Jeffrey MacDonald pleaded not guilty after his wife, Emma MacDonald, was found dead inside Hotel UMass.
AMHERST, MA — A University of Massachusetts Amherst chef accused of killing his wife inside a campus hotel pleaded not guilty Thursday, as students and staff described fear and confusion after the death of a university employee.
Jeffrey MacDonald, 36, of Wilbraham, was arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court in connection with the death of Emma MacDonald, 31, also of Wilbraham. Both worked for UMass Amherst. The case has drawn concern across the state’s flagship campus because the killing happened inside Hotel UMass, a university-run hotel in the center of campus, as the spring semester moved toward final exams.
Campus police received a 911 call at about 7:42 p.m. Wednesday for an emergency in Room 413 at Hotel UMass, according to court records and police reports described by authorities. When officers arrived, they encountered Jeffrey MacDonald, and police said a violent struggle followed. Investigators said he threw objects toward officers and struck one UMass police officer in the face before he was taken into custody. Officers then found Emma MacDonald dead inside the room. UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes called the news “heartbreaking and deeply unsettling” in a message to the campus community and said there was no ongoing threat to campus.
Authorities said Jeffrey MacDonald was charged with murder and assault and battery upon a police officer. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. Judge Rebecca Michaels ordered him held without bail and continued the case to May 12 after an earlier date of May 22 was changed. Assistant District Attorney Aidan Lanciani represented the Commonwealth, and Jonah Goldsmith of the Committee for Public Counsel Services was appointed to represent MacDonald. The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office said the case remains under active investigation by UMass Amherst police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office and the Massachusetts Crime Scene Services Section. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine Emma MacDonald’s official cause of death.
The killing left students uneasy because of where it happened. Hotel UMass is inside the Campus Center area, a busy part of the Amherst campus where students eat, study, work and pass through during the day and evening. The hotel has also served as a workplace and training site connected to the university. Some students said they first heard about the death through social media before receiving more formal information from the university. Others said the location made the case feel close to their daily routines. “Now someone died and you just don’t really know,” student Morgon O’Connor said. “Especially at night, with exams coming, we have to walk by ourselves.”
Jeffrey MacDonald had worked in UMass Dining and had been publicly honored for his culinary work. The university previously identified him as an executive sous chef and announced in 2025 that he had been named Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation. Emma MacDonald also worked for the university. Reports citing payroll records identified her as a dining hall supervisor who had held multiple jobs at UMass since 2019. A UMass Dining employee who spoke to Western Mass News and asked not to be named described Emma MacDonald as “a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, loving person” and said she was dedicated to her job. The employee said the killing felt unreal to people who knew the campus and the dining program.
Court records cited in news reports also point to earlier allegations involving Jeffrey MacDonald. The Boston Globe reported that a woman made abuse allegations against him in 2024 during custody proceedings involving two children. The filing alleged verbal abuse and physical abuse, including claims that one child had been shoved into a table and hit in the face. A judge did not immediately revoke shared custody without notice to MacDonald, and the complaint was later dismissed after the woman did not appear at a hearing. Those earlier allegations were separate from the current murder case. MacDonald is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
University officials tried to balance campus concern with the limits of an active investigation. Reyes said the lack of complete information could add to distress but said some details had to be withheld to protect the investigation. UMass officials later said the university also had privacy and community obligations when communicating after the death of a campus community member. Students described mixed reactions. Some said they still felt safe overall, while others said the case changed how they felt walking on campus at night. “There’s definitely a feeling that’s in the air that definitely makes me feel a little nervous,” student Eli Shrem said.
The next major step in the case is scheduled for May 12 in Eastern Hampshire District Court. MacDonald remains held without bail, and the investigation is continuing. Authorities have not announced the final cause of death, and the medical examiner’s ruling remains pending.
Author note: Last updated Sunday, April 26, 2026.