FIGHTER

Dorthy Moxley, Mom of Murder Victim Tied to Kennedy Clan, Dies From Flu

Dorthy Moxley fought decades for justice in a winding saga involving RFK Jr.‘s cousin.

The 92-year-old mother of a murder victim whose death spurred the conviction—later overturned—of a member of the Kennedy family, died Tuesday of complications from the flu, her son said. Dorthy Moxley fought nearly 50 years for justice after her teenage daughter, Martha, was found dead across the street from the family home of Michael Skakel, a cousin of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Skakel was convicted of Martha’s murder in 2002 and freed in 2013 after a judge said he hadn’t received adequate representation. The Connecticut Supreme Court reinstated the conviction in 2016, only to order him freed two years later. A second trial never occurred, in part because some witnesses had died. “It was just incredible how much support we got from people that we knew and people that we didn’t know,” Moxley’s son, John, told the Associated Press. “My mother was always grateful and chose to focus on the communal spirit, if you will, rather than the law. My mother always said she believed in angels and the angels really came out to support her, to support us.” John added: “She was able to take that spirit of support and knowing how important it was to share that with others. And that gave her a lot of joy, knowing that she could help somebody else.”