AMHERST, MA — A University of Massachusetts Amherst chef who won national culinary awards was charged with murder Thursday after police say he admitted to beating his wife to death at a campus hotel.
Jeffrey MacDonald, 36, of Wilbraham, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and assault and battery on a police officer during his arraignment in Eastern Hampshire District Court. His wife, Emma MacDonald, 31, was found dead Wednesday night in room 413 of Hotel UMass, located in the university’s Campus Center. Both were UMass dining services employees, and the incident has shaken the campus community as students prepare for final exams. Judge Rebecca Michaels ordered MacDonald held without bail and scheduled a probable cause hearing for May 12.
Campus police responded to the hotel at 7:42 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a 911 call reporting an emergency. When officers arrived, they encountered MacDonald in what police described as a “violent struggle.” According to the police report filed in Eastern Hampshire District Court, MacDonald threw objects at responding officers and repeatedly struck one UMass police officer in the face. After being restrained and read his Miranda 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,” officers wrote in their report. Emma MacDonald was discovered dead in the hotel room with injuries that investigators said were “significant” and “seemed apparent” to have resulted from “a violent assault.”
The case has revealed a troubling history of alleged domestic violence. Court records show that 19 months ago, the mother of MacDonald’s two children from a previous relationship sought emergency custody, alleging verbal and physical abuse. In September 2024 filings in Hampden Probate and Family Court, the woman wrote that her children, now ages 9 and 11, had been “consistently asking not to go to his house over the past year.” She alleged that “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 claimed her oldest child said MacDonald “shoved him with full force into a table” and had previously hit him in the face on multiple occasions. The complaint was ultimately dismissed after the woman failed to appear at a hearing, and a judge had denied her initial request to revoke MacDonald’s shared custody without giving him a chance to respond to the allegations.
The murder charge comes just nine months after MacDonald received the Chef of the Year award from the American Culinary Federation in August 2025. The university had praised the honor as “a testament to MacDonald’s talent, leadership, and commitment to advancing the culinary profession.” MacDonald had also earned a gold medal from the federation and was a Northeast Regional winner of the National Association of College & University Food Services’s Culinary Challenge. “Being honored as Chef of the Year by the ACF is an incredible milestone,” MacDonald said in a university statement at the time. “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.” UMass Amherst has consistently earned “best campus food” rankings from the Princeton Review and operates the largest college dining program in the country. Emma MacDonald, whose maiden name was Pasterczyk, had worked at the university since 2019 in multiple roles, most recently as a dining hall supervisor according to campus payroll records.
Judge Michaels granted a request by MacDonald’s court-appointed attorney, Jonah Goldsmith, to order a competency evaluation to determine whether MacDonald is fit to stand trial. The case remains under investigation by UMass Amherst Police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan’s office, and the Massachusetts Crime Scene Services Section. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of Emma MacDonald’s death. MacDonald faces additional charges related to his alleged assault on the responding officer during his arrest. If convicted of first-degree murder, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The incident has deeply affected the UMass Amherst campus, where students expressed shock and concern about safety. “I feel pretty safe here still, but it is a little concerning that it happened right there,” said Lena Nowak, a biology student who walked past the hotel. Student Marc Pothier called the killing “horrible” but said he still feels relatively safe on campus. “You can’t judge a community based on it,” he said. Chancellor Javier Reyes addressed the campus community Thursday, acknowledging the tragedy while assuring students there was no ongoing threat. “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.” The university has made counseling services available for students, staff and faculty affected by the incident.
MacDonald remains held without bail at the Hampshire County House of Correction. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 12, when prosecutors will present evidence at a probable cause hearing to determine whether the case will proceed to trial.
