CHAPPAQUIDDICK — 1969 · Suspicious Death
The Chappaquiddick Incident — The Death of Mary Jo Kopechne
On the night of 18-19 July 1969, a car driven by Senator Edward 'Ted' Kennedy went off Dike Bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, into Poucha Pond. Kennedy escaped, but his passenger, 28-year-old campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned. Kennedy did not report the accident to police until more than ten hours later, after her body had been spotted by fishermen. On 25 July 1969 he pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a two-month suspended sentence. A judicial inquest in January 1970 found that negligent driving appeared to have contributed to her death, but no further charges were brought. The incident permanently overshadowed Kennedy's presidential ambitions.
- Date
- 1969
- Place
- Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA, Chappaquiddick, US
- Category
- Suspicious Death
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 41.3735, -70.4532 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 18-19 July 1969The car went off Dike Bridge into Poucha Pond.
- 19 July 1969, morningKopechne's body was recovered; Kennedy reported the accident only afterwards.
- 25 July 1969Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and received a suspended sentence.
- January 1970The inquest found negligent driving appeared to have contributed to the death.
Sources
- The New Yorker — Chappaquiddick's Echoes (1994) newyorker.com ↗
- Vanity Fair — Chappaquiddick at 50 vanityfair.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Chappaquiddick incident en.wikipedia.org ↗
- The New Yorker
- Vanity Fair
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.