakel was away on business and the kids tutor Ken Littleton was left in charge. According to 18 year old Julie Skakel, she and several of her brothers had dinner at the Belhaven Beach Club the previous evening and returned home around 9pm and at that point Tommy and Michael met up with Martha and her friends in the driveway of the house. While the rest of the kids went inside. Michael confirmed his sister's story and added that after hanging out with Martha and her friends for a short time, he got bored and went with his brothers to their cousin's house and didn't come home until after 11pm okay. Later that afternoon, Tommy was asked to come down to the station for an interview. I bet. At which time he repeated the story he told Dorothy Moxley, but with some added information. Now, Tommy claimed he and Martha had been kissing and wrestling on the Skakels front lawn, which was corroborated by Jeff and Helen that they at least saw play fighting is what they thought it was. Then he went inside around 9.30pm to work on a homework project about Abraham Lincoln. The last time he'd seen Martha, she was walking in the direction of her house. After the interview, Lenny checked with Tommy's teachers and they all denied assigning a homework project about Abraham Lincoln.

[Ash]

Interesting.

[Elena]

Which is a wildly stupid lie to make up. Yeah, because it is so easily disproven. Exactly. Now, elsewhere in the neighborhood, Carol and his partner were canvassing the area looking for anyone who might have seen or heard anything out of the ordinary the night before. Although no one saw anything, many of the neighbors closest to the Moxley house recalled hearing the sound of several dogs barking wildly around 10pm oh. Dorothy Moxley too remembered hearing the noise and thought someone must have been having an argument. Okay. Otherwise, the most anyone seemed able to offer investigators was just like suspicion and speculation. Some in Belhaven told the detectives about a like a transient man. They described him as that they'd seen hitchhiking in the area the day that Martha was killed and thought surely this man had something to do with the murder. Could not be of our own. No, never. It quickly became apparent to investigators that Tommy Skakel was the last person to see Martha alive that night. They also determined based on the reports of the barking dogs, that the time of the death was most likely somewhere around 10pm okay. Since Michael Skakel had been at his cousin's house when they believed the murder took place, he was ruled out as Martha's killer, leaving Tommy as the most likely suspect. Based on what they learned, Carol and Lenny theorized that Tommy had wanted to go further than kissing Martha. And when Martha rejected him and began walking home, he chased her down and attacked her. That was the theory. Makes sense. The next day Detectives spoke to Rushton Skakel and explained that they needed to search the area more thoroughly. But they didn't mention that they suspected Tommy. Okay. Like everyone else in the neighborhood, Skakel wanted to help find Martha's killer. So he gave his permission for investigators to search his house and continue speaking with his children. He was like, absolutely okay. Operating on the assumption that Skakel's verbal permission was good enough, Carol and Lenny never bothered to get a search warrant. That wasn't smart. I will never get over this fact. That wasn't smart you just said. Sounds good to me. Yeah.

[Ash]

Verbal agreement.

[Elena]

Never enough is admissible.

[Ash]

Nope.

[Elena]

You learned that. Wait, before you got that shiny badge that you show people. That's such a basic.

[Ash]

That's such a basic.

[Elena]

That's basic.

[Ash]

That might have been day two after orientation.

[Elena]

Yeah.

[Ash]

Oh, man.

[Elena]

So having secured Rushton Skakel's permission, detectives returned to the Skakels house to follow up with Tommy while additional officers searched the house. When he was confronted with the lie about the homeware project, Tommy stuck to his story, insisting that he had gone up to his bedroom to work on the project, which the detectives now knew didn't exist.

[Ash]

She's also like, okay, show me the project.

[Elena]

Show me the Abraham Lincoln thing. Meanwhile, officers searching the house found a set of Tony Penna golf clubs in the mudroom with several clubs missing. They eventually located most of the other clubs on the back deck, but the six iron was nowhere to be found.

[Ash]

You gotta be fucking kidding me. And the fact that they found that and it's not admissible.

[Elena]

Yeah. For reasons that remain unclear, it appears that the detectives didn't bother to push back on Tommy's claims that he was working on a project that had literally never been assigned, nor did they take the clubs or anything else into evidence.

[Ash]

Interesting.

[Elena]

Just let that. Let that settle. They literally found out that he was lying. They have about his alibi to back it up. To say he doesn't have that project.

[Ash]

Yep.

[Elena]

They didn't say. Hey, can you show me the project?

[Ash]

Yep.

[Elena]

They found the golf clubs.

[Ash]

Missing. One that happened to be used in the murder weapon.

[Elena]

Missing. The only one that's used as a murder weapon. And they took nothing.

[Ash]

What did they do?

[Elena]

Talk to a Skakel. That's it.

[Ash]

Oh, my God.

[Elena]

Dude. Now, in retrospect, many of the most critical mistakes in this investigation were definitely made in these early days, which is the worst time to make them. It sure is. While most could be chalked up to just inexperienced and doofusy detectives, many believe that the real underlying Problem was the investigators unwillingness to aggressively pursue Tommy Skakel because of his father's wealth and power. And to me, that fits the bill.

[Ash]

I think so.

[Elena]

Because I'm like, which one do you want to be? Do you want to be a shady fuck who doesn't want to question a wealthy, powerful family? Or do you want to be a dumb detective who didn't do the most basic shit in the world?

[Ash]

Oh, man.

[Elena]

Pick one. I guess. Pick your poison.

[Ash]

I was going to say, they're both

[Elena]

pretty shitty, they're both pretty bad. They both don't paint you in a good light.

[Ash]

I didn't know all the details of this.

[Elena]

Yeah. Steve Carroll said in a 2003 interview. I think it was a case of circumstances. Did we tread lightly? Probably out of respect or fear, I don't know. But we thought really that we were doing a good job.

[Ash]

A young girl was murdered. I don't know if you decided to tread lightly.

[Elena]

I don't know if you want to go with that.

[Ash]

Probably not.

[Elena]

And I don't know if you want to say, we thought we were doing a good job. Did you? So we're going by not collecting evidence.

[Ash]

Wow.

[Elena]

Yeah. I don't know. In fact, everything seemed to be pointing towards Tommy Skakel. But Carol and Lenny seemed completely unwilling to follow the very obvious evidence that was like breadcrumbing right to him. So the next day, Detective Thomas Keegan gave a statement to the press. Though it didn't do a whole lot to answer any questions or like, help anyone with their fears. He told reporters, we have reason to believe she was assaulted on the property and dragged to the tree. Yup, thanks. Unfortunately, when it came to any theories or potential suspects, Keegan was tight lipped, saying, only we don't have a heck of a lot going to go on. You actually have almost everything.

[Ash]

Almost a smoking gun. This episode is brought to you by SoFi, the all in one finance app, where you can bank, borrow and invest all in one place. Let's talk about bank accounts for a second. The average bank Savings rate is 0.39% in interest. You're earning pennies on your savings. And it doesn't have to be that way. But with SoFi's high yield checkings and savings, the money barely making moves sitting in your savings account can earn over eight times the national average savings rate with eligible direct deposit, no account or overdraft fees. We love transparency. You can get your PayCheck up to two days early, plus get up to a $300 welcome bonus when you Sign up with eligible direct deposit. Sign up for SOFI Checking and [e-mail] Morbid Sofi checking and savings is offered through Sofi Bank NA member FDIC terms apply.

[Elena]

Do you know that feeling when working out finally clicks? When you finally feel like you get in a routine, when you can see the results not just physically but also like emotionally, mentally, all of it.

[Ash]

I don't know. Tell me about it.

[Elena]

I'm going to tell you about it because finally when it clicks for me is when I get that clear headed feeling I can. I actually look forward to my workouts because they feel like they're kind of like a reset for me.

[Ash]

Oh heck yeah.

[Elena]

Heck yeah. It's honestly, it's worth it. You're. It's worth it. It's an investment in yourself, in every way that it can be. So I'm telling you, one way you can do this is with peloton. Peloton helps you unlock all the expansive, joyful feelings that somebody gets through movement with the peloton Cross training Tread plus powered by Peloton iq. Peloton IQ builds a workout roadmap that's completely yours. So you can stop overthinking and just move which is the hardest.

[Ash]

I love that.

[Elena]

Peloton IQ provides intelligent strength coaching so you can stay in the moment. You can track every single rep, you can read every movement and guiding form in real time. So there's no second guessing because that's always my thing is I'm like, am I doing this right? And they're like no you're not. This is how you do it.

[Ash]

Don't second guess yourself girl.

[Elena]

Don't do it. So spin the swivel screen too and feel what's possible. Moving from running to strength seamlessly without breaking any flow. Cuz we don't want to break that flow.

[Ash]

Reach your flow state there.

[Elena]

Honestly, honestly, the clarity that comes when you stop negotiating with yourself. I'll just do it tomorrow. I'll. I'll start it next week. Maybe if I get in this routine I'll feel better. Don't talk about it. Just do it.

[Ash]

Don't talk about it, be about it.

[Elena]

And take it from me because I'm the person who will continue negotiating with myself until I'm 80 years old that I've yet to step on any single exercise equipment. So finally when I stopped and I just got on my peloton, I'm telling you it's an investment. It's a worthwhile investment in yourself. So let yourself run, lift, fail, try and go explore the new Peloton Cross training Tread [e-mail] period

[Ash]

Summer is the perfect time to rethink what clothes you're reaching for every day. With the warmer weather, you want lighter fabrics, better materials, pieces that just feel good the moment that you put them on and also look effortless. That's where Quince comes in, you guys. I love Quince. They focus on high quality essentials. Think breathable linen, soft, organic cotton, washable silk, but without the luxury markup. It looks like luxury, it feels like luxury, but you don't get that markup. It's that rare balance where everything feels elevated but still easy. And it's not just clothing. Quince has really become a destination for elevated essentials across home, kitchen, bedding and beyond. I actually was getting ready for the spring recently, So I said quince.com please. And I got a couple of their linen skirts. They are, first of all, so freaking comfortable. They come in the cutest colors. My favorite one that I got is in this yellow color. Just makes me feel like sunshine when I get all dressed. And you know that I love the silk skirts. Those are a staple in my wardrobe every single time of the year between summer, fall, winter, spring, all of the above. Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quince.commorbid for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.commorbid for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.commorbid.

[Elena]

Now. A few days later, Deputy Police Chief Raymond Grant followed up on Keegan's vague statement, telling reporters, it's not that we don't have leads, but I don't know when we'll break the case. If I did, I'd tell you the most non the most nonsense sentence I've ever heard just includes absolutely no information. Wow. So the silence and very poor communication from investigators would prove to be another problem for local police. Not only did it do nothing to make locals feel any safer, but it also suggested investigators weren't making any progress on the case. And if it felt to the public that detectives weren't making any progress, that's probably because they weren't. Probably now, within a few days of the murder, the investigation began to run into several roadblocks, many having to do with the social status of the primary suspect.

[Ash]

First.

[Elena]

Think so. One of Tommy's teachers refused to go on the record, refuting the claim about the homework assignment and became generally uncooperative. From that point forward, it seemed as though every lead Carol and Lenny had managed to come up with started falling apart. Within a few weeks, when it became clear detectives were focusing on his son, Rushton Skakel rescinded his permission to speak to his children and routed everything through the family's lawyer. I'm sure by then, Tommy had taken two polygraph tests, with the first showing inconclusive results and the second showing no deception.

[Ash]

Interesting.

[Elena]

Which is very interesting.

[Ash]

I mean, he had a practice run.

[Elena]

Within a few months, investigators found themselves in a very difficult position. They no longer had access to their suspect, and no one seemed willing to speak out against the Skakels. But at the same time, the public pressure to find Martha's killer had only grown louder and more demanding. In late March, Connecticut State Attorney Thomas Brown responded to the growing criticism by publicly accusing the Skakels of stonewalling detectives and impeding the investigation. Wow. Brief. According to Brown, the local police were, quote, apparently being frustrated by the refusal of a particular family, which could supply pertinent information, to assist or cooperate in the police investigation. Although Brown didn't call out the Skakels by name, Tommy Skakel had been associated with the case in the press from day one, so there was little doubt who he was referring to. Also, Brown made it clear in no uncertain terms that the Greenwich police were equipped to investigate the case. He said, I'm personally satisfied with the manner in which the police investigation has progressed over the months, despite the unfortunate refusal of cooperation by the particular family, which has clearly impeded the investigation now under the gun to solve the case with or without the Skable's help. At this point, investigators or detectives began casting a much wider net and started looking at anyone who could have any reason or want to harm Martha, which I said, why?

[Ash]

You're wasting your fucking time.

[Elena]

You have everything. Including her parents and her brother John.

[Ash]

You gotta be fucking kidding me.

[Elena]

Are they missing golf clubs? Like, come on. In the end, larger suspect pool did nothing to help the investigation and actually probably did a lot more harm than it did anything else. Now, at first, detectives focused their attention on the Skagel children's tutor, Ken Littleton, who failed his polygraph exam.

[Ash]

Yeah, because he probably had something that he was hiding.

[Elena]

But when he passed his second polygraph, I love how they're like, let's just do it until you pass this. Like, what? They determined he knew more than he was saying, but he wasn't Martha's killer.

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Elena]

Which seems likely. Yeah. After moving on From Littleton, investigators shifted their attention to one of the Moxley's neighbors, Edward Hammond. According to journalist Leonard Levitt, it was never clear, quote, what had piqued their interest in Hammond, although the police file did state he had blood on his clothing from a household accident.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Elena]

Regardless of what got them to spend so much time on Hammond, he was, like, very cooperative with detectives and provided extensive biological samples to rule himself out.

[Ash]

Yeah. So anybody that's willing to do that, it's.

[Elena]

Yeah, he cooperated completely. Now, with Tommy Skakel being beyond their reach and every other suspect ruled out because they weren't even real suspects to begin with, I feel like investigators went back to the earliest case notes, particularly the neighbor's note about the mysterious and suspicious hitchhiker scene in town.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Elena]

Because you gotta. That. That seems like, at least illegally. I mean, you got so much evidence on another side, but, like, you might as well chase this one down. Yeah.

[Ash]

It's out of the ordinary, you know?

[Elena]

Now, despite not knowing whether the man even existed or where he could be found, the investigative team would spend an unreasonable amount of time pursuing the hitchhiker lead, which would literally come to nothing in the end. Great. Nothing like, nothing anybody, if they had, like, hey, he was on this corner, and this is where I saw him going. Even that is hard to chase because, like, where'd he go anyway? You don't even know what he looks like right now. By the end of the 1970s, investigators had exhausted every lead they had and were no closer to actually nailing down Martha's killer.

[Ash]

And her poor family is just having

[Elena]

to continue living in this community with everybody. Yeah. Now, in the meantime, several of the Skakel kids had grown up and moved away, including Michael, who, after being arrested on a charge of drunk driving in late 1978, was sent to the Elon School, a private institution in Maine for troubled teenagers. With so many people having come and gone and so many mistakes having been made in the investigation, it seemed like the case might never be solved. Yeah. Now, throughout the first half of the 20th century, a lot of Americans had a fascination and respect for the last of the nation's really, like, aristocratic families like the Vanderbilts, you know, the Rockefellers, the Astors. Yep. By the later part of the century, though, that fascination and respect had, like, kind of turned into resentment and disdain. Yeah. Because the social consequences of wealth inequality were becoming more and more apparent around the country. Others, meanwhile, took a kind of, like, perverse pleasure in watching as many in what remained of high society were taken down by scandals or otherwise fell from grace.

[Ash]

It is, it is interesting. It's how a lot of these, like wealthy families do end up up, like just falling apart.

[Elena]

Because you have to think, rarely do you just get there. Rarely is there a glistening golden path leading to where you get. Yeah. In those situations. Yeah. Somebody got kicked in the teeth along the way. Like, you know what I mean? And eventually that person who gets kicked in the teeth is going to come back to bite you with a brand new set of champas. Exactly.

[Ash]

That was very poetic.

[Elena]

When you see these like. And I'm not saying every like, you know, aristocratic family. Of course I'm not saying that. I'm not generalizing. I'm just saying a lot of the times when you see them being absolutely taken down by just like scandal after scandal, you're like, well, it was gonna bite you. You didn't get there purely.

[Ash]

Right.

[Elena]

The people who get there with like just the regular stuff. Yeah. Usually aren't the ones taken down.

[Ash]

So many like, you know, I love these stories. Not these stories, but like just.

[Elena]

But the like ones with like high society.

[Ash]

I love a high society involved because it isn't.

[Elena]

It's fascinating. It really is. Now, in 1991, 30 year old William Kennedy Smith, son of Gene Kennedy and Stephen Smith and prominent member of the Kennedy family, was accused of violently sexually assaulting a woman he'd met on Florida beach. On a Florida beach in March. The charges and subsequent trial received a lot of media coverage and prompted many journalists to dredge up the family's past, past scandals and conspiracy theories. Smith would ultimately be acquitted of the charges. But that didn't stop the speculation and rumors from continuing long after the case was closed. Among them, there was a curious rumor that had circulated about William Kennedy Smith staying at the Skakel house on or around the time of the Moxley murder.

[Ash]

Interesting.

[Elena]

And if he had been at the house on the night of the murder, was it not possible that he could be involved or know something about Martha's death? Okay. There was no truth whatsoever that he was staying there. To the room.

[Ash]

Okay. I was gonna say, I was like, I feel like we really had the perfect case to begin with.

[Elena]

Yeah. About William Kennedy Smith being at the Skakel house that night. And speculation faded. I was like, we could have gone

[Ash]

a completely different path.

[Elena]

I wanted to give you a quick one. You did. But for high profile journalist Dominic Dunn, we have talked about such a fan. It inspired an interest in the case and in the scandalous history of the Kennedys more broadly. Dunn had spent a lot of his career, writing about the crimes and cover ups committed by the wealthiest people in America. And based on what he learned in his very cursory research, the Martha Moxley murder seemed like exactly the kind of crime he was accustomed to covering. He later said in 2003, the fact that there was no search warrant is one of the most outrageous things. When they knew that the golf club came from the set of golf clubs that belonged to the late mother in the Skakel household. Wow. I want you to hold that one.

[Ash]

That adds such a layer.

[Elena]

The golf club that's missing is part of a set that belonged to their late mother. Yeah. He said later. Dominic Dunn said later in 2003, there had to be intimidation at the police. This was a very, very rich family. Interesting. That's a quote. That's a quote from Dominic Dunn in 2003. Well, it's in the show notes. Stay away from us. Big soda. No big carbonation. You stay away. Get out now. In the early winter of 1991, Dominic Dunn reached out to Dorothy Moxley to express his interest in writing a book about the case. He later recalled, she was very hesitant about it.

[Ash]

I'm sure.

[Elena]

Totally understand. Yeah. But when I told her that I too, was the parent of a murdered daughter, because, remember, that story is tragic.

[Ash]

His daughter Dominique.

[Elena]

Is Dominique done. Who we have covered. Yeah. It's such a sad story.

[Ash]

It is.

[Elena]

So he said when I said that I too, was the parent of a murdered daughter, she said, okay, yeah.

[Ash]

And he knew what it was like to know who killed his daughter and

[Elena]

got away with that and be able to do anything about it. Now, just to give you a. In case you're like, wait, what? You covered what?

[Ash]

Yeah.

[Elena]

Dominic Dunn's daughter, Dominique, had been steadily building a name for herself in Hollywood when in 1982, she was murdered by her ex boyfriend, who only served a few years in prison for her murder. It was this fact and the obvious failure on the part of the system in that case that motivated Dunn's career in true crime and inspired him to dig deeper into the Martha Moxley case now. So glad he came.

[Ash]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Elena]

Now, after their first meeting, Dunn and Dorothy Moxley agreed the best approach would be for him to write a fictional account of the case, which would eventually be released in 1993 as a season in purgatory. Oh, okay. I didn't know that. Yeah. Along with the rumors about William Kennedy Smith, Dominic Dunn's interest in the case resulted in the state's attorney, John Solomon, reopening the investigation into Martha's murder, which had been labeled inactive in 1982. Solomon later said, as we talked about the case, we realized that since 1975, many new techniques for examining evidence had been developed. And we hope that some of the witnesses who were teenagers then would come forward with information that they may have previously withheld.

[Ash]

And you never know. They might be living with a lot of guilt.

[Elena]

You never know now. At the same time, Solomon did acknowledge how difficult the case had been up to that point, with many different roadblocks. And so that set the expectations low from the outset. Like, let's not think we're gonna just plow forward here. Yeah. The news that the case was being reopened was very encouraging for the Moxley family. Right. Who had spent a decade and a half advocating for victims of violent crime, by the way. Oh, wow. Good for them. But the tone and attitude around the wealth and power of those involved remained much the same as it had been in 1975. One anonymous local told a reporter from the Boston Globe, money can buy anything in this town. A lot of people feel like that. Others echoed that sentiment. Christy Callan, one of Martha's closest friends, said, whenever you get around the Kennedy name, people start to tiptoe and do things they wouldn't normally do, which. We're from New England.

[Ash]

I was gonna say we are from New England.

[Elena]

And confirmed. Yep. Just look at. Yeah, just look.

[Ash]

Look at it.

[Elena]

Just look at it. Yeah. She said, it's not necessarily intentional, but the family has this mystique, and it can be intimidating.

[Ash]

It's actually. It is very fascinating. It is it darkly fascinating.

[Elena]

And you're born into the idea here that that's just untouchable.

[Ash]

Yeah. And that they're royalty.

[Elena]

You just don't. You don't go much.

[Ash]

Like, you don't touch the Morgan letters.

[Elena]

Exactly.

[Ash]

You don't touch the Kennedy.

[Elena]

You just don't touch the Kennedys. You don'. Do that. It turned out that locals were right to expect the wealth and power of Rushton Skakel to remain a significant impediment to this case. Since the day that Martha was discovered, the most viable suspect had been Tommy Skakel, which meant it was inevitable that detectives would start the new investigation with the Skakel family when the case was reopened. Hoping to get ahead of the police, though, Rushton hired Sutton Associates, a prestigious Long island private investigation firm.

[Ash]

That just sounds like a very prestigious firm.

[Elena]

He wanted to investigate the case and any connection between it and his family. Over the course of several years, and at the cost of more than $1 million, the agency would dig deeper into the case than anyone had ever before, ultimately producing a document referred to as the Sutton Report. Okay. Yeah. The report has never been made public.

[Ash]

Stop it.

[Elena]

But excerpts from it have been presented as evidence in various court cases. Okay. Allowing some of the contents to come to light.

[Ash]

Okay.

[Elena]

Among other things, the report confirms what many people had already suspected. Tommy Skakel lied to police about his actions and whereabouts on the night of the murder. Great. What was less expected was what the Sutton investigators, and soon many others, would learn about Michael Skakel.

[Ash]

Oh, you just gave me chills.

[Elena]

And we're gonna stop there in part one, because. Hold on. Strap in, everybody. And there's more to come. Let me tell you. Oh, my, oh me, oh my own.

[Ash]

I knew of this case, but you're unlocking things that I did not know.

[Elena]

It's a very brutal, tragic, horrifying, and fascinating in the worst way kind of case.

[Ash]

Let me grab a fun fact.

[Elena]

Yeah, Good call. Whoa.

[Ash]

This is actually insane. The longest wedding veil was longer than 63 football fields.

[Elena]

What the. That's insane. That's. That's too much.

[Ash]

Her veil was nearly 23, 000ft, which is the same length as about 63 and a half football fields.

[Elena]

Damn. How do you even.

[Ash]

Like, how does that fit in the building?

[Elena]

How do you move?

[Ash]

Oh, my.

[Elena]

How do you move?

[Ash]

That's inconceivable.

[Elena]

Really? Damn. Well, there's that.

[Ash]

For you.

[Elena]

There's that. I love that.

[Ash]

Wait, here's another one.

[Elena]

I.

[Ash]

This one's funny. Some cats are allergic to people.

[Elena]

That's actually. That makes more sense than anything I've ever heard.

[Ash]

It's actually my most favorite thing.

[Elena]

That's actually. That makes so much.

[Ash]

Because everyone is always like, I'm allergic to cat. No, he's allergic to you, actually.

[Elena]

Sorry.

[Ash]

So maybe you could leave my house.

[Elena]

So maybe you. Maybe he needs his medicine for you. Okay. Maybe.

[Ash]

Get out. Apparently, it's very uncommon, but it. It happens.

[Elena]

It happens. Okay. I'm saying I think that's hilarious. Damn. Wow. Well, with all that being said, we hope you keep.

[Ash]

Listen.

[Elena]

Damn. I don't know why I said it. Do it. Do you say it? No, you say it. I say it. Yeah.

[Ash]

Well, with all that being said, we hope you keep listening, and we hope

[Elena]

you keep it weird.

[Ash]

Not so weird that you forgot the

[Elena]

ending to your own show. Eight years and I'm tired, man. That's okay. I usually.

[Ash]

I. I'm usually the one that forgets it.

[Elena]

It's true. Sam. Sa.

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[Ash]

Explore what's possible.

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