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<p>PLYMOUTH &#8212; The family of Mary Jo Kopechne has decided to auction off a letter sent by boxing legend Muhammad Ali to Mary Jo&#8217;s parents shortly after her death.</p><p>In it, Ali urges the family to sue Sen. Ted Kennedy, who was driving the car that plunged off a bridge into a pond on the night of July 18, 1969, from which Kennedy escaped and Kopechne&#8217;s lifeless body was recovered the next morning. She was 28.</p><p>William Nelson and his mother, Georgetta Potoski &#8212; Mary Jo&#8217;s first cousin &#8212; issued a statement on Facebook:</p><p>&#8220;We need everyone&#8217;s help. We have decided to auction this scorching letter from Muhammad Ali to Mary Jo&#8217;s parents shortly after her death. Because of Ali&#8217;s criticism of Kennedy and the way the letter portrays Kennedy, we have had trouble from some media outlets in advertising it&#8217;s sale. If everyone could please share this to their friends list in order to spread the word of its sale, it would be most appreciated. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this letter will be going to Mary Jo&#8217;s scholarship at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa. Thank you ahead of time, God bless and Go Mary Jo!&#8221;</p><p>The letter was released to the Times Leader In July by Nelson and his mother.</p><p>At that time, Nelson said Ali&#8217;s handwritten letter to Joseph Kopechne, dated July 31, 1969, has never been shared outside the family, adding that it has been professionally authenticated by sports experts at Beckett Collectibles and &#8220;is a bit controversial to say the least.&#8221;</p><p>Ali wrote that the family should seek a good lawyer and they should sue Kennedy &#8220;for everything he&#8217;s got.&#8221; Ali suggested there was &#8220;an illicit sexual encounter&#8221; and he claimed there was foul play involved in Kopechne&#8217;s death.</p><p>Ted Kennedy never faced any serious charges over the incident and went on to serve for decades in the U.S. Senate. He died in 2009.</p><p>The advertisement of the auctioning of the letter states:</p><p>&#8220;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&#8217;s events remain unclear today. The story gathered national headlines and the controversial matter captivated some of the country&#8217;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.</p><p>&#8220;Offered is Ali&#8217;s handwritten letter to the Kopechne family that details his distaste with the Kennedys and the totality of the events that occurred. Ali signed the bottom of the letter as both Muhammad Ali and Cassius Clay. An incredibly rare insight into the thoughts of one of the greatest athletes regarding a controversial event.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A letter from boxer Muhammad Ali to the family of Mary Jo Kopechne following her death in 1969 is seen here, with photos, from bottom, of Ali, Kopechne, and Ted Kennedy, in whose car Kopechne died. The car is seen at upper left. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_KOPECHNE-ALI-LETTER-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>A letter from boxer Muhammad Ali to the family of Mary Jo Kopechne following her death in 1969 is seen here, with photos, from bottom, of Ali, Kopechne, and Ted Kennedy, in whose car Kopechne died. The car is seen at upper left. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Kopechne family to auction off letter from Muhammad Ali to Mary Jo’s parents