NORTHAMPTON — A Wilbraham chef accused of murdering his wife at the Hotel UMass in April pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court on Friday afternoon. He was held without bail, while his attorney accused prosecutors of leaking discovery evidence to the press.

Jeffrey MacDonald, 36, has been indicted in the April 22 killing of his wife, Emma MacDonald, and was also charged with assault and battery on a police officer.

During Friday’s hearing before Judge Charles Groce, defense attorney Mary Saldarelli filed a motion asking the court to compel prosecutors to abide by rules of professional conduct, alleging that someone in the Northwestern district attorney’s office had leaked discovery materials — including 911 calls — to the media.

“The defense is merely citing the prosecutor’s ethical obligations, as they’re stated in the memorandum … Here’s my concern: I’m not saying it was these two prosecutors, certainly not them, but materials on this case, discovery materials, were previously disclosed from the prosecution team to the press,” Saldarelli said. “There is no place to try this case other than in the courtroom. There is no reason, truly, to make extrajudicial statements to the press, to go out and try and influence your potential jurors in the future. I would think and I would hope that that is the commonwealth’s main priority — a fair and just trial.”

Groce took no action on the motion after hearing from First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne, who is prosecuting the case alongside Assistant District Attorney Aidan Lanciani.

Objecting to Saldarelli’s motion, Gagne argued that the request was made out of a presumption that the district attorney’s office was acting outside of ethical rules and procedures — an accusation that he said has not been substantiated or confirmed by any affidavit or court document.

“We do not oppose this motion because we plan to go out and make prejudicial statements to the world or to the media. We oppose this motion because the rules of professional conduct are self-executing — we consider ourselves bound by them, and there’s simply no need for a court order directing the commonwealth to act ethically or to follow the rules that already apply to it,” Gagne argued.

He added, “There seems to be a presumption of misconduct baked into this motion that unless the court orders us to act ethically, we’re not going to. I think that the court should refrain from endorsing unnecessary and purely symbolic motions.”

Groce accepted MacDonald’s plea and did not act on Saldarelli’s motion. He also did not consider the defense attorney’s request for a Rule 14 motion, which requested discovery evidence from the commonwealth.

Saldarelli also asked the judge for permission to have MacDonald’s handcuffs removed during the court proceeding. Groce said that MacDonald needed to wear handcuffs, but could do so in the front rather than behind his back.

A statement of facts compiled by UMass Amherst Police Lt. James Sullivan states that police responded to reports of an “emergency taking place” at the Hotel UMass at around 7:42 p.m. the night of the alleged murder.

The prosecutors have also filed a motion asking the court to compel MacDonald to unlock his cellphone. That motion is scheduled to be heard on Sept. 3, with a pretrial hearing set for Oct. 27.

Police reported that a “violent struggle” had occurred in room 413 of the hotel, in which MacDonald fought with officers and later admitted to killing his wife.

“Given the significant nature of the female’s injuries, it seemed apparent to investigators that her injuries had resulted from a violent assault,” Sullivan wrote. “[After his arrest] MacDonald spoke with investigators, during which he admitted that he had intentionally beaten his [wife] to death using his hands, feet, as well as a variety of blunt objects, and that it was his intent to kill her in doing so.”

In a brief interview following Friday afternoon’s hearing, Gagne remarked that he believed Saldarelli was “mistaken” about what “she believes happened” in this case.

Saldarelli, declining to comment further on the case, said in a phone interview Friday afternoon that her job was to “ensure [her] client receives a fair trial,” adding that she is not seeking to “try this case in the press, but in the courtroom.”

MacDonald is facing additional charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a family or household member (two counts), and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to a statement from the Northwestern district attorney’s office.

The additional charges stem from the investigation, which indicated that there had been a prior incident involving the defendant and another UMass Amherst staff member earlier on April 22. As a result of that incident, the commonwealth sought an indictment charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition, the investigation indicated that there had been a prior incident involving the defendant and Emma MacDonald in November 2025. The commonwealth then sought an indictment charging assault and battery on a family or household member.

MacDonald worked as an executive sous chef at UMass Amherst and was named Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation in 2025. Emma MacDonald, 31, worked as a dining hall supervisor at UMass Amherst.