Massachusetts man charged with first-degree murder after admitting to killing his sister

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CHESHIRE, Mass. — A Windsor man has been charged with first-degree murder after he entered a Massachusetts State Police barracks and confessed to killing his sister, according to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office.

Paul Menard, 65, appeared in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday, November 1, where he was formally charged with the murder of his sister Monique Menard, 61. Berkshire District Attorney Timothy J. Shugrue represented the Commonwealth in the prosecution. Menard is being held without bail.

The incident occurred around 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, October 31, when Menard entered the state police barracks in Cheshire, Massachusetts and reported that he had shot his sister at his home in Windsor. Officers immediately responded to the apartment and arrived at approximately 2:04 p.m. There they found Monique Menard lying face down outside the house near her car.

According to evidence collected at the scene and Menard's own testimony, he shot his sister three times – once from the front, once from behind and once in the back of the head. Menard reportedly used two firearms as one of the weapons jammed during the attack. He waited about 20 minutes after the shooting before driving to the barracks to report the incident, but did not call 911.

Officials said Menard cooperated cooperatively with law enforcement throughout the process. He did not have a Firearm Identification (FID) card, which is required to legally own firearms in Massachusetts.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has taken custody of Monique Menard's body to conduct an autopsy. Additional court proceedings are pending as investigators continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged murder.