Kennedy Cousin Michael Skakel Won't Be Tried Again for 1975 Murder of Teen Neighbor Martha Moxley
AP Photo/Jessica Hill Michael Skakel
Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel will not face a second criminal trial in Connecticut for the 1975 murder of Martha Moxley, PEOPLE confirms.
A court source says prosecutors announced their decision on Friday, during a hearing at Stamford Superior Court.
Skakel served 11 years in prison after being found guilty in 2002 of the 1975 murder of his teenage neighbor.
Both were 15 at the time.
RELATED: Kennedy Cousin Michael Skakel's Conviction in 1975 Murder of Teen Girl Overturned by Conn. Court
Skakel is the nephew of Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel.
In 2018, the Connecticut Supreme Court narrowly voted to overturn his conviction, ruling that Skakel's right to a fair trial was compromised by ineffective legal representation.
Skakel's conviction was first set aside in 2013, when a Superior Court judge declared that Skakel's trial lawyer failed to adequately represent him at trial. Skakel was freed after posting a $1.2 million bond.
Martha Moxley/AP Photo
Prosecutors appealed that decision and the Connecticut Supreme Court then voted to reinstate the conviction in 2016.
Friday's decision comes nearly 45 years to the day since Martha was killed on Oct. 31, 1975.
Martha had been bludgeoned with a golf club and stabbed in the neck with its broken shaft in an upscale section of Greenwich, Connecticut.
The decision not to retry Skakel comes after the death of a key witness in the case, and the emergence of a new alibi witness.
Additionally, the prospect of a second trial wasn't appealing to Moxley's family.
According to the Hartford Courant, Skakel did not speak as he left court Friday. His attorney, Stephan Seeger, reasserted his client's innocence.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Moxley's mother and brother previously told PEOPLE they believe Skakel is guilty.
Moxley's brother, John, reaffirmed that position Friday outside the courthouse, the Courant reports.
"His life will never be the same," John said. "Mine will never be the same. I wouldn't want to walk a mile in his shoes."
