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Jose Melendez, 60, pleaded guilty Wednesday, Jan 18, to a voluntary manslaughter charge in the death of Sandra "Buffy" Hehir, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. A judge sentenced him to 17 to 19 years in prison.
Hehir's family thanked Worcester police and prosecutors on their "Justice for Buffy" Twitter account.
"Our family has long awaited this day," they tweeted.
Police found the 49-year-old's body on Feb. 5, 2017, in her 8 Congress St. apartment. DNA found at the scene linked Melendez to the crime, the Worcester prosecutor said.
Melendez's murder trial was set to begin later this month, but he decided to plea before that started.
Hehir worked at Worcester Public Schools for a decade before her death and was a beloved member of the middle school where she worked as an instructional assistant.
The Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said he hoped this plea brought peace to the family and friends of the woman they knew affectionately as Buffy.
“It was the hard work by the Worcester police detectives together with our prosecutors and the state police crime lab that brought this suspect to justice,” Mr. Early said. “This plea will hopefully bring some measure of closure to Ms. Hehir’s family.”
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