WOBURN, Massachusetts – Neil Entwistle’s parents, Clifford and Yvonne, and his brother, Russell, are in court today. They are seated in the first row of the public gallery, directly behind the defense table.

Neil Entwistle smiled at them when he came into court this morning. He sits, again, to the far right of the defense table in a dark suit and pink shirt. The defense team brought the freshly-laundered shirt into court this morning and had it delivered to Entwistle in his holding cell. Defense attorney Elliot Weinstein passed on my request to meet the Entwistles; they declined “at this time.”

As I watch jury selection, author and radio host Michelle McPhee is sitting next to me. I happen to be reading (though not in court) her book about the Entwistle case, “Heartless.”

As of the lunch break, nine men and eight women have been qualified to sit as jurors. Excused jurors include a man whose wife was also summoned to jury service in this case and is among the eight women qualified thus far. Another has a friend who knew Rachel Entwistle. A third said he would hold it against Entwistle if he didn’t testify at the trial.

The attorneys are expected to begin exercising peremptory challenges tomorrow. Each side has 16 of them. Opening statements and testimony from the first witnesses could happen by Thursday.

– Beth Karas, In Session correspondent