Baynative, thank you for the summary you posted in #6. From your summary:
There was a conflict on what time the accident had occurred. A sheriff said he had seen Kennedy’s car hours after Kennedy said the accident occurred. The senator said he based his estimate on the clock of the rented car he was driving. When it was determined the car didn’t have a clock, Kennedy changed his story.
After having read two excellent books about Chappaquiddick, I came to the conclusion that the "accident" may not have been an accident at all. We only have a single eyewitness's word for what happened at that bridge, and he has not told the truth. Not 36 years ago and not anytime since.
The independent (of Kennedy's lies) facts of the case are that Mary Jo was found in the back seat, in a position indicating she kept her head in an air pocket. The condition of her body when it was pulled from the car also indicated she died from asphyxiation, not drowning.
The police officer who saw the car that night, saw two people in the front seat. If I recall correctly, not only did he see the car at a time that was inconsistent with Kennedy's story, but he saw it parked. In other words, the officer's testimony makes it clear Kennedy did not drive directly from the party, take a wrong turn and accidentally arrive at the bridge where the car went in the water.
Also if I recall correctly, the damage to the car was not totally consistent with merely driving off the bridge accidentally.
When you add...
(1) Kennedy's total disinterest in saving the girl when help was mere yards from the "accident" scene,
(2) the attempt to fix things before the car was found,
(3) leaving the scene and failure to report the "accident" until after the car was found,
(4) all the lies Kennedy told, and
(5) the hurried disposal of Mary Jo's body,
...to the known hard evidence, it leads to the strong -- how best to put it? -- inference that Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts is guilty of first degree murder.
There is no doubt whatsoever that he is guilty, at minimum, of manslaughter. He should NOT be in the United States Senate.
I commend the following two books to those who want to know more and draw their own conclusions:
Teddy Bare was published in the early 1970's and was a ground-breaking book. Although they couldn't quash it, the Kennedy clan tried to do so.
Both are available at Amazon.com, along with a third book I have not read, so cannot recommend: Death at Chappaquiddick by Thomas L. Tedrow.
Finally, here is a plausible scenario that fits the known facts better than Kennedy's multiple stories ever did:
Kennedy and Mary Jo leave the party. He finds a secluded spot, parks and tries to have sex with her. For whatever reason, she balks and he whacks her. Either that or the sex is rough. She is injured in a way that causes Kennedy to think she's dead, even though she is not. He panics and decides the only thing to do is make it look like an accident. He drives the car to the bridge, gets out and pushes it over. All of known facts after that point are consistent with this scenario, including how Mary Jo's body was found. She comes to in the back seat of an upside down car. It's dark, cold and wet. She's disoriented. She can't find a way out, but there's an air pocket. So she holds onto the seat and keeps her head above water, probably thinking someone will find her.