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by Bob_Ward from Dedham

Last Post 5 days, 21 hours Ago


It is very likely that the state will call its final witness Friday in the double murder trial of Neil Entwistle. He is the Englishman accused of killing his wife Rachel and their nine month old daughter Lillian in their rented Hopkinton home in January of 2006.

And as the state prepares to rest its case, the defense is giving jurors something new to consider: that Rachel Entwistle killed her baby before turning the gun on herself on that awful January day.

This theory came in the form of ferocious cross examination of state medical examiner William Zane. He testified that Rachel's death was "immediate" when she was shot in the head. And that baby Lillian, shot in the chest, likely died within a "minute or minutes" of her fatal gunshot.

Both mother and child were discovered in Neil and Rachel's bed with Rachel's arm draped over her baby daughter.

We already know that gun residue, which occurs when a gun is fired, was found on Rachel's hands, but no gun residue was found on anything associated with Neil Entwistle.

Under cross examination William Zane revealed he determined Rachel and Lillian were murdered without knowing about the gun residue on Rachel's hands.

Now, during earlier testimony the jury was told that a person could get gun residue on himself in one of three ways: by handling the gun as it is fired, by being near the weapon as it is fired, or by touching the weapon soon after it is shot.

When Lillian was shot, she was immediately in front of her mother. That bullet passed through the baby and into Rachel's left breast. A separate shot, to the top of Rachel's head, above the hairline killed Rachel.

I'm having a hard time imagining how Rachel could place the baby in front of her, pull the trigger, and then put the barrel of the .22 long Colt to the top of her head and fire again. There is also testimony that Rachel may have been standing in another part of the room when she was killed, as there is blood on the walls away from the bed, four feet nine inches up from the floor.

We also know that Rachel's DNA was found on the gun muzzle, but Neil's was found on the grip, and five other areas associated with the gun.

There is another hole in this theory: the gun was found locked up in Rachel's step father's house in Carver. If Rachel killed the baby and herself, how did she put the gun back?

And if Neil Entwistle stumbled on the scene as he told his friends and police, why did he never mention the gun? It would seem a very important detail.

Also today, we learn more about Neil's profile on Adult Friend Finder, the swinger's website. According to testimony, Neil's profile described himself as an Englishman recently moved to America who was looking for American ladies for 1 on 1 discreet relationships.

Going back to the suicide theory that's emerging from the defense, we won't know for some time if it will take hold with any jurors.

What do you think?

Is the suicide idea a workable one? Can it explain any of the discrepancies in this case?

What do you think of the state's case? It looks like the state will rest on Friday.

Bob Ward
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Member Comments Total Comments: 30
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JuneInMA read my blog view my photos
Jun 19, 2008 | 10:39 PM

Bob,

So let me get this straight: Rachel shot Lillian (and herself in the process) then, she very stoically raised the gun again and shot herself in the head. THEN, she got up, took the gun to her family's home in Carver, locked it up and went back home. She painted some polka-dots of her own blood on the wall by the bed, then she laid down, hugged Lillian and covered herself and Lillian up really good with their comforter.

Yeah...that sounds like what happened. I think we should all remember the name of Neil's defense team. In the future, it'd be best to know who NOT to contact for a defense.

Bye bye Neil.

Xantun read my blog view my photos
Jun 19, 2008 | 11:40 PM

Of all the things that Neil's legal team could pick in the state's case to exploit for reasonable doubt, they tried this theory? I sure hope that they're not in a "You pay nothing unless you win your case" situation, or they're screwed. Even the hardcore UFO conspiracy theorists are probably laughing at the idea!

June, don't worry, if Neil's legal team winds up being the laughingstock of the legal world and not getting another case, they've got GREAT potential as fantasy writers. Of course, Neil's going to have a bit of a problem on his hands. Child killers aren't exactly well-liked in prison.

JuneInMA read my blog view my photos
Jun 19, 2008 | 11:45 PM

Xantun,

They're well-liked outside of prison either. :)

kayleisnana read my blog view my photos
Jun 19, 2008 | 11:58 PM

Why wold anyone be surprised that no GSR was found on anything associated with NE? Three weeks had passed from the time of the murders and his arrest. His clothing could be anywhere between the US and the UK. And, I would guess that he showered more than once during that period also. His lawyers are grasping at straws; they have nowhere else to go, so they figured they'll play the jurors for a bunch of fools! They know he's as guilty as OJ was, so they're hoping to divert the jurors' attention in another direction. I don't think that will happen. I can't see that they have raised any reasonable doubt here!!!

TheEliteOne read my blog
Jun 20, 2008 | 12:40 AM

Any idea who the last witness will be for the state? The suicide theory is way out there but the defense lawyer is very smart. I cannot believe he has backed himself into a corner.

Xantun read my blog view my photos
Jun 20, 2008 | 2:10 AM

Of course not, June, but I seriously don't think this is going to put sufficient, if any, doubt in the minds of jurors. Neil will most likely be making friends (enemies, same diff!) in a Commonwealth prison.

fenwaydav read my blog view my photos
Jun 20, 2008 | 3:39 AM

Bob, God and Neil Entwistle are the only ones that truly know what happened. I can't even imagine the things that went through Rachel's mind before she lost conciseness. The Medical Examiner testified immediately after she was shot in head. Did she see her baby get killed? Did she see the gun come up to her head. Immediate may not be quick enough. And that blood on the wall. 4'9" from the floor. Maybe she was begging for mercy before he shot her. Your blogs read like a crime novel and the movie in my mind has to invent the missing pieces.

Chip read my blog view my photos
Jun 20, 2008 | 5:35 AM

That boat don't float....

autumn80
Jun 20, 2008 | 8:38 AM

hello,
well they could say rhat she killed herself and her baby and someone found them like that and covered it up like the friend joanna gately remember she was in that house after sleeping outside in the freezin cold all night long a person next door let her in no police just her and her sister well maybe she found them there she did call rachel parents they met up and went out for lunch maybe they put the gun back maybe they didnt want anyone to know what rachel had done to her baby and herself. who knows i am not saying thats what happened either just saying maybe thats what the defense could use.

flashbeagle
Jun 20, 2008 | 8:52 AM

I have a theeory. What if Rachel was standing against the wall (where the blood stain was) holding Lillian (who was facing outward). NE holds the gun against Lillian's chest and fires. As Rachel bends over, he shoots her in the top of the head, then positions the bodies in the bed. This would explain not only the blood stain on the wall, but also why she had gun residue on her hands since they would have been in very close proximity to the gun when it was fired.

kulju
Jun 20, 2008 | 9:18 AM

Watch for the academy award performance on the stand. The challenge for this monster is to conjure up the tears without smiling. It's time to begin preparing his home at Cedar Junction (although we know he'll do his time in SEG to protect his sorry a*s). What a pathetic piece of trash! Say a prayer for Rachel and Lillian, neither of which are here to answer the ludicrous innuendo put forth by NE's schills.

Kelldog
Jun 20, 2008 | 9:56 AM

Hello Bob,
If this foolish,stupid,theory is the best that the defense has ,then they should prepare to put Neill on the stand.At this point they have nothing to lose.Guilty as charged.

katie2008
Jun 20, 2008 | 10:02 AM

Is the trial continuing today? Is fox doing the live streaming still?

amdh13
Jun 20, 2008 | 10:07 AM

Can someone refresh my memory on the friend that was outside all night- I don't remember hearing anything about that when the case broke two years ago. I have seen it on Fox's chat they had and Autumn mentioned it in her blog
thanks

kayleisnana read my blog view my photos
Jun 20, 2008 | 10:22 AM

As sick as it sounds, your theory is about the most realistic, flash!!! This thing with Rachel pulling a murder-suicide is just beyond ridiculous! I thought Elliott Weinstein was supposed to be a good lawyer? Sounds to me like he hasn't got a clue. Couldn't come up with anything better than that? He knows this moron killed them. He's just doing his job--I wonder how he sleeps at night, knowing that there could be even a remote possibility that this monster could walk free--free to kill again when things don't go his way! Very very disturbing!!!!

laydeetea02119 view my photos
Jun 20, 2008 | 10:27 AM

I think that someone is going to pull the 'he changed his clothes' card. They are going to say that he stopped at a store to buy some clothes and that is why there was no residue on him or his clothing.

ChristineM
Jun 20, 2008 | 11:00 AM

If they weren't shot in the bed, why was there no evidence of blood on the floor? The whole thing is sickening! How could a father kill his adorable wife and baby girl????!!!!!

kayleisnana read my blog view my photos
Jun 20, 2008 | 11:07 AM

laydeetea--After three weeks, I'm sure those clothes he had on during the commission of this crime are long gone. As I mentioned in another blog, after the murders, who knows where he went and what he did BEFORE he fled to the UK for three weeks before his capture!!! That's the reason for no gun shot residue on him.

TheEliteOne read my blog
Jun 20, 2008 | 11:24 AM

If Entwhislte's lawyer does not have an "a ha" moment with this crazy suicide theory, there are good grounds for a mistrial.

Admiral37
Jun 20, 2008 | 1:11 PM

A mistrial? On what grounds? Extreme stupidity by Defense counsel? Poor lawyering? Making up preposterous theories? Sorry, EliteOne, there's no reason for a mistrial here. The judge has run a pretty fair trial so far.

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Bob_Ward

I am a reporter/anchor specializing in crime and regular features such as New England's Unsolved and Mass Most Wanted.

Member Since: 10/16/2006