The JBR case is not the only case to be riddled with money, prestige, power, and bungling. In 1975, fifteen year old Martha Moxley was bludgeoned and stabbed with a golf club in her own yard. The golf club actually came from the house of Martha's neighbors, Thomas and Michael Skakel, both of whom had been with Martha on the night she was murdered. The Skakels are related to the Kennedys and when the police started looking at the family, they lawyered up and refused to cooperate.
The following is based upon the book "Murder in Greenwich" by Mark Fuhrman.
There were many similarities to the Ramsey case that I noted:
1. The Skakel attorneys hired their own investigators to possibly cloud the issues.
2. The Skakel boys were represented by separate counsel in the event that both were accused of the murder.
3. The facts of the case were so confusing that the DA was frustrated and unwilling to indict or convene a grand jury.
4. It appeared that the Skakel money, power, and politics intimidated the police and DA. The investigation came to a standstill.
5. As long as the Skakels refused to talk with the police, the authorities had an excuse for why they didn't prosecute.
6. As long as the police were looking at the Skakels as "suspects", the attorneys wouldn't let them talk to police.
7. The Skakels were publicly blamed for lack of cooperation in the investigation.
8. Everyone refused to take responsibility for the bungled investigation. The police blamed the DA for not prosecuting; the DA blamed the police; and, together they blamed the suspects for not cooperating.
9. The police refused outside help.
10. The police were inexperienced in homicide investigation.
11. The whole case was referred to as a "cover up of a screw up".
12. Money, power, & connections obstructed the investigation, intimidated the police and confused the prosecutors.
13. The police and DA in their own ways wanted to solve the case--they just didn't know how and didn't want to admit it.
14. Sensitive case info was released to the press.
15. Residents of the community wanted the investigation to go away.
There was one major difference that I noted. Martha's dad worked very hard to keep the investigation going. After his death, her mother and brother used the media to generate public attention and apply pressure on the authorities to continue the investigation. The Moxleys used a lot of their time, energy, and money to assist in the reinvestigation that they themselves created.
