Chappaquiddick | The Bridge | 2

Following a car accident on the island, Ted Kennedy and his associates rush to save Mary Jo Kopechne. Afterward, Kennedy’s friends encourage him to report the crash, but while Kennedy delays, the wrecked car is discovered and a police investigation begins. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Lindsay Graham?

  Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. American Scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research. It's around 12:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, 1969. Christopher Huck Look is behind the wheel of his car on Chappaquiddick, a small island off Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

• 0:43Lindsay Graham?

  Look is a part-time deputy sheriff, and tonight he's been working security at a regatta party in Eggertown. He rubs his eyes and stifles a yawn, but as he nears his next turn, Look is jolted alert by the headlights of a car rapidly approaching. Look slows down and pulls off slightly to let the other driver pass. And as the car flashes by in front of his headlights, Look can see it's a black automobile with a man and a woman in the front seats. They pull off the main road and onto a private dirt lane where the car stops. Figuring the driver's a tourist in need of directions, Look gets out of his car. When he gets to within 30 feet of the automobile, he calls out,

• 1:27Speaker 01

  "Hey, evening, folks. Anything I can help you with?"

• 1:30Lindsay Graham?

  The car suddenly shifts into drive and then speeds off, kicking up a cloud of dirt. As a deputy sheriff, Look intuitively narrows his eyes on the license plate. It's dark, but in the red glow of the taillights, he can see it's a Massachusetts plate that begins with L7. Then, with a shake of his head, Look goes back to his car. And as he drives off, it occurs to him that he's still wearing his police badge. The pair in the Oldsmobile had probably been drinking and got spooked when they saw a cop. But Look hasn't gone too much further when he's fought some more people. A man and two women, dancing in a clumsy conga line in the middle of the road. Look slows down and leans his head out the window. Hey, you folks doing alright? Need a lift?

• 2:15Lindsay Graham?

  One of the women responds without even looking at him. Hey, shove off, buddy. We're fine. Excuse me? A woman turns toward Look, and when she notices the badge, her tone changes. Oh, officer, sorry. Hello, what did you say? I said, do you need a lift? Oh, no, thank you, sir. We're headed home. We rented a cottage just down the road. Well, I suggest you stop dancing in the middle of the road. I almost got sideswiped a minute ago. It's regatta weekend, you know, and you're not the only people who have been partying out here. Alright, yes, sir. We'll do that. Okay. Well, you have a safe night. Look pulls away and watches in his rearview mirror as the trio takes his advice and moves to the shoulder of the road. He swears under his breath. This damn regatta. Tourists get crazier every year.

• 3:03Lindsay Graham?

  But as Deputy Huck Look continues home, his mind drifts back to the Oldsmobile. He wonders where the couple could have been going. Chappaquiddick is a tiny island with no bars, restaurants, or stores. Even the ferry to Egretown closed at midnight. And wherever they were going, they seemed to be in a hurry. Look just hopes they got there okay.

• 3:56Speaker 02

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• 4:33Lindsay Graham?

  From Audible Originals, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American Scandal.

• 4:57Lindsay Graham?

  In 1969, Ted Kennedy was only 37 years old, but he'd already been through enough ups and downs for several lifetimes. As the youngest child of a wealthy and powerful dynasty, Kennedy had been bailed out of a cheating scandal at Harvard, gotten away with multiple instances of reckless driving, and still managed to be elected to the US Senate. But while his life had been privileged, it had also been enormously tragic. Of his eight siblings, one had been institutionalized, and four had been killed, including his older brothers John and Bobby, who were both assassinated. Many assumed that Kennedy would take up their mantle and run for president one day too, but the trauma of losing his siblings had left him scarred,

• 5:39Lindsay Graham?

  frightened, and more susceptible to his bad habits than ever. In July of 1969, Kennedy's cousin and lifelong protector Joe Gargan threw a party at a cottage on Chappaquiddick Island. Joining them were six young women from Bobby Kennedy's ill-fated presidential campaign, along with a handful of other men from the Kennedy political machine. But thanks to Ted Kennedy's demons, what was supposed to be a happy weekend get-together would soon turn into yet another tragedy. This is Episode 2: The Bridge.

• 6:14Lindsay Graham?

  It's around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, 1969, on Chappaquiddick Island. In the kitchen of the small cottage he's rented, Joe Gargan scrapes leftovers off a plate and into the trash. The party's finally beginning to wind down, and he's getting sleepy. Looks like it's gonna be a rough night, though. It's been about two hours since Ted Kennedy and 28-year-old campaign aide Mary Jo Kopecky took off in Kennedy's Oldsmobile. Gargan assumes they caught the last ferry back to their hotel rooms across the channel in Egretown. So now, Gargan and the nine remaining partygoers are stranded in the two-bedroom cottage. Gargan does the math on how many beds and couches are available, and if he's lucky,

• 6:56Lindsay Graham?

  he'll be able to sleep in the Lazy Boy, but equally likely, he'll be making do on the living room floor. As Gargan continues to tidy up, he feels a hand on his shoulder, and turns to see Ray LaRosa, another party guest and longtime aide of Senator Kennedy. In a hushed voice, LaRosa tells Gargan that Kennedy is outside and wants to speak with him. Gargan is surprised; he thought Kennedy had left for the night. Eager to know what's going on, Gargan quickly follows LaRosa out the back door. And he finds Kennedy slumped in the backseat of a Plymouth Valiant sedan, the other car that was used to bring guests to the party. Gargan frowns in confusion. There's no sign of the Oldsmobile or Kopecky.

• 7:38Lindsay Graham?

  But before he can ask Kennedy anything, he's joined by another aide, Paul Markham. LaRosa heads back inside, while Gargan and Markham climb into the car with Kennedy. Now it's just the three of them. Kennedy explains what's happened. He says there's been an accident. The senator was driving with Kopecky when his car went off a bridge down by the beach about a mile from the cottage. His voice is strangely calm, a matter of fact, but then the story gets worse. Kennedy tells them that the Oldsmobile is in the water and Kopecky is still inside. Shock washes over Gargan. For a moment, he's frozen in his seat, thinking this can't be happening, but then Gargan pulls himself together. It's possible Kopecky is still alive, which means they need to get to the crash site.

• 8:24Lindsay Graham?

  Gargan turns the key into ignition and guns the Valiant onto the road. Seconds later, they're at an intersection. The main road curves around to the left, and to the right is a narrow, private dirt lane that leads to the beach. Gargan yells out to Kennedy, asking which way to go, and from the backseat, Kennedy tells Gargan to turn right. A lot of the roads on Chappaquiddick are little more than dirt tracks, but this one is especially treacherous. About a half mile from the intersection, it veers sharply to the left, then immediately crosses an old wooden bridge that spans a channel linking the sea with an island pond. The bridge itself is even narrower than the road, just wide enough for a single car, and there are no guardrails.

• 9:07Lindsay Graham?

  Gargan slows as the bridge comes into view, and Kennedy tells him this is where he crashed. Carefully, Gargan drives across the bridge, and then on the other side, he turns back around and shines the sedan's headlights over the channel.

• 9:24Lindsay Graham?

  Gargan gets out of the car and hurries over to the water's edge. Markham joins him, while Kennedy takes a seat on the hood of the parked Valiant and just stares silently into space. Gargan peers into the dark water. He sees the Oldsmobile flipped upside down and almost completely submerged. He turns to Markham. Jesus, how long has it been since the crash? Must have been half an hour. If Mary Jo's in there, I mean, there's no way anyone can survive, right? Well, we gotta try. Gargan heads toward the bridge, and Markham follows. As they walk, Gargan starts unbuttoning his shirt. Yeah, we should probably take our clothes off. You know, we don't want anything catching on a door handle or a broken window or something. Yeah, good idea. The two men strip down, and a moment later, they're both standing on the bridge,

• 10:09Lindsay Graham?

  completely nude. Markham dives into the pond first, followed by Gargan. He's relieved to find the water isn't too cold, but as he surfaces and kicks out toward the car, he can feel the tug of the current pulling at him. He swims harder, and a few seconds later, both men have reached the rear of the submerged car. Catching his breath, Gargan lays out a plan. All right, I don't think we'll be able to see anything down there. I'm just gonna feel around the car with my legs, try and find an open window that we can get inside of. But after a moment of kicking around, Gargan can tell this isn't gonna work. Nah, can't feel anything. I need to go under. Okay, but be careful. Gargan lets go of the car and submerges fully underwater, but he still can't find a way in.

• 10:54Lindsay Graham?

  He pops back up. This isn't working. I'm gonna try the front. Gargan swims to the front of the overturned car and feels around the vehicle with his legs. Hey, there's an opening here. It must be a window. I'm gonna try and get inside. Just make sure you can get back out. Gargan takes a deep breath and dives under the surface. Grabbing the sides of the window, he pulls his body through the opening. He claws around the inside with his hands, but he can't make sense of what he's groping at. When Gargan begins to lose his breath, he tries to go back the way he came, but suddenly he can't find the window. He thrashes out, grasping for anything. Finally, his hands catch on a hard surface and he pushes off.

• 11:36Lindsay Graham?

  Stretching out for the open window, Gargan forces himself back through. Joe, you okay? The current threatens to pull Gargan downstream, but Markham grabs a hold of him and drags him back to the car. Holding on to the submerged trunk, Gargan tries to gather his strength. I couldn't see anything. I got turned around and started panicking. You're okay. You're okay. That's the main thing. You're okay. I worried the loss of you for a second, though. I'm going back in. Oh, no, it's too dangerous. I'll stay outside of the car. Maybe I can get one of the doors open. No, Joe, I have to try, Paul. I'm the one who invited her.

• 12:12Lindsay Graham?

  But even though he tries, Joe Gargan can't force a door open, and eventually the two men decide they're only risking their own lives. They swim to the low slung bridge and pull themselves up onto its wooden beams. Then exhausted, they trudge over to the valiant, where Ted Kennedy remains seated on the hood. They tell him they've done all they can. Kennedy is distraught. He puts his hands on his head, and over and over he mutters, "I can't believe this is happening." Gargan and Markham begin putting their clothes back on. And as they dressed, they asked Kennedy again, "What happened?" Kennedy can't tell them much more than he already has. He says he was driving his Oldsmobile on the dirt road when he suddenly found himself on the bridge.

• 12:54Lindsay Graham?

  Then, in an instant, the car was off the bridge and upside down in the pond. Kennedy thought he was going to drown, but he somehow freed himself from the car and made it to shore. He went back for Kopecky, but couldn't save her. So he did the only thing he could think of and walked back to the cottage to get help. There's a long silence. No one is sure what to say or do. So Gargan gets behind the wheel of the Valiant with Markham in the passenger seat and Kennedy in the back. As he starts the car up and carefully crosses the bridge again, Gargan begins to think. As Kennedy's lifelong protector, it's up to him to ensure that this already nightmarish situation doesn't get any worse. There's a dead girl back there in that Oldsmobile, and Kennedy was behind the wheel when the

• 13:39Lindsay Graham?

  accident happened. They clearly need to report it as soon as possible, and not just because it's a legal requirement. Failing to alert the authorities in a timely manner will expose Kennedy to all manner of legal and political trouble further down the line. So Gargan begins laying out a plan. When they get back to Edgar Town, they'll head to the police station to report the accident in person. After that, they should call Kennedy's mother, Rose, to let the family know what's happened before they hear about it from the media. Markham agrees that this sounds like a good course of action. But then Kennedy interjects from the backseat. He's got a different idea. Kennedy proposes that they all go back to the cottage and work out a story they can stick to. Then he'll go back to his hotel in Edgar Town alone, allowing Gargan to go to the

• 14:24Lindsay Graham?

  crash site and discover the accident for himself. When Gargan reports it, he can claim he found Kopecky alone in the car, making it appear that Kopecky crashed herself into the pond while Kennedy was asleep miles away.

• 14:39Lindsay Graham?

  Gargan is horrified. Kennedy's plan is full of holes. First of all, he and Markham already know what happened, and they're not going to implicate themselves in a crime by lying to the police. And even if they did, there are people back at the cottage who saw Kennedy leave with Kopecky. There's no way the five other boiler room girls are all going to agree to lie about what they saw. Besides, they'd have to cook up some reason why Kopecky was driving alone on an unfamiliar road late at night, behind the wheel of a car that wasn't hers, while all her friends were back partying at the cottage. They don't even know if Kopecky had a license. It's all too risky. Kennedy tries to argue back, insisting that those are minor details that can be worked out, but Gargan cuts him off, raising his voice.

• 15:23Lindsay Graham?

  Gargan reminds Kennedy that the three of them were being quite loud at the crash site just now, well within earshot of nearby homes. They also had the Valiant's headlights shining over the pond, which anyone passing by would have seen. There could be witnesses they don't even know about. Kennedy goes quiet. Gargan hopes his old friend has come to his senses and is ready to take responsibility for what happened. When Gargan reaches the next intersection, he continues straight toward the ferry landing, the opposite direction of the cottage. Kennedy doesn't protest. As far as Gargan is concerned, it's an unspoken agreement. They're going to report the accident just as it happened.

• 16:35Speaker 03

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• 17:04Speaker 04

  On January 24, 2023, in Duxbury, Massachusetts, Patrick Clancy called 911. He had found his wife Lindsay badly injured and his three children dead and dying. What followed would become one of the most searing and complicated cases in recent memory, raising hard questions about motherhood, mental illness, and how far our justice system will go to understand what really happened. I'm Candace DeLong, host of the podcast Killer Psyche. In our latest episode, we take you inside the case of Lindsay Clancy, the postpartum psychosis defense, the courtroom battle, and the trial that just ended in a stunning mistrial.

• 17:48Speaker 04

  Follow Killer Psyche wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Killer Psyche one week early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 18:15Lindsay Graham?

  It's just before 2:00 a.m. on July 19, 1969. Joe Gargan, Paul Markham, and Ted Kennedy reached the ferry landing on Chappaquiddick Island. Gargan's plan is for them to find a way across the Channel to Egretown so that they can report the car accident at the police station as soon as possible. He was hoping that by some miracle, the ferry might still be running at this late hour, or that there might be someone here who could help. But as he looks around, the ferry master is nowhere to be seen. The ferry itself is tied up across the water on the Egger Town side. The entire landing is quiet and deserted. As the three men sit in the car, Gargan once again insists that they need to find a way to get to the police station.

• 18:57Lindsay Graham?

  Slumped on the backseat, Kennedy just closes his eyes. He's had enough of Gargan's voice for one night. He desperately needs a moment to himself to try and process what's just happened. It's all so surreal. He can see his political life flashing before his eyes and can't imagine how he'll possibly explain to the public that he was out with a young woman late at night while his wife was asleep at home. Even worse, now that young woman is dead. But it's hard to think straight with Gargan going on and on from the front seat. Eventually Kennedy can't take it anymore. He just wants to get away from his cousin, away from the island, away from everything. So Kennedy interrupts Gargan and tells him and Markham to go back to the cottage without him.

• 19:40Lindsay Graham?

  He says they shouldn't tell the other partygoers anything about the accident. Kepkney's friends might go to the bridge and hurt themselves trying to pull her body from the water. Kennedy then says he'll take care of everything. Gargan doesn't need to call the police or anyone else tonight. He'll handle all of it. And with that, Kennedy opens the door and strides away from the car. His friends don't follow. For a moment Kennedy stands at the water's edge and stares across the channel. He can see Egger Town just 500 feet away. Kennedy wants nothing more than to get back to the safety and comfort of his hotel room, so he dives headfirst into the water, fully clothed. If Gargan or Markham shout after him or try to call him back, he doesn't hear them. And the water feels good.

• 20:25Lindsay Graham?

  The shock of the cold on his body is exactly what he needs. He takes strong, confident strokes, and at first the swim is smooth. Kennedy is an accomplished athlete and a lifelong swimmer, but after a while he begins to lose steam. His head is pounding and his back aches from the accident. He's also got a belly full of booze and hors d'oeuvres from a long night of partying. Now, halfway across the channel, the current begins to get stronger. Kennedy feels himself being pulled along out toward the deeper waters of the bay. He doesn't think he can make it across, but now it's too late to turn around. Terrible thought creeps into his mind. The Kennedy curse is real, and it's about to strike again.

• 21:08Lindsay Graham?

  This might be how the great dynasty finally ends. His brother Joe Jr. was killed in the war, and Jack and Bobby were struck down by assassins. Now, the last Kennedy man standing is going to drown on Martha's Vineyard, swimming drunk in the middle of the night, fleeing the scene of an accident. But Kennedy pushes this thought from his head. He's too proud to give up, and a Kennedy always fights to the very end. So he kicks harder, his lungs burning. But despite all his efforts, the opposite shore still seems so far away, until he hits a calmer stretch of water. The current eases, and with each stroke of his arms, the beach grows closer. When Kennedy finally reaches solid ground, he collapses on the sand, exhausted.

• 21:53Lindsay Graham?

  He's relieved just to be alive, but he's also glad to be away from Gargan, Markham, and the whole mess he's left behind on Chappaquiddick. And when his strength returns, Kennedy picks himself up, and begins trudging along the beach toward his hotel. He just needs to lie down for a while in the peace and quiet of his room to decide what to do next. Back on Chappaquiddick, Joe Gargan and Paul Markham have headed back to the cottage as instructed. They were astonished when Kennedy suddenly jumped into the water, fully clothed, but they could do nothing except watch as he struggled across the channel to Eggertown. Only after he made it across did they follow his orders. So now they're back at the party with the others.

• 22:35Lindsay Graham?

  When the rest of the girls quiz Gargan on the whereabouts of Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopecky, Gargan mixes truth with lies. He correctly explains that Kennedy swam back to Eggertown, but Gargan tells the women that Kopecky drove Kennedy's Oldsmobile to catch the last car ferry of the night, and she must be safely back at her hotel by now. In reality, he knows that the Oldsmobile is only a mile away, submerged, upside down in the water, with Kopecky's corpse trapped inside.

• 23:04Lindsay Graham?

  But none of the others seem to suspect that Gargan is lying. Steadily, everyone finds a bed, a couch, or a space on the floor where they can lay their heads. It's an uncomfortable night for all the partygoers, but especially Gargan and Markham. Neither man sleeps, and as the hours tick by, their anxieties grow. Around 7 a.m., they hold a whispered conference. Kennedy should have reported the accident by now, but they've heard nothing from the police, who surely would have come knocking at the cottage. So they decide to take the ferry to Egertown to find out what's going on. It's around thirty minutes later when Gargan and Markham arrive at Kennedy's hotel. They see Kennedy is already up and standing on the second-floor balcony, casually talking with other guests.

• 23:49Lindsay Graham?

  This sight infuriates Gargan. He's disheveled and exhausted from spending a long, anxious night in the stifling cottage. He's lied for Kennedy. He's nearly drowned for him. But now, here Kennedy is, looking well-rested and cheerful, chatting with other guests like nothing's happened. Gargan calls up and interrupts the conversation. In a terse voice, he demands that they talk with Kennedy immediately. Forcing a smile, Kennedy excuses himself and disappears into the hotel. Gargan and Markham march inside and up to Kennedy's room.

• 24:24Lindsay Graham?

  When Gargan pushes the door open, he finds the senator calmly lying on the bed, hands clasped behind his head. All right, what the hell, Ten? Why didn't the police come to the cottage? I guess they haven't heard about the crash yet. Gargan glances at Markham. They can't believe this. You told us last night you were gonna take care of it. It's taken you this long to realize I didn't report it? Come on, Joe, you're supposed to be a smart guy. I figured after an hour, you'd guess and just do what we talked about. And what was that? Lie to the police? Do the smart thing. Tell them you discovered the crash on your own, and then Mary Jo had driven herself into the water alone. That plan wasn't smart. It was insane. It could have worked. No, it couldn't. Which is what I was trying to explain to you last night before you jumped in the water and swam away like a lunatic.

• 25:09Lindsay Graham?

  So you're not gonna help me? Of course I'm gonna help you. You were always able to smooth things over for my brothers. This is different. This is... There's a dead girl in the water back there, inside a car, registered in your name. I can't just smooth this over. You have to report it. Kennedy stares at him sullenly. Gargan points outside. Look, it's morning, Ted. People are moving around on the island. Someone's gonna find the car and report it. Every minute we sit here doing nothing, the worse it will look for you. Fine. If you're not gonna do it, then I guess I'll have to. But I'm still gonna say Mary Jo was driving. But you already told us you were driving. Paul and I, we're not gonna lie about that. We could lose our law licenses.

• 25:52Lindsay Graham?

  Look, whatever happened with you and Mary Jo before the crash, you can explain that to the police however you'd like. But I'm gonna tell them what I know. For a moment, Kennedy doesn't respond. Then Gargan makes one last appeal. Look, Teddy, if Jack and Bobby were here right now, what do you think they would say? I think they'd tell you to have some courage, to man up, to report the accident like it happened and accept the consequences. That's the Kennedy way.

• 26:22Lindsay Graham?

  Joe Gargan is certain that what he said about Ted Kennedy's brothers is true. For all their flaws, Jack and Bobby would always meet a crisis head-on. But Gargan also knows that invoking their names is a gamble. He hopes it will finally get Kennedy to come to his senses, but it could just as easily cause him to dig in even further. Kennedy sits upright on the bed and stares into Gargan's eyes for a tense moment. Then he lets out a long sigh, stands up and says they'll need to find a payphone. Kennedy explains he wants to talk with an aide before reporting the accident to the police. Joe Gargan is relieved that Kennedy seems to be relenting. Still, Gargan knows they're not out of the woods yet. There's a chance someone else will discover the wrecked car before they can report it to the police.

• 27:07Lindsay Graham?

  Kennedy may finally be doing the right thing, but he'll need to do it fast.

• 27:15Speaker 05

  Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat and Fish are back for a whole lot of wonderfully whimsical fun. What happens when you switch bodies with your best friend? Discover a caveman frozen in ice? Or make an alien so angry he threatens to destroy the planet? Find out in season two of the Cat in the Hat podcast. The cat and fish are traveling the world in the great catastrophic cacophony cruiser, meeting genies, clown professors, cave trolls, and extraordinary characters along the way. With clever wordplay, imaginative rhymes, original songs, and stories celebrating curiosity, empathy, and creative problem solving, every adventure brings something new to discover.

• 27:58Speaker 05

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• 28:15Speaker 06

  Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia spent her life exposing powerful people. Then, in 2017, she was killed in a car bombing. I'm Stephen Gray, and for the past nine years, I've been trying to find out who wanted her dead. That search took me to Malta through secret companies, organized crime, and eventually to one of the island's richest and most powerful men. Now, after years of waiting, his trial has finally happened. But when the verdict came in, the case took a turn that almost no one had expected. In a brand-new update to the multi-award-winning podcast Who Killed Daphne?, I'm returning to Malta to find out how we got there and where the search for the truth goes next.

• 28:57Speaker 06

  Listen to the new episode of Who Killed Daphne? wherever you get your podcasts, and you can hear the full six-part investigation from the beginning, ad-free with Audible. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app and by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 29:26Lindsay Graham?

  It's 8 a.m., July 19, 1969, and Joe Gargan has finally convinced his cousin Ted Kennedy to report the fatal car accident on Chappaquiddick Island. But before he goes to the police, Kennedy wants to call his senior aide David Burke to prepare him for the political fallout that is sure to follow. So they all exit Kennedy's hotel room and go in search of a payphone. But everywhere in Egretown is packed with people in town for the weekend's regatta, and they can't find a phone without a line of people beside it. Eventually, the trio decide to take the car ferry back across the water to Chappaquiddick, which they hope will be quieter. And after they cross, they find no one on the payphone at the ferry landing, so Kennedy finally calls Burke from there.

• 30:09Lindsay Graham?

  But he just gives the same advice as Gargan did: Kennedy needs to report the accident himself as soon as possible. So after the call, Kennedy is ready to go back over to Egretown to the police station. But Gargan decides not to go with the other men. He's still not convinced that Kennedy will tell the truth about what happened in the fatal accident, and doesn't want to be a party to filing a false police report. Instead, Gargan drives toward the cottage. He wants to clean up the liquor bottles or any other signs of a raucous late-night party before the police come knocking. And when Gargan arrives at the cottage, he finds the five surviving boiler room girls are awake. This is when he admits that what he told them the night before wasn't true. But he still doesn't tell them the whole truth.

• 30:53Lindsay Graham?

  He tells the women that Kennedy was in an accident last night, and that their friend Mary Jo Kopecky is missing. In reality, he knows Kopecky has been dead for hours, but Gargan isn't sure exactly what Kennedy is planning to tell the police, and he doesn't want anything he says to these women to contradict Kennedy's report. Gargan's focus is on cleaning the cottage and then getting the women out of town as fast as possible. The last thing he or Kennedy needs is for the boiler room girls to start talking with police, or with the inevitable swarm of press about their missing friend. But time is already running out, because Gargan and the partygoers aren't the only ones up and about on Chappaquiddick Island this Saturday morning.

• 31:34Lindsay Graham?

  Robert Samuel is a 22-year-old junior high science teacher, who's come to Martha's Vineyard for the weekend with his 15-year-old family friend Joe Caparella. They arrived on the island yesterday for a camping trip and have ventured out early to do some fishing. From the beachy shore, Samuel cocks his fishing rod behind his shoulder, then whips it forward, casting his line out into the water. But as he waits for a bite, Samuel begins to grow frustrated. They've been out here for an hour and haven't caught anything. So eventually Samuel gives up. He tells Caparella that it might be time to try their luck somewhere else. Soon, the young duo reel in their lines, pick up their tackle boxes, and begin trudging back inland toward their car. A few minutes later, they reach Samuel's blue Ford pickup truck.

• 32:19Lindsay Graham?

  The vehicle is parked next to a narrow wooden bridge. And as Samuel is loading his gear into the back of the truck, a thought occurs to him. They might as well spend a few minutes casting into this pond here before they depart. Maybe this is where all the fish have been hiding. So Samuel lifts his rod back out of the truck and beckons for Caparella to follow him to the bridge. But as they approach, something in the water catches Samuel's eye, reflecting sunlight near the surface. And just beneath it, there appears to be a larger, darker object. Samuel leans over the side of the bridge to take a closer look. And that's when he sees that it's a car, turned upside down and almost entirely submerged in the water. For a moment, Samuel wonders why they didn't see it when they passed over the bridge an hour earlier.

• 33:04Lindsay Graham?

  And he realizes it's only just become visible because the tide has started to go out. Samuel scans the area for anyone who might help, but there's no one else around. Then Caparella points out a two-story house a few hundred feet away. The pair toss their fishing rods aside. And when they reach the house, Samuel bangs on the door. After a moment, the two young men are greeted by Sylvia Malm, a middle-aged woman renting the house for the summer with her family. When she hears what Samuel and Caparella have to say, Malm promptly calls the police station in Edgar Town. And it doesn't take long for Police Chief Dominic Arena to arrive at the scene. He meets up with Samuel and Caparella, who point out the car in the water. And as the tide continues to flow out into the bay,

• 33:48Lindsay Graham?

  its rear tires are now clearly visible. Chief Arena takes a moment to examine the dusty, sandy bridge, looking for any clues about how the car ended up in the water. He finds some light scuff marks and determines the car lightly slid sideways off the bridge. As Arena begins to wrap his head around the scene, Sylvia Malm joins the men on the bridge. She says she heard a car driving on the road around midnight the night before, but she didn't hear anything plunge into the water. Chief Arena decides he needs a closer look at the wreck. He borrows a bathing suit from Malum's husband and then wades out into the channel. The water is only six feet deep now, but the tide is still strong. And when Arena dives underwater to get a better look at the car, he is instantly swept away.

• 34:33Lindsay Graham?

  Arena lets himself drift for a moment, then catches hold of the bridge. He takes a breath and regathers himself to make another attempt, swimming hard back toward the car. But once again, it's no use. The current is just too strong and the water too murky to get a good look. So Chief Arena swims back to shore to call for reinforcements. From his police cruiser, Arena radios for a tow truck and for the fire department to send a scuba diver to assist. While he waits for them to arrive, Arena swims back out to the car. The police chief pushes himself up against the exposed bumper, taking a seat on the rear of the vehicle and dangling his feet into the water. Now, Arena has a quiet moment to himself for the first time since he got to the scene.

• 35:16Lindsay Graham?

  And as he ponders the car beneath him, he has a dark realization. Anyone who survived this crash should have reported it by now. Sure, the driver may have been drunk and avoided talking to the police in the immediate aftermath, but by now, they would have had plenty of time to sleep it off. Yet still, no one's called it in, which means whoever drove this car into the water is probably still inside. As Arena digests this thought, he spots two vehicles driving down the road toward the bridge. They park near the shore and one of Arena's colleagues gets out of the first car. Calling to him from the water, Arena instructs him to run the submerged car's license plate. While the officer is doing that, Arena sees John Farrar get out of the second car.

• 36:00Lindsay Graham?

  Farrar is a scuba diver with the fire department, and he's arrived already in his wetsuit. As he gets his tank and other equipment out of the trunk, Arena's colleague on shore yells out that he's got the registration of the car. It belongs to Edward Moore Kennedy, better known as Senator Ted Kennedy.

• 36:21Lindsay Graham?

  Before Arena can begin to process that, there's a splash. The scuba diver John Farrar dives into the water. And in a few powerful strokes, he swims out to Arena. Hey, John. Thanks for getting here so quick. Sure thing. You really think we got a Kennedy down there? God, I hope not. That poor family. Yeah, well, we should probably find out for sure. Farrar attaches a safety rope to his gear and hands the other end of the line to Arena. Hold on to this. If something goes wrong, pull me up. Alright, copy that. And good luck down there. Farrar disappears under the water, leaving Arena to wait nervously on top of the car. He can feel vibrations below as Farrar bangs around inside the vehicle. He must have found something.

• 37:04Lindsay Graham?

  It's an agonizing wait, but then Arena feels a pair of quick tugs on the safety line. He knows the signal. Farrar is letting him know he's coming up. Arena pulls the rope toward him, keeping it taut. And he sees Farrar come to the surface with a stiff, pale body in his arms. Arena can't make out who it is, but it's obviously not Ted Kennedy. Who is it? I can't tell. Some girl. Help me prop her up against the car. Arena and Farrar work together to drag the body into Arena's lap, face up. Now the police chief finally gets a good look at the deceased. It's a young woman in a long, white blouse. You recognize her? No. Could it be one of his sisters? Uh, they must be all in their 40s at least. She's much too young.

• 37:49Lindsay Graham?

  But God, is it awful unrelieved it's not him? I feel terrible even saying that. Well, I know what you mean, but it's still someone's daughter. Yeah, and they probably have no idea what's happened to her. Alright, let's get her out of the water.

• 38:05Lindsay Graham?

  Police Chief Arena calls out to the bridge, instructing the other officer to push a small boat toward them so they can transport the woman's body to shore. As Arena waits for the boat, he thinks about the next steps. The first thing he'll need to do is get a hold of Senator Kennedy. He has to break the news that they just pulled a young woman from his car, and that won't be pleasant. But with any luck, Kennedy will be able to shed some light on who she is and how she ended up in the water.

• 38:34Lindsay Graham?

  From Audible Originals and Airship, this is episode two of Chappaquiddick for American Scandal. In our next episode, investigators try to piece together what happened in the fatal crash, and Ted Kennedy bunkers down with an all-star team of lawyers and advisors to manage the fallout.

• 38:54Lindsay Graham?

  American Scandal is only possible because of listeners like you, so thank you. And don't miss an episode. Be sure to follow American Scandal on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. And Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. And to find out more about me, including my other podcasts, my live show, the history tours I'm arranging, and all sorts of other things, go to historyishuman.com. That's historyishuman.com.

• 39:27Lindsay Graham?

  If you'd like to learn more about Chappaquiddick, we recommend the books Chappaquiddick: Power, Privilege, and the Ted Kennedy Cover-Up by Leo Demore and Ted Kennedy: A Life by James A. Farrell. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details. And while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham, for Airship. This episode is written and researched by Corey Metcalf, senior producer Andy Beckerman, managing producer Emily Berth, fact-checking by Alyssa Junk Perry, audio editing by Mohamed Shazib, music by Thrum, sound design by Gabriel Ghul. Executive producer for Airship is William Simpson.

• 40:11Lindsay Graham?

  Executive producer for Audible is Jenny Lauer Beckman. Head of creative development at Audible, Kate Navin. Head of Audible Originals North America, Marshall Louis. Chief content officer, Rachel Giatza. Copyright 2026 by Audible Originals LLC. Sound recording copyright 2026 by Audible Originals LLC.

• 40:36Speaker 07

  Hi, I'm Kenya Barris.

• 40:37Speaker 01

  And I'm Malcolm Gladwell. We're back for season two of our Audible original podcast, The Unusual Suspects.

• 40:44Speaker 07

  We'll sit down with extraordinary guests from the worlds of art, film, literature, comedy, and wellness to hear from their unexpected stories of success.

• 40:51Speaker 01

  And who do we have this season? Well, we'll talk with Grammy-winning artist Anderson Paak, athlete Rich Roll, portrait artist Amy Sherald, Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, legendary writer David Sedaris, and many more. These conversations are more intimate than last season, wouldn't you say?

• 41:07Speaker 07

  I would. Listen to season one of The Unusual Suspects wherever you get your podcasts and sign up for a free trial Audible to listen to season two in the Audible app or by subscribing to Apple Podcasts.