Opening statements

Today in the trial of Neil Entwistle, lawyers for the prosecution and defense gave opening statements, and the mother of Neil's wife Rachel took the stand. The courtroom was almost completely filled with reporters, family members of Neil and Rachel, and a few spectators. The day started with a court clerk reading the charges against Neil, and then the jury was sworn in and Judge Kottmyer read them instructions, including not to discuss the case with anyone else, including each other, not to do any independent research, including looking up words in a dictionary, and to always pay attention.

In his opening statement, prosecutor Michael Fabbri outlined the case against Entwistle. He said that Rachel and Neil's relationship was outwardly "nothing but loving and stable," but there was "another side to Neil Entwistle." Although Entwistle claims he returned from running errands to find his wife and daughter dead, he admitted to investigators that he flew to England without calling 9-1-1, trying to get help, or telling his in-laws. Additionally, Fabbri outlined Entwtisle's financial difficulties and his Internet activities, which included searches for escort services, bankruptcy, killing, and suicide. He also said that Entwistle's DNA was found on the gun, gun locks, and ammunition boxes, that he changed his story about what he did immediately after the alleged murders, and that he attempted to flee when he heard he was going to be arrested.

Elliot Weinstein gave the opening statement for the defense, which was much briefer than that of the prosecution. "Neil loved his wife and Neil loved his daughter, and on January 20 he lost them both," he said. Weinstein emphasized the fact that Entwistle appeared to be a trustworthy father and husband and tried to debunk the computer evidence in the case by pointing out that other people had used the computers in question. He also implied that investigators had been negligent and told jurors that they would learn from what the investigators did not do and "the steps that they failed to take." Weinstein said that the evidence in the case "is not that clear, and it is not that easy" and that "things are not the way they first appear to be." He told the jury to "resist stereotypes" and to "not be overwhelmed" by the gruesome evidence.

The first witness of the day, and the most high-profile, was Rachel's mother, Priscilla Matterazzo. In addition to describing Rachel's life and relationship with Neil, Mrs. Matterazzo described how Neil and Rachel moved into their in-laws' home in Carver before renting a house in Hopkinton. Neil spent hours on his computer in an office over the garage, she said, and appeared "distant" on a few occasions when she saw him shortly before the alleged crimes. Finally, she described how she arrived at the Hopkinton home on January 21, 2006 for a lunch get-together and found the house locked and deserted. She called the police that night and filed a missing persons report the following day, and on the second search of the house the police found the bodies of Rachel and Lillian. Stephanie Page, Weinstein's co-counsel, conducted the cross examinations of all the witnesses today. She got Mrs. Matterazzo to admit that it wasn't abnormal for Neil to act "a little reserved" and that Rachel may have used the laptop in the office for unknown purposes. Additionally, Page hinted that many people knew of Joe Matterazzo's gun collection, creating a possibility that someone besides Neil could have used one of Joe's guns to kill Rachel and Lillian.

Theresa Pratt, a friend of Mrs. Matterazzo, testified that she was with Mrs. Matterazzo on the 21st and talked to her on the 22nd, when she understandably sounded very upset. She also described how she knew Rachel and Neil and that on one occasion Neil said that he was one of only three people in the world who knew how to perform a certain computer task.

Next, two of Mrs. Matterazzo's co-workers, Laureen Mahoney and Margaret Cafano, took the stand. They all worked at Harbor Medical Associates and said that Neil, Rachel, and Lillian visited them a couple of times. This was meant to show that that Neil knew where the medical facility was, contrary to his claim that he tried to drive there after finding the bodies of Rachel and Lillian but could not find his way. On cross examination, they admitted that Neil had never gone there by himself, so perhaps Rachel had been driving and Neil did not know how to get there.

Finally, Mrs. Matterazzo's brother, Lloyde Cooke, testified about how he had gone target shooting with Mr. Matterazzo and Neil on two occasions. He said that Neil was taught how to use the guns and was a decent marksman. His testimony will resume on Monday.