Award-winning chef used a 'variety' of things to fatally beat wife in hotel room, said 'it was his intent to kill her': Police

An award-winning assemblage cook successful Massachusetts is accused of killing his wife, allegedly beating the 31-year-old pistillate to decease wrong a field edifice country earlier telling investigators helium utilized aggregate objects successful the onslaught and intended to termination the victim.

Jeffrey C. MacDonald, 36, was arrested April 22 and charged with execution successful the decease of his wife, Emma MacDonald, 31, aft constabulary recovered her dormant wrong a country astatine Hotel UMass connected the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus.

In summation to the execution charge, MacDonald is accused of attacking 1 of the arresting constabulary officers during a confrontation wrong the edifice room.

According to a probable origin affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, officers with the UMass Amherst Police Department responded to Room 413 of the edifice astatine 7:42 p.m. aft a 911 caller reported an emergency.

Upon arriving, archetypal responders encountered MacDonald, and "a convulsive conflict took place," constabulary wrote. During the struggle, MacDonald allegedly "threw objects successful the absorption of the officers" and "struck 1 UMass constabulary serviceman successful the face" respective times.

Once wrong the room, officers discovered a woman, aboriginal identified arsenic Emma MacDonald, suffering from terrible injuries.

"Given the important quality of the female's injuries, it seemed evident to investigators that her injuries had resulted from a convulsive assault," the affidavit states.

MacDonald was taken into custody and aboriginal waived his Miranda rights earlier speaking with investigators.

During the interview, MacDonald admitted that helium had "intentionally beaten" his woman to decease utilizing "his hands, feet, arsenic good arsenic a assortment of different blunt objects," and said "it was his intent to termination her successful doing so," according to the affidavit.

Authorities person not publically elaborate what led up to the killing.

MacDonald appeared successful Eastern Hampshire District Court Thursday for his arraignment wherever helium pleaded not blameworthy to some charges, according to a news release from the Northwestern District Attorney's Office. District Judge Rebecca Michaels ordered MacDonald beryllium held without bond.

Michaels besides ordered MacDonald to acquisition a competency valuation to find whether helium is acceptable to basal trial.

The DA's bureau further confirmed that, similar her husband, Emma MacDonald was a UMass employee.

University Chancellor Javier Reyes described the sidesplitting arsenic "heartbreaking and profoundly unsettling," noting that the unfortunate was besides a subordinate of the field community. He besides emphasized determination was "no ongoing menace to our field oregon the community."

According to a report from The Boston Globe, the parent of MacDonald's 2 children, successful September 2024, urged a justice to grant her sole custody, alleging MacDonald had been physically and emotionally abusive to the kids, some of whom requested not to spot him anymore.

"Children person been reporting verbal maltreatment from their begetter (yelling, being called names, swearing), witnessing demeaning verbal maltreatment betwixt begetter & stepmother, and yesterday reported carnal abuse," the filing reportedly said. The parent besides wrote that her oldest lad claimed MacDonald "shoved him with afloat unit into a table" and repeatedly deed him successful the face.

Less than a twelvemonth ago, MacDonald was named Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation, 1 of the industry's highest honors.

MacDonald is presently scheduled to look successful tribunal for a probable origin proceeding connected May 12.