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pnwmom

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49. He didn't confess. At the most he said he didn't remember and he couldn't

Sat May 5, 2018, 04:19 PM

May 2018

be sure what happened that night, because of his drinking, but he had no memory of killing her. And there was a disinterested alibi witness, a witness the magistrate judge said was "highly credible" who said he was NOT there on the night of the crime -- that he was watching TV with a group of young people, in a house miles away. (Where he told police he thought he was.)

Unfortunately, his original attorney didn't bother to interview the witness or call him to trial, which is why the conviction has now been overturned.

Also, there was zero forensic evidence linking him to the crime (although they found a white hair with a root on her body), no eyewitnesses, and the prosecution's claim was that the 120 pound boy dragged the 120 pound body almost a hundred yards. Meanwhile, there were other much stronger adult men around that night who could have been guilty -- but the police for some reason picked out the skinny kid.

So this man spent over a dozen years in prison for a crime in which there was a great deal of reasonable doubt.

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Connecticut court reverses conviction of Michael Skakel [View all] pnwmom May 2018 OP

My wife and I disagree on this - she thinks he did it, I think he was railroaded. George II May 2018 #1

I'm not saying this about your wife, of course, but I think a lot of the guilters pnwmom May 2018 #2

The Skakels were Kennedy wanna be s... jodymarie aimee May 2018 #6

Michael Kennedy was a child.n/t pnwmom May 2018 #7

He was 15 and already in trouble. Demsrule86 May 2018 #61

Who else could it be? There were lots of people around that night, but how about pnwmom May 2018 #67

Yeah they tried to convince the cops the tutor did it...but there was never any evidence... Demsrule86 May 2018 #73

That's what I told her about 15 minutes ago. The thing is he's not even a real "Kennedy".... George II May 2018 #8

That's true. He was a cousin in Ethel's family. n/t pnwmom May 2018 #21

Love the Kennedys, still think Skankel is guilty as hell. Also think that twelve years is enough.... marble falls May 2018 #40

There is truth in that...had he been caught at the time...I doubt he would have spent that long in Demsrule86 May 2018 #62

Most likely true. All that waste, starting with the victim, dodging justice. marble falls May 2018 #82

The family stonewalled...and I can't blame them...I don't think I would ever turn in one of my kids Demsrule86 May 2018 #83

I don't know that I would turn them in past hiring an attorney who would then... marble falls May 2018 #85

It had to be either a Skakel or the tutor... Demsrule86 May 2018 #86

I think they maybemighthavepossibly gotten the wrong Skakel. One out of five chance. marble falls May 2018 #87

Yes. And yet some guilters here have been acting like they're interchangeable. pnwmom May 2018 #89

That attitude just plain wrong. That is not justice. marble falls May 2018 #95

The two boys were the proper age...the older one passed a lie detector test. Demsrule86 May 2018 #94

But, lie detectors. marble falls May 2018 #96

Littleton, the tutor, FAILED multiple polygraph tests. pnwmom May 2018 #97

You can't go by that...the family and police wanted it to be him...but he was seen at the time the Demsrule86 May 2018 #98

He didn't dodge justice. The system failed and he spent 12 years in prison pnwmom May 2018 #88

I am a Kennedy fan...love Joe III in fact. I think he is guilty. Demsrule86 May 2018 #52

He's just another wealthy white male .. MicaelS May 2018 #16

He was a 15 year old who wasn't given a fair shake pnwmom May 2018 #29

Those two views aren't inconsistent. Jim Lane May 2018 #45

Between the alibi witness, the white hair with the root on the body, pnwmom May 2018 #50

I thought myself when I read this that although I think he is guilty maybe he didn't receive a Demsrule86 May 2018 #63

And shouldn't that be the most important thing to all of us? pnwmom May 2018 #90

I am not saying it is not important...but I do think he is guilty...and maybe with modern forensics, Demsrule86 May 2018 #93

Wasn't he 15 juxtaposed May 2018 #3

yup jodymarie aimee May 2018 #5

Once. George II May 2018 #10

Only the littlest bit snippy. marble falls May 2018 #41

Ok, correction noted. But he was a skinny kid -- the size of my 12 year olds. n/t pnwmom May 2018 #9

you guys have to do some research jodymarie aimee May 2018 #11

who is the "boy" you're referring to onetexan May 2018 #12

Tommy and Michael SKAKEL jodymarie aimee May 2018 #13

You should look stuff up before you post. Michael was a scrawny 120 pound kid. pnwmom May 2018 #15

You should do some research. The fifteen year old didn't wield that golf club. pnwmom May 2018 #14

post a link of a 15 year old kennedy being the size of a 12 year old juxtaposed May 2018 #17

Skakel (who wasn't a Kennedy) was 120 pounds at 15. When I was 12, I was 5 feet 6 and 120 pounds. pnwmom May 2018 #18

post a link to how much she weighed juxtaposed May 2018 #19

She was 5 feet 5 and 120 pounds. So they were about the same size. pnwmom May 2018 #20

Skakel, not Kennedy dflprincess May 2018 #26

Just don't know about this guy. Crutchez_CuiBono May 2018 #4

Let's not forget who was pushing this conviction. dawn frenzy adams May 2018 #22

Right. Also, I doubt if he wasn't connected to the Kennedys that there would have been pnwmom May 2018 #23

Skakel was suspected long before Furhman's book melman May 2018 #30

Martha's mother and brother believed the evidence they heard at the trial, pnwmom May 2018 #39

So you know what they think and exactly why melman May 2018 #47

They don't know anything more about what really happened than anyone else pnwmom May 2018 #48

BS. marble falls May 2018 #42

He is said to have confessed during his 4th and 5th steps in Alcoholics Anonymous. Lil Missy May 2018 #24

No, it was not alleged that he confessed in AA. pnwmom May 2018 #25

You left out the part about where he claimed he was masturbating in the tree melman May 2018 #33

So? That was connected to one of the most ridiculous prosecution claims: pnwmom May 2018 #34

So? melman May 2018 #37

It's irrelevant. Masturbating in a tree isn't murder, and it doesn't place him at the scene. pnwmom May 2018 #38

Thats not so hard as you'd think. Dragging, especialy. marble falls May 2018 #43

Does it really matter? Bradical79 May 2018 #99

No it doesn't. 12 years in jail is enough, innocent or guilty. There is no way at this point to ... marble falls May 2018 #100

I could not have convicted him on the evidence presented JenniferJuniper May 2018 #27

I hope they won't bother with another trial. Between the lack of forensic or eyewitness evidence, pnwmom May 2018 #28

They will almost certainly try him again melman May 2018 #31

LOL. Not if they have any sense. pnwmom May 2018 #32

lol nothing melman May 2018 #35

Then you know about Dominick Dunne's unhinged campaign to influence public opinion pnwmom May 2018 #36

Twelve years in prison is enough for the crime. Its is time to move on. marble falls May 2018 #44

What? He beat a girl to death with a gulf club...and confessed multiple times in various places. Demsrule86 May 2018 #46

He didn't confess. At the most he said he didn't remember and he couldn't pnwmom May 2018 #49

They first suspected his brother. The golf club came from the house...it was because He confessed Demsrule86 May 2018 #51

He didn't confess. There was some hearsay evidence that was paraphrased pnwmom May 2018 #54

I am talking about before that... Demsrule86 May 2018 #55

The school's owner denied that the "confession" had occurred, pnwmom May 2018 #57

Actually, he refused to testify about it...and I don't trust him. You have to understand Demsrule86 May 2018 #58

I lived in a neighboring state and understand the culture. pnwmom May 2018 #59

This has nothing to do with the Kennedys ...the Skakels hads a bad reputation even when Ethel Demsrule86 May 2018 #60

It didn't have to be a Skakel. Lots of people had access to the golf clubs in the open garage. pnwmom May 2018 #64

Yeah they tried to pin it on the tutor. do you think a stranger would not have been noticed? Demsrule86 May 2018 #66

The tutor lived on the property. And he told the state investigator pnwmom May 2018 #68

No melman May 2018 #72

Yes. The reason Littleton was called to testify is because FIRST he told the state investigator pnwmom May 2018 #76

There is more to that actually... Demsrule86 May 2018 #75

The white hair with the root on her body does NOT point to a kid murderer. pnwmom May 2018 #81

She was found in an empty lot ...which was frequented by what passes for criminals in Greenwich... Demsrule86 May 2018 #84

Somebody clue me in. Cold War Spook May 2018 #53

He was tried at 40. Demsrule86 May 2018 #65

Under the circumstances, I'm glad of this decision, PNW, Hortensis May 2018 #56

No new DNA evidence but a disinterested alibi witness who wasn't interviewed for the first trial. n/ pnwmom May 2018 #69

Yes, that's huge and sickeningly outrageous. Hortensis May 2018 #70

It was a lazy or incompetent attorney. He didn't notice that in the Grand Jury transcript pnwmom May 2018 #71

Where was the judge in this? They're supposed Hortensis May 2018 #74

This was not a unanimous decision, btw melman May 2018 #77

Doesn't matter. It's over. The majority disagreed, and this opinion will benefit pnwmom May 2018 #80

Dorthy Moxley: "I have no doubts at all that Michael Skakel is the one who murdered my daughter" melman May 2018 #78

She's thought so ever since the first trial. It means nothing. Meredith Kercher's parents pnwmom May 2018 #79

If anyone still thinks Skakel did it . . . ucrdem May 2018 #91

Thanks for pointing that out. I'd read the article long ago and forgotten that detail. pnwmom May 2018 #92

It's an awesome article ucrdem May 2018 #101

In 1998, Richard Blumenthal was the CY AG and he is well respected. karynnj May 2018 #102