A routine weeknight at the University of Massachusetts Amherst was shattered Wednesday when a staff member was found dead inside the Campus Center's Hotel UMass. Police quickly took a suspect into custody, and university officials say there is no ongoing threat to students or the public as investigators comb through the scene.
In a message to the campus community, Chancellor Javier Reyes said the University of Massachusetts Police Department and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office responded to a suspected homicide at the Campus Center Hotel and confirmed that the victim was a UMass Amherst employee. UMass Amherst also noted that counseling and crisis resources are being offered to staff and students, including on-site counseling for employees and 24/7 support for students through the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health.
Investigation and arrest
The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office said a suspect has been arrested in connection with the killing and is expected to be arraigned Thursday in Eastern Hampshire District Court. According to NBC Boston, early findings suggest the suspect and victim knew each other, and neither is a UMass student.
Local coverage reports that the UMass Amherst Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police detective unit assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts Crime Scene Services Section are all involved in the investigation. The Greenfield Recorder reported that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the victim's official cause of death.
Hotel UMass and campus impact
Hotel UMass is located inside the Lincoln Campus Center at 1 Campus Center Way on the Amherst campus, the same address listed for the property on Tripadvisor. Students said they received a campus text alert Wednesday night about an active investigation at the Campus Center Hotel, according to Western Mass News.
What happens next
The suspect is expected to be arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown. NBC Boston reported the expected arraignment, and the court’s address and hours at 205 State St., Route 202, are confirmed on Mass.gov.
Campus resources
University leaders are urging anyone affected by the incident to use the counseling services outlined in Chancellor Reyes’ message. UMass Amherst has provided phone numbers and links for on-site counseling for employees and 24/7 support for students as the investigation continues.
