B-Ray
06-09-2002, 09:45 AM
Source: The NandoTimes
Jurors say Skakel's own words did him in
DARIEN, Conn. June 8‚ 2002 8:56PM - Jurors who convicted Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel of murder said Saturday their decision was based not on a single piece of evidence, but an overwhelming set of circumstances.
A majority of jurors believed Skakel was guilty at the start of deliberations, while a few had questions about testimony that they wanted to resolve, two jurors told the Associated Press on Saturday.
"For me it was the overwhelming weight of the various pieces of circumstantial evidence taken as a whole," Bill Smith said in an interview at his home Saturday.
Laura Copeland said for her, Skakel's own mouth did him in.
"I truly believe he is guilty," Copeland said. "I felt if he kept his mouth shut for 27 years, (it) probably wouldn't have gotten to that point. I gave weight to his own words."
Smith noted a series of incriminating statements Skakel made over the years to a Greenwich hairdresser, a family chauffeur, classmates, a childhood friend and even an author who planned to write a book about Skakel's life growing up with the Kennedys. He also cited other signs of guilt, including Skakel appearing agitated after the murder.
"The prosecutors kept laying it on," said Smith, a 39-year-old corporate attorney, in an interview at his home. "It was so many independent sources."
Skakel, 41, a nephew of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel, was jailed Friday after he was convicted in the 1975 beating death of Martha Moxley. At the time, Skakel and Moxley were 15-year-old neighbors in wealthy Greenwich.
Prosecutors played a tape of Skakel's interview with author Richard Hoffman, in which Skakel said he went out to the Moxley property and masturbated in a tree the night she was beaten to death with a golf club later traced to the Skakel family. Moxley's body was found under a tree on her property.
"For me, personally, placing himself at the scene of the crime, walking himself through the scene of the crime, was a huge error," said Copleand, a 39-year-old executive search consultant.
Smith emphasized the testimony of Andrew Pugh, Skakel's childhood friend, who said Skakel told him about the tree incident and encouraged him to talk to a private investigative firm hired by his family.
"He was telling a story to cover for the possibility of physical evidence being found at the scene," Smith said. "Andy Pugh - I don't think there could have been a more credible witness."
Smith and Copeland both said they rejected Skakel's alibi that he took a trip to his cousin's house the night Moxley was murdered to watch "Monty Python's Flying Circus." Skakel said on the tape that he had been in his father's car parked in the driveway with Moxley and other teens when his older brothers came out to take their cousin home.
"If I'm a 16-year-old boy flirting with a bunch of girls, I don't get back in the car to see Monty Python," Smith said.
Skakel's sister, Julie, told police in 1975 that she called out "Michael, come back here!" to a figure running across the yard.
"That was big for me," Copeland said. "It basically sealed for me the alibi was not valid."
Smith and Copeland said they discounted testimony of several prosecution witnesses who said Skakel confessed or made incriminating statements in the late 1970s when he attended the Elan School, a substance abuse treatment facility in Maine.
"I didn't put a lot of weight into the Elan witnesses because they were troubled individuals," Copeland said.
Skakel's defense attorney, who is planning an appeal, suggested the jury was swayed by sympathy for the victim's family, but Smith and Copeland said they did not allow sympathy to sway the decision.
They said they carefully considered evidence by listing issues on a blackboard and rehearing testimony and then deliberating over it, one witness at a time.
Skakel, who faces 10 years to life in prison, is being held until his July 19 sentencing in Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, a level four security prison. Level five is the highest security.
Jurors say Skakel's own words did him in
DARIEN, Conn. June 8‚ 2002 8:56PM - Jurors who convicted Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel of murder said Saturday their decision was based not on a single piece of evidence, but an overwhelming set of circumstances.
A majority of jurors believed Skakel was guilty at the start of deliberations, while a few had questions about testimony that they wanted to resolve, two jurors told the Associated Press on Saturday.
"For me it was the overwhelming weight of the various pieces of circumstantial evidence taken as a whole," Bill Smith said in an interview at his home Saturday.
Laura Copeland said for her, Skakel's own mouth did him in.
"I truly believe he is guilty," Copeland said. "I felt if he kept his mouth shut for 27 years, (it) probably wouldn't have gotten to that point. I gave weight to his own words."
Smith noted a series of incriminating statements Skakel made over the years to a Greenwich hairdresser, a family chauffeur, classmates, a childhood friend and even an author who planned to write a book about Skakel's life growing up with the Kennedys. He also cited other signs of guilt, including Skakel appearing agitated after the murder.
"The prosecutors kept laying it on," said Smith, a 39-year-old corporate attorney, in an interview at his home. "It was so many independent sources."
Skakel, 41, a nephew of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel, was jailed Friday after he was convicted in the 1975 beating death of Martha Moxley. At the time, Skakel and Moxley were 15-year-old neighbors in wealthy Greenwich.
Prosecutors played a tape of Skakel's interview with author Richard Hoffman, in which Skakel said he went out to the Moxley property and masturbated in a tree the night she was beaten to death with a golf club later traced to the Skakel family. Moxley's body was found under a tree on her property.
"For me, personally, placing himself at the scene of the crime, walking himself through the scene of the crime, was a huge error," said Copleand, a 39-year-old executive search consultant.
Smith emphasized the testimony of Andrew Pugh, Skakel's childhood friend, who said Skakel told him about the tree incident and encouraged him to talk to a private investigative firm hired by his family.
"He was telling a story to cover for the possibility of physical evidence being found at the scene," Smith said. "Andy Pugh - I don't think there could have been a more credible witness."
Smith and Copeland both said they rejected Skakel's alibi that he took a trip to his cousin's house the night Moxley was murdered to watch "Monty Python's Flying Circus." Skakel said on the tape that he had been in his father's car parked in the driveway with Moxley and other teens when his older brothers came out to take their cousin home.
"If I'm a 16-year-old boy flirting with a bunch of girls, I don't get back in the car to see Monty Python," Smith said.
Skakel's sister, Julie, told police in 1975 that she called out "Michael, come back here!" to a figure running across the yard.
"That was big for me," Copeland said. "It basically sealed for me the alibi was not valid."
Smith and Copeland said they discounted testimony of several prosecution witnesses who said Skakel confessed or made incriminating statements in the late 1970s when he attended the Elan School, a substance abuse treatment facility in Maine.
"I didn't put a lot of weight into the Elan witnesses because they were troubled individuals," Copeland said.
Skakel's defense attorney, who is planning an appeal, suggested the jury was swayed by sympathy for the victim's family, but Smith and Copeland said they did not allow sympathy to sway the decision.
They said they carefully considered evidence by listing issues on a blackboard and rehearing testimony and then deliberating over it, one witness at a time.
Skakel, who faces 10 years to life in prison, is being held until his July 19 sentencing in Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, a level four security prison. Level five is the highest security.