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Eileen Monaghan, of Chicopee, and a mother to two daughters, was found on Sunday, April 14, around 1:30 a.m. in a home on South Water Street after police were called for suspicious activity, officials said.
Police found Eileen on the ground next to her boyfriend, Jason Chapdelaine, who was suffering from stab wounds, police said. Investigators later ruled those cuts were self-inflicted.
He survived his wounds. Eilene did not.
Jason Chapdelaine, age 52, of Springfield, was arrested and is charged with murder, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office said.
The Hampden County Sheriff's Office released a statement following Eilene's identification that called her a "dedicated" and "generous person" "who meant so much to so many, especially her children."
Eileen, a mother of two young women, was brutally murdered in Holyoke this past weekend, allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend. “This loss is felt deeply by the entire Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, Eileen’s family, friends, and the community. 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,” said Sheriff Cocchi. “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.”Eileen was the daughter of retired HCSO maintenance supervisor Michael Monaghan Sr., who passed away in 2020, and Bridie Monaghan, who passed away in 2021; and the sister of former Support Services staff member Michael Monaghan Jr., who died on April 4 following a battle with cancer. In addition to her daughters, she is survived by a large family, spread from Western Mass. to Ireland, from which Eileen’s late parents emigrated.nd
Friends and family wrote similar sentiments on social media memorials. Many focusing on her love for her family a her tenacity.
She suffered the loss of her brother on April 7 after his five-year battle with cancer, Michael J. Monaghan Jr.'s obiutary said.
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