Michael Skakel is stepping into the spotlight to tell his side of the story about the notorious murder case that saw him serve over ten years in prison for a crime he insists he didn’t commit.
As a cousin of the Kennedy family, Skakel was convicted of murdering Martha Moxley, a teenager who was brutally killed in 1975. Now, he is speaking out in an exclusive interview for NBC News’ new podcast, Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder, breaking a long silence on the decades-old mystery.
The podcast, hosted by seasoned journalist Andrew Goldman, promises an in-depth exploration over 12 episodes, starting with the premiere titled “Mischief Night,” which launched on November 4. The series aims to unravel the complexities of the case, featuring interviews with Skakel and revealing new insights into the nearly 50-year-old murder.
“Um, my name is Michael Skakel and why am I being interviewed?” Skakel, now 65, remarked during a brief appearance in the first episode. “I mean, that’s kind of a big question, isn’t it?”
Back in 1975, both Skakel and Moxley were 15-year-old teenagers in Connecticut when Moxley was discovered beaten to death on Halloween. The investigation found she had been killed with a golf club the day before.
The case lingered unsolved for many years until a renewed investigation pointed to Skakel, who lived nearby and was related to Ethel Kennedy. His conviction in 2002 stirred controversy, dividing public opinion as he received a 20-year sentence.
Host Goldman was first introduced to the ins and outs of Moxley’s murder after being tapped to ghostwrite Robert Kennedy Jr.’s 2016 book that proclaimed his relative’s innocence, Framed: Why Michael Skakel Spent Over a Decade in Prison for a Murder He Didn’t Commit.
“Whoever killed Martha Moxley, would have been covered in blood. Nobody’s ever disputed this. Yet, no blood was ever located anywhere besides the crime scene,” Goldman recalled of his initial understanding of the investigation. “At least, that’s what I’d thought—because no one had ever reported otherwise.”
Skakel’s conviction was overturned in 2018, with prosecutors officially declining to pursue another case against him two years later. Despite being cleared, his association with Moxley’s murder has lingered—and it’s not likely to budge as long as this half-century cold case remains unsolved.
“What you’re going to hear in the rest of the season, it’s the result of almost 10 years of research and endless interviews in what I believe will be a full, true, authoritative story of the Martha Moxley case,” Goldman promised listeners. “Trust me, it’s a doozy.”
Episode one of Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder is available now on all major podcast platforms.
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