Kennedy Nephew Told of His Role in Killing, 2 Say

Two former classmates of Kennedy relative Michael Skakel testified Tuesday that he admitted he was involved in the 1975 killing of a teenage neighbor, and one said Skakel claimed he would get away with it because “I’m a Kennedy.”

Skakel is charged as a juvenile in the October 1975 slaying of Martha Moxley in Greenwich. He and Moxley were 15 at the time.

The witnesses, John Higgins and Gregory Coleman, were students with Skakel at the Elan School, a residential substance abuse treatment center for youths, in the late 1970s.

They testified before a judge who will decide whether there is enough evidence for a trial and, if so, whether the 39-year-old Skakel is to be tried in juvenile court. Skakel’s father, Rushton Skakel Sr., is the brother of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy’s widow, Ethel.

Defense lawyer Michael Sherman pointed out that Coleman waited 20 years to say anything about the purported confession. Coleman said he called a TV reporter after seeing a segment on the Moxley killing, and Sherman asked why Coleman didn’t call police. Coleman said he didn’t know why.

Sherman also ran through Coleman’s criminal record, including a 1983 conviction for robbery and a 1999 conviction for trespassing. Coleman is serving a year in prison on that count. Sherman suggested that Coleman was looking for a deal from prosecutors by agreeing to testify against Skakel.

Higgins testified that one night while he and Skakel were on night owl duty--watching to ensure no one ran away from the dormitory--a sobbing Skakel admitted his involvement in the Moxley murder.

On cross-examination, Higgins admitted that he and Skakel were never close friends and that he had lied about Skakel’s alleged comments when contacted by a police detective many years later.

“I didn’t want to talk to this guy--or anybody else--about it, ever,” Higgins said.

Sherman suggested Higgins had only come forward after he heard about a reward. But Higgins said he had never tried to claim the reward, which later was withdrawn.

Moxley was beaten to death with a golf club. The club, a 6-iron, was traced to a set owned by the Skakels.