AMHERST, MASS. (WHDH) - A Wilbraham man was arrested and is accused of beating his wife to death at Hotel UMass Wednesday night.
Jeffrey MacDonald, 36, pleaded not guilty to murder and assault and battery upon a police officer in court on Thursday. Both he and his wife worked at the university.
Officers were involved in a violent struggle with MacDonald when they responded to a 9-1-1 call from the hotel.
According to court documents, MacDonald admitted to police that he had intentionally beaten his wife using his hands, feet, and a variety of blunt objects, adding he intended to kill her.
UMass Amherst Campus hotel released a statement, saying in part, “It is with deep sadness that I share that last night, the University of Massachusetts Police Department and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office responded to a suspected homicide of a UMass Amherst staff member at the UMass Campus Center Hotel. A suspect has been taken into custody. While the District Attorney has not yet released the identity of the victim or suspect, both were known to each other. As we shared last night, there is no ongoing threat to our campus or the community.”
In a email sent to the campus community, UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes wrote in part, “I want to acknowledge that this is heartbreaking and deeply unsettling news for our campus. Our thoughts are with those affected, including the families, friends, and colleagues of the individuals involved. I also recognize that the lack of complete information may add to the distress many are feeling, but this is necessary to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.”
UMass students said they were shocked to hear of the situation.
“Woke up this morning to an email about a murder, so I don’t really know what to say when there’s a homicide on campus,” Alyssa Parziale said.
“It’s very sad and very surreal just to be like, close to where it happened, but like we don’t know anything,” Amaya Soria Zubillaga said. “It’s confusing, it’s very confusing.”
The fourth floor of the hotel remains off limits to guests.
MacDonald is due back in court in May.
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