Community mourns loss of Hampden County Sheriff’s office staff member after Holyoke stabbing

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - An emotional day in court as a Chicopee firefighter faced a judge, accused in the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend who worked at the Hampden County Sheriff’s office.

The victim 48-year-old Eileen Monaghan worked as executive assistant to Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi and we spoke with of her former colleagues at the department following Tuesday’s arraignment he told us this is an example of how domestic violence can happen to anyone.

“Eileen Monaghan was one of the sweetest, kindest, gentlest people that I’ve ever met,” said Robert Rizzuto.

Hampden County Sheriff’s Department public information officer Robert Rizzuto described his former colleague Eileen Monaghan who was brutally killed in what police believe to be an act of domestic violence by her boyfriend, Chicopee firefighter Jason Chapdelaine.

[LEARN MORE: Arraignment held for Chicopee firefighter accused of killing girlfriend.]

“We knew nothing really of him if anybody did, I didn’t,” said Rizzuto.

“She has two grown daughters, I have two young daughters, so we talked about kids often,” expressed Rizzuto. “She would make a reference to her boyfriend in passing, but that was it.”

Rizzuto among the many co-workers of Monaghan in a Holyoke courtroom as Chapdelaine was arraigned on murder charges. Chapdelaine was arrested by Holyoke Police early Sunday morning after the couple was found in the area of South Water Street near the Hazen Paper Company.

According to a police report obtained by Western Mass News, investigators found a “pickup truck was drenched in blood on both the passenger side of the vehicle and the driver’s side.”

A witness reported saw “a severely beaten woman inside the vehicle with a “guy standing next to her” and stated that the male said something like “I didn’t really mean to do it.”

According to one of the arresting officers after being read his Miranda rights Chapdelaine said, “I don’t really feel I … I need to… I murdered a woman.”

It was found by the medical examiner that Monaghan suffered 40 stab wounds to her torso head and arms. Rizzuto told us this alleged act of senseless violence highlights just how ambiguous targets of domestic violence can be.

[LEARN MORE: Holyoke murder victim identified as Hampden County Sheriff’s Office staff member.]

“The thing is, it doesn’t always fit what you expect the stereotype to be,” added Rizzuto. “It crosses boundaries of race, religious beliefs, you know, wealth, job position, you name it everyone’s prone, and it really comes down to personal dynamics of a partner.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 4 women and nearly 1 in 10 men have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.

Meanwhile, over 43 million women and about 38 million men experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

“It could be happening to anyone in your circle,” said Rizzuto. “If we work with people you converse with daily, you know random strangers you pass with on the street at the grocery store it just speaks to the old adage of you never know what’s going on in someone else’s life.”

Rizzuto explained that domestic violence is not an easy situation to escape, but there is help out there and he has this message on behalf of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department for anyone who may be struggling with an abusive relationship.

“Don’t feel like you’re alone,” expressed Rizzuto. “Don’t feel like you have to carry shame because it’s happening to you. It might feel embarrassing, but you should get out and get help.”

Chapdelain pleaded not guilty and is being held without the right to bail until his next court appearance on May 13.

He is currently on unpaid leave from his Chicopee Fire Department job.

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