Where is Cara Rintala now? Details explored ahead of Dateline on NBC
The death of Annamarie Cochrane Rintala in March 2010 and the legal action that ensued against her spouse, Cara Rintala, became one of Massachusetts' most high-profile and longest-running criminal cases.
Annamarie, a paramedic, was found dead at the bottom of the basement stairs in their Granby home. Investigators noted that her body and the surrounding area had been smeared with paint—a fact that sparked media attention and raised many questions about the case.
Cara Rintala, Annamarie's wife, underwent multiple trials, resulting in mistrials and an overturned conviction.
In 2023, she was finally convicted of voluntary manslaughter. She is currently serving a sentence at the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center.
The case is explored in detail in a special episode of NBC's Dateline episode, Down the Basement Stairs. The episode gives an in-depth look at the investigation, the court proceedings, and the impact on both families.
Dateline: Down the Basement Stairs will air tonight, May 10, 2025, at 9 PM EST, on NBC.
All about Annamarie Cochrane Rintala's murder and Cara Rintala's involvement in the case explored
On March 29, 2010, the body of Annamarie Cochrane Rintala was found at the bottom of the basement stairs of their home in Granby, Massachusetts. At the time, her spouse, Cara Rintala, was out of the house with their young daughter. Upon returning, Rintala called the emergency services to report the incident.
Police found Annamarie's body in the basement, covered in white paint, which appeared to be freshly applied at the crime scene. According to the police investigation, the couple had been having domestic disputes for a long time.
As reported by ABC News, authorities found several inconsistencies in Cara Rintala's statements. Differences in the condition of the scene, the use of paint, and the timeline turned the investigation towards murder.
In addition, digital investigation (phone records and surveillance cameras) of Cara's activities before and after the incident also revealed several contradictions. Based on these findings, investigators initiated legal action, considering it a case of premeditated murder.
The court trial in Annamarie Cochrane Rintala's murder explored
The murder trial against Cara Rintala took place in 2013 and 2014, but both times the jury could not reach a verdict, and the trial was declared a mistrial. After that, in the third trial in 2016, she was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
However, according to the WBUR report, in 2021, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned her conviction. The court said that expert testimony on paint drying time presented by the prosecution was unreliable and may have misled the jury.
A new trial was ordered following this verdict. During the fourth trial in 2023, Cara was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. According to The Daily Hampshire Gazette, on October 19, 2023, Judge Francis Flannery sentenced Cara to 12 to 14 years in prison, of which she has already served about 7.5 years.
Currently, she is incarcerated in the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center. According to WWLP, Cara has filed a petition for review and appeal of her sentence, citing her family obligations, mental health, and previous non-criminal record as the main grounds.
NBC's Dateline episode delves deep into the case, making it one of the most complex cases in Massachusetts in recent years.
To find out more about this case, viewers can watch NBC's Dateline episode, Down the Basement Stairs, which will air tonight at 9 pm.
