Who, age	What	Where	When	Last Known Address
Michael Skakel, 15	Killing or maiming of dogs, a cat, chipmunks and squirrels	Greenwich, CT Fairfield County	October 1975
Type of Crime	Other Crimes	#/Type of animal(s) involved	Case Status	Next Court Date /Courthouse
	murder	dogs, a cat, chipmunks, squirrels	Not charged	eligible for parole considerations on 4/3/13

    Michael Skakel age 41, who was found guilty of killing Martha Moxley also had a history of animal abuse. He admitted he got a kick out of killing animals. He described how he put fireworks up dog's behinds, blowing them up or leaving them maimed. He killed a squirrel and then crucified it over a golf hole during a round of golf, and another time admitted to burying a cat alive with just the head sticking out then running over it with a lawnmower, decapitating it. He along with his brothers also killed chipmunks and squirrels by beating them with golf clubs or shooting them with guns.  Skakel was never charged for animal cruelty.

 Skakel (DOB 9/19/60) was 15 years old at the time of Martha Moxley's death on October 15, 1975. She was beaten to death with a golf club owned by Skakels' mother. The Skakels' and the Moxleys' were neighbors in Belle Haven, a suburb of Greenwich, which is a peninsula that juts into Long Island Sound.

It was 24 years later before he was arrested. Originally the case (F01-00DD-01028-0) was to be heard in juvenile court because he was 15 at the time of the murder but the state Supreme Court dismissed Skakels' appeal from a Juvenile Court decision to transfer the case to adult court. As a juvenile the maximum penalty Skakel could receive under the law in effect in 1975 was 4 years. As an adult he could face 10 years to life.

Skakel is related to the Kennedy family through his aunt Ethel Skakel Kennedy, wife of the late US Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

Skakel was convicted of murdering Martha Moxley and is in jail, serving 20 years to life.

Update 4/16/10:  The Connecticut Supreme Court rejected Skakels latest appeal.  Skakel is eligible for parole considerations on April 3, 2013 based on credits for good behavior and participating in programs.

References:

The Hartford Advocate	Connecticut Superior Court Records
CNN	The Boston Herald
Court TV	The Manchester Union Leader
The National Enquirer	Book "A Season in Purgatory" by Dominick Dunne
Book "Murder in Greenwich" by Mark Fuhrman	Boston Globe