Ted Kennedy, at minimum, was guilty of negligent homicide (aka involuntary manslaughter). Because he could have obtained help within minutes (nearby homes and fire station), he could easily have been charged with voluntary manslaughter or even murder -- 1st or 2nd degree depending on state laws at the time.
Yet you insist on saying Kennedy wasn't even driving the car when it went off the bridge. Do you not understand that you absolve him of all guilt? Even if, as you believe, Kennedy happened across the accident scene after walking some distance to the bridge, that absolves him. In your scenario, he wasn't involved, didn't know Mary Jo was still in the car, and just didn't report the accident until the following morning. Your scenario makes zero sense considering all of the court testimony and contemporary news accounts.
The Conspiracy Theory I heard stated that Ted Kennedy snuck out from the party with another politician’s wife to have sex with her off-site, and did not know that Mary Joe had left the party house, tipsy, sleepy, and tired of the party noise, to sleep it off in the back seat of spacious Oldsmobile Delta 88. When the drunk Ted drove it off the bridge, Ted and the politician’s wife got out, but not even knowing Mary Jo was there, they left her behind, while the other two took off to work on their alibis. The slutty wife’s identity was protected, while Teddy was amazed that there was anyone else in the car, so he had to quickly improvise his “story”.
I’m willing to debate you on this, plus I’m not alone in this assumption. Many people, I guess with more intelligence than you give me credit having have agreed. I have never found any logical explanation on how Kennedy got out of the car. Detectives for the county and the insurance carriers came up with the same belief. So did the diver. It only makes sense when you figure he wasn’t drving.
How do you explain the following?
1. The doors of the car were locked.
2. The damage to the car was to the passenger side, yet Mary Jo did not have any scratches on her none, as you would expect to see for the driver.
3. How did Kennedy, over 6 ft tall get out when she didn’t and how?
4. He had reason not to be in the car as Officer Look had come up to the car.
5. Kennedy was very familiar with that bridge.
6. The car was going over 35 mph
7. Mary Jo drove a Volkswagen and the Kennedy’s car was big in comparison, plus she had 0.09% alcohol.
8. By having him driving, he becomes the hero.
In short, Kennedy said he was in the car. He and the people around surmised that it would be better for him to say so, and plead guilty compared to the aftermath of saying he wasn’t driving. It would look cowardly if he said he wasn’t driving. How would he explain, being seen in the car earlier, then a single woman drowns in your car, being drunk (4 to 5 rum and cokes and beer reportedly), going down a dirt road, leaving the party, etc etc.
I think that he blacked out, and probably has no recollection of being in or out of the car. I’m not even buying that he went for help. I think he went back to his room and told no one about it.
The movie has him driving the car, and going back to the party for help.
TEd Kennedy was the most despicable person to be elected to the Senate of the United States. I maintain, that everything he did was dastardly, cowardly, hideous and pathetic. No way he was driving. That’s my opinion and the opinion of many many others.
The problem is this. When it comes down to judgement about a person who elected to not risk their life to save another vs one that did in fact risk life and limb to save another. It all becomes relative. — But it’s a good judge of character.
Just hope you never are put in the spot where you had to make a decision like that. It’s hard one to make. particularly when you’re under duress yourself.