By John Lynds
The husband of Lynn second grade teacher Vanessa MacCormack, who was found murdered in her Revere home Saturday, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court Wednesday.
Andrew MacCormack, 29, of Revere pleaded not guilty to charges that he beat, strangled and stabbed his wife causing her death. MacCormack was ordered held without bail and is due back in court on Oct. 27.
Revere Police and emergency medical personnel responded to 93 Grand View Ave. just after 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon following a 911 call placed by Andrew MacCormack. They found Vanessa MacCormack, 30, inside the residence showing obvious signs of physical trauma. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner made preliminary findings that she had suffered a blunt force injury to the head, sharp force injuries to the neck, and asphyxiation. Evidence suggested that the killer made concerted efforts to clean up the crime scene and dispose of related items.Tuesday’s arrest followed the recovery of footage from private surveillance systems and public safety cameras, the execution of a search warrant by State and Revere police, interviews with multiple witnesses, examination of phone and other records, and many more investigative steps.
MacCormack was a young woman who was a second-grade teacher at the Connery School in Lynn. Her child was not in the home at the time, and is now staying with relatives.
The victim’s sister Angela Masucci said her sister Vanessa “was the world’s best mother. She did everything for her daughter.”
Lynn Schools Superintendent Catherine Latham said the school community is saddened by the tragic death of MacCormack, a second-grade teacher at the Connery Elementary School. She had been in the district for seven years and a teacher for five.
“Our school community is heartbroken,” said Dr. Mary Dill, principal at Connery. “Vanessa was loved by students, parents and colleagues. She was involved in every aspect of the school. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.”
Grief counselors will be at Connery all this week for staff and students.
Police and prosecutors said the investigation remains active, and they continue to ask anyone with information to share it no matter how minor or peripheral it may seem. The Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit, which has jurisdiction over death investigations in Revere, may be reached at 617-727-8817 and the Revere Police Criminal Investigation Division may be reached at 781-286-8340. The victims of any crime, including domestic violence, should call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide domestic violence hotline, can also be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24 hours a day in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. SafeLink also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. Survivors and those who care about them can search for nearby DV programs at http://janedoe.org/find_help/search.
All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.