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June 25, 2008

Entwistle jury continues to deliberate

Posted: 09:07 AM ET

WOBURN, Massachusetts–Jury deliberations resume this morning in the murder trial of Neil Entwistle, charged with killing his 27-year-old wife, Rachel and his nine-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose.

Jurors deliberated Tuesday for 6 hours, and asked only two questions: about a Logan Airport parking receipt, and a printout of the activity on the family's Toshiba laptop on January 20, 2006, the day of the murders.

Entwistle has maintained his innocence and says he found his family dead in their rented home after returning home from running errands.

–In Session staff

Filed under: Trials


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mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 9:17 am ET

Verdict will be murder in 1st degree with malice intentions,sentence lfe in prision no parole,i know mike fabbri and state done great job,i know him in ashland,ma for over 5 almost 10years\i leave 1 town over in ashland,tru.tv coverage up to now has been good\before now it was too much defense orient,doing interviews was a major error ,now it ok to do so

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 9:21 am ET

Dna and computer searches don't lie\neal, guilty life in prision

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 9:23 am ET

Defense was defenseless from the start\don't call 911,flee to england,dna on gunmneal,guilty slam dunk for state

Nancy   June 25th, 2008 9:27 am ET

Goodmorning.
I'm surprised that no one has used the word "sociopath" nor has anyone mentioned sex addiction.
I'm not surprised that the defense came up with suicide; it's their job to pull out all the stops, no matter how distasteful, in an effort to defend. It's not a giant leap from the sociopathic behavior of murderers, but it is legal.
How much ambien does he have to take to stay asleep at night?

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 9:57 am ET

from 1\9 obtaining plane tickets til murder planned all the way,guilty

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 10:07 am ET

for rachel to kill baby and herself,is like a old english way of saving honor,don't think neal you are guilty!

Claudia Collier   June 25th, 2008 10:10 am ET

If I were Neil Entwistle's atty, I would say Rachel held her daughter close to her heart with the intent of shooting just once to kill herself and baby. When that didn.t work she was forced to shoot herself in in the head. Rachel's reason for killing her daughter was she could not bear leaving the child behind with such an uncertain future. Her parents are aging and she realizes Neil is not the man and provider she thought he would be.

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 10:14 am ET

step 1-neal carries gun to bedroom\step 2-kills rachel first,lilly second\step 3-puts rachel's arm over liliy\step4-covers both up with comforter\step4-leaves without calling 911\he guilty of these steps

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 10:19 am ET

spector case and this one has nothing in common ,spector was a media legal circus,this one is being played out right,on going for 5 month ,for california it normal,here no way

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 10:22 am ET

steadies gun with both hands,lily is balance aginst rachel breast,don;t think so,neal is guilty,life for murder,no parole

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 10:24 am ET

neal killed them to get his university life back,live the wild single life again,neal guilty

fran   June 25th, 2008 10:35 am ET

Had I been Entwistle's lawyer, instead of accusing his deceased wife of murder and suicide and alienating any thinking person, I would have brought up his sleazy internet businesses, his angry customers from e-bay and suggested that anyone of them could be a potential murderer. That would have gone down better with a jury than accusing Rachel of murder!

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 10:39 am ET

when neal was on phone with mass.authorities,he made everything up,and was in a delusional state of mind,guilty

susan   June 25th, 2008 10:43 am ET

We joined this trial last week.We have one question about the gun.How did it get from the parents house and to the Entwistles house?

Thank you,
Susan

Ted Huguenin   June 25th, 2008 10:45 am ET

Most people who commit suicide have "no reason" that is, no reason we can understand. Most people seem happy just prior to the act. I've investigated more than one and most family members stated they did not have a clue that this was going to happen. If they did, they would have been able to get help for that family member The prosecutor should practice law, not medicine.

Judi   June 25th, 2008 10:52 am ET

I am baffled that I've heard no mention of how he had the presence of mind to grab his passport, after supposedly discovering his wife and infant daughter shot to death; he claims he was distraught and just had to get out of the house and drove around, (supposedly) to the in-laws to get a gun to kill himself, attempting (not really) to find Priscilla's office, and ending up at Logan Airport, parking, leaving to get gas and returning to Logan. Did he have his passport in his pocket when he supposedly went to Staples and tried to find the Walmart? Did he keep it in the BMW?? Ridiculous. I think the fact that he had his passport to book his flight to London shows pre-meditation, and first degree murder should be the ONLY consideration.

Maureen Wright   June 25th, 2008 10:53 am ET

I personally cannot believe that the jury is taking this long to reach a verdict. The evidence clearly shows that Neil Entwistle killed his wife and baby. I found it insulting for the defense to blame it on the victim.

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 10:58 am ET

best defense is no defense ,neal -guilty\and yes,child rapist should get death sentence

Cindy White   June 25th, 2008 10:58 am ET

Babies bring hope. I was taking anti-depressants before and during my pregnancy with my triplets. Due to complications common with multiples
I delivered 15 weeks early and lost two of my infants. my surviving son gave me hope despite depression and grief. I wanted to survive because of the hope my family, friends and son gave me. It is difficult for me to believe Rachel was feeling the hopelessness that often results in suicide.

C. White Nashville, TN

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 11:05 am ET

trial in minute segment was the defense whole case,neal=guilty

Chris Antal   June 25th, 2008 11:12 am ET

WHEN he is convicted he will first go to Concord Prison for 45 days. Then he will be shipped off to Cedar Junction for the rest of his life. From what I hear, they are not fond of child killers at that facility. I guess whatever sentence Entwistle gets beit 15-to-life or life-without-parole he will be slaughtered in Cedar Junction.

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 11:12 am ET

jury clock going on to 8 hours,hmm,guilty or not guilty hmm,guilty is my verdict

Jeana Olsen   June 25th, 2008 11:28 am ET

How did niek Entwhisle "KNOW" that gun belonged to his father-in-law? Thousands of guns look a like. I have some experience wirh guns and a friend of mine when with me to target shoot at a range. We had to check seriel numbers to maker sure we were packing up the correct guns as we owned the same models of guns. A colt 45 and a colt 22.

Robin the Law Dog   June 25th, 2008 11:32 am ET

Cases such as this one seem to keep raising the bar for cases tried in American courts. Is it a true who done it? Would Sherlock Holmes solve this case? Nobody wins when murder is chosen over DIVORCE. Killing a baby and it's mother in the prime of their bonding period of the beginnings of LIFE is lower than low. Neil, if guilty should die for his crime. He is a scary, heartless animal indeed. Worse than Scott Peterson or even Bundy.

The Entwitsle case is simple. That GUN did not grow leg's and drive itself back to Carver, MA.

The Supreme Court ruling over not to put to death child rapists upsets me as an American. Can we get a second ruling on castration? I like that idea much better. Why can't we raise this before the Courts?
I wonder if for once, any one of the Supreme Court Justices put themselves in the place of that poor child being the raped victim???. Do they not understand. The violence? the level of theft from an innocent child's body not to mention life...isn't this not indeed "death of a child's life" as they knew it moments before this criminal choose to Rape that child?

Amazing how they can conclude such a thing.

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 11:41 am ET

yea!me and hopnews .com on same page,guilty

pam in california   June 25th, 2008 11:46 am ET

If the defenses (husband) theory is the mother shot her baby and herself,
was there gunshot residue found on her hands?

Jeana Olsen   June 25th, 2008 11:50 am ET

Southaven, MS

How did Neil entsidke "KNOW" that the gun he found at the bed belonged to his father-in-law? Thousands of guns look alike, A friend of mune and I went target shooting at a range and we passed our guns back and forth checking our how they fired differently and the differnce in targeting. When we were ready to pack up we had to check seriel numbers to make sure we were packing up the right guns; a colt 34 and a colt 22.

Elaina   June 25th, 2008 12:02 pm ET

The defense has conceded that Enwistle returned the gun to the Mazzarato home which would indicate why his fingerprints were on the weapon. But if Rachel killed herself and the baby, what happened to her fingerprints? Wouldn't they be all over the gun as well? I never heard any testimony about Neil wiping down the gun (and thus wiping off Rachel's fingerprints) before handling it.

mark dassoni   June 25th, 2008 12:11 pm ET

neal-guilty

Donna   June 25th, 2008 12:13 pm ET

Admittedly, it does look bad for Neil, if I was sitting on the jury, I don't think I could come up with a Guilty verdict. Too circumstantial and the ME IMO did a lazy and shotty job. I was not impressed with him in the slightest bit. He also acted too nervous on the stand, like he was a little kid caught in the cookie jar. I am wondering if someone else committed those murders from Rachael's family. The mother didn't look like she was grieving so much to me. It has been almost two and a half years, but more like she was afraid of her life ending as she knows it. Like more tragedy to come. And she was defensive.

Greg Portsmouth, nh   June 25th, 2008 12:22 pm ET

Pretty lame defense "wife shoots baby then herself?" I didn't watch the trial but I'm sure forensics could disprove the facts by trajectory etc..
unless thats what really happened. I hate to admit it but if my wife killed my child and then herself, i would not have tried to save her honor as he said he did.

Jane   June 25th, 2008 12:25 pm ET

Entwistle's claim of innocence is just another example of so many people in this country who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. It's always someone else's fault or someone else did it.

If Entwistle were a decent human being, he would be ashamed to suggest that his wife killed her own baby.

Lisa   June 25th, 2008 12:26 pm ET

If Neil did not murder his family than what would he hve lost by taking the stand? Other than the lies that he told he could ave easily said that he did not know what to do that he was confused. He is a liar and is guilty. It is that simple. When you see the beautiful pictures of Rachel and Lillian, she does not look like someone that could do that to her nine month old baby or that was depressed. It is simple HE DID IT.

CR Champagne   June 25th, 2008 12:30 pm ET

I think that Neil should talk on the stand. For we are all actors and actresses struting our stuff across the stage...are we not?
CR Champagne

jo   June 25th, 2008 12:31 pm ET

I just listened to testimony from NE's friend...who said NE told him @ dinner in England in Feb that he went to Carver to get a gun to kill himself but could not get in...at closing his lawyer said NE went to Carver to return the gun that Rachel used to "kill herself"...in order to protect her honor...which is it? on another point, did he protect his dog by leaving her locked up in a crate...while fleeing to England?

Kendra Hans   June 25th, 2008 12:40 pm ET

The guy finds his wife and daughter dead and doesn't call anyone!
Execute him!

Silvana Lupetti   June 25th, 2008 12:41 pm ET

I would have gone with the 'evil twin' theory, that Sam Entwhisle did the murders and went back to the attic in hiding. Makes as much sense as the "Rachael did it" defense.

Christine Gamble   June 25th, 2008 12:47 pm ET

You aired a conversation between Entwistle and Seargent Mannin where Entwistle said" I took a knife from the kitchen block thinking I could finish, but I didn't have it in me to do so". *****NOW***** IF THAT ISN'T A CONFESSION, WHAT IS? WHY DID HE USE THE WORD "FINISH"?

The man killed his wife and baby girl, whether he placed the gun in his wife's hand or not, which I think he did because his mind is so twisted. What M A N leaves his dead wife and child and runs for his life to go talk to some friends. It's all bull**** and if he gets off with this one, then there is truly something seriously wrong with the United States of America judicial system.

Claudia Collier   June 25th, 2008 12:55 pm ET

Does anyone eplain how Rachel Entwistle would have been able to cover herself and Lillian up after shooting herself in the head.

C. Stith   June 25th, 2008 1:01 pm ET

It is so obvious that this guy is guilty. What a shame they don't have the death penalty in MA. Nobody in their right mind would not call 911 after seeing your wife and baby dead. And the suidcide defense in pitiful. Shame on the defense attorney for even suggesting such a thing.

Peggy/Kansas   June 25th, 2008 1:14 pm ET

Although I feel that Neil is responsible for the killing of his wife and daughter, the medical examiner gave the defense the reasonable doubt that they needed. Why did this medical examiner not look at these bodies every which way so that he could have said definitivley that suicide could be excluded. I would be having a difficult time making this decision but I am feeling strongly that the bumbling medical examiner may have lost this case or at the very least hung this jury.

elly egenberg   June 25th, 2008 1:24 pm ET

where was the murder weapon found? I thought it was found locked in the Step-father's home. Was the weapon found in the Entwistle bedroom?

Lynn Sims   June 25th, 2008 1:26 pm ET

I'm one who believes in our justice system and the idea that you are innocent until proven guilty. However, I must say that Mr. Weinstein's hypotehtical theory was laughable. Did he ever consider most jurors can see beyond all the smoke and mirrors? Mr. Weinstein says Neil wanted to protect his wife's honor so he returned the gun to his step-father-in-law's home so no one would know it was a murder-suicide. How did Neil know it was his step-father-in-law's gun (when he previously only handled it a couple times) and not to some other outside intruder? Also, how did Neil just so happen to have his passport with him when he happened upon Logan Airport? If I was a juror for this trial, I would be highly insulted by Mr. Weinstein's outrageous theory......shame on him!

Karen St. Louis   June 25th, 2008 1:39 pm ET

Not sure if I missed this.
Was the issue raised ? Did Neil Entwistle check the home to
see if there may have been "someone" there besides his wife & child??

Star Winchester   June 25th, 2008 1:42 pm ET

Neil said he did not have a key to his inlaws house so how did the gun get back to there house? If he didnt touch their bodies how did Rachels arm get under the babys? Did she return the gun and set the scene after she shot herself.... Hes so guilty!

chris wolf   June 25th, 2008 1:47 pm ET

I agree with Dame Gloria Allred that every family member of a murder victim is a victim as well. The more victims, the more billable hours. Really though, it's always nice to see Gloria and Lisa Bloom together!

Jeanie Pochatko   June 25th, 2008 1:49 pm ET

Ashleigh or Jack.. I wish that the prosecutors in cases such as Phil Spector and now Entwistle, would explain the word "reasonable" as in Reasonable Doubt... It isn't just doubt, but I think jurors need to be reminded what within "reason" means..

What do you think, guys? I think these killers are getting off because some one juror decides that , "Gee, I have a tiny doubt about this one thing"... thanks, JP

Arlene   June 25th, 2008 2:04 pm ET

Didn't he and his boyfriend who testified say they went to dinner and to see a funny movie? How can someone commit murder and then go to a funny movie? He's guilty and crazy!

Virginia Dexter   June 25th, 2008 2:04 pm ET

As a woman who has dealt with depression for many years, I notice there was no mention of Rachel's depression or postpartum depression. And had she been depressed, she certainly would not have been planning a dinner party in that condition.

Stephanie   June 25th, 2008 2:08 pm ET

I'm getting a little nervous. I thought for sure the guilty verdict would be here by now.

I'm hoping that this doesn't turn into another Phil Spector type of situation.

Stephanie TX

Judy Bastin Fl.   June 25th, 2008 2:14 pm ET

I beleive that Neil shot Rachael in the head and then he cover the childs face and shot her. He then placed Rachaels arm over the hole in Lillies chest { thus grs } on her arm. Only a coward would kill their family like that. Judy Fl.

Doreen   June 25th, 2008 2:18 pm ET

The most incriminating statement Neil made was that "it was obvious what had happened." The only person who would say something like that was the killer.

Charlene   June 25th, 2008 2:22 pm ET

Two things. It's being claimed that Neil covered up Rachael's murder-suicide, and returned the gun to the house? How did he get in when he said on the tapes he didn't have a key?

Also, he said he knew there were guns in his in-laws' house, and he thought of using one on himself. Were there any bullets left in the murder weapon? Why not just use that one, if he didn't have the guts to use the knife?

gabriela   June 25th, 2008 2:30 pm ET

This man is guilty. There is no way Rachel would have killed that precious child and then taken her own life. Mrs. Entwistle looked very happy with her baby. Why didn't prosecutors seek the death penalty for this monster? This man reminds me of Scott Peterson. Mr. Entwistle should be on death row just like Mr. Peterson. We have the greatest justice system in the world and I hope this jury does justice for Rachel and baby Lillian. I look at pictures of Lili and her mom and that just breaks my heart. This man planned these murders and he has to pay!

Bill   June 25th, 2008 2:30 pm ET

If it isn't a crime to flea the scene where your wife and daughter have been murdered, without contacting the police, then it ought to be. All of Entwistle's actions subsequent to his "discovery" of his dead family in his home absolutely reeks of guilt.

Scott   June 25th, 2008 2:46 pm ET

15 mins until the verdict, there's no way he's getting off, guilty on all 4 counts

Catherine   June 25th, 2008 3:16 pm ET

Yeah!!!! Anyone living in America that could even consider that he could possibly be innocent.....I sure wouldn't want them on my jury if I were being tried. Just think what baby Lillian felt when she saw Daddy in front of her, then felt this horrible pain. And the thoughts of Rachel knowing her "loving" husband was killing her baby in front of her. He'll get his in prison. They don't like babykillers in prison. He'll get his – God will punish him- in this world, in the next.

Deborah   June 25th, 2008 3:17 pm ET

Thank God that monster, Neil Entwistle was found GUILTY! Now may Rachel and Lillian Rose rest in peace

BARBARA YUG   June 25th, 2008 10:05 pm ET

Entwistles attorney said there would be an appeal on the grounds of an illegal search of the Entwistle's house. Who were the police supposed to serve the search warrant to?

Patricia Mann   June 26th, 2008 10:26 am ET

Only GOD knows what really happened – with the last minute suicide theory – if this indeed was the case – Neil is still guilty of driving Rachel to do it.

Rachel could have "gone off the deep end" when she found out about Neil's deceit – both financially and sexually.

She momentarily may have decided she and Lillian would have been far better off safe in Heaven!

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