A chef at UMass Amherst is facing a murder charge after allegedly killing his wife at the university’s hotel Wednesday, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.
Jeffrey MacDonald, 36, of Wilbraham, pleaded not guilty in Eastern Hampshire District Court and was held without bail.
He faces an additional charge of assault and battery against a police officer, which he also entered a not guilty plea for.
According to a police report, both campus and Healey Police officers were called to an emergency at one of the rooms at Hotel UMass. Upon arrival, the encountered MacDonald and a “violent struggle took place,” the report said.
MacDonald allegedly threw things at the officers and stuck one of the officers on the face multiple times. Once inside the room, the report said the officers found a deceased woman with “significant injuries.”
The officers arrested MacDonald who told police under Miranda that he’d beaten the woman with his hands, feet, and objects, “and it was his intent to kill her in doing so,” the report said.
Both the defendant and victim in the Wednesday slay were employees of the university, the DA said.
According to UMass’s hospitality website, MacDonald is an executive sous chef who won “Chef of the Year Award” from the American Culinary Federation last year. State pay roll data showed that he earned $81,999.84 in 2025.
“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,” UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier A. Reyes wrote in an email to students Thursday morning.
UMass sent out a notification around 9 p.m. the day before, letting students know that, “an active investigation is underway inside the Campus Center Hotel,” and noting that there would be increased police activity in the area.
“There is no threat to campus or the public,” the university said.
Hotel UMass, where the alleged crimes occurred, is in the center of the university’s campus, and one of the highest rated amenities in the area, according to its website.
It is also where Governor Maura Healey’s former aide LaMar Cook once worked and allegedly used as a location for drug deliveries. Cook is currently facing drug trafficking charges in Hampden County Superior Court.
MacDonald is set to be back in court May 12.
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