Judge sets 4th murder trial for Cara Rintala for September, 2023
NORTHAMPTON – A Hampshire Superior Court Judge today set a Sept. 6, 2023 trial date for Cara Rintala, who faces a charge of first degree murder in connection with the 2010 death of her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala.
Hampshire Superior Court Judge Richard Carey accepted the date that had been requested jointly by Northwestern First Assistant District Attorney Steven E. Gagne and Rintala’s defense attorneys, Chauncy Wood and Rosemary Scapicchio, both of whom have Boston-based law practices.
Gagne explained in court that the attorneys consulted to find a mutually-agreeable date for the trial, and that because of other trials already scheduled, September, 2023 was the soonest they could find. The trial – which would be the 4th one for Rintala – is expected to last between three and four weeks. The case was continued to Nov. 11 to discuss trial motions.
Rintala was indicted for first degree murder by a Hampshire grand jury on Oct. 19, 2011 in connection with the March 29, 2010 strangulation death of her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, who was 37 years old. She was ordered held without bail at her arraignment, and remained held through both the first trial (2013) and the second trial (2014), both of which resulted in mistrials after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. She was then convicted by a jury on Oct. 7, 2016.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Sept. 27 overturned the conviction, ruling that the trial judge had erred by allowing expert testimony regarding paint drying. Annamarie Cochrane Rintala was covered in paint when investigators found her in the basement of the home the couple shared in Granby, MA. The SJC also ruled that the Commonwealth had presented enough evidence in the trial to support a conviction.
Criminal charges are based on probable cause to believe a person has committed a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.