Easthampton woman sentenced to prison for ex-boyfriend’s murder

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – An Easthampton woman was sentenced after pleading guilty to a deadly stabbing in March 2023.

Easthampton woman indicted for boyfriend's murder

According to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office, on March 14, 2023, allegedly an altercation between Jean Marie Echevarria and her former boyfriend, Brennan Bleau became tense, they were both 23 years old at the time. Echevarria called her mom to ask her to come pick her up, but a blizzard prevented this.

A short time later, at around 3:10 a.m., Echevarria called 911 after having stabbed Bleau five times with a kitchen knife inside the apartment they shared on Culdaff Street. Easthampton police found suffering from multiple stab wounds. Bleau was taken to Baystate Medical Center but died from his injuries just before 4 a.m.

Echevarria has previously pleaded not guilty in Northampton District Court however, she was later indicted by a grand jury in the Hampshire County Superior Court. On Monday, Echevarria was sentenced to 16-19 years in state prison after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

This was the first homicide in Hampshire County in 2023 and the first in Easthampton since 2012.

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