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American Morning
Interview with Dorthy Moxley, John Moxley
Aired August 30, 2002 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel spending the first day of a 20 year to life sentence in a Connecticut prison today. Convicted of killing his neighbor, Martha Moxley, back in 1975 when both were neighbors and the age of 15.
After the judge turned down a rather emotional plea for leniency, Skakel was taken away to prison.
And this morning Martha Moxley's mother Dorthy and her brother John are with us here in New York.
Good morning.
DORTHY MOXLEY, MARTHA MOXLEY'S MOTHER: Good morning.
JOHN MOXLEY, MARTHA MOXLEY'S BROTHER: Good morning.
HEMMER: How are you feeling today?
D. MOXLEY: I feel very good, thank you. I have a great feeling of pride, I've been telling people. And in a, it's not being proud of myself, but I'm so proud of the prosecution. I mean they must feel so good. And I'm, I feel so good. You know, I have so much, a feeling of being proud for all the people that helped me and, you know, for 27 years we've had people working on this.
So it's, it was an effort of many people for a very long time.
HEMMER: John, you said before we came on the air, you said this is the last day.
J. MOXLEY: Yes, this is, you know, after this no more TV. Going back to mowing the lawn and playing baseball with the kids and...
HEMMER: Have you thought about that? What happens this weekend? What does the Moxley family do after the battle of 27 years?
J. MOXLEY: Start living our lives to the fullest extent that we can, you know, one day at a time.
HEMMER: Yes. Michael Skakel had an appearance on the stand yesterday and he had a few statements. We can put one up, in fact, and show our viewers. Do you have any doubt -- here's the statement. "I would love to be able to say I did this crime so the Moxley family could have rest and peace, but I can't, Your Honor. To do that would be a lie." Part of his statement from yesterday.
Do you have any doubt that they have the right guy?
D. MOXLEY: Oh, no. I know they have the right person. I'm positive.
HEMMER: At what point did you think this was Michael Skakel?
D. MOXLEY: I think when we first heard about the Sutton Associates report and Michael changed his story. You know, he had no reason to change his story, no reason whatsoever. And then with the Sutton Associates report we found out that this, you know, he had changed his story.
HEMMER: The Sutton Associates was a report essentially filed on behalf of the Skakel family to try and clarify the facts and exonerate the two sons, correct?
D. MOXLEY: Right. Correct.
HEMMER: There was the dispute during the testimony as to the whereabouts of Michael Skakel, and I want to get your view on this. Was he at his cousin's house that night, as he alleges? Or was the young man darting in front of his sister's car about the time that most people think the murder took place? How critical was that for you?
D. MOXLEY: You know, the time of death is a, it's a very wide window and I'm not, I'm not positive exactly what time Martha was killed. I don't know that I believe all of those young boys when they said that Michael did go with them. I've always felt that Michael did not go with them. I really don't think he did go with them.
HEMMER: When you came out of court yesterday you talked about Michael Skakel's son to reporters.
D. MOXLEY: Yes.
HEMMER: Why did you do that?
D. MOXLEY: Well, you know, being a parent, I don't know if you are a parent or not, but being a parent you just know how hard it is not to be with your children. So I'm sure Michael, you know, he talked about his son George a lot and I'm sure he was sincere about that. So that is sad, but, you know, I do think he needs to be punished for what he did.
HEMMER: At one point I read where you thought he should be behind bars for the rest of his life. Apparently that will not happen based on the sentencing from yesterday. Do you take umbrage with that sentence? Are you satisfied with that? What is your position now?
D. MOXLEY: Well, I thought as Martha's mother I was the one who should demand the most. And so, it was just my place to say that. But I think that 20 years to life is a very reasonable sentence. He has to behave in order to get out early and so, you know, if he behaves, you know, maybe that's all right. HEMMER: Put 27 years into a small capsule for me, if you can. What is the legacy of your daughter's life in the case that we all watched in Norwalk?
D. MOXLEY: Well, you know, I'm a very positive thinking person and I do hope that something positive will come out of this. And I'm hoping that maybe some spark was set off in some person that has an idea of what we can do and how we can do it to make the world a better place, you know, to maybe help police forces do better jobs of homicide investigations or maybe help victims a little more.
But, you know, we need to do something positive now and we will. Something positive is going to happen. I mean a positive thing has happened already, so.
HEMMER: Quickly, in the short time we have left, John, there is still the possibility out there of an appeal down the road, especially when it comes to the charge of juvenile versus adult. Does that sit with you? And if it does, I know you mentioned before this is the final day with the sentencing yesterday and all the TV interviews today. But have you considered the possibility that it could come up again?
J. MOXLEY: Well, we will, and they will continue to look for legal loopholes and rocks to crawl under. But, you know, we'll be there and I don't think, you know, I'm not an attorney, but from what I understand of the appeal process and the issues, I really don't think there's anything there that they have a leg to stand on.
HEMMER: Thank you, John.
Thank you, Dorthy.
J. MOXLEY: Thank you.
D. MOXLEY: Thank you.
HEMMER: Enjoy your weekend.
D. MOXLEY: Thank you.
HEMMER: I guess we can say that now.
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