Advertise on Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder

The night before Halloween 1975, 15-year-old Martha Moxley was found bludgeoned to death outside her family’s home in the tony Greenwich, Connecticut, enclave of Belle Haven. The local police, used to dealing more with traffic stops than a high-profile murder, grappled with a lack of forensic evidence – or a motive.

They had their suspects of course. The creepy neighbor. The eldest teenage son of the Skakel family next door. The Skakel children’s burly tutor. But without concrete evidence or a confession, the case stalled out. For decades, it remained unsolved and it seemed like no one would ever be charged with her killing.

But then, a series of improbable events involving, among others, Dominick Dunne, William Kennedy Smith, and Mark Fuhrman, compounded to deliver the public a new suspect – 39-year-old Michael Skakel, who’d been 15, like Martha, at the time of the crime.

The arrest made national headlines – and not just because Michael Skakel was an accused killer. He was also a cousin of the Kennedys.

Skakel’s 2002 high-profile murder trial was a media feeding frenzy. Reporters wondered – would this rich, privileged son of a scion get away with it? Despite flimsy evidence and witnesses with questionable backgrounds, a jury convicted Michael. For many, it felt like a fitting end to the Moxley case. Finally, justice was served.

Sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, Michael Skakel, who’d always proclaimed his innocence, fought for his freedom. In 2018, his conviction was overturned – and prosecutors declined to re-prosecute. Innocent in the eyes of the law, Michael remains guilty in the eyes of many. Where does the truth lie?

From NBC News Studios, Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder, is an immersive, fresh take on this infamous case – featuring exclusive interviews with Michael Skakel, speaking publicly about the case for the first time ever.

The series is hosted by veteran journalist Andrew Goldman, hired a decade to research a book about the case. But even after the book was published, Goldman found he couldn’t let it go. Now, he takes listeners on a riveting quest to answer the still-burning question anew – if Michael Skakel didn’t kill Martha Moxley, then who did?

Unfolding over 12 richly told episodes, the podcast will explore, in intimate detail, the twists and turns of this fascinating and confounding case as it hits its milestone 50th anniversary. The series is built upon a decade of original reporting, brand new investigative information, firsthand voices, and a half century of archival audio.