Martha Moxley, the fifteen-year-old daughter of a wealthy Connecticut woman, was found clubbed to death near her home in October of 1975. The case received national attention because one of Moxley's neighbors was the Skakel family, related to Ethel Kennedy. Indeed, Martha was a friend of two of the Skakel boys: Tommy and Michael. For over twenty years Moxley's murder went unsolved.
Enter Mark Fuhrman, the infamous L.A. cop who figured heavily in the O.J. Simpson trial. In the late 1990s, Fuhrman set out to investigate this unsolved murder, for the purpose of writing a book, considered by some to be a troubling motive. The result of Fuhrman's efforts, in addition to the publication of his book, was the indictment and conviction of a suspect in the Moxley case, some 25 years after the killing.
With flashbacks to 1975, "Murder In Greenwich" tells the story of this well-known case, from the POV of Fuhrman. The plot is clear, concise, and easy to follow. Martha Moxley's "ghost" (Maggie Grace) narrates part of the story, a plot device I happened not to care for. The film implies both a cover-up and botched police work in the original 1975 investigation. A big part of Fuhrman's efforts centers on re-establishing the time of death. Fuhrman, himself, comes across in the film as irritating, arrogant, and an opportunist.
The most interesting thing about this film is that the story is real. It is not fictional. Real-life incidents usually, though not always, make for engaging viewing. The film has excellent color cinematography, and the production values are high. Acting is quite good, especially the performance of Liddy Holloway, as Martha's mother.
I make no judgments one way or the other about Fuhrman's personal reasons for his work on this case. The movie itself I found to be well-made, except for scenes showing palm trees in Connecticut. The story was interesting, easy to follow, and had an outcome I had previously been unaware of.
