American Scandal - Chappaquiddick | The Bridge | 2

Episode Date: May 5, 2026

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.

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 Chapiquitic, a small island off Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. 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 Oldsmobile 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 is a tourist in need of directions, look gets out of his car. When he gets to within 30 feet of the Oldsmobile, he calls out. Hey evening, folks. Anything I can help you with? 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 back. 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 all right? Need a lift? 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 sideswiked a minute ago. It's regatta weekend, you know, and you're not the only people who have been partying out here. All right, 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. But as Deputy Huck Look continues home, his mind drifts back to the Oldsmobile. He wonders where the couple could have been going. Chapiquitic is a tiny island with no bars, restaurants or stores, even the ferry to Egertown closed at midnight. And wherever they were going, they seemed to be in a hurry.

Look just hopes they got there okay. From audible originals, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American Scandal. 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, got in a way with multiple instances of reckless driving, and still managed to be elected to the U.S. 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, 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 Chappaquitic 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 two, The Bridge. It's around 1.15 a.m. on Saturday, July 19th, 1969, on Chappaquitic 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 going to be a rough night, though. It's been about two hours since Ted Kennedy and 28-year-old campaign aide Mary Jo Capechnie took off in Kennedy's Oldsmobile. Gargan assumes they caught the last ferry back to their hotel rooms across the channel in Egertown. So now Gargan and the nine remaining party goers are stranded in the two-bedroom cottage. Gargan does the math on how many beds and couches are available, and if he's lucky, he'll be able to sleep in the lazy boy, but equally likely he'll be making

due 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, 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 La Rosa 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 Capechnie. But before he can ask Kennedy anything, he's joined by another aide, Paul Markham.

The Rosa 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 Capechnie 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 Capechnie 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 Kepp Hekney is still alive, which means they need to get to the crash side. Gargan turns the key in the 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 back seat, Kennedy tells Gargan to turn right. A lot of the roads on Chapiquitic 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. 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. 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 Joost's in there, I mean, there's no way anyone can survive, right? Well, we've got to try. Gargan heads toward the bridge, and Markham follows.

As they walk, Gargan starts unbuttoning his shirt. Yeah, we should probably take her clothes off. You know, we don't want anything catching on a door handle or a broken window or something. Yeah, good idea. Two men stripped down, and a moment later, they're both standing on the bridge 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 going to feel around the car with my legs to try and find an open window that we can get inside of. But after a moment of kicking the car,

around, Gargan can tell this isn't going to work. I can't feel anything. I need to go under. Okay, but be careful. Gargan lets go of the car and submerges fully under water. But he still can't find a way in. It pops back up. This isn't working.

I'm going to 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 going to try and get inside. Just make sure you can get back out. Gargan takes the 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. 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,

drags him back to the car. Holding it 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'm worried to loss to 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. 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 dress, 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. 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 Kepekne but couldn't save her.

So he did the only thing. he could think of and walk 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 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 Egertown, 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 Egertown alone, allowing Gargan to go to the crash site and discover the accident for himself. When Gargan reports it, he can claim he found Capecni alone in the car,

making it appear that Capecne crashed herself into the pond while Kennedy was asleep miles away. 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 Cape Cepchnie. 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 Cepekne 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 Kepekne 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. 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 a census and is ready to take responsibility for what happened. When Gargan reaches the next intersection, he continues straight toward the ferry landing in 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. I'm Razor Jeffrey, and in the new season of The Spy Who, We told the story of Dr. A.Q. Khan, a spy who sold nuclear secrets to Iran. He was the scientist spy who stole nuclear technology from the Netherlands and used them to give Pakistan a bomb. But he didn't stop there. He became a black market atomic salesman,

a fix-it man for rogue states seeking nuclear weapons, including Iran, Libya and North Korea. And that left the CIA and MI6 in a race against time, to put him out of business. Before the world's most wayward regimes, get hold of the world's most destructive weapons. Follow the Spy Who now, wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to the full season

of the Spy Who sold Nuclear Sequence to Iran, early and ad-free on Audible. I'm Leon Naifok, best known as the host and co-creator of podcasts, Slow Burn, Fiasco, and Think Twice Michael Jackson. I'm here to tell you about my show Final Thoughts, Jerry Springer, whose name is synonymous with outrageous guests, taboo confessions, and vicious on-stage fights.

But before the Jerry Springer show became a symbol of cultural decline, its namesake was a popular Midwestern politician and a serious-minded idealist with lofty ambitions. Through dozens of intimate and revealing interviews with those who knew Springer best, I examined Springer's lifelong struggle to reconcile his TV persona with his political dreams and aspirations. Named one of the best podcasts of the year by The New Yorker and Rolling Stone. Final Thoughts, Jerry Springer, is a story about choices, how we make them, how we justify them to ourselves,

and how we transcend them or don't. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Or binge the whole series ad-free right now on Audible. Start your Audible subscription in the Audible app. It's just before 2 a.m. on July 19, 1969. Joe Gargan, Paul Markham, and Ted Kennedy reached the ferry landing on Capiquitic Island. Gargan's plan is for them to find a way across the channel to Egertown 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 Egertown 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. Slumped on the back sea, 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

Marken to go back to the cottage without him. He says they shouldn't tell the other party goers anything about the accident. Kepekne'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 Agnardtown 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. 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, and 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. 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 doll 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. 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 Chapiquitic. 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 Chapiquitic, 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 Egertown. Only after he made it across did they follow his orders, so now they're back at the party with the others. When the rest of the girls quiz Gargan on the whereabouts of Kennedy and Mary Jo Capechnie, Gargan mixes truth with lies.

He correctly explains that Kennedy swam back to Egertown, but Gargan tells the women that Capecne drove Kennedy's over. 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 Kepekny's corpse trapped inside. 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 30 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. 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. 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, Ted? 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 going to take care of it. It's taking 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 was what I was trying to explain to you last night before you jumped in the water and swam away like a lunatic. So you're not going to help me? Of course I'm going to 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 going to 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 going to do it, then I guess I'll have to. But I'm still going to say Mary Jo was driving. But you already told us. you were driving. Paul and I, we're not going to lie about that. We could lose our law licenses. Look, whatever happened with you and Mary Jo before the crash, you can explain that to the police however you'd like.

I'm going to 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 a

accept the consequences. That's the Kennedy way. 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. And he lets out a long sigh, stands up and says they'll need to find a pay phone. 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 would

discover the wrecked car before they can report it to the police. Kennedy may finally be doing the right thing, but he'll need to do it fast. I'm Leon Mayfok, best known as the host and co-creator of podcasts, slow burn, fiasco, and Think Twice, Michael Jackson. I'm here to tell you about my show, Final Thoughts, Jerry Springer, whose name is synonymous with outrageous guests, taboo confessions, and vicious on-stage fights. But before the Jerry Springer show

became a symbol of cultural decline, its namesake was a popular Midwestern politician and a serious-minded idealist with lofty ambitions. Through dozens of intimate and revealing interviews with those who knew Springer best, I examined Springer's lifelong struggle to reconcile his TV persona with his political dreams and aspirations.

Named one of the best podcasts of the year by The New Yorker and Rolling Stone, Final Thoughts, Jerry Springer is a story about choices, how we make them, how we justify them to ourselves, and how we transcend them or don't. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Or binge the whole series, ad-free right now on Audible.

Start your Audible subscription in the Audible app. 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 Chappaquittic Island. But before he goes to the police, Kennedy wants to call his senior aide David Burrick 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 pay phone. But everywhere in Egertown 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 decided to take the car ferry back across.

the water to Chapiquitic, 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. 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 Egertown 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 that 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. He tells the women that Kennedy was in an accident last night,

and that their friend Mary Jo Capechnie is missing. In reality, he knows Capecne 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 swore 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 Chappaquitic Island this Saturday morning.

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 Caperella. They arrived on the island yesterday for a camping trip and have ventured out early to do some fishing. From the beachy shore, Samuel Cox's 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 Caparillo 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 reached Samuel's blue Ford pickup truck. 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 him to 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 Caparilla 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, 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 Caparilla points out a two-story house a few hundred feet away. A 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 Caparilla have to say, Malm promptly calls the police station in Edgertown. 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, 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 likely 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 Malm'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 Arina dies underwater to get a better look at the car, he is instantly swept away. 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, and as he ponderes 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 parked 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 plane. While the officer is doing that, Arena sees John Ferrar get out of the second car. Ferrar 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 onshore yells out that he's got the registration of the car. It belongs to Edward Moore Kennedy, better known as Senator Ted. Kennedy. 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. Ferrar 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. All right, 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 Ferrar bangs around inside the vehicle. He must have found something. It's an agonizing weight, 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 taught. 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 worked together to drag the body into her 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? They must be all in their 40s. at least. She's much too young. But God, is it awful I'm relieved that'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. All right. Let's get her out of the water. 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. From Audible Originals and Airship, this is episode two of Chappaquitt for American Scamp. 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. Follow American Scandal on the Audible app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes of American Scandal, ad-free, by joining Audible. And to find out more about me and my other projects, including my live stage show coming

to a theater near you, go to not thatlindsaygram.com. That's not that Lindsaygram.com. If you'd like to learn more about Chapiquitic, we recommend the books Chapiquitic, Power, Privileged, 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 research by Corey McCaff, senior producer Andy Beckerman, managing producer Emily Burr, fact-checking by Alyssa. Fact-checking by Alyssa Jung Perry.

Audio editing by Mohamed Shazim. Music by Thrum. Sound designed by Gabriel Gould. Executive producer for Airship is William Simpson. 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 Giazza.

Copyright 2026 by Audible Originals LLC. Sound Recording Copyright 26 by Audible Originals LLC.