Husband Sought in Double-Slaying Investigation
Jan. 26, 2006 — -- The double-slaying of a young mother and her 9-month-old baby took Massachusetts police detectives to Great Britain today, where they hope to track down British national Neil Entwistle, 27, who has been named as a "person of interest" in the investigation into the killings.
Neil Entwistle, 27, is the husband of Rachel Entwistle, 27, and father of 9-month-old Lillian Rose, who were found dead in their Hopkinton, Mass., home on Sunday. Both deaths came from gunshot wounds from a small-caliber pistol, according to an autopsy report.
"We are aware of where he is and have been in contact with him," said Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley, though she declined to specify which country.
Massachusetts investigators admit they have been in touch with authorities overseas and police authorities in Entwistle's native Nottinghamshire have confirmed to The Associated Press that their office has been in touch with U.S. authorities in the case.
Investigators have been able to piece together a rough timeline that suggests Entwistle left the country late Friday or early Saturday. Rachel Entwistle and daughter Lillian were last known to be alive on Thursday, when Rachel spoke to family members on the phone.
Police say they believe the pair was already dead on Saturday evening when guests arrived at their home for a dinner party.
U.S. investigators are also looking into some questionable "adult" Web sites that are registered to Neil Entwistle.
One of Entwistle's Web sites, called Millionmaker.net, called itself "the original adult business opportunity." For a $90 startup fee and $25 a month, it claimed it could make buyers $6,000 a month, within six months. The Web site has since been pulled down.
"Were looking into the Web sites and trying to determine what relevance there is, if any," said Middlesex County District Attorney's spokeswoman Emily Lagrassa. "In any murder investigation, we would look into any and all motives, and a financial motive is certainly one of them."
Neil Entwistle is also affiliated with the eBay username "srpublications," which has recently received a steady string of negative feedback complaining of nondelivery of software programs.
Neighbors on Cub's Path in Hopkinton reported that the home the Entwistles rented for $2,700 a month had been vacant for some time, and that the Entwistles were only willing to sign a six-month lease on the property.
The slayings have shaken this Boston suburb, which is best-known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon. The town of some 13,000 had not seen a murder for 10 years before the bodies of Rachel Entwistle and her daughter were found.
"It's the kind of place where you can go to the bank and they know your name," Hopkinton resident Debbie West said. "[A homicide] is not something that we see, ever."
Meanwhile, the investigation continues.
"This is a very active 24-7 investigation that is proceeding on many fronts," Lagrassa said.
