7's Victoria Block blogs on Entwistle trial

Thursday, June 26th 2:22 p.m.

Three weeks of intense courtroom testimony and emotion ends with the sentencing of Neil Entwistle to life without parole.

Once again, a lifeless Entwistle sits in court. He turns once more to smile at his mother, and then shifts back into his chair, his eyes darting around the courtroom.

Rachel's parents bringing dignity to the proceedings by focusing on Rachel and Lillian's beauty and kindness and calling Entwistle's crimes  ‘despicable'.

Her brother, voice cracking, relatives gently touching him for support told us Rachel's family was the most important thing in the world to her and that along with the loss of Rachel and Lillian her family must now live with the pain of his betrayals.

No surprise that Entwistle turned down the chance to say SOMETHING to the court. But when you think about it what would he say? He still insists he's not a murderer.

Throughout the trial, a lot of Rachel Entwistle's family could be seen huddled outside talking and smoking. Today they told me it's what got them through this and they've all made a pact to quit at the end of the day.

The 29-year-old convicted murderer never even reacted to the judge's statements calling his crimes incomprehensible.  

But they almost always react when they walk into a state prison and hear the doors close and lock behind them for the last time.

He could very well end up serving his life sentence at the Souza -Baranowski Correctional Center.

The irony not lost on Rachel's family. Souza was her maiden name. 

Wednesday, June 25th 9:30 a.m.
On my way to the courthouse this morning I saw Rachel Entwistle's mom and step-dad at the grocery store. Pricilla Matterazzo's arms were filled with boxes of tissues. 

A lot of people involved with the trial stop in there before getting to court so we can stock up on water and other essentials as we sit and wait for the verdict in Neil Entwistle's double murder trial.

The 'verdict watch' has people lining up outside Middlesex Superior Court. Many 'observers' stopping in for a day or just an hour to see what Entwistle looks like and to get a closer look at all of the 'players'.

When jurors entered the courtroom today to resume deliberations not one of them looked at the defendant. In fact you could see they deliberately looked away or towards the floor as they passed in front of him. They did the same on the way out to the jury room. 

These days are so tense for the families and everyone involved in the case. You can never guess what a jury is going to do and because of that everyone is on edge, filled with anticipation and expectation. 

Every move is closely monitored.  A quick turn or a facial expression could mean something...a jury question or a verdict so EVERYONE is on alert.

Today everybody's wondering why jurors wanted to see the 14 page print out from Entwistle's Toshiba on the day of the murders. And where does that put them in terms of their work?  Are they still on the day of the murders?  Does that mean they haven't even gotten to the weeks following Rachel and Lillian's deaths and Entwistle's flight to England?

It's all very draining. Imagine being a juror on this case and having to decide if this man sitting in front of you is as cold-blooded as the prosecution says he is. 

Then think of the families.  Both of them are looking for very different outcomes and only one will get what they are praying for.

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They have two weeks worth of testimony and evidence to sift through so Mike in Whitman, this could take some time especially if anyone buys into the defense theory of murder-suicide.

Rachel Entwistle's parents, Pricilla and Joe Matterazzo, his sons and Rachel's relatives and friends, including Lillian's godmother took up three full rows on the left hand side of the courtroom this morning. They sat shoulder to shoulder as the jury left to begin its work.  The Entwistles sat where they always do: alone in the first row directly behind Neil Entwistle. They're always alone.

Tom from Methuen, you ask a good question that's never been answered let alone brought up in court.  The only thing the Medical Examiner said about gun residue on the victim's hands was that anyone who was in a room where a gun is fired could have residue on their hands.

The Medical Examiner also testified that he only rules on the official cause of death which in this case were gunshots and not whether it was a murder-suicide. Katie in Malden I hope that answers your question.

As for the gun itself that Kori in Florida is asking about, Joe Matterazzo himself testified that he'd taken the defendant to the shooting range and that his family showed him how to shoot.

What I find interesting is in the last taped phone call between Entwistle and investigators.  Entwistle tells the Sergeant that he doesn't really like guns but that he understands they're part of the culture over here.

So now we sit and wait along with everybody else.  It's always draining. Just imagine the Entwistles waiting to see if their son goes to prison while the victim's family hopes that he does.

Jurors were instructed on the charges of first and second-degree murder but they could also come back hung.  All Entwistle needs is ONE person who doubts the state's case and he wins.

Tuesday, June 24th 9:40 a.m.

No I don't have any idea how long it will take the jury to reach a verdict.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way let's talk about the defense team's closing statement.

The fact that it didn't offer evidence and present a case is rare but what I can't for the life of me understand is how it managed to introduce it all during a closing statement!

A closing is supposed to a summation of everything the jury saw and heard. It did NOT see or hear evidence from ANY expert witnesses on post-partum depression or murder-suicide, yet Neil Entwistle's attorney talked to jurors about it as though it was fact and introduced as evidence.

Another thing: jurors NEVER saw or heard ANYTHING about Entwistle finding the murder weapon on the bed, picking it up and driving it back to Rachel's family's home in Carver. Or that he did that because he didn't want to tarnish his wife's reputation. Entwistle's attorney physically showed the jury how Rachel killed herself holding his hands up in front of his face and pretending to pull the trigger.

All of this less than an hour after the panel listened to a tape recording of State Police telling Entwistle - who was still in England - that they found the keys to the Carver home with his car keys in the BMW at Logan Airport.

Amazing stuff and it's all anyone is talking about here as jurors prepare to begin deliberating.

A very dramatic day in the courtroom: Entwistle's mother hugging her son's attorney.

But I'm left wondering how much of the state's evidence was news to his parents. Did they know about his trolling for sex on the internet? Did they know, as the state says, Entwistle wanted to sell 'his story' to the highest bidder?

The 'media pen' out in front of the courthouse is packed today.

BBC, ITN, SKY-TV side by side with all of us as we wait for the verdict in this very emotional and disturbing trial.
BBC NEWS

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When I got to court this morning there was a vibe around here that said things were heating up and boy did they ever.

Entwistle's attorney opting to sum up why the state hasn't proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Entwistle is guilty rather than present a case of its own.

He told jurors "Don't misunderstand us. No one is blaming Rachel" then he blamed post-partum depression for what he says was a murder-suicide. It was clear Entwistle was having a hard time listening to his lawyer say how his wife placed the baby up to her breast, shot Lillian, then herself.

But after listening to another taped phone call between Entwistle and Police, the prosecutor pointed to Neil Entwistle and told the jury: he's the one that pulled the trigger. Twice.

The strain of this trial on both families is unimaginable. Marylou in Pembroke, the reason we don't see much of Rachel's family is because they sit out of camera range huddled together near a bank of windows and never speak to anyone when they arrive and leave every day.

A great question a viewer just emailed me: why wasn't a gun found at the crime scene?

Today the defense offered its first and only explanation during closing statements. It claims Entwistle picked up the gun from the bed and drove it back to Carver because he didn't want to tarnish his wife's name.

But if you listen to today's taped phone call with police Entwistle tells them he never entered the Carver home.

Chris from Revere says all the prosecution has done is place Entwistle at the crime scene but nothing more. Well, it is a very circumstantial case and the prosecution in its summation weaved it together for the jury, telling it to consider all of the evidence as a whole.

As for the autopsy failing to show a murder-suicide scenario, the defense again hammered away at the fact that prosecutors never told the medical examiner about gun residue on Rachel's hands so he never even considered it.

What a day this has turned out to be. The defense taking the unusual though legal step of NOT presenting evidence and instead presenting its case in its closing statement.

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If you're an amateur sleuth like I am you've been glued to Neil Entwistle's two-hour phone call with police looking for that "ah ha" moment.

In his own words he answers the questions EVERYBODY has been asking: why didn't he call 911 and why did he leave the country? My question is: Do you believe him?

On the tape his voice sounds calm, then cracks with emotion as he says " Rachel looked pale and as I got closer I could see blood and I could see Lily." 

At one point he says "it was obvious they weren't alive anymore" and goes on to say "I wanted to let emotion out...it didn't seem right what I had seen...what had just happened."

But he couldn't explain what happened when police asked him to. Entwistle sounded drained during the long-distance call from England and he was peppered with questions about everything from why he left to where did he go and what he thought might have happened in the house.  

It sounded as though he felt guilty about leaving without ever calling 911 or even attempting to see if his wife and daughter were still alive.  He says "I don't know why...it seems so clear cut."

He tells police he thought about killing himself with a knife, then drove to Carver to tell his in-laws what happened.  Minutes later he says he went to Carver to get a gun and shoot himself and that he headed back to England because "I got to the point where I needed to be with someone."

The 29-year-old sounded stunned when police asked him in a round about way if he had killed them to which he replied "I couldn't do that. Why would I do that?"

An extraordinary conversation that dominated the day's procedures.  Rachel Entwistle's friends and family looking unsettled as they listened to his explanations. His parents and brother had a look of despair. 

Entwistle's own attorney put her hand on his back to comfort the defendant who was obviously upset reliving the nightmare that has destroyed the lives of so many people over the last two years.

Friday June 20th 10:00 a.m.

You can feel the mood around the courthouse. This is going to be a big day in the Neil Entwistle trial.

After yesterday's bombshell dropped by the defense there's an expectation here that I haven't felt before.  Like what's next?

Entwistle's lawyers tripped up the medical examiner, asking him if the prosecution ever told him that Rachel Entwistle had gun powder residue on both of her hands.  Their point: that Rachel killed her baby and then herself.

They WANT the jury to wonder if she suffered from post-partum depression or was dismayed with life even though all the photos we've seen of her show her smiling and appearing happy.

They still haven't explained how the murder weapon got back in her step-father's cabinet in Carver or why Entwistle left the country with no plans to return, but they don't have to. All they want to do is get jurors thinking MAYBE, JUST MAYBE Entwistle didn't kill his family.

I'm not sure why the judge wouldn't let the defense bring up the Medical Examiners legal troubles about how he's banned from performing autopsies in criminal cases because he's made so many mistakes in other cases.  But jurors have got to be wondering why Entwistle's lawyer asked him about his credibility being at risk. The judge stopped the defense from pursuing that line of questioning.

Just a few more witness today and, I'm told, an audio tape of  Neil Entwislte's statement to police after his arrest.  We expect the prosecution will rest later today.

In the meantime, we're all waiting to see what other rabbits the defense will try to pull out of a hat.

We are all stunned by the defense theory surrounding the deaths of Rachel and Lillian Entwistle.

A single gunshot wound to her head killed the young mother.  Her daughter was killed by a bullet to the stomach that went right through her tiny body and into her mother's left breast. That's what the Medical Examiner testified to but it's not what the defense pressed him on. 

Entwistle's defense says RACHEL killed her baby and herself - his lawyers introducing a study that shows women use handguns more than men do when committing suicide. 

It's an unbelievable line of questioning and nobody saw it coming.  But it was the photos of baby Lillian that brought Neil Entwistle's mother and father to tears.  Both of them leaning into each other wiping their eyes while a photo of their dead granddaughter was projected onto a screen.  It was the photo the defense says their son used as a laptop screensaver, implying Entwistle adored his daughter and wouldn't hurt her.

Today there's no denying Neil Entwistle was laughing and smirking when a computer expert read from a posting he allegedly put up on an adult website. It reads "I'm looking to meet American women" for "discreet sex" and then continues "I need to confirm what friends have told me - that you are much better in bed than women over the ocean."

Embarrassing and damaging for this 29-year-old Brit who, according to the state, has told so many lies you don't know what to believe anymore.  But did he kill his wife?  Is he a cold-blooded killer and a liar or unjustly accused? And although the judge stopped the defense dead in its tracks it managed to bring up the fact that the credibility of the Medical Examiner testifying for the state is shady at best.  He's the same doctor the state says can no longer perform autopsies in criminal cases because of his incompetence.

Thursday June 19th 9:30 a.m.

There isn't a person I have talked to who isn't wondering about the Entwistle family, what they're thinking and feeling as they sit in court watching and hearing things about their son that portray him as an evil cold-blooded killer.

Did they ever see 'the dark side' prosecutors are showing to jurors? Was there ever a hint that something was off about him or the marriage?

It's got to be devastating to them and to Rachel Entwistle's parents who have probably gone over and over in their heads how all of this could have been going on without them knowing it.

It's the human side to a trial that is filled with court documents, CDs and paperwork that adds up to tens of thousands of pages.

There's definitely a 'vibe' around here today that the state's case is coming to a close, ending with the most dramatic and damning evidence to date.

The defense hasn't even implied what it intends to do.  But the feeling around the courthouse is that we'll know within the next few days.

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For the first time since his family was murdered we hear Neil Entwistle speak!  Sounding very calm and focused in a voicemail left for the attorney representing the owners of the Hopkinton home they'd been living in, you hear Entwistle say "I really think I have no interest in that house anymore."  He also told him, according to testimony, he didn't want the personal belongings...just the jewelry.

I keep looking at him wondering what it must be like to have your entire life laid out for the entire world to see.

He was actually laughing about something while he was talking with his lawyers today during a courtroom break, but there was nothing funny about the overwhelming evidence prosecutors threw at him again today.

Jurors saw his laptop records showing he researched how to kill someone with a knife, trolled adult websites and looked for flights to England - all of this in the days and in some cases weeks before the murders.

Kristen in Pittsfield, prosecutors say Rachel and her baby were killed on January 20 but their bodies weren't found until the 23^rd, which is why it's been explained that the victim's step-father unknowingly used the murder weapon after the fact.

Entwistle's friends from England who testified that he was suicidal and tried to evade police are state witnesses so their airline tickets and hotels are paid for by the state.  Everything going on in that courtroom is being paid for by you, Sandy in Framingham and every other Massachusetts taxpayer. 

A lot of people are telling me they hate the idea of paying for Entwistle's trial, but that's how our system works.

The crime lab expert who testified that DNA shows Rachel and Neil Entwistle were intimate didn't say how long before her death they had had sex.  Robin in Annapolis, Maryland: you are not alone in your horror trying to imagine if it was shortly before Entwistle allegedly killed her. Others have said the same thing but that's exactly what the prosecutor wants jurors to consider and exactly why he's presenting his case this way. He wants people to see Entwistle as evil.

Mary wants to know what Entwistle did after he found his family dead.  He SAYS he drove to his in-laws house in Carver, then drove around for awhile and went to Logan Airport.  But there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the timing of his every move because he was long gone by the time police started looking for him.

His parents carry a grey thermal lunch bag with them everyday and manage to find some privacy in any one of the empty conference rooms on the 4^th floor near the courtroom.

Because Entwistle is considered a 'guest' of the state, taxpayers are feeding him. Same goes for jurors who are NOT sequestered right now, but they don't leave the courthouse during the day. Food is brought in to them.  The judge actually suggested to them that they could bring their own lunch if they didn't like what's being served.

The judge is trying to do whatever it takes to avoid having jurors accidentally overhear anything about the case outside what's presented in court.

At this point it looks like the Medical Examiner will be the last witness and his autopsy photos the final blow prosecutors plan to deliver in this case before resting. From the feel of things here at the courthouse that could take place within the next couple of days.

Wednesday June 18th 9:30 a.m.
It was a devastating day for the defense yesterday. Prosecutors portraying Neil Entwistle like a Jekyll and Hyde . A chemist telling jurors his DNA was on the gun grip, a florist reading the card he wanted sent to his family's funeral and a computer expert showing how 5 days before the murders, Entwistle was on line searching 'how to kill with a knife.'

The way this week has been going, one gets the sense the prosecution could be wrapped by the end of the week with the Medical Examiner and the autopsy photos the last thing the jury hears and sees.

I've been getting lots of questions from viewers in the UK about coverage of this trial here in the U.S. But just as many American viewers are curious about British coverage.

It's not front-page news there, according to the British reporters here at the courthouse. They file reports just the way we do for their evening newscasts.

They say a lot of people in England think Neil Entwistle is guilty, not necessarily based on the forensic evidence linking him to the murders, but because he allegedly took off after finding his wife and he says he found them dead.

By the way, The British media is very outgoing and friendly and also very tired. They're 6 hours ahead of us over there so their biological time clocks are way off. But they're enjoying it here and every time it's rainy and grey we accuse them of bringing their bad British weather to New England. 

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They say he wanted one orange rose and one lily in a bud vase wrapped together and that he dictated what he wanted the card to say.

Kelly Egan from the Garden of Egan took the call and read the card in open court.

The card message said:

"My Orange Rose and My Lilly for always, xoxoxo"

The card from his second order of a spray of pink and white flowers, lilies and roses read:

"To Rachel and our precious grand daughter,

If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane we would walk right up to heaven and bring you home again.

With love always,

Yvonne Grandma, Cliff Granddad Russell Unckie Russie Russell

And kisses"

The testimony is sobering and poignant, and a glimpse into what was going on in England shortly after the murders. 

Tuesday June 17th 1:52 p.m. 

The so-called 'smoking gun' has finally been presented and it shows a lot. Specifically, that Neil Entwistle's DNA is all over the murder weapon AND a trigger lock.

His demeanor while all of this is going down: a vacant stare.  Except for the day he broke down he really hasn't shown any emotion.

Toni in the UK, there is no way of knowing if his parents will testify but I'd have to say I doubt it.  The prosecution would be able to squeeze them for everything their son may have told them while in England or anywhere for that matter.

But while Entwistle's DNA match to the gun might seem damning, it may be the 'miracle' George from Newton is asking about.  

With DNA from the victim's step-dad on the trigger and many 'inconclusive minor DNA profiles' on other items including the ammunition can and gun case, the defense can and will argue that so many people handled the murder weapon it's impossible to know who used it to kill Rachel and Lillian.

But as far as having an 'ace up their sleeves', the defense has a tough road ahead which is why it keeps hammering away at the credibility of the state's witnesses and the integrity of their investigation.

And aside from all of the hard physical evidence jurors have to look at there is a behavioral one they must consider as well: What man who finds his family dead fails to call 911, leaves the country that day, then sends flowers and a card to their funeral?

We still don't know who the defense will call or what if any kind of a case it will present. Every time I try to wring something out of Entwistle's team they look at me like I have three heads.  They're not allowed to tell me and I know that but I just can't resist TRYING to get a peak into what's coming.

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Tuesday June 17th 10:22 a.m. 

Every time I look at Neil Entwistle I can't help but wonder if he wants to testify - not whether he'll testify, but if he wants to testify.

So I asked his attorney who just laughed at me and said "nice try."

He's not allowed to divulge anything that's said between himself and his client. But it's the one thing everybody wants to know: is Entwistle going to tell his side of the story?

Highly doubtful judging from all the trials I've covered and all the Law and Order shows I've watched. But no one ever thought Pamela Smart would've taken the stand, either.  She's serving a life sentence for having two of her students kill her husband Greg Smart.

Jurors are starting a bit late today. Lawyers in this case have some legal issues to clear up this morning. Specifically, whether prosecutors will be allowed to introduce as evidence the adult web sites they say Entwistle trolled. They claim the sites support their theory for his motive for murder. The judge says portions of the computer records will be allowed.

Entwistle's family just walked into the courthouse.  His father always says good morning to me. His mother and brother look away.

A lot of people have been asking why Entwistle is always up at side bar when the lawyers are talking with the judge. It's his legal right to be part of every proceeding in his double murder trial.

He's wearing a pink shirt and lavender colored tie today. But it can't hide his weary and tired look two and a half weeks into his trial.

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She held her head with one hand and wiped her tears with the other.

If that's how Mrs. Entwistle is reacting what's the jury doing, asks Lisa.  Believe it or not they're not showing much emotion at all.  Viewing the crime scene tape they seemed to pause as they took it all in.

But don't forget, they've been warned almost daily not to let their emotions get in the way of looking at and deciding this case.

We're all hoping that we'll hear from jurors once this trial is over so we can understand what they were thinking, what they were feeling and how they reached their verdict.

Kim in Bellingham: Neil Entwistle has said all along he's innocent and he has no idea who killed his family.

One of our viewers brings up an interesting question of style as this case unfolds and wonders if jurors might be turned off to Entwistle because of his attorney whom she describes as rude.

Having covered many of this lawyer's cases, that's his style when he's trying to intimidate and trip up the state's witness.  It's always possible jurors could dislike him but most jurors understand it's the testimony and the evidence that says more than any lawyer could.

Monday June 16th 10:42 a.m.  

It's going to be another big week for Neil Entwistle.  The medical examiner is expected to testify. So is a friend of Entwistle's who was with him at the train station in England when police were looking for him and he allegedly asked him if there was another way out of the station.

Entwistle's parents and brother are back in court, so are Priscilla and Joe Matterazzo, Rachel Entwistle's mother and step-dad.

The Matterazzo's sit up against a bank of windows on the left side of the courtroom.  The Entwistle's sit on the right.  They never speak and each makes sure the other walks out before leaving the room. The Matterazzos are always surrounded by lots of friends. The Entwistle sit by themselves.

Everyone looks drained, including Entwistle himself. But he and jurors are in for another rough week if, as expected, they have to look at autopsy photos of his wife and baby.

Those photos could come as early as tomorrow. I'm being told the state could wrap up its case before the end of the week but it will know better by the end of today.

Everyone is hoping Entwistle will take the stand but at this point it's highly unlikely. Depending on what kind of a case if any the defense presents, closing statements could come a week from today.

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It's been a long week at the courthouse.  Neil Entwistle and his family sobbing, his lawyers fuming because people thought he was laughing and disturbing testimony about the bloody onesie police removed from baby Lillian.

If the Entwistle family is staying nearby no one is talking about it.  It's really a matter of security AND their privacy which we're trying to respect.

His family made a statement just before trial started saying they support him 100 percent and that they wouldn't be making any further comments.   But I know a lot of the network shows like NBC's Dateline are trying to get an exclusive with them after it's all over.

Dateline and a lot of other network magazine shows have camera crews outside the courthouse and producers in the courtroom as well.

Linda from Derbyshire, England: you and thousands of others are watching us stream gavel to gavel on the web which is great!  You asked why you're not seeing extensive coverage in Britain.

It's a very controlled setting here. The judge has been very clear that she doesn't want anyone involved in the trial speaking publicly until it is over. But I'm certain when the verdict comes down 7NEWS and stations in Britain will carry extensive coverage.

Kathy from Massachusetts, the judge ruled that only jurors, Neil Entwistle and his defense can see the crime scene video shown yesterday which is what brought Entwistle to tears. The same ruling goes for the photographs of the bodies shown Friday. There is a TV monitor set up in front of the defense table and in front of the jurors.  That's it.

You can tell that it's Friday. People here are tired. There's been a lot to take in this week from seeing the gun allegedly used to kill Rachel and Lillian to the accused murderers' emotional meltdown.

But if the prosecution's case continues to move as quickly as it has been, it's possible the state COULD rest by the end of next week.

See you all Monday.  Maybe by then the defense will give us a peek into it's case and whether Entwistle will take the stand or if he even wants to.

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His father said "thank you, thank you" when I told him a lot of people have been telling me they feel terribly for them and know they've suffered a huge loss, too.

Russell Entwistle was carrying two freshly pressed shirts for his son: one pink, one white.  They all know how important it is for any defendant to look fresh and well-groomed.

After Neil Entwistle's emotional breakdown during the viewing of the crime scene video yesterday his lawyers went off on the press, berating us for reporting that it looked like he was laughing and crying while looking at the tape. 

They told us before the viewing they were so concerned about Entwistle that they split their responsibilities.  Elliot Weinstein would view the tape and Stephanie Page would keep an eye on Entwistle.

When court ended they came out and talked to the press which is very unusual. No one comments during a trial.

They told us they were offended, that "Neil is grieving.  He's lost his wife. He's lost his baby. You know he wasn't laughing. It's not worth a cheap headline or a cheap sound bite on one of your cable shows"

Emotions boiled over EVERYWHERE.

But everyone appears to be calm this morning as the same State Police Crime Lab is back on the stand after testifying Thursday how they removed the baby's bloody onesie and found a dark mark about a quarter of an inch in diameter on the left side of her chest.

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Emotion from Neil Entwistle..a first! But was he laughing or crying?  That's what everyone here at the courthouse is asking.

You could see tears streaming down his face when he was viewing, along with jurors, the crime scene video taken the night his wife and baby were found murdered.  And you could actually hear the classical music that was playing in the house that night.  But his mood seemed to change from minute to minute, sometimes smiling and almost nostalgic when looking at what we think was a shot of the nursery.

We were left guessing because no one but jurors and the defense was allowed to see the video.

Gina from Maryland wants to know where he was when his family was murdered. He told police he went to Staples to run an errand and that they were dead when he came back. 

Robert from Needham, let's not forget this is a circumstantial case, so even though the State says the family was killed on Jan 20 but not found for another few days, there is NO proof, yet anyway, that the bodies were in the house when police made the first wellness check and let Joanna Gately, Lillian's Godmother, into the home.

Entwistle's entire family was in tears this morning.  His mother Yvonne who leaned into her son Russell was devastated.  Even his father who never shows an ounce of emotion was wiping tears.

The family shows up daily, many times carrying freshly-starched shirts for the 29-year-old defendant.  He was ruled indigent when he was charged with the double murders so his counsel is court-appointed and taxpayers are footing the bill.

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I've traveled half way around the world covering stories so I decided it would be interesting to 'chat' up the British media here reporting on the Neil Entwistle trial.

They say the people back home are not only fascinated with the trial but even more so with how our legal system works.

For all their tabloid exploits no one is allowed to report names and details of an ongoing legal proceeding until AFTER it's all over.

In the Entwistle murder case they saw what we are allowed to see and report every single day on any given case...all the gory details once papers are filed in court and become public record.

Neil Entwistle's father always has a resigned look as he sits stoically behind his son and waits for the next bombshell to drop. 

Neil's mother is noticeably absent from the courtroom this morning.

She left it for about an hour yesterday when witnesses began describing how Rachel Entwistle's arm was draped across baby Lillian's chest when they were found snuggled together in their pajamas shot to death.

The day is off to a slow start. One of the jurors apparently got sick and couldn't make it in on time. Once she arrives Sgt Mary Ritchie will be back on the stand testifying about the gun.

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