09/26/11 Greenwich Events - It Is Going To Be A Busy Week In Town

Monday

The American Red Cross will host the annual Red Cross Golf Classic at 10 a.m. Sept. 26 at the Greenwich Country Club. Registration will begin at 10 a.m. and lunch at 11:30 a.m. The shotgun start will begin at 1 p.m. Golfers will have the chance to win cash prizes. The tournament will be followed by an awards cocktail and buffet reception at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.greenwichredcross.org or call 203-869-8444.

Tuesday

The Greenwich Land Trust will join with Wildlife In Crisis to release a rehabilitated red fox at 4 p.m. Sept. 27 at the 6.7-acre Agnew Apple Orchard. The Agnew Orchard features heirloom variety apples that were grafted to existing trees several years ago. Help plant an apple tree, learn about the apple grafting process, and watch a rehabilitated fox explore this permanently protected land for the first time. The outing is free and open to the community. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, email Jacinta Mullins at Jacinta@gltrust.org.

The Alliance Francaise of Greenwich will host a “Cocktail de Rentrée” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Bruce Museum, located at 1 Museum Drive. The event will include hor d’oeuvres, wine, private tours of “Picasso’s Vollard Suite: The Sculptor’s Studio” and “Drawings by Rembrant, his Students and Circle,” and a raffle for two VIP tickets to Focus on French Cinema 2012. The event is free to members, $10 for non-members or 20 percent off membership Sept. 27 only. RSVP to Rebecca Kurish by Sept. 22 at 203-629-1340 or info@afgreenwich.org.

The Greenwich Chamber of Commerce will feature Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., as its speaker at the Update from Washington luncheon to be held at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. Limited tickets are available. The cost is $50 for members and $65 for non-members. To register, email info@greenwichchamber.com or call 203-869-3500. The event is co-sponsored by Young Professionals Group.


The League of Women Voters of Greenwich invites the public to a debate between the candidates for tax collector: Republican incumbent Tod Laudonia and Democrat Bill Grad. The debate will take place from 8 to 9 p.m. Sept. 27 in the Cone Room of Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road. The moderator will be Charlotte Garrell from Fairfield, and the candidates will respond to questions from the audience.

Congressman Jim Himes will speak at the Round Hill Association meeting Sept. 27 at the Round Hill Community House, located at 397 Round Hill Road. Himes will present an inside look at the new proposals for job creation, the debt reduction “supercommittee” and what the future holds for Social Security and Medicare. In addition, Douglas Serafin, director of the Greenwich Department of Health’s laboratory, will present a program on well water safety and water testing. Representatives from CL&P will present a brief update on improvements to the electric grid over the summer and responses to hurricane Irene. There will be a time for attendees to ask questions after each speaker’s presentation. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the program starting at 7 p.m. The forum is open to RHA members, neighbors and friends.

To prepare for the upcoming flu season, the Greenwich Department of Health has scheduled four flu vaccination clinics for people ages 9 and older. The first will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, 90 Harding Road. There will also be a clinic from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the Oct. 6 Senior Health Fair at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center. There will be a clinic at Town Hall from 2 to 6 p.m. Oct. 12, and the last will be held at the Bendheim Western Greenwich Civic Center, 449 Pemberwick Road, from 3 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 26. The vaccinations cost $32, payable by cash or check, and people 65 and older must bring their Connecticut Medicare Part B card. Pneumonia vaccines will also be available for $50. Call 203-622-3774 prior to attending.

The ONS Foundation for Clinical Research & Education will present “Running Right! Injury Prevention for Runners” at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at the foundation, located at #6 in Greenwich Office Park, 10 Valley Drive. Sports medicine physician and runner Dr. Gloria Cohen will teach how to recognize and avoid the most common injuries associated with running. Physical therapist Abigail Ramsey will discuss stretching and strengthening conditioning for runners, safe training methods, physical therapy injury treatments and returning to running after an injury. Presenters will also include running shoe specialist Chris Goslin from Greenwich Running Co. The seminar is free. Registration is required and begins at 6:30 p.m. For more information or to register, call 203-869-3131.

Wednesday

The Greenwich Retired Men’s Association will host Patrick Sciarratta, executive director of Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, at 11:15 a.m. Sept. 28 at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 18 Lafayette Place. Sciarratta has served as the foundation’s executive director since 1993. The foundation has a staff of five in Greenwich and a second office in Budapest, Hungary. The presentation is open to the public. For more information, call John deCsepel at 203-637-2393 or Peter Schieferdecker at 203-622-0191.

Friday

The Greenwich Tree Conservancy, the Greenwich Arts Council and the Garden Education Center are sponsoring a site-specific art exhibit featuring trees at the Montgomery Pinetum. The opening reception for this show will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Garden Education Center. Refreshments will be served. Each of 11 artists represented in the show were asked to base their work on one tree in the pinetum. Those attending the reception will be given a printed map locating the specific trees that inspired each artist’s work. The artworks will be on sale and exhibited throughout October. Parking is available. For more information, email treeconserv@optonline.net.

Saturday

Diamond Hill United Methodist Church will host a chili cook-off challenge from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 1. Admission is $5. All proceeds are to benefit the Neighbor to Neighbor Food Bank. To enter your chili, call 203-869-2395 or email cawill@optonline.net.

The 13th annual Hawk Festival and Green Bazaar will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 and 2 at the Greenwich Audubon, located at 613 Riversville Road. The outdoor festival regularly attracts 2,000 or more visitors from across Westchester, Fairfield, and Putnam counties. Space at the festival is limited and reservations are on a first-come first-served basis. To secure a booth space, fill an online registration and mail a check (if applicable). For more information, call Audubon at 203-869-5272.

The Bruce Museum will present a symposium on Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 1 at the museum, located at 1 Museum Drive. The symposium, open to the public, features a series of three lectures followed by a panel discussion on Rembrandt and Rembrandt School drawings. The event is organized by the museum in conjunction with the exhibition “Drawings by Rembrandt, his Students and Circle from the Maida and George Abrams Collection,” which runs Sept. 24 through Jan. 8. Reservations and advance payment are strongly suggested. Bruce Museum members $15, non-members $20. Please call the museum at 203-869-0376 or email info@brucemuseum.org.

The work of artists Bryan Nash Gill and Sally Frank will be presented at the Kiernan Hall Nature Art Gallery at Audubon Greenwich Oct. 1 through 30. “Trees: Inside and Out” is an exhibition of monotypes, lithographs and relief prints that presents a portrait of one of nature’s most fundamental elements. A reception for the exhibition will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 9. For more information, call Audubon Greenwich at 203-869-5272.

Sunday

The Old Greenwich Riverside Community Center will hold the 49th annual Model Sailboat Regatta at 2 p.m. Oct. 2 in Binney Park. Races are split into nine divisions. Trophies are awarded to top three finishers of each division. Check in begins at 1 p.m. For further questions, call 203-637-3659.

The Greenwich Japanese School Parent Teacher Association will hold a Japanese Culture Festival from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Greenwich Japanese School, located at 270 Lake Ave. The Japanese culture fair will include a tea ceremony, kendo and karate demonstrations, as well as games, book, goods and food sales, a raffle, and an opportunity to try on a kimono. The raffle includes an i-Pod nano, Nintendo 3DS, restaurant vouchers, a digital camera, laptop and more. The event is raine or shine. Admission is free and parking will be available. For more information, contact the PTA at bunkafest2011@yahoo.co.jp.

The Round Hill Community Church choir, soloists, and guest instrumentalists will present portions from the St. Matthew Passion and the Cantatas during the 10 a.m. World Communion Service Oct. 2. Jenna Hintz will sing “Schlummert Ein” (Falling to Rest) from Cantata 82. Patrick Hogan will be joined by the choir in “I’ll Stand by Jesus Watching” from the St. Matthew Passion. The church is located at 395 Round Hill Road. All are welcome. For information, call 203-869-1091.

JCC Greenwich will broadcast “Live from New York’s 92nd Street Y” at 8 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, 4 Horseneck Lane. In a program broadcast live from New York City via satellite, former governor of New York Eliot Spitzer and Alan Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, will discuss “Middle East Headlines: A Turning Point for the Middle East and the World.” Dershowitz is the author of many books, including “The Case for Israel,” “The Case for Peace” and, most recently, “The Trials of Zion.” Tickets, $18, can be purchased at jccgreenwich.org or via mail at JCC Greenwich, One Holly Hill Lane, Greenwich, CT 06830. This lecture is endowed by the Edythe Kenner Foundation.

The Bruce Museum will present “The Prints of Martin Lewis: From the Collection of Dr. Dorrance Kelly” Oct. 2 through Feb. 19. Lewis (1881-1962) is recognized as one of the premier American printmakers of the first half of the 20th-century. The exhibition features more than thirty etchings and several canceled plates by the artist from the private collection of Dr. Dorrance Kelly of West Redding. The Bruce Museum is located at 1 Museum Drive. General admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors and students, and free for children under five and Bruce Museum members. Free admission to all on Tuesdays.

The 13th annual Hawk Festival and Green Bazaar will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 and 2 at the Greenwich Audubon, located at 613 Riversville Road. The outdoor festival regularly attracts 2,000 or more visitors from across Westchester, Fairfield, and Putnam counties. Space at the festival is limited and reservations are on a first-come first-served basis. To secure a booth space, fill an online registration and mail a check (if applicable). For more information, call Audubon at 203-869-5272.

Ongoing

The Greenwich Art Society invites the public to the annual faculty exhibition, showcasing the art works of its Studio School faculty. This is an opportunity for the community to view the diverse art works that the Greenwich Art Society Faculty creates. The faculty consists of professional and experienced teachers and artists. The art includes a variety of media representing the range of courses that are being taught — including drawing, oil and acrylic painting, monotype, collage, and sculpture. Open Aug. 30 through Sept. 30 at the Greenwich Art Society Gallery, second floor, Old Town Hall, 299 Greenwich Ave. Hours are Weekdays 10 to 5, Saturday 12 to 5, Sunday 12 to 4. The fall term begins on Sept. 15.

The Bruce Museum will present the exhibition “Bijoux: The Origins and Impact of Jewelry” from July 16 through Feb. 26. The exhibition features an array of different types of jewelry, as well as samplings of minerals, precious stones and other materials from which artists have created an infinite variety of human adornment. The exhibition investigates the wide range of materials used to make jewelry, delves into the genesis of these natural materials, and explores the economic and environmental impact of our universal attraction to sparkle. The jewelry on display comes from all over the globe, including Myanmar and India. For more information, visit www.brucemuseum.org.

The Bruce Museum will feature etchings by Pablo Picasso in “Picasso’s Vollard Suite: The Sculptor’s Studio,” on view June 18 to Oct. 16. The exhibition features key images of Picasso etchings from a group of 100 prints he made for the legendary art dealer and publisher Ambroise Vollard, on loan from a private collection. The Bruce Museum is located at 1 Museum Drive in Greenwich. General admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, free for children under five and museum members. Free admission to all on Tuesdays. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays and major holidays. For information, call the Bruce Museum at 203-869-0376, or visit www.brucemuseum.org.

The Cos Cob Library is host to a new display of children’s Chinese artwork, exhibited in the community room through Sept. 30. The exhibition is sponsored by the Chinese Language School of Connecticut, the Riverside-based, nonprofit provider of Chinese language programs to students, schools and corporations. For more information, call the Chinese Language School of Connecticut at 203-918-8085 or visit www.chineselanguageschool.org.

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09/16/00 Series renews talk of Margolies murder

By Cameron D. Martin - Greenwich Time

Sixteen years ago, residents regularly came together at Pemberwick X-Change to share information and commiserate in the wake of the murder of 13-year-old Matthew Margolies.

Last week, after publication of a four-part Greenwich Time series on the search for the boy, the discovery of his murder, and the investigation that followed, the unsolved murder was once again the focus of talk at the Pemberwick Road deli, as regulars discussed information previously unknown to them, according to owner Steve Pugliese.

"Everybody was trying to pull things from their memory banks, to see if they could make any new connections," said Pugliese, 47, who lives on Pemberwick Road, about one mile south of where Matthew's mutilated body was discovered on a wooded hillside Sept. 5, 1984.

Copies of last week's newspaper series sold out quickly at his store each morning, Pugliese said, as he and others read about previously unknown aspects of the story.

"I thought three suspects, not eight," said Pugliese, who thought he had gone to school with one of the suspects, who were described but not named by police. "I don't think anyone was aware there were that many suspects they could build a solid case against. It would seem they all had a means and a motive."

Greenwich police have said that is one of the reasons the case is so difficult to solve.

Matthew, well-known in his close-knit western Greenwich neighborhood known as "The Valley," disappeared Aug. 31, 1984. His body was discovered five days later beneath a pile of rocks, branches and leaves in a wooded area about a mile from his Pilgrim Drive home. He had been stripped to his undershorts, stabbed over a dozen times with a knife, and suffocated with dirt that was forced down his throat.

The brutal slaying of the teenager shocked the seemingly safe neighborhood and began a massive investigation. No arrests were made nor was a prime suspect publicly named. In recent years, the investigation slowed as all leads were exhausted and no new information developed.

Greenwich Time sought to take an in-depth look at the file in order to present a detailed, public summary of the case and the investigation. An agreement for release of the file was reached through the office of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, and Greenwich Police opened much of the file while keeping some names and details confidential to protect its investigation.

In last week's four-part series, the description of eight suspects was made available to the public for the first time. Along with details of the brutal murder, the list of suspects, although they were nameless, heightened awareness of the crime within the Pemberwick community, Pugliese said.

No new information in the Margolies case has been announced by Greenwich police since the conclusion of the series, and Police Chief Peter Robbins did not return calls seeking comment for this story.

Yet reference to the case by renowned criminal forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee during a speech at Greenwich High School Monday, and other information - mostly in the form of sentiments and condolences posted on the Margolies Web site - keeps the case fresh in the minds of residents.

"My daughter was over at Hay Day (Country Market) in Riverside last week, and there were some people there who were talking about it, and commenting about how they didn't know the whole case had gone to the extent that it had," Judy Moretti, 58, a longtime Pemberwick resident, said Wednesday. "I think most people outside our neighborhood remembered it as a kid missing, not what came afterwards."

On Monday, Dr. Lee told a Greenwich High School crowd that trace evidence found at the scene of Matthew Margolies' murder could yield a connection to a suspect. Lee, who until April served as Connecticut's public safety commissioner and has been involved in the renewed investigation through his work at the state crime lab, declined to say what that evidence might be.

"What was found at the murder site I call trace or transfer evidence," Lee said Monday. "Sometimes that can be very good and you can make a connection. But I can't really discuss any active case."

Town residents, from Pemberwick in particular, need time to absorb the information made available to them recently, Moretti said.

"It's been a good wake-up call for the public," Moretti said. "I think we have to sift through things and see if anyone remembers anything."

Matthew Margolies' mother, Maryann, said Wednesday that in the past week she has received numerous messages posted on the Web site devoted to the case of her son's murder, www.MatthewMargolies.com. The public, she said, is more aware of the case since the recent release of information.

"I think that there's a heightened awareness in the general public of what's happened, and that's good," Margolies said. "I certainly remain optimistic to come to some sort of closure on this and intend to see things through."

One message posted to the Web site, from a Greenwich woman named "Lisa," reads: "We all need to back off the Greenwich Police Department a little bit. I am sure though it is 16 years later, that they have a pretty good idea as to who murdered Matthew. I think they just lack the evidence.

"With forensic science as it is today, they may already be running tests they were not able to do in 1984. Trust in the fact that there are people out there who know things the tiniest things that may help and trust that they are speaking up.

"Trust that the Greenwich Police Department are the only ones who can help Maryann now the only ones who can avenge Matthew's death. Let's pray for the Greenwich Police Department as well and wish the nightmare to its end."

09/12/00 Dr. Henry Lee gives forensic, life lessons

By Martin B. Cassidy - Greenwich Time

Trace evidence found at the scene of 13-year-old Matthew Margolies' murder could yield a connection to a suspect, renowned criminal forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee last night told a crowd gathered at Greenwich High School.

Lee was referring to the brutal, unsolved murder of Pemberwick teenager Matthew Margolies on Aug. 31, 1984. The investigation into the slaying has been renewed by Greenwich police and has involved the examination of trace evidence by Lee, who until April served as Connecticut's public safety commissioner. Lee last night declined to say what that evidence might be.

Lee's presentation was the kickoff of the fall Greenwich Continuing Education program, and attracted about 150 residents, police officers and crime buffs.

"What was found at the murder site I call trace or transfer evidence," Lee said. "Sometimes that can be very good and you can make a connection. But I can't really discuss an active case."

Lee's comments came at the start of a biographical presentation at Greenwich High School. Lee, who was not paid for his appearance, was selected to give the address because of his role in advancements in the use of forensic DNA testing in solving crimes.

Lee, 61, retired from his state post to focus on the more than 800 open murder investigations he is assisting in nationwide. He maintains the title of chief emeritus with the state and still works in the state lab in Meriden.

With considerable humor, Lee last night narrated a slide show that touched on his early family life and police career in China; his favorite sayings and axioms; and his forensic career, including his testimony during the O.J. Simpson murder trial and his contribution to the Jon Benet Ramsey murder investigation.

Lee was born into a wealthy family in Taiwan in 1938 during a Communist uprising in China. After his family was stripped of its possessions, his father drowned under mysterious circumstances, leaving his mother to raise 13 children.

Unable to afford college tuition, Lee said he enrolled in Taiwan's police academy, graduating at the top of his class and becoming the youngest police captain in China at the age of 22.

"I cheated on all my exams. If you finished at the top of your class you were made a captain," Lee said to laughter. "My mother has always pushed me to work harder. I don't know how she did it, but we all got our educations."

Wanting to learn more about criminal science, Lee came to New York City and worked three jobs to pay for classes at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and to earn a doctorate in biochemistry from New York University. Lee said during this period he worked, studied or went to class 18 to 20 hours a day, typing all his term papers on a toy typewriter and giving kung fu lessons to earn extra cash.

Throughout last night's presentation, Lee called on audience members to answer science questions and rewarded correct answers with plastic Connecticut state trooper badges.

"In this world there are two ways to make it," Lee said. "One is to be named Rockefeller or Kennedy. The other is to work hard. It's not surprising which one I chose."

Lee ruefully joked about the calls he receives in the middle of the night when he would rather sleep, and showed a disturbing photograph of a man who died of a drug overdose to remind the audience of the value of life.

"If this man had another chance, he would probably say he wouldn't do drugs," Lee said. "Sometimes God only gives us one chance. We must teach children to cherish life."

Greenwich High School junior Joshua Mertz, 16, attended Lee's lecture and said he will take an introductory forensic science course next semester.

"I wish we had more talks like this during school," Mertz said. "I was pretty surprised at how funny it was. When I heard he was coming here to speak, I just had to go."

Greenwich Police Officer Pier Corticelli said he was struck by Lee's emphasis on striving for excellence.

"It makes you want to work harder and do better," Corticelli said. "The talk gave you a lot of history and personality."

Although retired, Lee said he still works 17-hour days because he loves criminal forensics. Lee closed the evening by telling the audience to be successful they must balance hard work, family and friends, and their spirituality.

"The master of the art of living is the man who makes his work his play and keeps his labor the same as his leisure," Lee said.

09/08/00 Analysis of a homicide investigation; where does the Matthew Margolies murder case go from here?

Police look for break in unsolved case
By Cameron Martin - Greenwich Time

Though the 1984 murder of Matthew Margolies remains unsolved, investigators need look no further than the case of Martha Moxley to know breaks can come years, even decades, after a crime is committed.

Retired Greenwich police Chief William Andersen, who initially headed the Margolies murder investigation as captain of detectives, says the recent developments in the Moxley murder case should hearten investigators frustrated by the Margolies slaying.

Andersen, who retired more than a decade ago, retains hope Matthew's murder will be solved and says his thoughts return regularly to the horrific crime committed Labor Day Weekend 1984.

Still, after 16 years, and countless leads and investigative interviews, Andersen and other officers familiar with the case say they share that common emotion: frustration.

"I certainly hope whoever is responsible, that it's weighing on their minds as much as the investigators,' " Andersen said.

Most Greenwich Police officers who were on the force in 1984, or have investigated the murder since, never knew Matthew Margolies. Lt. Ralph LoBalbo is an exception.

A patrolman assigned to the Glenville section of town from 1981 to 1986, LoBalbo was a familiar face to residents of Pemberwick, areas of which Matthew often fished with his grandfather, George Miazga.

Miazga, a longtime volunteer with the Glenville Fire Department, frequented the firehouse, often with his grandson in tow. LoBalbo said he knew them both, if only to say "hey."

"I knew who Matthew was, I knew he liked to go fishing," LoBalbo said. "When it was reported he was missing, I was concerned; he didn't seem the type of kid who would just run away."

Though officers say they considered the possibility that Matthew was distraught over the death of his grandfather, who died two weeks before Matthew's Aug. 31 disappearance, or, that he may have accidentally fallen into the water by one of his numerous fishing holes, they nevertheless say the search for a missing person was soon displaced by a notion of something more sinister.

"There was a collective thought throughout the community that something happened to the kid," LoBalbo said.

The night his mother reported him missing, even then Youth Officer Stephen Paulo suspected something far worse.

"When she called a little concerned, saying it was getting dark, I went right over," Paulo remembers. "It was a gut feeling with me."

Paulo said he immediately called the on-duty lieutenant and said, "Something's wrong with this."

From Aug. 31 until the afternoon of Sept. 5, Paulo, as youth officer, led the search for 13-year-old Matthew Margolies.

Scheduled to take a sergeant's exam the evening of Sept. 5, Paulo soon found his mind focused far from the prospect of promotion.

Notified in the afternoon that a body had been found in a wooded area on a hill overlooking Pemberwick Road, Paulo recalled, "I said, 'Well, let's go out and look.' "

Three weeks ago Paulo retraced the route he and other officers took Sept. 5, 1984.

"This was all undeveloped, all woods," he said, pointing to the apartment complex at 351 Pemberwick Road, just north of the crime scene.

Down the road a bit, hiking uphill through underbrush that has grown in since 1984, Paulo tried to recall the exact spot where Matthew's body was found.

What came to mind, instead, was the brutality of the crime scene.

Paulo had been searching the area with Fred Lambert and fellow Youth Officer Michael Panza. Lambert was the man who discovered the shoe and later the body of Matthew Margolies.

"After we saw the shoe, we said, 'Do you smell that?' I mean, you could smell (the decomposing body)," Paulo grimly recalls. "We knew we were close by."

And they were.

"Lambert says, 'Oh god,' " Paulo said. "Then we froze everything off."

There would be no sergeant's exam for Paulo on Sept. 5, 1984, as Greenwich Police undertook the investigation of the brutal mutilation murder of a 13-year-old boy.

"I was too wound up, (the investigation) meant a lot to me. I said, 'I'll take it next time.' "

Instead he was among the officers present when Maryann Margolies was told the fate of her only son and youngest child.

"I stayed there at the house for two days with her afterwards," he said.

Emotionally, officers have stayed with the case much longer. Though the two original detectives assigned to investigate the murder would not comment for this article, one of them, retired Detective Richard Haug, said in a May 1998 interview with Greenwich Time: "This case really affected me mentally - that a 13-year-old boy was brutally slain - and I really regretted it when I retired that we weren't able to solve it."

Andersen said he thinks about the Matthew Margolies case regularly,

"He's been in my prayers every Sunday since 1984," he said. "I'll never forget him, though I never met him."

Andersen now manages security for a local corporation. He was promoted to deputy chief soon after the murder and later rose to police chief - a path paralleled by present Police Chief Peter Robbins, who took over as captain of the detectives division after Andersen's promotion in Oct. 1984.

Round-the-clock commitment to the case equaled months of sleepless nights, the two recall.

The atmosphere was hectic at the police department in the months following the murder, Robbins said.

"We worked straight for four months, right through the holidays," he recalls. "We suffered a lot of frustration. We had 40 to 50 leads that looked like they had some potential. As you explored them, in time, they dissipated.

"We suffered a great deal of frustration, but you'd keep at it. We weren't sleeping much. It was 16- to 20-hour days right through the holidays that year. After we had just enough sleep we'd just get right back into it again."

The FBI drafted a psychological profile of the murderer of Matthew Margolies, concluding the assailant was someone familiar with the victim and the Pemberwick area. Robbins said the police department has conducted hundreds of interviews with that area's residents since 1984.

Is it likely the murderer was interviewed by police?

"It's possible," Robbins said. "I couldn't say with 100 percent certainty. We conducted hundreds and hundreds of interviews during the course of the investigation."

Confidence in finding the perpetrator has ebbed and flowed within the police department in the last 16 years, Robbins said. Right now he is balancing optimism with pessimism.

"I probably have a mixed feeling of confidence now. Unless some witness can come forth to point us in a particular direction, it's difficult to focus on a particular suspect, or suspects, but that doesn't mean we give up.

"We did everything that could possibly be done at that time, but it just didn't pull anything out of the woodwork, so to speak."

A Stamford judge recently decided Michael Skakel should stand trial for the 1975 slaying of Martha Moxley, both of whom were 15 years old at the time.

The judge's decision hinged upon the testimony of residents of an alcohol rehabilitation clinic Skakel attended in the years following the murder. Witnesses for the prosecution allege Skakel admitted to the murder, and a Juvenile Matters judge concluded there was enough evidence to proceed to trial, though it has yet to be determined whether the matter will be heard in juvenile or adult court.

Andersen said developments in the Moxley murder case, nearly a quarter century after the crime, provide hope that someone, "or someones," will ultimately be charged with the murder of Matthew Margolies.

"I have faith that someday it will be solved. The case is not going to go away. With the right breaks it will be solved.

"In situations like this you have to have faith, and I certainly do. I think we only need look into the recent past to see that that happens. Old cases are broken all the time."

02/11/00 Matthew Margolies: Mother Recounts Son's Life

By Peter Moore -- Greenwich Post

Since a site dedicated to Matthew Margolies went up on the Internet, the response has been a blessing for his mother Maryann. But by adding her own personal touch, she says she was able to let web surfers know that Matthew was something far more than a 13-year-old victim of a senseless crime. He was a person.

Maryann recently arranged for a story she wrote, "A Legacy of Love," accompanied by photographs of Matthew, to be posted at www.matthewmargolies.com. Five web pages long, the story tells of a life short in length, but full of spirit.

Maryann's story is one of the latest additions to a website created and maintained by Tom Alessi, a Stamford 911 facilities manager, who maintains two sites dedicated to unsolved murders that have taken place in Greenwich. Alessi's other site profiles the case of his childhood friend Martha Moxley, a Greenwich teen who was bludgeoned to death with a golf club in 1975.

"I asked Tom Alessi to post [the story] on the Internet because I wanted my son to have an identity," Maryann said Monday. "I think that except for the people who have known him, [Matthew] probably had been looked upon as a victim without an identity. And there's been such a response on the Internet that I wanted people to get a feeling of who he really was as a human being, as a person."

The person Maryann described lived from Jan. 24, 1971 until Aug. 31, 1984. And though Matthew's murder by an unknown assailant in the Pemberwick section of Greenwich has generated far more media attention than the happenings of his life, "A Legacy of Love," does not discuss the time surrounding his death at length.

Instead, Maryann Margolies talks of her son's love of nature and uses his example to touch the net surfer's heart and remind him or her of ways to achieve inner happiness.

"Given a choice, he would always prefer to be outdoors," she writes of Matthew. "The warmth of the sun, the wetness of the rain and the coldness of the snow would all nourish his spirit. He found joy in all of it. How long has it been since you last listened to the soft music made by fresh falling snow or perhaps the deeper sounds of rain?"

She describes Matthew as a decent student, specifically mentioning books he wrote at school with titles such as "Tombstone Ghost," "Fishing" and "Merry Christmas." These books still lie on the shelves of Maryann Margolies' house where she resides with her husband Jim.

At the time of his death, Matthew was due to begin eighth grade at Western Middle School. He disappeared on Aug. 31, 1984 and his body was found five days later in a wooded hilly area near Hawthorne and Greenway Street. He had been stabbed with a boning knife and asphyxiated and his body had been left in a shallow grave. There has never been an arrest in the killing.

"I've always had hope in that at some point, whoever was responsible for my son's death would be identified and that justice would be served," Maryann Margolies said Monday.

When Martha Moxley's neighbor Michael Skakel was arrested on Jan. 19 for Martha's murder, Maryann said the arrest did not influence her hope of an eventual arrest in her son's case. But she did say that the arrest proved that there is no way of time completely standing in the way of justice.

"I think that what has happened within Martha's case supports the fact that it's never too late," she says.

In her story, Maryann also writes of the joy Matthew received at the times of holidays, particularly Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Halloween. A picture of Matthew in a Halloween costume accompanies the story.

She also mentions Matthew's fondness for hats on a page which includes a photo of Matthew atop a fire engine, wearing the traditional red firefighter's hat. Matthew's love of sports, especially fishing is also brought to light.

"He was quite the sportsman and many a man learned from him," she says.

She also mentions remembering Matthew with a positive outlook.

"Not a day passes, that I do not think of Matthew," she writes. "It seems clear that his life ended as it began, with a struggle. However, it is his life that I have had to focus upon. I can see his smile and hear his laughter. I know his love, warmth and caring ways. God has shown his love and bestowed his blessing in choosing me to be Matthew's mother."

Matthew's mother concludes "A Legacy of Love," by urging busy grownups to take time for their little ones. She explained the passage Monday.

"I think that it would be part of a living memorial to Matthew in order for people to take the time to tell their child that they love them," she said. "With both parents working and all the changes, people are always rushing around. It's important for parents to take the time, tell their children how they feel and above all, take the time to listen to them."

The story's final paragraph reads, in part: "If you have read this, please take the time to tell a child how much you love him/her. Chase rainbows, and if you can't find one, then make it! (Ingredients: a little sun, a garden hose and some running water) The reward: FUN, LAUGHTER AND LOADS OF LOVE IN BEING TOGETHER!"

12/03/99 Moxley and Margolies web site manager keeps hope alive

By Peter Moore - Greenwich Post

Tom Alessi recalls his old Western Junior High and Greenwich High School classmate Martha Moxley as a "very nice person."

"Never had a,.bad thing to say about anybody," Alessi said. "Everybody liked her. She was very bright and intelligent." For some time now, Alessi,a resident of Stamford, has maintained and updated www.MarthaMoxley.com an informational website on the 24-year-old unsolved murder case. The site serves as a resource center for anybody wishing to learn about the case and its latest happenings as well as a forum for those wishing to air their views or even to E-mail tips about the killing.

As the Moxley site gained fans, Alessi, a facilities manager at the Stamford 911 center, began to receive correspondence from acquaintances about a different matter which had gained far less media attention.

"Several people that I knew from Greenwich, when they found out I was doing the Martha Moxley case website said, 'There's another [murder] that could use some attention too."'

On Aug. 31, 1984, 13-year-old Matthew Margolies, a resident of the Pemberwick section of Greenwich, left his grandmother's house to go fishing. He was last seen walking along the Byram River that afternoon. When he did not return home in the evening, his mother Maryann called police, but it was not until five days later before his body was finally discovered in a wooded hilly area near Hawthorne and Greenway Street.

Matthew had been stabbed several times and an autopsy revealed that his torso had been compressed to the point where breathing was impossible. The knife reportedly used to kill Matthew was found nearby several days later, but was never traced to a suspect. The Greenwich Police Department had not dealt with a homicide since the 1975 Moxley killing and as in the Moxley case, they never arrested a suspect.

Recently, Alessi became acquainted with Kevin McMurray, a reporter who had interviewed Maryann Margolies. McMurray and Alessi then struck a deal for a new site,

www.MatthewMargolies.com.

"I told [McMurray] that if he wrote the first page of the site that I would go over it and publish it," Alessi said.

The "first page" of the website actually prints out to more than seven pages on paper. McMurray's account and interviews detail how, as in the Moxley the early stages of the investigation.

In an excerpt from his book, "Murder in Greenwich; Who Killed Martha Moxley?" former Los Angeles Police detective Mark Fuhrman writes that several mistakes were noted in the Margolies report, including no detective being delegated to check the initial missing person report, only one detective viewing the crime scene, a lack of clear explanations to various officers of their assignments on the case, and the department's release of "sensitive information" to the media.

Links are also provided on the site to recent news updates on the case and excerpts on the Margolies killing from both Fuhrman's Moxley account and Tim Dumas's "A Wealth of Evil" (formerly "Greentown"), another book on the Moxley murder.

For Alessi, whose says his website programming skills are self taught, maintaining the Margolies site represents another opportunity to shed light on a case sadly still unsolved.

"The most positive thing that I've found is that people have been interested in keeping the cage going and by letting it slip by the wayside," he said. As of noon on Tuesday, the two-month old Margolies site was approaching 1900 hits.

Alessi first became involved with the Moxley site two years ago after meeting Robert Steiner ' an Austrian college student, on CyberSleuths.com, an independent news service which maintains chronicled accounts of crimes. Steiner had created several small web pages containing synopsis of different murders. One eventually became what is today his complete Moxley site.

"I expressed a desire to [Steiner] to take it over and create www.MarthaMoxley.com, since I was closer to the news and was able to devote more time to it," Alessi said.

Alessi said that his maintenance of the two websites is not driven by a need to be noticed, but by a desire to help keep the Moxley and Margolies cases alive in hopes that one day their killers will be found.

"I don't really care for publicity," he said Monday. "The story is not me, the story is the murders."

Maryann Margolies, Matthew's mother is said to be pleased with the website dedicated to solving her son's case.

"She's contacted Kevin, told him she's impressed and mentioned that she wanted to get in touch with me," Alessi said. Attempts to contact Maryann Margolies were unsuccessful.

Alessi and his wife of twelve years Moira are also parents themselves; of a seven-year old boy, also named Matthew. For Alessi, the sites serve as a reminder of how precious the life of his own child really is.

"There's not a day that goes by that you don't think it can happen to your own kid," he said. "That's the scary part. If it happens, you don't want people to forget. [Martha and Matthew] are gone, but hopefully not forgotten."