There were no tears in the courtroom today as prosecutors continued to present forensic evidence in the trial of Neil Entwistle. State Police Chemist John Soares continued his testimony about the gruesome crime scene. He testified yesterday that the bodies of Entwistle's wife Rachel and baby Lillian were huddled in bed in their Hopkinton home, killed by what appeared to be gunshot wounds and covered by layers of bedding. He also said that there were about four reddish-brown stains on the walls of the master bedroom, all but one of which tested positive for blood. Today Soares talked about forensic tests he did on Entwistle's car, which was found in Logan Airport. Soares swabbed water bottles and coffee cups in the car for DNA and tested the steering wheel and car keys for gunshot residue. He was also given custody of 13 knives found in Entwistle's house, including one found on the kitchen counter. Also during Soares's testimony the jury (but not Neil or anyone in the gallery) viewed photos of Rachel's and Lillian's bodies.
On cross examination, Elliot Weinstein criticized Soares for failing to be open-minded and thorough enought in his investigation. "You wouldn't begin an investigation wanting the evidence to funnel in one direction, would you?" Weinstein asked. Soares replied that he would not. He admitted that he did not know how many people were in the Entwistle home before him and if anyone had moved anything. Additionally, Weinstein pointed out that Soares and others who processed the crime scene did not test anything in the walk-in closet or bathroom except for a towel, did not test anything in the house for occult (invisible) blood, and tested only the steering wheel of the car for gunshot residue. Soares also admitted that he thoroughly tested Neil's car for occult and visible blood, including the driver's side door, steering wheel, and seat positioning levers, but didn't find any.
The next witness of the day was Jeremy Roybal, a fraud investigator with eBay. For the first time in the trial, Assistant D.A. Daniel Bennett, who is working with Michael Fabbri, conducted a direct examination. Roybal's testimony consisted mainly of records on Neil's various PayPal accounts and one under Rachel's name, all created with different mailing addresses and e-mail addresses. He also listed numerous transactions associated with the accounts as information about the transactions was displayed in a spreadsheet on a monitor. Entwistle had received many complaints from buyers in late December 2005 and January 2006 because he had failed to deliver products. On January 20 and 21, PayPal made automatic refunds to these buyers because they were unable to contact the seller.
Next Chemist Deanna Dygan, who processed the crime scene with Soares, described the forensic tests she performed. She collected sheets and pillowcases, a hair found on the bed, and later the clothing that Rachel and Lillian were wearing when they died. The clothing was entered into evidence today, but because it was stored in bags it was not visible to spectators. Additionally, Dygan performed a lead test on a hole found in Lillian's pajamas to see if it was made by a bullet, collected swabs from the bedroom, and tested the pillow that was found under Rachel's and Lillian's heads. Photos of the pillow, which was stained with blood, were displayed on a monitor visible to everyone in the courtroom. Dygan testified that the pillow had high-impact blood spatter and tested positive for vaporous and particulate gunshot residue. According to her, vaporous gunshot residue does not travel farther than 18 inches, so whoever shot Rachel and Lillian must have done so from very close range. Dygan will continue her testimony on Monday.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Entwistle weeps at crime scene video
Neil Entwistle broke down and cried today as jurors were shown a crime scene video of the bodies of his wife and baby daughter huddled together in bed in their Hopkinton home. The 20-minute video was visible only to jurors, who watched it on a monitor facing the jury box, and to Entwistle, his defense lawyers, and prosecutors, who watched it from another monitor on the opposite side of the courtroom. It was shown this morning during the testimony of Mary Ritchie, a state police sergeant who processed the crime scene. Before the video was shown, Judge Diane Kottmyer warned jurors about its graphic nature and reminded them to use reason, not emotion, to evaluate the evidence. Entwistle wiped his eyes and looked down several times as he watched the video. His mother, Yvonne, cried as well and was comforted by her husband Clifford and younger son Russell.
This is by far the most emotion Neil has shown in court. Previously he has always been calm, occasionally smiling at and whispering to his family in the front row of the gallery.
Other witnesses today included Trooper Emily Phaneuf, who helped Ritchie process the crime scene, Lisa Scoutelas, a recruiter at a company called Intrinsix, where Neil repeatedly applied for work, and John Soares, who works in the state police crime lab and also processed the crime scene. Elliot Weinstein is continuing with his strategy of proving that Neil may not be the only one who accessed computers that were allegedly used to visit sex sites and search for information on killing and suicide. He asked Phaneuf and Ritchie whether they had ever tested a laptop for fingerprints in the case, and both replied that they hadn't.
This is by far the most emotion Neil has shown in court. Previously he has always been calm, occasionally smiling at and whispering to his family in the front row of the gallery.
Other witnesses today included Trooper Emily Phaneuf, who helped Ritchie process the crime scene, Lisa Scoutelas, a recruiter at a company called Intrinsix, where Neil repeatedly applied for work, and John Soares, who works in the state police crime lab and also processed the crime scene. Elliot Weinstein is continuing with his strategy of proving that Neil may not be the only one who accessed computers that were allegedly used to visit sex sites and search for information on killing and suicide. He asked Phaneuf and Ritchie whether they had ever tested a laptop for fingerprints in the case, and both replied that they hadn't.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Police officers testify against Entwistle
Today at Middlesex Superior Court, three police officers gave testimony against Neil Entwistle. The first witness was Sgt. Michael Sutton, a Hopkinton police officer who twice searched Neil and Rachel Entwistle's house. Sutton and Officer Aaron O'Neil conducted a "wellness check" on January 21, 2006 at the request of Rachel's friend, Joanna Gately. During this initial search, the officers used a plastic card to open the locked front door, walked through the house, and briefly looked inside all the rooms to see if there was anyone inside who was in need of assistance. Sutton said he observed various lights on in the house, heard music playing in the nursery, and saw that there was water in an upstairs bathtub. In the master bedroom, he noticed that the bedding was in a pile in the middle of the bed. However, he did not find any blood, broken objects, or anything out of the ordinary.
The next day, January 22, after Rachel's family and friends filed a missing persons report, Sutton and Detective Scott Van Raalten searched the house again. This time Sutton noticed a smell that had not been there before, and followed the smell up to the master bedroom on the second floor. He saw a pair of glasses and a woman's watch on the floor near the bed, and then lifted the comforter slightly and saw a woman's foot. Sutton and Van Raalten lifted the comforter near the head of the bed and discovered a baby's face and a woman's face. After discovering the bodies of Rachel and her baby Lillian, the officers searched the house more thoroughly in an attempt to find a third victim, but Neil was nowhere to be found.
On cross examination, Elliot Weinstein criticized Sutton for breaking into the house and pointed out that he found nothing wrong on the first search. "And you learned that things aren't always as they appear to be?" he asked. Weinstein also criticized Sutton for failing to contact Neil's parents to see if they knew where he was and for neglecting to have any police officers drive by the house during the night of January 21 to check the property.
After Sutton's testimony, Sgt. Steven Bennett, a state police officer who works at Logan Airport, described how he photographed the white BMW X3 that Neil left in an airport parking garage after flying home to England.
Next, Sgt. Mary Ritchie, a state police trooper who works with the crime scene services unit, testified about the crime scene and began to describe fingerprint evidence in the case. She and other officers processed the crime scene in the Hopkinton home in the early morning hours of January 23. Rachel and Lillian were covered under layers of bedding and were both wearing sleepwear. Lillian had a bullet hole in her chest and another in her back, as well as bruising to her face. Rachel was struck in the chest by the bullet that passed through Lillian, and it was discovered later that she was actually killed by a gunshot to her head, just above the hairline. In addition to testifying about the crime scene, Ritchie explained how fingerprints are formed and said that there were 9 to 10 prints on the .22 Colt revolver that is the alleged murder weapon. The court got to see the gun for the first time, although it was difficult to get a good view of it because it was in a box. None of the prints found on the gun were complete enough to be matched to any particular person, however. Ritchie will continue her testimony tomorrow as the prosecution attempts to link the gun to Neil Entwistle.
The next day, January 22, after Rachel's family and friends filed a missing persons report, Sutton and Detective Scott Van Raalten searched the house again. This time Sutton noticed a smell that had not been there before, and followed the smell up to the master bedroom on the second floor. He saw a pair of glasses and a woman's watch on the floor near the bed, and then lifted the comforter slightly and saw a woman's foot. Sutton and Van Raalten lifted the comforter near the head of the bed and discovered a baby's face and a woman's face. After discovering the bodies of Rachel and her baby Lillian, the officers searched the house more thoroughly in an attempt to find a third victim, but Neil was nowhere to be found.
On cross examination, Elliot Weinstein criticized Sutton for breaking into the house and pointed out that he found nothing wrong on the first search. "And you learned that things aren't always as they appear to be?" he asked. Weinstein also criticized Sutton for failing to contact Neil's parents to see if they knew where he was and for neglecting to have any police officers drive by the house during the night of January 21 to check the property.
After Sutton's testimony, Sgt. Steven Bennett, a state police officer who works at Logan Airport, described how he photographed the white BMW X3 that Neil left in an airport parking garage after flying home to England.
Next, Sgt. Mary Ritchie, a state police trooper who works with the crime scene services unit, testified about the crime scene and began to describe fingerprint evidence in the case. She and other officers processed the crime scene in the Hopkinton home in the early morning hours of January 23. Rachel and Lillian were covered under layers of bedding and were both wearing sleepwear. Lillian had a bullet hole in her chest and another in her back, as well as bruising to her face. Rachel was struck in the chest by the bullet that passed through Lillian, and it was discovered later that she was actually killed by a gunshot to her head, just above the hairline. In addition to testifying about the crime scene, Ritchie explained how fingerprints are formed and said that there were 9 to 10 prints on the .22 Colt revolver that is the alleged murder weapon. The court got to see the gun for the first time, although it was difficult to get a good view of it because it was in a box. None of the prints found on the gun were complete enough to be matched to any particular person, however. Ritchie will continue her testimony tomorrow as the prosecution attempts to link the gun to Neil Entwistle.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Entwistle trial, day 3
Prosecution witnesses continued their testimony today in the trial of Neil Entwistle. The first witness of the day was Kim Puig, who owned the house that Neil and Rachel Entwistle rented in Hopkinton. She said that they had requested a six-month lease on the home, but because she was unsure of their ability to pay, she offered them a three-month lease. The rent was $2700 per month, and by the time of the alleged murders the Entwistles had paid $8100, which included two months rent and a security deposit.
Next, Pamela Jackson, who works as the "welcoming lady in Hopkinton," told the court about how she visited the Entwistles on January 15, shortly after they moved into the Hopkinton house. She said that Neil asked about country clubs, religious groups, and mother's groups in the area and that Neil and Rachel had a "loving" and "adorable" relationship. Additionally, she testified that Neil told her he was self-employed and worked in the insurance industry.
The next two witnesses, Michael Sheehan and Marianne Chandler, work for the Massachusetts Port Authority and are involved with overseeing the parking system at Logan Airport. They established that Neil parked his BMW in a garage near the international terminal after 8:00 p.m. on January 20, left at about 9:30, and then returned at nearly 11:00. The court got to see security camera footage of Neil paying for his parking.
Julie-Anne Aloisi, an investigator for Citizens Bank, testified about the Entwistles' finances. She explained a chart of financial transactions that took place with Neil and Rachel's bank account between January 19 and 22. Shortly after 8:30 p.m. and again shortly after 9:00 p.m. on January 20, someone made several attempts to withdraw money from the account from ATMs at Logan Airport. The prosecution introduced additional surveillance videos of Neil, one showing him at an ATM at Logan airport, apparently trying to get funds for a flight to England. Although many of his attempted transactions were denied, he succeeded (using the overdraft protection feature of his account) in getting the $800 that ne needed for a plane ticket.
Then Carol Cox and Mary Hannon, who both worked for British Airways at Logan Airport, testified that Neil obtained an electronic ticket the morning of January 21 and boarded British Airways flight 238, which left shortly after 8:00 a.m. for Heathrow in London. He bought a one-way ticket and took no luggage with him. Cox described him as "pleasant, calm, and polite" and said on cross-examination that although he had to board last so she could verify that he had actually purchased a ticket, he never acted agitated or tried to get her to hurry.
In the afternoon, Rachel's college friend, Joanna Gately, told the court that she and her sister, Maureen, had plans to eat dinner with the Entwistles in their Hopkinton home on January 21, some time between 4:00 and 7:00. When they arrived a little after 7:00, they were unable to get into the house. Joanna called Rachel's mother, Priscilla Matterazzo, who had left a note on the door after being unable to get into the house for a lunch date, and she later called the Hopkinton police. At about 8:30, Sgt. Michael Sutton and Officer Aaron O'Neil arrived, opened the front door with a Blockbuster card, and did a cursory search of the home, during which they found nothing out of the ordinary. The officers let Joanna take the Entwistles' dog, Sally, outside to do her business, and then left. The Gately sisters were so concerned that they stayed in their car at the house overnight. In the morning, Joanna called Priscilla again, drove to stores such as Bob's and Stop and Shop to look for the Entwistles' BMW, and obtained the passcode to the garage door from the neighbors. She and Maureen entered the house again through the garage, walked and fed Sally, and went upstairs, where they noticed that the TV was on in the living room and a radio was playing classical music in baby Lillian's bedroom. Finally, Joe and Priscilla Matterazzo arrived with Priscilla's friend Theresa Pratt and her daughter, and everyone went to the Hopkinton police station at around 5:00 p.m. to file a missing persons report. Later they heard the news about Rachel and Lillian's deaths and were interviewed by the police.
The final witness of the day was Officer Aaron O'Neil, a patrolman with the Hopkinton Police Department who searched the Entwistles' house on January 21 at the request of Joanna Gately. He gave his Blockbuster card to his partner, Sgt. Sutton, who used it to jimmy open the door. Both policemen searched the first floor, where Officer O'Neil noticed toys strewn about, Sally in her crate in the living room, and food left on the table as if someone had just eaten dinner. Officer O'Neil turned on a digital camera that he found on a table in the kitchen and found that the last picture was taken on January 19. Then, Sgt. Sutton searched the second floor while Officer O'Neil searched the garage. Neither discovered anything out of the ordinary during this initial search.
On cross-examination, defense lawyer Elliot Weinstein criticized Officer O'Neil for breaking into the house, turning on the camera, and failing to discover the bodies. He called the Blockbuster card "the item of choice for law enforcement to get past the lock" and asked him, "Were you looking for a person when you grabbed that digital camera off the table?" Weinstein emphasized the fact that the policemen "looked thoroughly" and found no blood, no broken objects, and nothing out of the ordinary. The police did not have a warrant to conduct the initial search.
Next, Pamela Jackson, who works as the "welcoming lady in Hopkinton," told the court about how she visited the Entwistles on January 15, shortly after they moved into the Hopkinton house. She said that Neil asked about country clubs, religious groups, and mother's groups in the area and that Neil and Rachel had a "loving" and "adorable" relationship. Additionally, she testified that Neil told her he was self-employed and worked in the insurance industry.
The next two witnesses, Michael Sheehan and Marianne Chandler, work for the Massachusetts Port Authority and are involved with overseeing the parking system at Logan Airport. They established that Neil parked his BMW in a garage near the international terminal after 8:00 p.m. on January 20, left at about 9:30, and then returned at nearly 11:00. The court got to see security camera footage of Neil paying for his parking.
Julie-Anne Aloisi, an investigator for Citizens Bank, testified about the Entwistles' finances. She explained a chart of financial transactions that took place with Neil and Rachel's bank account between January 19 and 22. Shortly after 8:30 p.m. and again shortly after 9:00 p.m. on January 20, someone made several attempts to withdraw money from the account from ATMs at Logan Airport. The prosecution introduced additional surveillance videos of Neil, one showing him at an ATM at Logan airport, apparently trying to get funds for a flight to England. Although many of his attempted transactions were denied, he succeeded (using the overdraft protection feature of his account) in getting the $800 that ne needed for a plane ticket.
Then Carol Cox and Mary Hannon, who both worked for British Airways at Logan Airport, testified that Neil obtained an electronic ticket the morning of January 21 and boarded British Airways flight 238, which left shortly after 8:00 a.m. for Heathrow in London. He bought a one-way ticket and took no luggage with him. Cox described him as "pleasant, calm, and polite" and said on cross-examination that although he had to board last so she could verify that he had actually purchased a ticket, he never acted agitated or tried to get her to hurry.
In the afternoon, Rachel's college friend, Joanna Gately, told the court that she and her sister, Maureen, had plans to eat dinner with the Entwistles in their Hopkinton home on January 21, some time between 4:00 and 7:00. When they arrived a little after 7:00, they were unable to get into the house. Joanna called Rachel's mother, Priscilla Matterazzo, who had left a note on the door after being unable to get into the house for a lunch date, and she later called the Hopkinton police. At about 8:30, Sgt. Michael Sutton and Officer Aaron O'Neil arrived, opened the front door with a Blockbuster card, and did a cursory search of the home, during which they found nothing out of the ordinary. The officers let Joanna take the Entwistles' dog, Sally, outside to do her business, and then left. The Gately sisters were so concerned that they stayed in their car at the house overnight. In the morning, Joanna called Priscilla again, drove to stores such as Bob's and Stop and Shop to look for the Entwistles' BMW, and obtained the passcode to the garage door from the neighbors. She and Maureen entered the house again through the garage, walked and fed Sally, and went upstairs, where they noticed that the TV was on in the living room and a radio was playing classical music in baby Lillian's bedroom. Finally, Joe and Priscilla Matterazzo arrived with Priscilla's friend Theresa Pratt and her daughter, and everyone went to the Hopkinton police station at around 5:00 p.m. to file a missing persons report. Later they heard the news about Rachel and Lillian's deaths and were interviewed by the police.
The final witness of the day was Officer Aaron O'Neil, a patrolman with the Hopkinton Police Department who searched the Entwistles' house on January 21 at the request of Joanna Gately. He gave his Blockbuster card to his partner, Sgt. Sutton, who used it to jimmy open the door. Both policemen searched the first floor, where Officer O'Neil noticed toys strewn about, Sally in her crate in the living room, and food left on the table as if someone had just eaten dinner. Officer O'Neil turned on a digital camera that he found on a table in the kitchen and found that the last picture was taken on January 19. Then, Sgt. Sutton searched the second floor while Officer O'Neil searched the garage. Neither discovered anything out of the ordinary during this initial search.
On cross-examination, defense lawyer Elliot Weinstein criticized Officer O'Neil for breaking into the house, turning on the camera, and failing to discover the bodies. He called the Blockbuster card "the item of choice for law enforcement to get past the lock" and asked him, "Were you looking for a person when you grabbed that digital camera off the table?" Weinstein emphasized the fact that the policemen "looked thoroughly" and found no blood, no broken objects, and nothing out of the ordinary. The police did not have a warrant to conduct the initial search.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Victim's stepfather takes the stand
Ten witnesses testified today in the trial of Neil Entwistle, the most prominent being Joe Matterazzo, the stepfather or Neil's slain wife, Rachel. Today's testimony began with the cross-examination of Lloyde Cooke, Rachel's uncle, who had been target shooting with Neil at Old Colony Sportsmen's Club in Pembroke and helped to show him how to handle the guns. While making the point that shooting accurately is a "natural talent," defense lawyer Elliot Weinstein began questioning Cooke about professional basketball and how some players are naturally good at making foul shots and others are not. This drew an objection from prosecutor Michael Fabbri, who said that the questions were irrelevant. Additionally, the defense continued to depict Entwistle as a polite, quiet man, showing that his withdrawn behavior before the alleged murders was not out of character. Cooke admitted that Entwistle and his parents were "decent" people and "even a little reserved."
Michael Matterazzo, Joe's son from a previous marriage, and George Wilson, an instructor at the shooting range, testified that Joe's demeanor was normal on January 21, 2006, when he unknowingly went shooting with the .22 pistol that is alleged to be the murder weapon. The next day, Joe and Priscilla Matterazzo were "very upset" to receive the news that Rachel and her baby Lillian were dead.
Next, Joe Matterazzo took the stand, describing how he welcomed Neil into his family and took him shooting, how he heard the news of his daughter's and granddaughter's deaths, and the version of events that Neil gave when he called from England shortly after the murders. "I liked Neil a lot," Matterazzo said. "He was part of the family." While Neil didn't seem particularly interested in building cars, one of Matterazzo 's hobbies, he was more interested in guns and went target shooting twice. "He did quite well," Matterazzo testified. Additionally, Matterazzo described Neil's mysterious business, Embedded Technologies, which involved manufacturing some sort of connector to be used with computers. Matterazzo said that Neil declined his offer to help him set up and legalize his business, and that according to Rachel he had a contract that would pay him $10,000 a month. Matterazzo also described how on January 22 he met with Hopkinton police officers, filed a missing persons report for Neil, Rachel, and Lillian after friends and family were unable to enter their Hopkinton house or make contact with them, and heard the terrible news that the bodies of a young woman and infant were found in the house. Neil called Matterazzo from England a few times after the murders, saying that he had gone to Staples and attempted to go to Wal-Mart from 9:00 to 11:00 on January 20 and returned to find his wife and baby shot to death. "It was just a big mess," Matterazzo quoted Entwistle as saying. Next, Entwistle said he went to the Matterazzos' house to obtain a gun to kill himself, but was unable to get in. The prosecution says the keys to the Matterazzo home were found in Entwistle's BMW at Logan Airport. Matterazzo asked Entwistle, "did you do this, or do you know who did this?" He replied that he did not. Entwistle repeatedly mentioned Matterazzo's firearms and would not answer when asked why he was so concerned with the guns. He also expressed concern about the growing publicity of the case and the fact that "everyone was pointing the finger at him." Additionally, Entwistle made a possible slip-up when he said that he wanted Rachel and Lillian to be buried together "because that's the way I left them, I mean that's the way I found them." Finally, he relinquished control of Rachel and Lillian's funeral arrangements and did not show up for the funeral.
On cross examination, Weinstein joked with Matterazzo about the family's two dogs and four cats. "I'm curious, how did the dogs and the cats gets along?" he asked. Weinstein also pointed out that according to Matterazzo, Entwistle sounded "shaky, a little nervous and whimpering, a little emotional" in the phone calls. Then he called attention to the fact that neither of Rachel's parents was able to co-sign on a loan for her and Neil's new BMW, which Matterazzo admitted she was disappointed about.
After Matterazzo's testimony, four witnesses briefly took the stand to establish his alibi for the morning of January 20. All had seen him at various times during that day, showing that he had no opportunity to commit the murders, and they all said his demeanor was normal. Matterazzo's DNA, in addition to Neil Entwistle's, was found on the grip of the alleged murder weapon.
Toward the end of the day, Maureen Renaud, the wife of Rachel's cousin, described how she often saw Rachel at family functions and at a parenting group to which they both belonged. Rachel's friend, Michelle Vigneux, told the court that she knew Rachel since kindergarten and became close to her again after they graduated from college. Both said that the Entwistles seemed to have a good relationship and that Rachel was happy to be a mother and to return to the United States.
Testimony was interrupted in the afternoon when the entire courthouse had to be evacuated for about 10 minutes due to a malfunction with the fire alarm system. The prosecution will continue to call witnesses tomorrow.
Michael Matterazzo, Joe's son from a previous marriage, and George Wilson, an instructor at the shooting range, testified that Joe's demeanor was normal on January 21, 2006, when he unknowingly went shooting with the .22 pistol that is alleged to be the murder weapon. The next day, Joe and Priscilla Matterazzo were "very upset" to receive the news that Rachel and her baby Lillian were dead.
Next, Joe Matterazzo took the stand, describing how he welcomed Neil into his family and took him shooting, how he heard the news of his daughter's and granddaughter's deaths, and the version of events that Neil gave when he called from England shortly after the murders. "I liked Neil a lot," Matterazzo said. "He was part of the family." While Neil didn't seem particularly interested in building cars, one of Matterazzo 's hobbies, he was more interested in guns and went target shooting twice. "He did quite well," Matterazzo testified. Additionally, Matterazzo described Neil's mysterious business, Embedded Technologies, which involved manufacturing some sort of connector to be used with computers. Matterazzo said that Neil declined his offer to help him set up and legalize his business, and that according to Rachel he had a contract that would pay him $10,000 a month. Matterazzo also described how on January 22 he met with Hopkinton police officers, filed a missing persons report for Neil, Rachel, and Lillian after friends and family were unable to enter their Hopkinton house or make contact with them, and heard the terrible news that the bodies of a young woman and infant were found in the house. Neil called Matterazzo from England a few times after the murders, saying that he had gone to Staples and attempted to go to Wal-Mart from 9:00 to 11:00 on January 20 and returned to find his wife and baby shot to death. "It was just a big mess," Matterazzo quoted Entwistle as saying. Next, Entwistle said he went to the Matterazzos' house to obtain a gun to kill himself, but was unable to get in. The prosecution says the keys to the Matterazzo home were found in Entwistle's BMW at Logan Airport. Matterazzo asked Entwistle, "did you do this, or do you know who did this?" He replied that he did not. Entwistle repeatedly mentioned Matterazzo's firearms and would not answer when asked why he was so concerned with the guns. He also expressed concern about the growing publicity of the case and the fact that "everyone was pointing the finger at him." Additionally, Entwistle made a possible slip-up when he said that he wanted Rachel and Lillian to be buried together "because that's the way I left them, I mean that's the way I found them." Finally, he relinquished control of Rachel and Lillian's funeral arrangements and did not show up for the funeral.
On cross examination, Weinstein joked with Matterazzo about the family's two dogs and four cats. "I'm curious, how did the dogs and the cats gets along?" he asked. Weinstein also pointed out that according to Matterazzo, Entwistle sounded "shaky, a little nervous and whimpering, a little emotional" in the phone calls. Then he called attention to the fact that neither of Rachel's parents was able to co-sign on a loan for her and Neil's new BMW, which Matterazzo admitted she was disappointed about.
After Matterazzo's testimony, four witnesses briefly took the stand to establish his alibi for the morning of January 20. All had seen him at various times during that day, showing that he had no opportunity to commit the murders, and they all said his demeanor was normal. Matterazzo's DNA, in addition to Neil Entwistle's, was found on the grip of the alleged murder weapon.
Toward the end of the day, Maureen Renaud, the wife of Rachel's cousin, described how she often saw Rachel at family functions and at a parenting group to which they both belonged. Rachel's friend, Michelle Vigneux, told the court that she knew Rachel since kindergarten and became close to her again after they graduated from college. Both said that the Entwistles seemed to have a good relationship and that Rachel was happy to be a mother and to return to the United States.
Testimony was interrupted in the afternoon when the entire courthouse had to be evacuated for about 10 minutes due to a malfunction with the fire alarm system. The prosecution will continue to call witnesses tomorrow.
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