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CNN Live Today

Witness Testifies Skakel Confessed in Moxley Murder

Aired May 16, 2002 - 11:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now we head to Connecticut, where prosecutors in the Michael Skakel murder trial are putting on witnesses today who say the Kennedy cousin did at one time confess to the murder of Martha Moxley. Our Deborah Feyerick is covering the trial, and she joins us from the courthouse in Norwalk.

Deb, good morning.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Well, some explosive testimony from a man who once worked for the Skakel family. A driver testified he witnessed a very bitter fight between Michael and his father, with Michael yelling, "you're not my father." Then Michael jumped into a car, tried backing it out of the driveway, but Michael's dad apparently took the keys out of the ignition. That's when Michael demanded to go into New York City, and his father said to the driver, "take him." On the ride into the city, the driver described Michael as very quiet, as crying.

He said that he had done something very bad and that he had to get out of the country or kill himself. Then on the ride back into Connecticut they were going over the Triborough Bridge and Michael jumped out of the car, ran to the side of the bridge. The chauffeur pulled him back in. Michael got out, the other way, ran to the other side of the bridge. Again, the chauffeur pulled him back into the car. And Mr. Zicarelli (ph) said, "what did you do that was so bad?" And Michael, apparently, answered, "if you knew you wouldn't talk to me."

Now on cross-examination, the defense said Michael never admitted what it was that he had done that was so very bad -- that he never admitted anything in connection with Martha Moxley. And the defense said, would it surprise you that the night before, Michael had slept in his dead mother's dress and that's why he was feeling the way he was feeling. Now what the jury did not hear is they did not hear that when they did go into New York City, Michael went to see his psychiatrist or that he pulled a knife on the driver at one point.

The judge just felt that this would be just way too prejudicial. But the jury has a lot to mull over now as to this apparent -- not confession -- but the fact that Michael was felling so bad that he wanted to kill himself -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Plenty to mull over in the case, and we're glad that you're covering it for us. Deborah Feyerick in Norwalk, Connecticut. Thank you so much.

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