Defense Suggests Suicide In Entwistle Case
Briton Accused In Death Of Wife, Baby
POSTED: 5:49 pm EDT June 19,
2008
UPDATED: 11:13 am EDT June 20,
2008
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WOBURN, Mass. -- Defense lawyers on Thursday suggested that a young Hopkinton mother may have killed her baby daughter before turning the gun on herself. The woman's husband, Neil Entwistle, is accused of murder in their 2006 deaths.
Defense Suggests Rachel Entwistle Suicide NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that in her cross-examination of the medical examiner, defense attorney Stephanie Page focused her questions on suicide, implying that Rachel Entwistle was the killer."There are people who commit suicide by shooting themselves on the top of the head?" Page asked.Medical examiner Dr. William Zane said that he was not aware of the gunshot residue test results on Rachel Entwistle's hands."You were never informed by the prosecutor about the positive results of gunshot residue on both of Rachel Entwistle's hands, were you?" Page asked."No, I was not informed," Zane said."And you know, doctor, that one of the findings of positive gunshot residue on not one but two hands is that that person fired a weapon," Page said."It's a possibility, yes," Zane said.On direct examination, Zane testified the fatal shot for Rachel Entwistle was a gunshot wound at her hairline. Zane said the baby, Lillian, suffered massive internal injuries from a bullet that entered her chest, exited out the back and lodged in her mother's left breast.Earlier, the prosecution's computer expert testified that one month before the killings, Entwistle became a paid member of an online dating service on which he described himself as a "Englishman looking for a relationship with an American woman."The final witnesses on Thursday were two officers from Scotland Yard that arrested Entwistle in London and turned him over to U.S. marshals. They said at the time of his arrest, Entwistle was carrying an ad for escort services.
Defense Suggests Rachel Entwistle Suicide NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that in her cross-examination of the medical examiner, defense attorney Stephanie Page focused her questions on suicide, implying that Rachel Entwistle was the killer."There are people who commit suicide by shooting themselves on the top of the head?" Page asked.Medical examiner Dr. William Zane said that he was not aware of the gunshot residue test results on Rachel Entwistle's hands."You were never informed by the prosecutor about the positive results of gunshot residue on both of Rachel Entwistle's hands, were you?" Page asked."No, I was not informed," Zane said."And you know, doctor, that one of the findings of positive gunshot residue on not one but two hands is that that person fired a weapon," Page said."It's a possibility, yes," Zane said.On direct examination, Zane testified the fatal shot for Rachel Entwistle was a gunshot wound at her hairline. Zane said the baby, Lillian, suffered massive internal injuries from a bullet that entered her chest, exited out the back and lodged in her mother's left breast.Earlier, the prosecution's computer expert testified that one month before the killings, Entwistle became a paid member of an online dating service on which he described himself as a "Englishman looking for a relationship with an American woman."The final witnesses on Thursday were two officers from Scotland Yard that arrested Entwistle in London and turned him over to U.S. marshals. They said at the time of his arrest, Entwistle was carrying an ad for escort services. Copyright 2008 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
