AMHERST — UMass students and others are paying their respects and taking time out to mourn at a growing memorial filled with flowers and handwritten notes at the entrance of the UMass Campus Center Hotel a week after university employee Emma MacDonald was killed.
MacDonald’s death on April 22, allegedly at the hands of her husband, UMass chef Jeffery MacDonald, and the subsequent memorial that began going up a few days later, has been the talk of the campus over the last week.
On Monday morning, many shared feelings of horror and disgust with how MacDonald, of Wilbraham, died, while others saw the alleged killing at the campus hotel as an eye-opener, bringing forward a grim reality that domestic violence can happen anywhere.
“For me, it kind of brought to light that this can happen anywhere and to anyone. We see a lot of stuff in the news, that happens at a lot of other campuses, so I feel like this brought to light how life is so valuable, and that this can happen to anyone around us,” UMass junior Annabelle Calderwood said. “It kind of like made me hold dear a lot of the values that I have and to be kinder to the staff here, show how that we appreciate all of them and are here for them.”
Calderwood’s remarks were echoed by others, such as UMass Junior Aria Sotolongo, who noted that there was a report of a woman allegedly being grabbed less than 24 hours before MacDonald’s death.
“The night before… there was a woman who got attacked in front of Boyden [Physical Education Gym] at UMass, so that was really scary,” she said. “What happened is absolutely heartbreaking, especially to all of the students that were close to the area. It’s an eye-opener to realize how much life is taken for granted. UMass is a place where people go to start their lives, to follow their dreams, and the fact that a woman lost her life here is just soul crushing.”
A man and woman at the memorial, neither of whom wanted to be named, said they were MacDonald’s close friends.
“She was very strong, it is a huge loss,” said the woman.
Meanwhile, campus officials announced on Monday that a vigil to remember Emma MacDonald, 31, will be held on Tuesday, May 5. In a letter to the campus community, Chancellor Javier Reyes invited staff, students and faculty to join together and honor MacDonald’s life at 3 p.m. on Tuesday on the north side of Campus Center, where the memorial is located.
“I hope we can use this space to share and honor [MacDonald’s] life. For those who did not know Emma, I hope you can join in community and learn who she was,” Reyes wrote. “Her friends describe an incredible woman who loved her daughter; her dogs, Tito and Jack; peonies; lavender; ladybugs; and so many people whose lives will be forever changed by her presence and loss.”
The Center for Women and Community (CWC), a resource for all of Hampshire County that supports survivors of domestic violence, will partner in the planning of the vigil. Staff with the Center for Women and Community have distributed flowers and pamphlets for domestic violence resources at the site of MacDonald’s memorial.
CWC Director Gisella Zuniga, in an interview Monday, explained that the CWC has a 24/7 hotline for those who have experienced domestic or sexual violence to call. She noted that the center offers counseling, drop-in support groups and civilian advocate support for those who have been assaulted, noting that the center usually notices a spike in calls during the months of April and October.
“Anybody who’s been assaulted, we go with them to the hospital through their SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) exam,” Zuniga said. “We also have civilian advocates that work with folks to get restraining orders and support them through either a campus-based, or a legal process.”
Jeffrey MacDonald, 36, of Wilbraham, pleaded not guilty to murder and assault and battery on a police officer at his arraignment last week. He is being held without bail and is expected to appear back in court for a probable cause hearing on May 12.
A statement of facts compiled by UMass Amherst Police Lt. James Sullivan states that police responded to reports of an “emergency taking place” at the Hotel UMass at around 7:42 p.m. Wednesday. Upon arrival, a “violent struggle” ensued between MacDonald and police, in which the defendant allegedly threw objects at the officers, striking a UMass police officer in the face numerous times, the report states. In room 413, police found Emma MacDonald dead “with significant injuries.”
“Given the significant nature of the female’s injuries, it seemed apparent to investigators that her injuries had resulted from a violent assault,” Sullivan wrote. “[After his arrest] Macdonald spoke with investigators , during which he admitted that he had intentionally beaten his [wife] to death using his hands, feet, as well as a variety of blunt objects, and that it was his intent to kill her in doing so.”
Documents from the Hampden District Family and Probate court dating back to 2024 show that the mother of Jeffrey MacDonald’s two sons, who is not Emma MacDonald, requested emergency custody of her children, then 6 and 8 years old, after they allegedly reported abuse to their mother.
“Children have been reporting verbal abuse by their father (yelling, being called names, swearing),” the woman wrote in an affidavit in September 2024. “The family court records dating back to 2024 show that the mother of MacDonald’s two sons asked the court for emergency custody because the boys, then 6 and 8, said they were afraid of their father.
“Children have been reporting verbal abuse by their father (yelling, being called names, swearing),” the woman wrote in an affidavit in September 2024. “[The] oldest child reported that his father shoved him full force into a table on Monday and has hit him in the face on several occasions.”
The children’s mother added that the boys did not wish to visit their father at his home in Wilbraham anymore, and that he had threatened the children not to disclose the alleged abuse.
The mother’s motion was dismissed after she did not show up for a court hearing, according to case records.
