The husband of murdered Massachusetts schoolteacher Vanessa MacCormack was charged Tuesday with his wife’s death. Andrew MacCormack, 29, was charged with first-degree murder and was being held without bail.

“Don’t even look at us,” one of Vanessa’s relatives yelled in Suffolk Superior Court Tuesday, according to the Boston Globe. “Scumbag!”

Vanessa, 30, was found dead inside the couple’s home in September. An autopsy revealed she died as a result of stab wounds and suffocation. Vanessa’s body was found to have five stab wounds to her back and the side of her neck, three long slash wounds to the front of her neck, a broken nose, damaged teeth and broken bones and cartilage inside her neck, according to NECN.

Prosecutors alleged Andrew killed his wife inside their shared home and cleaned the scene with bleach before leaving to purchase $100 worth of cocaine. Andrew pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Authorities said it appeared Andrew and Vanessa were in the midst of a conflict and that Vanessa was considering divorcing her husband. Text messages revealed strife in the relationship and appeared to discuss Andrew’s alleged drug habit.

“I want answers,” Vanessa texted Andrew Sep. 3. “It’s the least I deserve.”

“I hate you so much you’ve ruined [our daughter’s life] because she won’t have her parents together,” she said in a separate text Aug. 31. “I’ll talk to [an agent] tomorrow about listing the house and I’ll look into divorce lawyers.”

“Ur crazy,” Andrew reportedly replied. “I’m not signing anything to sell the house or get divorced.”

Andrew was on the phone with Vanessa’s mother when he allegedly discovered her body, WCVB reported. He walked into their home and found her on the floor before asking her mother to call 911. Her mother responded by asking him to perform CPR, but Andrew said she was already dead. Investigators said there was a strong smell of bleach inside the home, while Vanessa’s body showed signs of a chemical burn consistent with bleach. There was no sign of forced entry into the home, authorities said.

Andrew was arrested following a review of surveillance footage, interviews with witnesses and an analysis of phone records.

RELATED STORIES
Criminal Law