The Appeals of Michael Skakel

On October 31, 1975, the bludgeoned body of 15-year-old Martha Moxley was found under a tree in the yard of her family's Greenwich, Connecticut, estate. She had been beaten to death with a golf club that was later identified as one that belonged to the late Anne Skakel.

Tommy and Michael Skakel, then teenage friends of Martha, were suspects at the time, but no arrests were made. After the book, "Murder in Greenwich" by Mark Fuhrman was published, Michael Skakel was indicted for the murder of Martha Moxley and convicted in June 2002, mostly on statements he made to others while in rehab.

Latest Developments

Judge Denies Michael Skakel's Appeal
Oct. 25, 2007
Michael Skakel's appeal for a new trial, based on a claim that two other men committed the 1975 murder of Martha Moxley, has been rejected by a Superior Court judge. The appeal was based on a statement by Gitano "Tony" Bryant in 2003 that two of his friends killed the 15-year-old Moxley.

Previous Developments

Skakel Seeks New Trial Again
April 16, 2007
Attorneys for Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel will be back in court again this week to try to get a new trial based on the statements of Gitano "Tony" Bryant, which prosecutors have called "a complete fabrication."

Supreme Court Nixes Skakel Appeal
Nov. 13, 2006
The U.S. Supreme Court refused, without comment, to hear the appeal in the case Skakel v. Connecticut. Skakel's attorney, Theodore Olson, had appealed his conviction based on statute of limitations.

Skakel Witness Refuses to Testify
Sept. 1, 2006
Gitano "Tony" Bryant invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when questioned by Skakel attorneys in Miami.

Michael Skakel Appeals to Supreme Court
July 12, 2006
His appeal is based on the argument that when Moxley was killed the statute of limitation in the state was five years and Skakel wasn't charged with the crime until 2000, an argument rejected by the state's highest court.

Skakel Wants Court's Help With Witness
June 30, 2006
Attorneys for convicted killer Michael Skakel have asked a judge to compel a man, recently implicated in the murder of Martha Moxley, to testify in depositions in the case and turn over his telephone and email records.

Attorneys Reveal Mystery Suspects
May 2, 2006
In court papers, Skakel's attorneys said Gitano "Tony" Bryant implicated two friends in the murder of Martha Moxley -- Adolf Hasbrouck and Burt Tinsley, who went to the same private school with Skakel.

Court Upholds Michael Skakel's Murder Conviction
Jan. 16, 2006
The Connecticut Supreme Court voted unanimously to uphold the conviction of Michael Skakel for the 1975 murder of his Greenwich neighbor Martha Moxley.

Michael Skakel Asks For New Trial
Aug. 30, 2005
Attorneys for Michael Skakel have filed a petition for a new trial, claiming that prosecutors did not give the defense evidence that implicated other suspects in the Greenwich murder.

Court to Hear Michael Skakel Appeal
Jan. 14, 2005
The Connecticut Supreme Court will hear arguments from Michael Skakel's attorneys that he should have been tried as a juvenile for the murder of Martha Moxley, which took place when he was a deeply disturbed, alcoholic 15-year-old.