Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder

NBC News

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Overview

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? Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder, is an immersive, fresh take on this infamous case. The series is hosted by veteran journalist Andrew Goldman, hired a decade ago by Skakel’s cousin RFK Jr. to research a book about the case. But after the book was published, Goldman found he couldn’t let it go. New episodes every Tuesday through January 20, 2026.

12 Episodes

Martha Speaks

Could Martha Moxley’s diary entries contain clues about her murder? Plus, a revelation from Tommy Skakel and a new potential suspect.

Transcribed - Published: 13 January 2026

The Out of Towners

An unexpected figure emerges with a new theory and possible new suspects. RFK Jr. sees a breakthrough, but deeper scrutiny reveals cracks in the story.

Transcribed - Published: 6 January 2026

Family Ties

Skakel reconnects with his Kennedy cousins, but when scandal erupts, the reunion collapses. A memoir recorded for self-protection becomes a liability.

Transcribed - Published: 30 December 2025

The Joker

Michael Skakel’s defense attorney Mickey Sherman thought the case was a home run, but lost at trial. A hard look at his tactics and strategy raise red flags.

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2025

About Those Confessions...

A deep dive into the State’s case and the witnesses it put on raises questions. Michael Skakel speaks about the trial verdict and its aftermath.

Transcribed - Published: 16 December 2025

The Trial

Michael’s trial begins amidst a media frenzy. The state faces an uphill battle to convict him. Michael’s alibi is questioned.

Transcribed - Published: 9 December 2025

Michael Speaks

Mark Fuhrman pens a book naming Michael Skakel as suspect. For the first time, Michael speaks publicly about his painful childhood and time at reform school.

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 2025

No Good Deed

An ill-conceived plan to clear the Skakel name goes awry. The Moxley case is thrust back in the spotlight. Suspicion falls on Michael Skakel for the first time.

Transcribed - Published: 25 November 2025

The Night Visitor

Almost a year after Martha’s death, former live-in Skakel tutor Ken Littleton finds himself at the center of the investigation into her murder.

Transcribed - Published: 18 November 2025

The Boy Next Door

The Moxley murder investigation heats up. Police attention is quickly focused on Martha’s neighbor Thomas Skakel, the last known person to be seen with Martha.

Transcribed - Published: 11 November 2025

Mischief Night

On Halloween 1975, 15-year-old Martha Moxley’s brutally beaten body is found steps from her home. The town of Greenwich, Connecticut is rocked by the murder.

Transcribed - Published: 4 November 2025

Introducing Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder

The night before Halloween 1975, 15-year-old Martha Moxley is bludgeoned to death just steps from her home in the ritzy Belle Haven neighborhood of Greenwich, Connecticut. The murder weapon? A golf club. In the wake of the brutal killing, Greenwich police find themselves out of their depths. Over the next 25 years, an improbable series of events unfolds, leading to the arrest and conviction of Michael Skakel, who was 15 years old at the time of the murder. A former neighbor to the Moxleys, he is also a relative of the Kennedy family, which leads to widespread media coverage of the case. But Michael’s conviction is eventually overturned, which raises the question posed by the series: if he didn’t kill Martha Moxley, who did? Unfolding over 12 episodes, this podcast will explore, in intimate detail, the twists and turns of this fascinating and confounding case as it hits its milestone 50th anniversary. Hosted by journalist Andrew Goldman and produced by NBC News Studios, the series is built upon a decade of original reporting, brand new investigative information, firsthand voices, and a half century of archival audio– as well as multiple interviews with Michael Skakel, who is speaking publicly about the case for the first time ever.

Transcribed - Published: 27 October 2025

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