« Governor to sign budget today | Today | Tonight: HSGameTime All-State boys outdoor track »

June 26, 2008

Entwistle gets life in prison for killing wife, baby

WOBURN, Mass. -- A British man convicted of shooting to death his 9-month-old baby and wife as they cuddled together in bed showed no reaction today as he was sentenced to two life prison terms without the opportunity for parole.

Neil Entwistle was found guilty yesterday of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2006 deaths of his wife Rachel and their baby, Lillian Rose, in their rented home in Hopkinton. He fled to his native England afterward.

He claims his wife killed the baby and then committed suicide as they cuddled in bed.

Prosecutors said he was despondent over mounting debt and dissatisfied over his sex life.

During the brief sentencing hearing, Rachel's mother, Priscilla Matterazzo, called Entwistle's theory of a murder-suicide "low and despicable."

"Suffering does not begin to describe what we have been enduring without our beloved Rachel and Lillian," said Matterazzo, who wore a pink rose on her lapel in memory of her granddaughter. "I have lost two generations of my family."

Matterazzo asked that the life sentences be consecutive, to represent the two generations. But Middlesex District Court Judge Diane Kottmeyer said that would be only symbolic since there is no chance he'll be released, and imposed two concurrent life sentences.

Entwistle's family continued to support him.

"There is no way our innocent son Neil is guilty," his father, Clifford Entwistle, said before the sentencing. He refused comment afterward.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry  at 10:49 AM | Permalink

Comments

Post a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email Address:

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)