On Wednesday, after being read his rights, MacDonald “admitted that he had intentionally beaten his wife to death, using his hands, feet, as well as a variety of other objects, and that it was his intent to kill her in doing so,” police said in the report.
MacDonald, of Wilbraham, pleaded not guilty Thursday to first-degree murder, and assault and battery on a police officer.
Judge Rebecca Michaels ordered him held without bail and slated a probable cause hearing for May 12. She granted a request by MacDonald’s court-appointed lawyer, Jonah Goldsmith, to order an evaluation of MacDonald’s competency to stand trial. Goldsmith did not respond to a request for comment.
As the campus winds down spring semester, news of the killing at the Hotel UMass rattled students.
Lena Nowak, a biology student, said she shivered as she walked past the hotel’s sign.
“I feel pretty safe here still, but it is a little concerning that it happened right there,” Nowak said.
According to university payroll records, Emma MacDonald, whose maiden name was Pasterczyk, held multiple jobs at the school since 2019. Her most recent employment was listed as dining hall supervisor.
Campus police received a 911 call at 7:42 p.m. on Wednesday reporting an emergency in Room 413 at the hotel, according to the report.
When campus and Hadley police officers arrived, they were met by MacDonald and “a violent struggle took place” between them, the report said. MacDonald allegedly threw objects at the officers and repeatedly struck one officer in the face.
Officers discovered Emma MacDonald dead in the hotel room, the report said.
“Given the significant nature of the female’s injuries, it seemed apparent to investigators that her injuries had resulted from a violent assault,” the report said.
MacDonald was arrested and, according to police, admitted he had deliberately killed her.
Court records show prior allegations of abuse surfaced 19 months ago during custody proceedings involving two children MacDonald had with another woman.
In filings in Hampden Probate and Family Court, the mother of the children, now 9 and 11, urged a judge on Sept. 20, 2024, to suspend MacDonald’s time with them and grant her sole custody, writing that the children had been consistently asking not to go to his house over the past year.
“Children have been reporting verbal abuse from their father (yelling, being called names, swearing), witnessing demeaning verbal abuse between father & stepmother, and yesterday reported physical abuse,” the woman wrote.
She said her oldest child said his father “shoved him with full force into a table” four days earlier and previously hit him in the face on multiple occasions.
“Both children reported that their father told them not to report abuse to the mother and both are fearful of retaliation and further abuse,” she wrote.
A judge denied the woman’s request to revoke MacDonald’s shared custody without notifying him of the allegations and giving him a chance to respond. The complaint was dismissed after the woman failed to appear at a hearing.
On Thursday, the woman declined to comment on the allegations against MacDonald or the murder charge during a brief phone conversation, noting that he is the father of her children.
The murder charge comes nine months after MacDonald was named Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation, an honor the university said at the time reflected his “talent, leadership, and commitment to advancing the culinary profession.”
MacDonald has also been honored with a gold medal from the federation and was a Northeast Regional winner of the National Association of College & University Food Services’s Culinary Challenge, according to the university.
“I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues at UMass Dining and the inspiring culinary community that I’m fortunate to be part of,” MacDonald said in a university statement announcing the Chef of the Year award in August.
The university said at the time that MacDonald’s achievements helped elevate the national profile of the UMass dining program, “which is widely recognized for innovation, sustainability, and culinary excellence.”
At UMass Amherst, students said news of the slaying was unsettling.
Marc Pothier, a biochemistry and molecular biology student, said he was shocked by the killing but said he still feels relatively safe on campus.
“It’s horrible,” he said. “But you can’t judge a community based on it.”
In a message to the campus community Thursday before the identities of the victim and suspect were released, the university’s chancellor, Javier Reyes, said the victim was a staff member at the university.
“There is no ongoing threat to our campus or the community,” he said.
“I want to acknowledge that this is heartbreaking and deeply unsettling news for our campus,” Reyes wrote. “Our thoughts are with those affected, including the families, friends, and colleagues of the individuals involved.”
Emma MacDonald’s death remains under investigation by UMass police and State Police detectives assigned to Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan’s office, officials said.
Tonya Alanez of the Globe staff and correspondent Alexandra Hill contributed this report.
Shelley Murphy can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @shelleymurph. Nick Stoico can be reached at [email protected].
