What Experts have to say
Our experts weigh in
Throughout the trial, the Daily News has invited a panel of experts to comment on what is happening in the courtroom. The panel members are: Wendy Murphy, a former Middlesex assistant district attorney and current victim/witness advocate; John LaChance, a former federal prosecutor and current defense lawyer based in Framingham, and Steve Huff, a professional crime blogger who runs two Web sites. Check back often for our experts' opinions. And if you want to share your opinion, visit our blog.
Timeline: So Far...
Jan. 16, 2006 -- Neil Entwistle visits the adult dating World Wide Web site "Adult Friend Finder."
Jan. 16 and 17 -- Entwistle views a Web site describing how to kill people. He also searches the internet on how to commit suicide, how to kill someone with a knife and euthanasia.
Jan. 18 -- Entwistle searches the internet for "escort services,'' including "Blonde Beauties Escort SVC.'' based in Worcester.
Coming Up
Neil Entwistle will serve his time at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley. His conviction will be appealed. Under Massachusetts law, all first-degree murder convictions are appealed.
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Jan. 16, 2006 -- Neil Entwistle visits the adult dating World Wide Web site "Adult Friend Finder."
Jan. 16 and 17 -- Entwistle views a Web site describing how to kill people. He also searches the internet on how to commit suicide, how to kill someone with a knife and euthanasia.
Jan. 18 -- Entwistle searches the internet for "escort services,'' including "Blonde Beauties Escort SVC.'' based in Worcester.
Jan. 19 -- The last time anyone heard from Rachel Entwistle.
Jan. 20 -- Authorities say Neil Entwistle shot his wife, Rachel, and 9-month-old daughter, Lillian Rose, while they lay in bed in their 6 Cubs Path, Hopkinton home.
Jan. 21 -- Neil Entwistle buys a ticket at Logan Airport to fly to London. He flies out at 8:15 a.m. without baggage.
Jan. 21 -- Police search Cubs Path home at 8:27 p.m. after family and friends call for a well-being check. They do not find the bodies.
Jan. 22 -- A second well-being check at the home at about 6:30 p.m. reveals the bodies of Rachel and Lillian Rose covered in blankets and pillows in the bed.
Jan. 23 -- Investigators speak to Entwistle at his parents' Worksop, England home. He said he found his wife and baby dead in his house at about 11 a.m., but said he had no idea who killed them.
Jan. 24 -- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner rules Rachel died of a single gunshot to the head, while Lillian Rose died of a gunshot to the abdomen. He rules both deaths homicides.
Jan. 29 -- Rachel Entwistle's family, through spokesman Joe Flaherty, makes first public statement: "The entire family is overwhelmed by the loss of Rachel and Lillian and the events of last weekend.'' Neil Entwistle is never mentioned in the statement.
Feb. 1 -- Funeral for Rachel and Lillian is held.
Feb. 8 -- Entwistle is arrested by the Metropolitan Police Extradition Unit at the Royal Oak train station in London.
Feb. 15 -- Entwistle is flown back to the United States after he waived his right to fight extradition in England.
Feb. 16 -- Entwistle is arraigned in a packed Framingham District Court room. Judge Robert Greco orders him held without bail. Entwistle is sent to the Middlesex Jail in Cambridge where he was held in the medical unit due to his celebrity status.
March 28 -- Middlesex grand jury indicts Entwistle of two counts of murder, the illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.
April 9 -- Lillian Rose would have celebrated her first birthday.
April 11 -- Entwistle is arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge. He pleads not guilty to all charges. Judge Peter Lauriat orders Entwistle held without bail.
Sept. 18 -- Neil Entwistle turns 28 in jail.
Oct. 5 -- Prosecutor Michael Fabbri argues to test Entwistle's DNA. Entwistle's lawyer, Elliot Weinstein, argues against the testing and makes a motion for the case to be dismissed.
Nov. 6 -- Judge Lauriat rules that Entwistle must give his DNA and rejects the motion to be dismissed.
Dec. 14 -- Rachel Entwistle would have turned 28.
Dec. 15 -- Weinstein argues that Entwistle should be released on bail and allowed to return to England.
Dec. 18 -- Lauriat denies the bail request.
Dec. 20 -- Eben Howard, a former Framingham man being held at the jail, attacks Entwistle and kicks him in the abdomen.
Dec. 20 -- Middlesex Jail guards find letters to his parents and to his lawyers in Entwistle's cell that they believe showed he was depressed and may be contemplating suicide.
Dec. 21 -- Entwistle is transferred to the Bridgewater State Hospital for a mental evaluation.
Jan. 9, 2007 -- Entwistle is returned to the Middlesex Jail after his evaluation.
May 26 -- Weinstein files a motion to suppress asking the judge to throw out all evidence found in the Cubs Path home and any evidence gathered after because Entwistle never gave them permission to enter the home without a warrant.
April 9 -- Lillian Rose would have turned 2 years old.
Aug. 30 -- Judge Diane Kottmyer denies motion to suppress.
Sept. 11 -- Weinstein asks Kottmyer to reschedule the trial, scheduled to start on Oct. 1 because he needs more time to analyze evidence. She postpones trial to Jan. 28, 2008.
Sept. 18 -- Entwistle turns 29.
Nov. 14 -- Weinstein requests another trial delay, but Kottmyer denies the request. She later reconsiders her decision and postpones the trial until March 17, 2008.
Dec. 14 -- Rachel Entwistle would have turned 29.
Jan. 25, 2008 -- Weinstein again requests another trial delay because co-counsel Stephanie Page had emergency surgery and would not be able to assist in the trial preparation. Kottmyer sets the new trial date to June 2.
March 14 -- Kottmyer allows Fabbri to send a letter of rogatory to Gibraltar to get records of Entwistle's online gambling debts.
June 2-5 -- Jury selection at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn.
June 5 -- Sixteen jurors selected, eight men and eight women.
June 6 - Prosecutor Michael Fabbri and defense lawyer Elliot Weinstein present opening statements. Five witnesses, including Rachel Entwistle’s mother Priscilla Matterazzo and Rachel’s uncle, Lloyde Cooke, testified that Joe Matterazzo had taught Entwistle how to shoot a gun.
June 9 - Rachel Entwistle’s stepfather, Joe Matterazzo, takes the stand. He said Entwistle asked that Rachel and Lillian Rose be buried together, “Because that’s the way I left them...”
June 10 - Rachel’s friend, Joanna Gately, testifies, describing her search for the Entwistles on Jan. 21, the day before Rachel’s and Lillian’s bodies are found. She said she spent the night in the driveway she was so worried. Hopkinton’s “Welcome Lady,” Pamela Jackson also testified, describing Entwistle as a “doting” father.
June 11 - First crime scene photos are displayed. Photo shows the bed where Rachel and Lillian were found. The bodies were nearly invisible, covered by a large comforter and other blankets. Sgt. Michael Sutton also described how the bodies were found on Jan. 22, 2006.
June 12 - Neil Entwistle breaks down in tears as a crime scene video is played for the jury. The video was not shown to the public, but his reactions were clearly visible. His family, mother Yvonne, father Clifford and brother Russell, all cry watching Neil sob.
June 13 - A Massachusetts State Police chemist, Deanna Dygan, said gunshot residue found on the bloody pillow Rachel Entwistle’s head was on proved the shot that killed her was fired from within 18 inches. She also said Lillian Rose died from a contact shot.
June 16 - Dygan displays the bloody clothing both Rachel and Lillian Rose were wearing when they died. Elliot Weinstein questioned the objectivity of the investigation because Dygan had filled in Neil Entwistle’s name in the suspect line on a crime scene sheet prior to the investigation beginning at 6 Cubs Path, Hopkinton.
June 17 - Two of Entwistle’s college friends, Benjamin Pryor and Dashiel Munding, took the stand, describing the stories Entwistle told them, which were different than he told police.
June 18 - Medford Police Officer Lawrence James described evidence he found on Entwistle’s computer. A user name of ENT was linked to searches for such terms as “How to kill with a knife,” plane tickets and sexual Web sites.
June 19 - State medical examiner Dr. William Zane said he never considered Rachel and Lillian Rose’s deaths as anything other than homicides. Defense lawyers questioned him if it was possible the deaths were a murder suicide. Zane admitted he did not know gunshot residue was found on Rachel’s hands.
June 20 - Neil Entwistle’s voice is heard in the courtroom for nearly two hours as prosecutors play a recording to Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Robert Manning interviewing Entwistle on Jan. 23, 2006. Entwistle claims he found the bodies and planned on killing himself after he found the bodies, but could not go through with it. He said he went to England because he felt he had to be with his family.
June 23 - Closing arguments. Weinstein claims Rachel murdered Lillian Rose and killed herself, and Entwistle covered it up. “Foremost, his purpose was to protect Rachel’s memory - to protect her honor,” he said. “Neil committed to not betraying Rachel’s memories. He could not do that to Rachel.” But, Fabbri countered, Rachel was happy and thought she had the perfect life, and Entwistle killed them to hide his life of lies. “He got to the tipping point,” said Fabbri. “His own tipping point and he followed through and murdered his own wife and child.”
June 24 - Jury deliberates throughout the day without reaching a verdict.
June 25 - Entwistle is found guilty by the jury of six men and six women. Yvonne Entwistle says her son is innocent. The Matterazzos thank everyone for their support since the murders. Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone had harsh words for Entwistle: “I condemn Neil Entwistle for compounding the unspeakable nature of what he has done by disparaging the memory of his wife and vilifying the entire Matterazzo family by his decisions during the course of this trial,”
June 26 - Entwistle is formally sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole. Judge Diane Kottmyer said, “These crimes are incomprehensible.” Rachel’s family also present victim-impact statements. “Our dreams as a parent and grandparent have been shattered by the shameful, selfish act of one person, Neil Entwistle,” said Priscilla Matterazzo. “For him to have to hide behind the accusation of murder-suicide of this beautiful woman and perfect mother is low and despicable.”