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Amber Carpenter, age 39, of West Springfield was found dead inside the home of Jose Hernandez, age 30, on Riverdale Street in West Springfield on Friday, Oct. 21, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office reports.
Carpenter was the victim of the first reported homicide in West Springfield since 2017, MassLive reports. According to her Facebook, Carpenter was from Northampton and worked at Touched By An Angel Health Care. She was also heavily involved in her local church.
"Amber touched so many hearts in her lifetime. Cheerful, warm, and welcoming, she was always trying to make everyone's days brighter with her presence," a GoFundMe organized in her honor reads. "She had overcome many challenges in her life with her number one supporter, GOD. She was very true to her mission in this world."
Dr. Rich Zawadzki, a senior pastor at Loomis Park Baptist Church in Jackson, MI, knew Carpenter since she was 12 years old. The two went to the Mountain View Baptist Church in Holyoke for several years and Zawadzki said he and Carpenter held a strong bond even after their paths diverged for a time.
“My wife and I would go off to Bible College to train for the Ministry,” Zawadzki told Daily Voice. “During our absence, Amber was an active teen in an amazing Youth Group.”
Zawadzki eventually came back to officiate Carpenter’s wedding in the early 2000s. While the duo had not seen each other since Zawadzki moved back to Michigan, they maintained their relationship through social media.
“She was a joyful and passionate soul," he said. "Her family, friends and this world is less bright without her light in our lives."
Carpenter is survived by her three sons, five siblings, parents, grandparents and several other family members, the GoFundMe reads. People can donate to help cover the cost of her funeral by clicking here.
Hernandez has since been arrested and charged with Carpenter's murder. He is being held without bail after he was arraigned in Springfield District Court on Friday, the DA's Office reports. He is due back in court on Nov. 18.
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