Entwistle breaks down during video

Jury views footage from State Police of victims' bodies

Neil Entwistle cried as video evidence was played yesterday in court. Defense lawyer Stephanie Page kept a close watch on her client. (Brian Snyder/Pool)

WOBURN - In contrast to the stoic demeanor he has maintained since his double murder trial began nearly two weeks ago, Neil Entwistle yesterday disintegrated into sobs and tears in front of the entire courtroom as he watched a video of the dead bodies of his wife and baby daughter.

Yesterday's viewing came during graphic testimony provided by State Police Sergeant Mary Ritchie, a supervisor at the State Police crime lab. Ritchie has said Rachel Entwistle, 27, had been found on her left side, her right arm cradled across 9-month-old Lillian, who was on her back when the two were discovered by police in the couple's master bedroom in their rented Hopkinton home on Jan. 22, 2006.

Lillian had a gunshot wound to the upper chest and Rachel was shot in the head. Their bodies were found underneath a white comforter.

Just a few minutes into the video, submitted as evidence on the fifth day of testimony at Middlesex Superior Court in the case that has gained worldwide attention, Entwistle's face reddened gradually and tears began to stream down. He put his hand to his mouth, attempting to stifle sobs.

Initially, the 29-year-old computer engineer leaned away from the images on the screen, but then seemed to straighten, closing his eyes from time to time.

Loud classical music that witnesses said was playing in Lillian's nursery could be heard as the video played.

The 20-minute video, prepared by the State Police crime services, brought Entwistle back to the gruesome scene he fled on that Friday afternoon. He told police he left the house after throwing some bedding over the dead bodies of Rachel and Lillian, whom he said he found shot to death after he returned from errands that morning.

Prosecutors, however, maintain that Entwistle had become so troubled by his financial situation and unsatisfied with his sexual life that he killed the pair and fled to his homeland of England.

The video was not shown to the public or the media in the courtroom. Special video monitors were set up for the jurors - eight men and eight women - on one side of the room while Entwistle watched flanked by his defense lawyers, Elliot Weinstein and Stephanie Page.

Entwistle's mother, Yvonne, who has come to the United States with her husband, Clifford, and son, Russell, could not see the video, but apparently could not bear to see her son so distraught and also broke down, weeping in court.

Rachel Entwistle's mother, Priscilla Matterazzo, and her husband, Joseph Matterazzo, sat close to each other among a sea of family and friends numbering more than a dozen, who took up two benches. The Matterazzo couple looked straight ahead and down, averting their gaze from Entwistle.

Although most jurors looked pensive, some appeared disturbed by the images. One juror took a deep breath, another put her hand to her mouth.

Before the video was played, Judge Diane Kottmyer warned the jurors that it may contain graphic images and reminded them to be impartial. "Your verdict must be based on reason and judgment and not emotions," Kottmyer said.

There was some discussion among the public and media during the day about whether Entwistle, at one point during the viewing, was smiling. Both defense lawyers spoke to reporters after the proceedings yesterday, saying that it had been insulting to hear that their client was laughing during any portion of the video.

"We are offended by that," Weinstein said. "We were so concerned about how he would react seeing that video that we divided our duties.

"My primary responsibility w as to watch the video. Stephanie's responsibility was to watch Neil Entwistle. . . . He has lost his wife and he has lost his daughter. He is grieving and he did not commit this crime."