Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder
NBC News Studios
NBC News Studios
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.
3d ago
Michael Skakel’s trial verdict is returned. The witnesses called by the State were a pivotal part of the otherwise largely circumstantial case against Michael. But a careful examination of their testimony and motivations raises questions. Michael speaks about the alleged confessions and shares more revealing anecdotes about his upbringing, the Elan School, and the Moxley case. Episode 8 drops on Tuesday, December 23. New episodes every Tuesday, through January 20, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dec 9
Amidst a media blitz, the trial of Michael Skakel for Martha Moxley’s murder begins. The State’s case rests mainly on the testimony of three confession witnesses and circumstantial evidence. But with no forensic proof, the prosecution faces an uphill battle. As the jury heads into deliberations, States Attorney Jonathan Benedict’s dramatic closing may be the deciding factor in whether Michael Skakel walks free or goes to prison. Episode 7 drops on Tuesday, December 16. New episodes every Tuesday, through January 20, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dec 2
Disgraced LAPD detective-turned-author Mark Fuhrman publishes a book calling for Michael Skakel’s arrest for the murder of Martha Moxley. The State of Connecticut opens a grand jury investigation into the case. In the present day, Michael publicly speaks for the first time about his painful childhood and traumatic years at the controversial Elan School. Episode 6 drops on Tuesday, December 9. New episodes every Tuesday, through January 20, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 25
As the police continue to pursue Ken Littleton, Skakel family lawyer Tom Sheridan hires private investigators to take a fresh look at the Moxley case, in hopes of clearing the Skakel name once and for all. Intended to be confidential, the report prepared by Sutton Associates soon finds its way into the papers - and the hands of celebrity crime journalist Dominick Dunne. Its bombshell contents turn the spotlight back towards the Skakel family – and for the first time, Michael finds himself under suspicion. Episode 5 drops on Tuesday, December 2. New episodes every Tuesday, through January 20, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 18
Spring and summer of 1976 pass without an arrest in the Moxley case. With the one-year anniversary of Martha’s murder rapidly approaching, law enforcement turns its focus to former Skakel tutor Ken Littleton. The formerly clean-cut Littleton’s life is in turmoil, following a debauched summer on Nantucket and a subsequent arrest. Back in Greenwich, Ken is fired from his job and finds himself at the epicenter of the Moxley investigation. Episode 4 drops on Tuesday, November 25. New episodes every Tuesday, through January 20, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 11
As the investigation into Martha Moxley’s murder picks up steam, Greenwich investigators round up friends, family, and neighborhood oddballs for questioning. Based on those interviews, police piece together a timeline of her final hours. Attention quickly turns to Belle Haven teen Tommy Skakel, Martha's neighbor and the last known person to see her on Mischief Night. Under intense police questioning and hooked up to a polygraph machine, Tommy remains calm and collected - but there are pieces of his story that aren’t adding up. Episode 3 drops on Tuesday, November 18. New episodes every Tuesday, through January 20, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 4
On Halloween 1975, 15-year-old Martha Moxley is found bludgeoned to death just steps from her home in the ritzy Belle Haven neighborhood of Greenwich, Connecticut. The weapon of choice? A golf club. In the wake of the brutal murder, Greenwich police, more used to handing out traffic citations than conducting homicide investigations, find themselves in over their heads. 27 years after Martha's death, the case makes headlines again when Michael Skakel, neighbor to the Moxleys and relative of the Kennedy family, is convicted of Martha's murder, a crime he says he didn’t commit. After serving over 11 years in prison, Michael Skakel's conviction is overturned. Which raises the question of the series - if he didn't kill Martha Moxley, who did? Veteran journalist Andrew Goldman has spent the last decade reinvestigating the improbable series of events that led to Michael Skakel's murder conviction for murder and exploring alternate suspects. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Martha's murder, this 12-episode series features original interviews, newly unsealed evidence, and an exclusive interview with Michael Skakel, who’s never before spoken publicly about the case. Episode 2 drops on Tuesday, November 11. New episodes every Tuesday, through January 20, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Oct 27
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. New episodes every Tuesday, through January 20, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
