Home / Crime and Justice / Skakel Breaks Silence: 50 Years Later, A Cousin's Story
Skakel Breaks Silence: 50 Years Later, A Cousin's Story
7 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Michael Skakel, RFK Jr.'s cousin, speaks after conviction overturned.
- Skakel recounts traumatic childhood, abusive father, and mother's death.
- New podcast 'Dead Certain' details Skakel's side of Martha Moxley murder.
Michael Skakel, a cousin of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has broken his silence regarding the 1975 murder of Martha Moxley. In the new NBC News podcast "Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder," Skakel recounts his difficult upbringing, marked by psychological and physical abuse from his father and the emotional trauma surrounding his mother's death.
Skakel details his experiences at the controversial Élan School in Maine, where he was sent for behavioral issues. He describes harsh punishments and repeated escape attempts. After leaving the school, he was diagnosed with PTSD. His life took a turn in 2000 when authorities arrested him for Moxley's murder, leading to his conviction and subsequent imprisonment.
After serving 11 years, Skakel's conviction was vacated in 2018 due to inadequate defense. Prosecutors opted not to pursue a second trial. Now, Skakel is asserting his innocence, sharing his perspective on a case that has captivated the nation for five decades and remains officially unsolved.
