For five decades, Christine Watson has guarded her memories of childhood friend Martha Moxley closely, watching as the vibrant teenager she knew became overshadowed by the brutal crime that ended her life and the legal battles that followed.
The Girl Behind the Headlines
Watson remembers Martha as the textbook 'It girl' adored by everyone, whose warmth and laughter attracted people 'like sunlight'. The two girls grew up together in Piedmont, California, coming from opposite sides of the town's wealth divide, though Martha's privilege never affected how she treated others.
Martha was just 15 years old when her life was brutally cut short in October 1975. She had moved with her family to Greenwich, Connecticut, the previous year when her father was transferred to New York for work. Despite the cross-country move, Martha quickly settled into her new environment, again becoming the most popular girl at school and attracting admirers.
A Night of Horror in Belle Haven
On the eve of Halloween 1975, Martha left her home in the gated enclave of Belle Haven to spend time with friends in the neighbourhood. Her last known whereabouts were at the Skakel house across the street, home to brothers Tommy, 17, and Michael, 15.
Tommy Skakel told police they had fooled around outside at approximately 9:30pm before he went inside to watch a movie with his live-in tutor. He claimed he last saw Martha walking toward her home, just 100 yards away.
Somewhere during that short walk, Martha was attacked with such violence that the murder weapon - a golf club from a set belonging to the Skakel brothers' late mother - snapped into pieces. Her killer then drove the broken shaft through her neck. Her body was discovered hidden beneath a pine tree on her family's property, stripped from the waist down but with no evidence of sexual assault.
Police were never able to pinpoint an exact time of death, but believe the murder occurred between 9:30pm and 5:30am the following morning.
Decades of Legal Battles and Controversy
The case went cold for years until a breakthrough came in 2000 when Michael Skakel was arrested and charged with Martha's murder. Much of the case centred on evidence from leaked private investigation files commissioned by the Skakel family, which included interviews with former classmates who claimed Skakel had confessed to the killing.
Skakel was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to 20 years to life, though he continued to protest his innocence, telling Martha's family during trial they had the 'wrong guy'.
After spending more than a decade in prison, Skakel's conviction was overturned in 2018 when Connecticut's Supreme Court ruled his trial lawyer had provided ineffective counsel. Prosecutors declined to retry him, citing the passage of time and lost witnesses.
Now, fifty years after the murder, Skakel has returned to the spotlight with a lawsuit against Connecticut authorities, accusing them of framing him. He has also given his first interview for a new NBC News Studios podcast, Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder, where he again proclaims his innocence.
The Kennedy Connection and Ongoing Pain
Throughout the legal battles, Skakel found a vocal supporter in his cousin Robert F Kennedy Jr, who campaigned publicly for his release and wrote a 2016 book, Framed: Why Michael Skakel Spent Over a Decade in Prison for a Murder He Didn't Commit.
Kennedy alleged that two Black teenagers from New York were the real perpetrators, though his star witness later told The New York Times his comments had been 'blown out of proportion' and refused to testify under oath. The theory was widely criticised as baseless and racially charged.
For Christine Watson and others who loved Martha, Skakel's renewed attempts to cast himself as a victim have reopened old wounds. Watson expressed fury when she learned of the lawsuit, saying she 'saw red' and remains 'disgusted' that RFK Jr inserted himself into the narrative of Martha's life to defend his cousin.
'[Skakel] just needs to shut the eff up, as does his cousin, RFK Jr, who has leeched onto this to make money out of Martha's murder,' Watson told the Daily Mail. 'The Skakels have dominated the story for too long - and Martha deserves better.'
Martha's brother, John Moxley, similarly criticised Skakel's decision to sue investigators and appear on the podcast, comparing it to 'Dumb and Dumber' and questioning why someone wanting a normal life would keep their name in the papers.
After Skakel's release in 2013, Martha's mother Dorothy Moxley said the decision did little to change her mind about what happened that night, telling Greenwich Time: 'I'm sure Michael swung the golf club.'
As the legal battles continue half a century later, Watson mourns the loss of her friend's true legacy. 'At some point, the story stopped being about Martha,' she said. 'Speaking about her has stolen the memories from me... It's like losing her twice.'
