Kennedy cousin Skakel proclaims his innocence
- Michael Skakel is serving 20 years to life for fatally beating Martha Moxley in 1975
- Dorthy Moxley, the victim's mother, has rejected Skakel's claims of innocence
- Skakel is a nephew of Ethel Kennedy
SUFFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel proclaimed his innocence Wednesday at his first parole hearing to determine whether he should be released from prison a decade after he was convicted of killing his neighbor.
Skakel is serving 20 years to life for fatally beating Martha Moxley with a golf club in 1975 in Greenwich when they were 15. Skakel is a nephew of Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy.
He spoke slowly and softly at the hearing at McDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, saying: "I did not commit this crime."
Dorthy Moxley, the victim's mother, has rejected Skakel's claims of innocence.
Skakel said he prays every day that whoever committed the crime is brought to justice, but he is the wrong man.
"If I could ease Mrs. Moxley's pain in any way, shape or form I would take responsibility all day long for this crime," Skakel said. But, he added, "I cannot bear false witness against myself."
The heavyset, 52-year-old Skakel with gray, thinning hair wore a beige prison jumpsuit to the hearing. To support his claims of innocence, he told of how he became sober.
"I pose to you: how can a guilty man stay sober for 30 years with that kind of guilt on his mind?" he said.
Skakel, convicted in 2002, is eligible for parole consideration because of laws in place at the time of the crime including good behavior credits.
In letters to the parole board, Skakel's supporters, including his cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., say Skakel has helped alcoholics recover. They also portray him as religious and devoted to his son.
Many letters cite Skakel's art work in prison, saying he has made uplifting paintings that show his true nature, give joy to others and encourage family values.
Letters objecting to his parole cite the brutal nature of the crime and say releasing him early would be devastating to the victim's family.
"This person committed a heinous crime that gave many people a sentence of suffering that was irreversible," one of the letters states. "Why then should this person be given relief, when none is available for those who suffered the loss of a daughter, a sister, a dear friend."
On Tuesday, Skakel filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN television host Nancy Grace and Tru-TV host Beth Karas, alleging they made false statements about evidence of Skakel's DNA near the crime scene.
The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Stamford, also names media companies Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting as defendants.