Kennedy relative guilty of murder

The curse of the Kennedy clan returned yesterday when a Connecticut jury found Michael Skakel, a cousin of Ethel Kennedy, guilty of the murder of his teenage friend, Martha Moxley, in 1975.

Skakel, 41, faces a sentence of 25 years to life. His lawyer, Michael Sherman, vowed to appeal against the conviction, reached in spite of a lack of physical evidence. The jury was apparently swayed by Skakel's alleged confession and by the prosecution's theory that Skakel was jealous because Martha was going out with his brother, Tommy.

For Martha's mother, Dorothy Moxley, the verdict brought relief. She had sought justice since finding her daughter's body on the lawn of their home in Greenwich, Connecticut. Martha, 15, had been beaten to death with a golf club.

But sympathy for Mrs Moxley was no reason to convict, Mr Sherman said, adding: "You don't offer up the carcass of Michael Skakel to make her feel good."