🔪 Jury Convicts Palmer Woman for 1st Degree Murder with “Extreme Atrocity or Cruelty”

Yesterday a Hampden County Superior Court jury convicted Brenda Mayhew, 58, of first-degree murder with “extreme atrocity or cruelty.”

According to police documents, on February 7, 2021 (Super Bowl Sunday) Brenda spent the night at her friend Marcia’s house on Fox Street in Palmer.

Brenda reportedly suffers from schizophrenia and her behavior was bizarre that evening. Among other things, she brought her dog to the house and spoke loudly to the pooch throughout that night. One witness told police that Brenda kept reassuring the dog “you’re safe” and “we just need to following the plan.”

The following morning around 6 a.m. Brenda entered the bedroom where her friend’s husband was sleeping. She told him to stay in bed and Marcia would bring coffee up to him soon . The husband thought this was odd because his wife never brought coffee to him in the morning.

A short time late the husband got out of bed and went to kitchen. He allegedly saw Brenda on top of Marcia who had been stabbed multiple times. The husband grab a wooden chair and hit Brenda across the back with it. He then wrestled the knife away from Brenda. Both were cut during the struggle.

The man managed to get hold of the knife and called 911. However, before he could get through, Brenda grabbed the phone from him and submerged it in the dog’s water dish.

The man left the house and managed to call police from his neighbor’s phone.

According to the police report, when officers arrived they

observed the decedent in the kitchen area face down, wearing a light colored nightgown. [Officers] determined the decedent sustained numerous sharp force injuries to her chest/torso region and no emergency aid was rendered due to obvious signs of death.

After Brenda was taken into custody, police found a large hunting knife covered in blood inside the house. They also found the knife’s leather sheath imprinted with a Marine Corp logo. Brenda subsequently told officers that she had served in the Marine Corp.

The jury convicted Brenda of murder, assault and battery, and witness intimidation. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 30, 2024.