12:30 am. Once in his room, he went to
sleep."
Once again, at the very least, we are forced to ask
ourselves how and why a young man could have kept
such important information to himself for so many
years. We must consider that Michael might have
become aware of John's (and others) testimony about
someone coming in and out of the house. This could
have been what prompted him to come forth with his
confession. This possibility, of course, does not
inherently mean Michael murdered Martha. Michael may
very well be telling the truth now.
There are, however, some other interesting points
when considered in a prejudicial context: Michael
claimed, when interviewed by Sutton Associates, he
could not remember when he first realized Martha was
dead. To most fifteen year old boys, such a
realization would have been a frightening and
unprecedented moment of devastation. Not a moment, in
short, one could easily forget. Michael also told
Sutton Associates he did not consider Martha to be a
flirt. By all other accounts--many of them emphatic
and coming directly from her good friends--Martha
Moxley was a relentless flirt. This aspect of her
character was one with which she was, in a neutral
sense, largely identified with. (No one considered
her to be promiscuous, or inappropriately preoccupied
with sexuality. Rather, her flirtatiousness seems to
have been indicative of a self-confident and cheerful
disposition.) It seems odd, then, that Michael, who
we know was romantically involved with Martha, and
who certainly spent considerable time with her, would
dissent from the consensus on this point.
Given that Michael's new, amended story is somewhat
supported by the testimony of others, he is not a
suspect on the same level as his brother, Tommy.
Further investigation, however, is required to answer
the questions and doubts raised by John's testimony,
and other dubious factors in this case. Suffice it to
say, Michael, in a sense, has been his own worst
accuser. We must listen to what he is trying to tell
us. If only because his profile so strongly fits that
of the Academy Group's report, he must be carefully
examined. Ideally, Michael can be ruled out of the
crime with complete certainty, so that Sutton
Associates may intensify investigative scrutiny
towards other suspects. Needless to say, Michael's
cooperation and the continued cooperation of the
Skakel family will be required to move forward on
this matter.
11
|
