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GREENWICH, Conn. — In a divided ruling, the Connecticut Supreme Court has reinstated the murder conviction against Michael Skakel in the 1975 murder of his Greenwich neighbor when both were teens, according to NBC Connecticut.
The 4-3 ruling was released Friday as the high court rejected a lower court ruling that Skakel was not adequately represented by his lawyer in his murder trial, NBC Connecticut said.
Michael Skakel, 56, is the nephew of Ethel Skakel Kennedy, the widow of U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy.
Skakel was convicted in 2002 for the 1975 murder of his neighbor Martha Moxley, when they were both 15 and neighbors in the Belle Haven neighborhood. She was beaten to death with a golf club on Halloween Eve. He was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
In October 2013, Skakel was granted a new trial by a judge who ruled that his attorney, Michael Sherman, failed to adequately represent him when he was convicted. The judge said that Sherman failed to argue that Skakel's brother could have been responsible for the murder.
In November 2013, Skakel was released on $1.2 million bond while awaiting the new trial.
It was not clear whether Skakel would be returned to prison or appeal the ruling.
Click here to read the story at the NBC Connecticut website.
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