This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 1/23/2020.
In 1969, Senator Ted Kennedy careened a car off a bridge, killing passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy was impacted both personally and politically as the story of the night’s events remain unclear today. The story gathered national headlines and the controversial matter captivated some of the country’s biggest stars. Following the tragic event, the iconic Muhammad Ali personally reached out to the Kopechne family to offer not only his condolences, but also his personal thoughts regarding the story. Offered is Ali’s handwritten letter to the Kopechne family that details his distaste with the Kennedy’s and the totality of the events that occurred. Ali wrote the letter in script style writing and some of the excerpts include “get yourself a good lawyer and sue that no good son of a bitch … for everything he’s got” and “His intent from start to finish was a forced illicit sexual intercourse and rape of your daughter, and since the accident was based thereon, he should be prosecuted and tried for murder”. Ali signed the bottom of the letter as both Muhammad Ali and Cassius Clay in the same pen and in our opinion the signatures rate a combined strong 8. Accompanied by a Full Beckett LOA only. Consigned directly by the Kopechne family this letter is an incredibly rare insight into the thoughts of one of the greatest athletes regarding a controversial event.