Domestic abuse advocates were infuriated after Neil Entwistle, accused of killing his wife and baby girl, requested $5,000 for his defense team to hire a jury selection expert. Superior Court Judge Diane M. Kottmyer denied the request.

Entwistle is charged with killing his wife Rachel, 27, and his daughter, Lillian Rose, nine months, at their Hopkinton, Massachusetts, home on Jan. 20, 2006. They were found dead in the couple's bedroom after Entwistle left the United States and flew to his parents' home in England.

The request for taxpayers' money for a jury selection expert outraged domestic abuse advocates, given the circumstances of the crime.

"It's a slap in the face," Toni Troop, a spokeswoman for Jane Doe Inc., told the Boston Herald. "Where's the balance for protection of victims? We're backing costly cases while cutting domestic violence programs in Massachusetts."

Entwistle has been declared indigent and has court-appointed and taxpayer funded attorneys.

See Also:
Entwistle Request Infuriates Advocates

Background:
The Entwistle Murder Case

Crime and Punishment Forum:
Discuss The Entwistle Case

^{Photo: Family Photo}