On an autumn day in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the life of a hardworking and fun-spirited man, Gary Michael Gaudette, a 39-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically cut short. On Thursday, November 21, 2019, Chicopee Police officers responded to a report of an unresponsive male in the area of 1296 Montgomery Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered Gary Gaudette seated in a vehicle.
It was soon apparent that he had passed away from a gunshot wound.
The investigation into Gaudette's death was swift. Detectives from the Chicopee Police Department, along with the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney's Office, immediately began treating the case as a homicide. Their investigation quickly led them to a suspect. Within days, William Allsop, then 45, of Monson, was arrested and charged with murder.
Gary Gaudette was remembered as a man with a "heart of gold" who cherished time with his family and friends. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed hockey, hunting, and boating and was a devoted fan of the New England Patriots. Born in Springfield, he was a graduate of Central High School and the owner of Arrow Tree Service, a profession he enjoyed for the adventure it brought. He was a beloved son, brother, and uncle.
The legal proceedings against William Allsop culminated in March 2022. A Hampden County Superior Court jury found Allsop, then 48, guilty of murder in the first degree. Subsequently, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing a measure of justice to Gary Gaudette's loved ones.
