Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder, from NBC News Studios, is an immersive and deeply reported reexamination of a case at its 50-year milestone. The series is hosted by journalist Andrew Goldman, originally hired more than a decade ago by RFK Jr. to research a book on Martha Moxley's death. But even after the book’s publication, Goldman found that unresolved contradictions, overlooked witnesses, and thousands of pages of case materials released publicly only in 2013 required an even more comprehensive reckoning.
Unfolding across twelve meticulously crafted episodes, the series reconstructs the case from its inception, interrogating early investigative errors, prosecutorial gaps, and the evolution of a narrative that culminated in a wrongful conviction. It draws on a decade of new reporting, extensive access to those closest to the case, and a vast multimedia archive spanning half a century.
For the first time, Michael Skakel speaks publicly about the case, offering his own account through comprehensive, exclusive interviews. He openly discusses his traumatic childhood, his years at the controversial Elan School, abuse within his family, his conviction, and the disorienting experience of becoming a national symbol of guilt.
On October 31, 1975, fifteen-year-old Martha Moxley was found brutally bludgeoned to death in the exclusive enclave of Belle Haven in Greenwich, Connecticut – a crime that would become one of the most widely publicized and debated cases in the nation. The police had their suspects, but never enough evidence to bring charges. For decades, the murder went unsolved.
Then, in the 1990s, a series of improbable events involving Dominick Dunne, William Kennedy Smith, and former LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman redirected public attention toward a new suspect: Michael Skakel, Martha’s then-fifteen-year-old neighbor and a cousin of the Kennedys.
Skakel’s 2002 trial unfolded as a national spectacle, driven by a narrative of wealth, privilege, and presumed impunity. Despite inconsistent accounts, questionable witnesses, and a fragmented prosecutorial theory, a jury convicted him of murder. Many believed justice had been served.
From the outset, Skakel maintained his innocence. For sixteen years he fought to overturn his conviction, and in 2018 the Connecticut Supreme Court vacated the verdict. Prosecutors declined to retry him. Despite this, he remains a polarizing figure; his innocence publicly doubted. Half a century after Martha’s death, the central question of the Moxley case persists: if Michael did not kill her, who did?
Our series is grounded in an exceptional evidentiary foundation: the complete Moxley case file; thousands of pages of trial and appellate transcripts; original 1975 police recordings and reports; decades of NBC archival journalism; and new interviews with figures including Mark Fuhrman, Amanda Knox, Dr. Henry Lee, Jeffrey Toobin, and others intimately connected to the case. This material supports an authoritative reassessment of a story long distorted by rumor, speculation, and media mythology.
Several episodes contain deeply personal and emotionally resonant moments — particularly Michael’s descriptions of childhood and institutional abuse and the lasting psychological effects that shaped his life. The series also explores how investigative missteps, questionable inferences, unreliable accounts, and media-driven assumptions ultimately crystallized into the theory that convicted him.
At its core, Dead Certain is distinguished by the breadth and depth of its reporting. It synthesizes fifty years of fragmented and often contradictory information into a coherent, accessible narrative that challenges listeners to reconsider not only who might have killed Martha Moxley, but how truth is constructed within American investigative, legal, and media ecosystems.
The series debuted to significant critical acclaim, including a rave review in Rolling Stone, frontpage coverage in Connecticut publications, and extensive television and digital reporting. It premiered as the No. 1 series on Apple Podcasts and quickly rose into the Top 3 Shows overall, resonating with audiences drawn to its investigative rigor, narrative complexity, and willingness to interrogate long-held assumptions.
Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder stands as the most comprehensive examination of the Moxley case to date. Through disciplined methodology, exclusive firsthand testimony, and a half-century of archival evidence, the series brings listeners closer to the truth than anyone has in five decades.
