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Witness said he heard Skakel confess to murder

Gregory Coleman, right, admits to judge that drugs clouded his memory, but says he's sure he heard Michael Skakel confess to killing Martha Moxley.

From Ronni Berke
CNN New York Bureau

STAMFORD, Connecticut (CNN) -- A key prosecution witness Thursday admitted his drug use and time have clouded his memory in the 20-plus years since he claims he heard Kennedy relative Michael Skakel confess to the 1975 bludgeoning death of 15-year-old Martha Moxley.

But Gregory Coleman, an admitted heroin addict, said he was sure he had heard Skakel confess, although he never specifically heard Skakel refer to the victim as Moxley.

COURTSIDE with Roger Cossack How much doubt is reasonable doubt in the Skakel case?  DOCUMENTS • Application for Skakel arrest warrant (FindLaw) (PDF) • Decision to try Michael Skakel as an adult - January 31, 2001(FindLaw)(PDF format) Documents in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing.

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He said he once heard Skakel say he "drove her skull in with a golf club" and that he could get away with murder "because I'm a Kennedy." Skakel is the nephew of Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy.

Skakel attorney Mickey Sherman sought to undermine Coleman's credibility, asking about his drug use. During the intense cross-examination, Coleman acknowledged he had used heroin as recently as Monday, but said it was because he lacked prescription-ordered methadone.

Coleman testified for the second straight day at a hearing to determine whether Skakel, now 40, should face trial as an adult for the 1975 killing of Moxley, Skakel's Greenwich neighbor.

The prosecution rested its case after calling two more witnesses before court adjourned for the day. Judge John Kavanewsky will rule Friday at 11 a.m. on whether there is sufficient evidence to go to trial.

Coleman stunned prosecutors and defense attorneys alike Wednesday when he said he was on heroin when he gave crucial and damaging testimony last year. It was Coleman's testimony to a grand jury that helped prosecutors secure the arrest warrant accusing Skakel of murder.

Outside court, Sherman said Coleman's reliability as a witness could not be trusted.

"You can't rely on someone who admits that they have not just a faulty memory, (but) it's like horrific. And that he was high when he testified," Sherman said. "It's not the things we want use when we're going to indict or certainly convict anybody of murder."

Coleman was a classmate of Skakel's at the Elan School in Maine, a substance abuse center, in 1978. He said he believed Skakel was at the school to get away from Greenwich following the murder.

"I was under the impression he was there (at the school), if you want to say, to allude justice," Coleman said.

But minutes later, he acknowledged, "I did not know what he was in for."

Coleman acknowledged he didn't come forward with the alleged confession by Skakel until after a 1998 television report with Moxley's mother, Dorothy -- 20 years after he and Skakel were classmates.

Asked why he didn't come forward sooner, Coleman said, "I thought whatever I had to say didn't make a damn bit of difference."

Another former classmate at Elan, John Higgins, testified Thursday that Skakel told him "I don't know if I did it (killed Martha), I may have done it, I could have done it, I did it."

When cross-examined by Sherman, Higgins said he didn't tell investigators about those statements earlier because he didn't want to get involved.

A close boyhood friend of Skakel's, Andrew Pugh, also took the witness stand. He said Skakel told him he didn't kill Martha, but that he did climb into the tree that night under which her body was found, and masturbated.

Skakel appeared in good spirits in court. At one point, he laughed out loud when Coleman said he could recall the music he and Skakel listened to, the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead.

Skakel and Moxley were both 15 at the time she was bludgeoned to death outside her home with a golf club after a night out with friends. The unusual club matched a set owned by the Skakels.

Skakel has testified he had been with Moxley and others, but said he blacked out before she was killed. He surrendered to Greenwich police Jan. 19, 2000, five days after the warrant was issued for his arrest.

If found guilty of the crime, Skakel could face life in prison.

Court rejects request to move Skakel trial
April 5, 2001
Documents implicate Skakel in Moxley killing
March 12, 2001
Attorneys spar over trial location in Skakel case
March 1, 2001
Kennedy nephew arraigned in adult court
February 21, 2001
Kennedy nephew to face trial as adult in 1975 killing
January 31, 2001
Prosecutor says Skakel case may depend on switch to adult court
October 20, 2000
Report clears way for ruling on trial of Kennedy cousin in 1975 murder
October 5, 2000
Kennedy cousin ordered to stand trial in 1975 slaying
August 17, 2000
Conflicting testimony over whether Skakel confessed to killing
June 21, 2000
Witness says Kennedy relative confessed to 1975 killing
June 20, 2000
Arraignment today for Kennedy kin in girl's murder
February 8, 2000
Attorney: Skakel to be arraigned next month
January 20, 2000
Attorney: No evidence to tie Skakel to 1975 killing of girl
January 20, 2000
Kennedy kin free on bond after surrendering in girl's 1975 killing
January 19, 2000

The Martha Moxley Murder
Martha Moxley - The Unsolved Murder

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