Martin MacNeill

PROVO — Pleasant Grove doctor Martin MacNeill faced his daughter and a former girlfriend in court Wednesday, as prosecutors presented their case against him in the death of his wife.

Outside the courtroom, close friends of the late Michelle MacNeill said this case has shown them a side of Martin they never knew existed.

Michelle was found dead in her bathtub in April of 2007. Prosecutors say her husband gave her a dangerous combination of drugs shortly after she underwent a plastic surgery procedure.

“He presented to be very much in love with Michelle,” said Michelle’s friend Loreen Thompson.

he “woman” Radmall was referring to is Gypsy Jillian Willis. Martin MacNeill hired her to be the family’s nanny after his wife died. read more »

Jim Dalrymple – Daily Herald

PROVO – Just days after Rachel MacNeill’s mother, Michele, died in 2007, her father, Martin MacNeill, asked her to accompany him to the LDS temple in American Fork. He wanted to pray about getting a nanny for the family, Rachel testified Wednesday in court, so she went.

But when Rachel and her father arrived, he suggested participating in initiatory ceremonies — which meant they wouldn’t have a chance to talk about getting a nanny — then later he met her outside where they were confronted by a woman.

According to Rachel, MacNeill asked the woman her name at least three times. Each time, the woman replied that she went by Jillian. After she left, MacNeill suggested they take the woman out to lunch, though Rachel insisted she just wanted to talk about the nanny. Then MacNeill snapped.

“He said ‘Rachel, you’re never going to amount to anything in life. You think everything’s going to be handed to you,’ ” Rachel testified. read more »

April 11, 2007 marks the beginning of this madness and the tragic end of my sister’s life. It has been a long battle to get to this courtroom. It seems inconceivable that the days have finally arrived, yet years overdue.

It has been very difficult for me to listen to a description of Michele’s final days.  I found myself having to go somewhere else in my mind to withstand the aching inside as the tragic details are unraveled.  I would hear the proceedings, but would have to, at times, take my mind back to our innocent childhood days as sisters.   I would reflect back upon some good memories I could recall like playing with our dog Daisy’s puppies, pulling wagons, riding bikes, piling on the couch with mom to watch our favorite tv shows, sucking big fresh dill pickles from the grocery store deli for a dime, getting ready for school together and so many other special times. It got me through the day to relive these warm calm happy feelings that we felt in our carefree days as children; confident that’s what Michele was feeling now. read more »

Martin MacNeill has been booked for felony murder for his wife’s death, which police have been investigating for over five years.

The arrest comes years after a coroner originally ruled his wife, Michelle, died of natural causes after drowning in her bathtub. Their daughters did not believe this, and they led the charge to have their father arrested. “He destroyed our family,” Alexis Somers told Jim Moret on Jane Velez-Mitchell.

For more on this story, tune in to Jane Velez-Mitchell weeknights at 7 p.m. ET on HLN.