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CNN Live Today

Skakel Trial Continues

Aired May 21, 2002 - 13:18   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Another high-profile trial in another decade's old crime. Testimony underway, as you know, in the murder trial of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel. Author Dominick Dunne is covering the case for "Vanity Fair," and he wrote a book on this case. He knows a whole lot of about it. Some would say he has a lot of theories, but last night he shared some of that with Larry King here on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, LARRY KING LIVE)

KING: There have been statements by some that Michael confessed this to others. Is that true?

DOMINICK DUNNE, AUTHOR: Yes, but he usually says though, that I think I did it in a blackout. So nobody has yet said he actually confessed to it. Now there was -- one of the witnesses who died subsequently, he was in the hearings, said that Michael said that I, yes, and I will get away with this because I am a Kennedy. And it was interesting today, he died, that guy, of an overdose of bad heroine and his widow, from whom he was estranged was in court today and she totally backed up the story that he told.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Dominick Dunne last night with Larry King here on CNN.

Deborah Feyerick covering the trial outside the courthouse there in Connecticut.

Just about everybody's got a theory on this one, don't they, Deborah, good afternoon?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You better believe it, everybody has a theory.

Well today's witness falls into the category of what did you hear Michael Skakel say? He left the courthouse just a few minutes ago for the hour-long lunch break. And just to give you a quick who's who, Michael Skakel once worked with his cousin Michael Kennedy. He is the son of Ethel and Robert Kennedy. He was tragically killed in a ski accident, but he was being investigated for allegedly having an affair with his teenage babysitter. Well it's the babysitter's friend who testified today. Duran Ridge (ph) said that one night the babysitter was staying with her -- she was staying with her for a couple of weeks and every night she would have about 9, 10 friends over. Well one night Michael Skakel was there, and as Ridge entered the apartment, she heard Michael Skakel very animatedly say ask me why I killed my neighbor? She said she thought it was in jest and that maybe he mentioned something about a golf club. She said on the stand that it was the only thing she heard Michael Skakel testify to or the only thing she heard him say.

Well then in a phone conversation, it appears that she was telling a friend she heard him say a lot more, that he was outside, that he had climbed up a pine tree. She told prosecutors that that conversation she was lying, that she was trying to sound more impressive to a friend by making up stories that she had read in newspaper accounts. She said what was interesting about the relationship between Michael Skakel and this babysitter is that at the time Michael Skakel was in his late 30s, the babysitter was in her teens, young, vibrant, beautiful, somebody the witness said very much like Martha Moxley.

Now the defense tried to paint this whole incident about what did Michael Skakel say as nothing more than Michael Skakel retelling a story of his time at a rehab school where he was made to wear a sign that said ask me why I killed my neighbor, a way at the school to sort of confront demons and have other students interrogate you about this -- Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, Deborah. Another day there. Deborah Feyerick in Norwalk.

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