A Chicopee firefighter has been charged with stabbing his girlfriend to death over the weekend in western Massachusetts.
Around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Holyoke police responded to a 911 call in the 200 block of South Water Street for a report of suspicious activity. When they arrived, officers found a man and a woman at the scene, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said. They said the woman appeared to have been stabbed and the man was unresponsive "due to self-inflicted harm."
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The woman died despite receiving medical attention, while the man survived.
The man, identified by authorities as 52-year-old Jason Chapdelaine, of Springfield, was arrested Sunday and charged with murder.
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The victim was identified as 48-year-old Eileen Monaghan, of Chicopee.
The Boston Globe reports that the two were in a relationship.
Chapdelaine pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday in Holyoke District Court and ordered held without bail. He is scheduled to return to court on May 13.
It was not immediately clear if Chapdelaine had an attorney.
The Chicopee mayor's office confirmed to WWLP that Chapdelaine is a firefighter in the city and was placed on unpaid leave following his arrest.
The Hampden Couty Sheriff's Office said Monaghan was an executive assistant to Sheriff Nick Cocchi and a mother of two. She was formerly the chief of staff to state Rep. Joseph Wagner, who retired in 2023.
“Eileen was not only a loved and valued colleague but also a dedicated and generous person who meant so much to so many, especially her kids," Cocchi said in a statement. "Eileen was truly a rose in a world of thorns. As we try to process this tragic loss, please keep the Monaghan family in your thoughts and prayers. To say Eileen was loved and will be missed is an understatement.”
In addition to her daughters, the sheriff's department said Monaghan is survived by a large family, spread from western Massachusetts to Ireland.
