COMMONWEALTH v. RINTALA

SJC-12310.

488 Mass. 421 (2021)

COMMONWEALTH v. CARA L. RINTALA.

Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Hampshire.

September 27, 2021.

Corrected October 22, 2021.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Chauncey B. Wood ( Melissa Ramos also present) for the defendant.

Steven E. Gagne , Assistant District Attorney ( Jennifer Handel Suhl , Assistant District Attorney, also present) for the Commonwealth.

The following submitted briefs for amici curiae:

Peter R. De Forest, Brooke W. Kammrath, Peter A. Pizzola, & John A. Reffner, pro se.

M. Chris Fabricant & Tania Brief , of New York, & Stephanie Roberts Hartung for New England Innocence Project & another.

Katherine H. Judson , of Wisconsin, Anthony D. Mirenda , Neil Austin , & Rachel L. Davidson for Center for Integrity in Forensic Science.

Present: Budd, C.J., Lowy, Cypher, Kafker, & Georges, JJ.


In 2016, a jury convicted the defendant of murder in the first degree for the murder of her spouse, Annamarie Rintala (victim). On appeal, the defendant challenges the admission of expert testimony as to the victim's time of death as well as expert testimony related to the time and manner in which paint was either poured or spilled on...

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