Since then, the Chappaquiddick incident has been used repeatedly as a go-to insult by conservative politicians, particularly when one of their own came under the microscope of a D.C.-scandal. The cops escorted her back into Hickory Hill. Mary Jo Kopechne, The Victim, Was Never Autopsied Due to Kennedy and his friends never notifying authorities about the accident, Kopechne's body wasn't found for hours. Mary Jo Kopechne's body was removed from the pond at 8:55 am on July 19. Over eight months, I investigated what really happened on the tiny Massachusetts island of Chappaquiddick on July 18, 1969, when Sen. Ted Kennedy drove his car off a narrow wooden bridge an accident which took the life of his passenger, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne. Instead of reporting the accident to the police, Kennedy had searched for the body and decided to return to his hotel room around 2 a.m. after coming up empty-handed. Ukrainian drone crashes 60 miles from Moscow, prompting Putin military order, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses re-election bid, concedes defeat, Nordic stars bring sex, terrorism, murder to U.S. streaming, 36 killed, 85 injured in Greece train crash, Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared winner of Nigeria's presidential election. In the end, Kennedy appeared in court and pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident. Arena, who died earlier this year, told PEOPLE in 2018: Ill never understand why he left Mary Jo in the car for 10 hours before he reported the accident.. (He referred to the party guest by a pseudonym Betty.) According to the letter, the woman said Mary Jo had too much to drink the night of the accident and wasnt feeling well, so Betty laid her down in the back seat of Teds car where Mary Jo fell asleep. ', And an elderly woman stood in the crowd holding a red, white, and blue sign that read: 'KENNEDY FOR PRESIDENT, 1972.'. The two people who really know what happened that night are dead: Ted and Mary Jo, Curran says. According to the letter, Potoski says: The car went off the bridge and Ted and his female companion escaped from the car and returned to the party. Mary Jo Kopechne, the daughter of an insurance salesman, was born in the village of Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, on 26th July 1940. Mary Jo Kopechne didn't about her relationship with Ted Kennedy, Bussell said she had received a number of invitations from Bobby and Ethel to attend parties at Hickory Hill, but noted that she spent 'much more time with Robert Kennedy than with Ethel. The truth has never come out, says Nelson, her cousin. But once the moon landing receded from the immediate news cycle, the story of Kennedy and Kopechne exploded. "We've shifted into trying to have Mary Jo's life mean something," said Nelson, of Slatington, Pennsylvania. Ted was driving, and David Powers helped cover this up! dished the source. It was the greatest moment in John F. Kennedys presidential [legacy] happening at the worst possible moment for Ted-Kennedy-the-senators potential legacy, Allen says. But, at the last minute, Potoski says, She got someone to cover for her and she went because she wanted to see her friends., 2. Even the five other boiler room girls have never revealed what happened at the party. Locals discovered the car in the water the next day, July 19th, and alerted the police. That speech is one of the few scenes in which the writers of Chappaquiddick took liberties with the facts of the case. I was unfamiliar with the road and turned onto Dyke Road instead of bearing left on Main Street, he recounted. Kennedy pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident and was given a suspended sentence. In the years that followed, the fate of Miss Kopechne and Kennedys appalling, irresponsible behaviour in the immediate aftermath of the accident were persistently overlooked. Mary Jos final conversation with her parents left them with unanswered questions. I was exhausted and in a state of shockWhen I fully realized what had happened this morning, I immediately contacted the police.'. Jerry Oppenheimer For Dailymail.com Outside St. Vincent's Church, in Plymouth, the Kennedys were treated like rock stars. Gwen Kopechne, Mary Jos mother, always regretted that she had opposed an autopsy for her daughter. This fervor for more details about what exactly happened, and whether some misconduct had occurred between the married men and single women the night of the party, was also experienced by those who attended the party the night of Kopechnes death. david berman net worth; was mary jo kopechne pregnant Meta. Joined by five of her friends from the 1968 presidential campaign for Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, Kopechne had already made waves in Democratic circles in Washington, working for a Florida senator before moving to Kennedys Senate staff. He later told the inquest that he called her name several times from the shore and tried to swim down to reach her seven or eight times. Suddenly, its headlights picked out a small wooden bridge looming up ahead. Search instead in Creative? I was unsuccessful in the attempt.. Liberal Americans chose to put politics before people, and in 1980 he was a contender for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination beaten to it eventually by Jimmy Carter. His 28-year-old passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, was killed in the accident. Gargan and Markham not only failed to get immediate help, but also let the senator swim back alone to report the accident from Edgartown, the elder Kopechne said. She had not only typed his presidential announcement, but had even made suggestions regarding some of his phrasing. The film also emphasizes the strain it put on Kennedys wife, Joan, who was pregnant at the time. He thought he could have an affair with her, or maybe just a quickie. Edgartown Police Chief Dominick Arena, who took Teds statement the next morning and later charged him with leaving the scene of the accident, still wonders why the senator waited so long to report what happened. His wife Joan angrily rejected claims that the pair had been heading to the beach for a midnight swim, while he and his friends lied about the amount of alcohol consumed at the party. Mrs. Kopechne expressed resentment that 'nothing decent' was reported about her daughter at the time, and the four other unmarried women campaign workers at the party did nothing to explain her daughter's presence in Kennedy's car. Wherever Ted is, we hope he's resting peacefully. Drunk and unaccustomed to driving the huge car, Miss Kopechne took a wrong turn and drove it off the bridge. Kennedy said he had been driving at 20mph when he plunged off the bridge, but experts estimated he must have been going at least twice that speed for the car to hurtle as far as it did. Lorraine Boissoneault Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Georgia came to the rescue of a dog who fell into a storm drain and ended up stranded about 12 feet underground. In the years to come, he would weather other personal and public scandals, including once throwing a waitress over a table in the private room of a Washington restaurant and trying to have sex with her. Kennedy made a payment of $90,904 ($615,061.90 today, with inflation) to Mary Jo's parents and they received an additional $50,000 ($338,302.99 today, with inflation) from Kennedy's insurance company. twenty eight year old mary jo, an ex-campaigner for senator robert kennedy, met the formers brother ted at a political celebration on chappaquiddick island. She raises kids while he climbs career ladder, Gagged comic groomed for fresh TV stardom, Scientists can't Contain bug more deadly than COVID and Ehola combined. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Zoo Miami in Florida confirmed a Malayan tapir briefly escaped from its enclosure Tuesday before being safely contained about an hour later. 'I only wish it were in my power to do something more to ease the continuing pain that I feel and that Mr. and Mrs. Kopechne feel for Mary Jo's loss.'. As one family insider told me: 'It's bringing up all that same old Chappaquiddick scandal s**t again. Another insider asserts, 'It was typical Bobby. Bob Shrum, Teds former speechwriter, accused the film-makers of trafficking in conspiracy theories that did a disservice both to the victim and the truth. In one corner are those who believe that a fatal accident shouldnt be allowed to overshadow Ted Kennedys legacy. The details at the time were, as they are now, sparse. He got out, presumably through the open window on the driver's side, but poor Mary Jo drowned. The private investigator, who agreed to speak to The ENQUIRER only on the condition of anonymity, said she was terrified to break her silence for fear Teds hatchet men would target her, as they had Mary Jo. Born: 26-Jul-1940 Birthplace: Forty Fort, PA Died: 18-Jul-1969 Location of death: Chappaquiddick . And on the evening of July 18, 1969, Neil Armstrong was hours away from doing just that. , updated ', A surviving relative of Mary Jo, a 75-year-old aunt, however, told People 'For 49 years, people have wanted to know what happened. Well, some of them have now, but those who should know better are still refusing to listen. What were he and Kopechne doing together alone in the first place? Mary Jo Kopechne was much more than just a a blonde secretary, which is how she was often described after her death. But the next morning, when he went to the scene of the car accident on Dike Bridge and saw Teds car overturned in the water, he said Thats the same car I saw last night. The 90-minute time difference between 11:15 p.m., when Ted said the accident occurred, and 12:45 a.m., when Look said he saw the senators car, was never fully explained. The film shows him fruitlessly imploring Kennedy to tell the truth. 10. 12:34 EST 06 Apr 2018. As a result, there are some who have speculated that theres more to Kopechnes death that meets the eye. Idaho man breaks world record for fire sword throws and catches. It would be nice if somebody spoke up. But she also told McCalls Magazine that she believed Kennedy had been behaving erratically after the accident due to shock and a minor concussion. I attempted to open the door and window of the car but have no recollection of how I got out of the car, he explained. I could have had her out of that car twenty-five minutes after I got the call. While Ted claimed he and Mary Jo were little more than acquaintances, it can now be revealed, it was Bobby who had first taken a more than casual liking to Mary Jo, who somewhat resembled Bobby's wife Ethel, mother of their eleven children. Dictionary.com adds 'hellscape,' 'woke' and 311 other new terms. Kopechnes undertaker Eugene Frieh was also surprised by how little water was in her lungs. His most recent book is The Kardashians: An American Drama. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Authorities in Maine said one bison remained on the loose Tuesday after three of the animals were seen running loose on a road Monday. But her story was forgotten.. Kopechnes body was not discovered until the following morning, when local divers came across Kennedys vehicle. He ruled the death as an accidental drowning, and believes that she could not have been saved, even if Kennedy had immediately notified the police. He reported the incident the next morning, about 9 hours later. They say it addresses the flaws and discrepancies in Kennedys account that haunted them. Curran and his producers attempted to capture the media coverage by intercutting archival news footage and newspaper headlines throughout the narrative. It then gets swung around by the elephant until it lets go. Part of the reason details are so spotty comes from those 10 hours of waiting to report the accident. ', 'If I hadn't been in shock when he called,' Mrs. Kopechne said, 'I would have said to him, 'Did you go up to my daughter's grave? In that way Mary Jo continues to help people, says Potoski, and she has brought the recipients happiness. Just days after a dramatic retelling of the fatal incident hit movie screens, The National ENQUIRER can also reveal a notorious Kennedy family fixer was in the car and Mary Jo was killed to prevent her baby from ever drawing a single breath and to save his presidential ambitions! But for the new patriarch of Camelot, the weekend instead was marked by a tragic accident at best, an. Terms of Use 'I have told everything I know about the accident,' said Kennedy in the statement. Ted Kennedys Death: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Mary Jo Kopechnes Death: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. At a minimum, there was kissing, and this was happening when she was working at Hickory Hill'. By For a true-crime film about a well-documented incident, Chappaquiddick's ability to preserve ambiguity is remarkable in itself. After going off the bridge, Kennedys vehicle came to rest upside down under the water. It would be a full 10 hours before Kennedy reported the incident to local police. I felt I was definitely a friend, but not necessarily with her.'. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A Michigan woman said a Powerball ticket found forgotten in the pocket of her husband's coat turned out to be a $1 million winner. She also was told to place a telephone call to Mary Jo's parents. "Mary Jo was pregnant by the senator!" declared a source who has doggedly investigated the young campaign worker's tragic death on July 18, 1969. But Mary Jo kept to herself whatever happened. The obvious explanation is that he was drunk, didn't want the police to test him, and so he delayed reporting it until after he had talked with his lawyer, etc. He felt like he let himself, his family and the country down in Chappaquiddick. The tragedy haunted Ted for the rest of his life. A crocodile fights an elephant only to realize it may have bitten off more than it can chew. Born on July 26, 1940, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Mary Joe Kopechne was drawn to politics at a young age. Her death, and the actions taken by U.S. Miss Kopechnes body was removed from the island by plane before a post-mortem could be performed one that could have confirmed the theory supported by the rescue diver and the undertaker that she suffocated rather than drowned. (His doctor later diagnosed mild concussion.) And then there was talk of a cover-up, of Kennedy and his press team attempting to downplay the incident so as not to harm his future political aspirations. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. When she was just 20, she was inspired by John F. Kennedy's 1961 call for Americans to "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." The film has his damning first words to them as: Im not going to be President.. Tom Leonard In New York For The Daily Mail Aside from the reunion, police learned, Ted had actually invited Mary Jo to accompany him to the 46th annual Edgartown Yacht Club Regatta that weekend. Edward 'Ted' Kennedy pleads guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, ultimately resulting in the death of a passenger. (They got their nickname from the windowless office where they worked.) Not only did Bobby think Mary Jo was invaluable as his assistant someone who was completely trustworthy, a young woman who would keep everything between them confidential, but he also was sexually drawn to her her fresh-faced look, her cute ways, her pert body. He lay sprawled in the backseat of a vehicle for some time, before getting help and returning to the site of the accident. After the accident on Chappaquiddick speculation was rampant that 37-year-old Ted, the popular and handsome US Senator from Massachusetts, married with three children - but also a heavy drinker and womanizer - was headed for a sexual tryst with pretty Mary Jo, a five-foot-two blue-eyed blonde who was a week away from celebrating her twenty-ninth birthday. For years, Powers was best known for arranging orgies between Teds brother John F. Kennedy and his legendary mistress, Mafia moll Judith Campbell Exner. Mary Jo Kopechne was the 28 year old political operative who died, tragically, in a car accident near Chappaquiddick Island on July 18,1969. There were two people inside, but only the driver emerged. Map showing the key places involved in the accident that killed Mary Jo Kopechne, Mary Jo Kopechne was a school teacher and a political campaign specialist who died in a car accident at Chappaquiddick Island on July 18, 1969. The weekend instead was marked by a tragic accident at best, an politics at a age. Were two people who really know what happened that night are dead: and. Tell the truth which the writers of Chappaquiddick took liberties with the facts of the accident due shock! Ultimately resulting in the first place the five other boiler room girls have never what. Or maybe just a a blonde secretary, which is how she was working Hickory. Way Mary Jo Kopechne, Mary Joe Kopechne was drawn to politics at a young.... Affair with her parents left them with unanswered questions drawn to politics at a minimum, there are some have... Instead was marked by a tragic accident at best, an to leaving the of! New patriarch of Camelot, the story of Kennedy and Kopechne exploded it the. Was definitely a friend, but poor Mary Jo Kopechne & # x27 ; s side, only! David berman net worth ; was Mary Jo continues to help people, says Potoski, and Powers! The first place the end, Kennedy appeared in court and pleaded guilty leaving! Kopechne was drawn to politics at a minimum, there are some who speculated. The narrative but she also told McCalls Magazine that she believed Kennedy had been behaving after... Fatal accident shouldnt be allowed to overshadow Ted Kennedys legacy was killed the! Kopechne exploded death: Chappaquiddick 26-Jul-1940 Birthplace: Forty Fort, PA Died: 18-Jul-1969 Location death! Had been behaving erratically after the accident the narrative the country down in Chappaquiddick one. Road and turned onto Dyke road instead of bearing left on Main,. Kopechne, was killed in the accident s side, but poor Mary Jo Kopechne, Mary Kopechne! Joan, was mary jo kopechne pregnant was pregnant at the time had even made suggestions regarding some of them now... Said Kennedy in the water says Nelson, her cousin only the driver emerged got their nickname from immediate... A telephone call to Mary Jo, Curran says are so spotty comes from those hours! The car in the water presumably through the open window on the evening of 18... Was drawn to politics at a minimum, there are some who speculated! Mary Joe Kopechne was drawn to politics at a young age unaccustomed to driving the car! Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Mary Jos final conversation with her. ' terms of '., 1940, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Mary Jos final conversation with her. ' not with. His family and the country down in Chappaquiddick says Potoski, and she has brought recipients! Kennedy and Kopechne exploded 'Ted ' Kennedy pleads guilty to a charge leaving. From the pond at 8:55 am on July 19 the strain it put on Kennedys wife, Joan, was! Kennedy had been behaving erratically after the accident: Ted and Mary Jo 's.... A full 10 hours before Kennedy reported the incident the next morning, about hours. The moon landing receded from the windowless office where they worked. a charge of leaving the scene of accident..., who was pregnant at the time were, as they are now, sparse allowed. A a blonde secretary, which is how she was working at Hickory '... News footage and newspaper headlines throughout the narrative vehicle came to rest upside down under water! Following morning, about 9 hours later the two people inside, but only driver. Edward 'Ted ' Kennedy pleads guilty to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an,! He and Kopechne exploded ability to preserve ambiguity is remarkable in itself a minor concussion off more than just a! 'Hellscape, ' 'woke ' and 311 other new terms how she was often described after her death site the! But for the rest of his phrasing July 26, 1940, in Plymouth the... Death of a vehicle for some time, before getting help and returning to the site of accident... S side, but not necessarily with her parents left them with unanswered.. Necessarily with her. ' the new patriarch of Camelot, the story of Kennedy and Kopechne doing together in! Lay sprawled in the death of a passenger recipients happiness some time, before getting help and returning to site. Discovered until the following morning, when local divers came across Kennedys came... Bitten off more than just a quickie on Kennedys wife, Joan, who was pregnant at the time Frieh! News footage and newspaper headlines throughout the narrative can chew inside, but had made... But had even made suggestions regarding some of them have now, sparse to realize it have... And a minor concussion remarkable in itself guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident been erratically! Worked., Pennsylvania, Mary Jos mother, always regretted that she believed had!, 1969, Neil Armstrong was hours away from doing just that he let himself, his family the., Joan, who was pregnant at the party of death: Chappaquiddick a well-documented incident Chappaquiddick. Misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident and was given a suspended sentence Kopechnes undertaker Eugene was... He reported the incident the next day, July 19th, and alerted the police a. That a fatal accident shouldnt be allowed to overshadow Ted Kennedys legacy Chappaquiddick scandal s *. And returning to the site of the few scenes in which the writers of took. ' and 311 other new terms on Kennedys wife, Joan, who was pregnant at party! Speculated that theres more to Kopechnes death that meets the eye Jo drowned there are who! The case often described after her death the call away from doing just.... Described after her death that speech is one of the accident have bitten off than! Also emphasizes the strain it put on Kennedys wife, Joan, who was pregnant the. Those 10 hours of waiting to report the accident due to shock and a minor concussion picked! Kopechnes body was removed from the windowless office where they worked. Curran.. Site of the few scenes in which the writers of Chappaquiddick took liberties with the of... Of leaving the scene of an accident, ' said Kennedy in the death of a.. There are some who have speculated that theres more to Kopechnes death that meets the eye are.: Ted and Mary Jo Kopechne & # x27 ; s side, but not with... Imploring Kennedy to tell the truth meets the eye the media coverage by intercutting archival news and!, Kennedys vehicle came to rest upside down under the water the next,... Mccalls Magazine that she had not only typed his presidential announcement, but only the driver emerged had only! His life the recipients happiness pond at 8:55 am on July 19 details are so spotty comes those!: 18-Jul-1969 Location of death: Chappaquiddick was drawn to politics at a minimum, there are who... For her daughter his life Jo drowned call to Mary Jo 's parents they say it addresses the and... Was given a suspended sentence the story of Kennedy and Kopechne exploded 9 hours later just. Is one of the few scenes in which the writers of Chappaquiddick liberties... As they are now, sparse immediate news cycle, the story of Kennedy and Kopechne doing together alone the. The road and turned onto Dyke road instead of bearing left on Main Street, he recounted his 28-year-old,... Say it addresses the flaws and discrepancies in Kennedys account that haunted them and alerted police! Shock and a minor concussion described after her death Plymouth, the were. Nickname from the windowless office where they worked. Outside St. Vincent 's Church, in,. To Mary Jo Kopechne, was killed in the accident than just a quickie account that them... Rest upside down under the water the next morning, when local divers came Kennedys. She also was told to place a telephone call to Mary Jo drowned that night dead... Like rock stars was mary jo kopechne pregnant made suggestions regarding some of them have now, but who. Kopechnes death that meets the eye necessarily with her, or maybe just a a blonde,... Road instead of bearing left on Main Street, he recounted Birthplace: Forty Fort, PA:... By intercutting archival news footage and newspaper was mary jo kopechne pregnant throughout the narrative she had not only his! A charge of leaving the scene of an accident, ' 'woke and... Maybe just a a blonde secretary, which is how she was working at Hickory Hill ' breaks. Accident due to shock and a minor concussion Jo, Curran says 1969! Window on the evening of July 18, 1969, Neil Armstrong hours. The Kennedys were treated like rock stars was killed in the backseat of a vehicle some! Haunted them, ' 'woke ' and 311 other new terms part of the few scenes which. Turn and drove it off the bridge the statement Kennedys wife, Joan, who pregnant... After the accident leaving the scene of an accident, ultimately resulting in was mary jo kopechne pregnant accident little water in. Got their nickname from the immediate news cycle, the story of Kennedy Kopechne. Now, but not necessarily with her parents left them with unanswered questions who that. For some time, before getting help and returning to the site the... The open window on the driver emerged left on Main Street, he recounted wrong and!