Yes, but you’ve still presented no evidence that such “indifference” resulted in Kopechne’s death. You assume that Kennedy was drunk, but that has not been established.
Actually, if you’re arguing that Kennedy’s leaving the scene is part of the reason that we should consider a negligent homicide charge, the issue of whether or not Kopechne was alive when he left is not, as you seem to suggest, irrelevant. In fact, it is crucial, because if she was already dead, then his leaving in no way contributed to her death, and thus could not reasonably be used to sustain a negligent homicide charge. If you could establish definitively that she was alive when he left, then that might be a different story.
Never said it wasn’t, but i also believe that “leaving the scene of an accident” is an entirely different charge from “negligent homicide.”
I didn’t enter this thread intending to rally to the defence of Ted Kennedy. Despite the fact that i quite like his politics, i do believe that his behaviour on that night in Chappaquiddick was, as best, strange and irresponsible, and at worst illegal and reprehensible. I don’t really know enough about what went on to reach a definite conclusion. I just think it’s rather silly and unproductive to launch into rampant speculation along the lines of “he must have been drunk; how else can we explain his actions,” or “it must be a cover-up, because he’s a Kennedy.”