“”For one thing, I don’t think Kennedy was in the car at all. He got out, and left Mary Jo to drive (perhaps to the beach?) because he didn’t want to get stopped by Officer Look who spotted their car.””
That’s a possibility. I’ve always thought that they were both in the back seat of the car ~~~~~doing what I can’t imagine~~~~ and the parking brake wasn’t set and the car rolled off the bridge into the water. The only explanation for her to have been in the back seat.
His cousin was Joe Gargan and supposedly Kennedy SWAM back to Edgartown and tho’ I’ve read everything on this subject over the years, I don’t recall how the others made it back but they definitely WERE back in Edgartown at the hotel later. I don’t know if it’s ever been covered. They could have gotten back from the island when the ferry started running again in the morning.
It was always said that Kennedy had driven that road several times that day so was unlikely to have missed the turn to the bridge....
There’s a theory out there that there were actually 3 people in Kennedy’s car.
(please see: http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/08/03/donald-nelson-pitches-new-theory-chappaquiddick-tragedy/ )
This book names Rosemary “Cricket” Keough as the front-seat passenger and Mary Jo is asleep in the back seat.
Officer Look, claims that he saw two possibly three people in the car or the third being a coat. The theory contends that Mary Jo left the party and crawled into Kennedy’s car back seat to sleep. She had a 0.09% alcohol in her body.
As for the parking brake not being set, the skid marks and placement of the car, showed that the car was probably traveling at 35 to 38 maybe as much as 40 mph.
Your other questions are relevant. Gargan and Markham I assume took one of the dingy’s back that night or in the AM. I haven’t seen one question regarding this.
Kennedy’s first statement says he swam back to the hotel after trying to rescue Mary Jo.
His second statement to the public days later, says that he returned to the party, and then with Gargan and Markham returned to the car and the three of them dove several times unsuccessfully. Kennedy, distraught, and exhausted swam the 500 ft back to the hotel, leaving the two on Chappaquiddick.
Kennedy claims he changed clothes, then went outside and spoke to the hotel manager at 2:30 am. He made a point of asking for the time. He was in dry clothes.
Next morning, Kennedy is up talking to two other guests. He’s dressed for a day of sailing. He’s carefree and smiling.
Then Gargan and Markham appear. They go into Kennedy’s room for 3 minutes. When they emerge, Kennedy is distraught and upset and visibly not the same. He says nothing to the couple he was just talking too, and the three take off to the ferry.
They take the ferry over to Chappaquiddick. I’m not sure when, but they embark from the ferry with plans to go to the submerged car, but at some point the young guy operating the ferry asks if they heard about the car in the river. They say yes. Apparently it’s decided NOT to go to Dyke bridge, and here’s where it gets strange. Kennedy calls his attorney and one other guy, the latter is ten minutes away by plane. He charters a plane and flies over the submerged car.
Then, and only then... at around 10am they go back across the river to Edgartown and they report the accident.
It’ over 10 hours after the accident.
How many times did Kennedy drove it BEFORE that night? I will say that his car killed more people than my gun...