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A girl, 15, bludgeoned to death in a gated enclave, a Kennedy cousin released and the brother who 'knows the truth' about the death that haunts Camelot Sign up to The Crime Desk newsletter HERE for all Daily Mail's investigations By LUKE KENTON, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 16:55 GMT, 3 November 2025 | Updated: 17:10 GMT, 3 November 2025 It was Mischief Night, 1975 - the eve of Halloween. What began as harmless fun for teenagers in a wealthy Connecticut enclave ended in tragedy: A promising young life taken in an act of savagery, her killer vanishing like a ghost into the night. Fifty years later, the murder of Martha Moxley still haunts the quiet, gated community of Belle Haven in southern Greenwich. The 15-year-old was last seen by her family bouncing out the front door in a blue parka, her blond hair catching in the cold October breeze. Across the neighborhood, children were making the usual Mischief Night rounds - egging houses and draping toilet paper through the trees, laughing beneath the glow of streetlights. When Martha missed her 10pm curfew, her family grew anxious, searching the neighborhood before calling police. Night bled into morning, but there was still no sign of the girl. Then came the horrifying discovery of Martha's body, hidden beneath a pine tree in her family's backyard. She had been bludgeoned with a golf club and stripped from the waist down, her blond hair matted red. Martha had been attacked so violently that the club's metal shaft snapped. Her killer had driven it through her neck. Martha Moxley (pictured) had only moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, a year before her death. She was already considered the most popular girl in school and had a long list of admirers The bloodied head of a golf club led police to the front door of the prominent Skakel family, who lived just across the street. (Pictured: the Skakel home) The murder sent shockwaves through the hamlet of Belle Haven, where crime was almost unheard of. While most assumed it to be the work of a passing stranger, the bloodied six-iron steered police closer to home - to the prominent Skakel family across the street, who were relatives of the famous Kennedys. Investigators quickly focused on 17-year-old Tommy Skakel and his 15-year-old brother Michael - nephews of Robert F Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy. In her diary, Martha wrote about the brothers repeatedly, describing unwanted advances and irritating behavior. Despite extensive questioning, no arrests were made. Decades later, in 2000, Michael was charged with killing Martha in a drunken rage, jealous of her alleged relationship with his older brother - a claim he denied. Singer Elliott Smith was found dead. An explosive coroner's report suggests it wasn't suicide Convicted in 2002 and sentenced to 20 years to life, his verdict was overturned years later. In 2013, a judge granted a new trial, ruling his attorney ineffective. The conviction was vacated in 2018, and prosecutors ultimately declined to retry him. In 2024, Michael sued the town of Greenwich and its police department, alleging that investigators had framed him because they were determined to snare a Kennedy cousin. The litigation remains ongoing, and the defendants have not yet issued a response. For Martha's family, the years of legal wrangling have done nothing to change their belief about what happened that night. John Moxley, Martha's older brother - who was 17 when she died - told the Daily Mail his family took solace in the conviction, and the time Michael spent in prison, even though his conviction was overturned and he was freed. 'My mother and I decided in our minds that we knew what happened, and that was enough,' he said. 'We chose to find peace with it and choose happiness with the time we have left.' Tommy Skakel, 17, and his younger brother Michael, 15, were both interviewed by police, but no charges were filed In her diary, Martha (pictured) wrote about the brothers repeatedly, describing unwanted advances and irritating behavior Martha had been attacked so violently that the club's metal shaft snapped, and her killer had driven it through her neck John was also out on that Mischief Night in 1975, roaming the streets and pulling harmless pranks. The Moxleys had moved to Greenwich just a year earlier from California. The move was seamless for Martha. She quickly became one of the most popular girls at school and boasted a long list of admirers. Tommy and Michael were among her hopeful suitors, as excerpts from Martha's diary later revealed. One entry from September 12, 1975, detailed an evening she spent with the Skakel brothers. I'll be in the front row to watch my daughter's killer die after 30 years of agony 'Dear Diary, today was nothing extra special at school,' she wrote. 'Me, Jackie, Michael, Tom, Hope, Maureen and Andra went driving in Tom's car… I was practically sitting on Tom's lap 'cause I was only steering. He kept putting his hand on my knee. '[T]hen we went to Friendly's and Michael treated me and he 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.' A few days later, Martha wrote about a confrontation with Michael over her friendship with Tommy. 'Michael was so totally out of it that he was being a real asshole in his actions and words,' she wrote. '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.' Less than a month later, Martha was dead. Pictured: Martha Moxley at 13 with her father, David Moxley. Her older brother John told the Daily Mail that regardless of years of legal wrangling, they believe they know the truth The Skakels were the nephews of RFK's widow, Ethel Kennedy. (Pictured: RFK and Ethel) The murder sent shockwaves through the tony hamlet of Belle Haven. (Pictured: the Moxley's home) John knew little about his sister's friendship with the Skakels. He said he had no concerns about either boy, and Martha never confided in him about their interactions. The Skakel household was one of wealth and dysfunction - unlimited money, but little supervision. Michael and Tommy were two of seven children. Their mother, Anne, died of cancer in 1973, and their father, Rushton, chairman of Great Lakes Carbon, was often away on business. By 15, Michael was already battling alcoholism, which he later blamed on his mother's death. Both brothers were described as emotionally volatile, but Michael was considered the wildest. Martha was last accounted for at the Skakel home, where a party was being held. Around 9.30pm, Martha was seen outside with Tommy, talking and flirting. He later told detectives they had fooled around before he went back inside to watch a movie with his tutor - a story the tutor confirmed. Tommy said he last saw Martha walking toward home. Michael initially claimed he'd left Belle Haven to watch TV at a cousin's house. Two decades later, in a private interview, he changed his story - admitting he'd returned home, gone to Martha's yard, climbed a tree by her bedroom window and masturbated as he watched her inside. Pictured: An excerpt from Martha' diary, showing the teen discussing the Skakels The Skakel household was one of wealth and dysfunction - unlimited money, but little supervision, John Moxley said. Tommy Skakel is pictured above shirtless, his brother Michael is in a white shirt beneath him Twenty years after Martha's murder, Michael Skakel (pictured) told a private investigator hired by his father that he returned to the scene of the crime - despite telling police otherwise in 1975 Detectives never pinpointed an exact time of death for Martha, estimating somewhere between 9.30pm and 5.30am. Reports of neighborhood dogs barking raised the possibility of a disturbance around 10pm. Whoever killed Martha dragged her body 100 yards to the pine tree where she was found the next day. John told the Daily Mail he remembers coming home late that night to find Martha still out. 'I remember thinking, "Good for her,"' he said. 'I thought it was her turn to get into trouble instead of me, for once. But when I woke up the next morning and she still wasn't back, that was unsettling.' While his mother paced the house, waiting for the phone to ring, John was sent off to football practice. Halfway through the session, his coach pulled him from the field and told him to go home immediately. Something had happened. When he pulled onto the street, John saw clusters of police officers, flashing lights, and yellow tape encircling his home. 'I had no idea what was going on,' John told the Daily Mail. 'And then Mom just came out and said, "Martha's dead."' The hours, days and weeks that followed passed in a jarring blur. Police questioned hundreds of Martha's classmates - even John was asked to take a polygraph. But little progress was made. John Moxley (left) and his mom Dorothy (right) fought for years to keep Martha's name alive Robert F Kennedy Jr, Skakel's cousin by marriage, assisted in his defense and later authored a book arguing for his innocence Police thought a breakthrough came when the golf club used to kill Martha was traced to a set owned by the Skakel boys' late mother, Anne. But investigators never sought a search warrant for the Skakel home. As investigators later admitted that they didn't want to ruffle Rushton's feathers as he had been 'magnanimous' in cooperating during the early stages of the investigation, The Washington Post reported in 1987. Tommy took two lie-detector tests - one was inconclusive, the other he passed. Rushton even welcomed investigators into his home, serving them coffee and snacks. Rushton's cooperation, however, soon ended. He withheld permission for police to obtain Tommy's school records three months after the murder, and his attorneys refused to make any other family members available for further interviews. Police believe they've unmasked a serial killer with a chilling link to a missing TV anchor Detectives continued to keep tabs on the brothers, noting in reports that Michael was stopped for speeding, drunk driving and fleeing police in 1978. Michael was sent to a school for troubled youths, but repeatedly ran away. Tommy was expelled from college the same year for poor grades. As the years dragged on, Dorothy Moxley refused to let her daughter's name fade. She spoke to any reporter who would listen, consulted psychics, appeared on television and pressed investigators for leads. 'My mother had an energy, an inner drive that she could never let go,' John told the Daily Mail. 'And it was her resilience and willingness to talk that eventually led us to Michael Skakel.' In the years after the murder, Michael (left) allegedly made a series of disturbing remarks that were later recited in court Rushton Skakel (center) hired a private investigation firm to probe the murder in the hope of clearing his sons once and for all In 1991, in an effort to dispel the cloud of suspicion hanging over his sons, Rushton hired Sutton Associates, a private investigation firm, to conduct a review of Martha's murder. The move backfired. In interviews the family believed would remain private, Michael abandoned his original alibi and admitted he'd gone back to Martha's house that night - onto her property, masturbating outside her window. Investigators also uncovered a series of comments Michael had allegedly made in the years that followed, hinting at guilt. 'I'm going to get away with murder. I'm a Kennedy,' Michael allegedly told one classmate. His attorneys later denied he made the remarks, insisting the third-party testimony came from 'dubious' sources and came from a coercive environment. Michael and Tommy were intensely competitive and fought constantly, the Sutton report noted. Michael had a crush on Martha, and Tommy made a move to spite him. While Tommy had been the police's main focus at the time, the Sutton report pointed a firm finger of suspicion toward Michael. Rushton paid the agency, and the report was buried. Years later, excerpts were leaked to the press - and the Martha investigation snapped back to life. In 1998, a grand jury was convened, and 18 months later, Michael was indicted for murder. He was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to 20 years to life. After years of appeals, a judge overturned the conviction and granted him a new trial in 2013, ruling his attorney ineffective. The conviction was reinstated in 2016, then vacated in 2018. Two years later, prosecutors declined to retry him, citing the passage of time and the deaths of key witnesses. The state declined to retry Michael Skakel after his conviction was overturned Dorothy Moxley said she remained convinced Michael was guilty, though she had no desire to seek further legal action Robert F Kennedy Jr, Skakel's cousin by marriage, assisted in his defense. RFK Jr later authored a book arguing for Michael's innocence and pointing the finger at two other people of interest he claimed investigators overlooked. Michael's exoneration was a crushing blow for the Moxley family, but it did nothing to change their belief about what happened. Dorothy said she remained convinced Michael was guilty, though she had no desire for further legal action. She died in December 2024 at 92 years old. John shares his mother's conviction, but criticized Michael's decision to sue the town of Greenwich and its police department. 'It's like Dumb and Dumber,' he said to the Daily Mail. 'Why would you want to keep your name in the papers? That doesn't seem like the action of someone who wants a normal life.' Despite everything, John expressed empathy for the Skakel family. He described their home as 'rudderless,' noting that while the family had money, they appeared to lack structure, support and love. 'I wouldn't want to walk a mile in their shoes,' he said, reflecting on Michael's struggles with alcoholism from a young age and a household where, as he put it, the solution to problems was to 'hire more staff.' 'It was a tragedy on both sides,' he added. An attorney for Michael Skakel has not returned multiple calls from the Daily Mail. Tommy Skakel continues to deny any wrongdoing. Share or comment on this article: A girl, 15, bludgeoned to death in a gated enclave, a Kennedy cousin released and the brother who 'knows the truth' about the death that haunts Camelot Add comment
