New Marlborough Woman Was Stabbed to Death

Staff reportsiBerkshires
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PITTSFIELD - A New Marlborough man has been charged in the murder of 55-year-old mother, Donna Agar.

Agar was stabbed to death, according to an autopsy conducted Tuesday in Holyoke by Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Sexton.

Rodney M. Ball, 35, of Clark Way, New Marlborough, was arraigned Monday morning in Southern Berkshire District Court in Great Barrington on one count of murder.

A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf and Judge James McElroy ordered he be held without bail at the Berkshire County House of Correction. A pretrial hearing has been set for April 24.

According to Berkshire County District Attorney David F. Capeless, at about 1:30 Sunday afternoon, state troopers from the Lee barracks received a call to conduct a well-being check at Agar's home at 1660 Clayton Mill River Road, Southfield. When troopers arrived, they discovered her body in a pool of blood. 

Agar "died from multiple sharp force trauma resulting in loss of blood," according to preliminary autopsy results released by the Capeless' office.

According to court documents, Ball told state police that Agar committed suicide by stabbing herself in the neck with a knife.




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The investigation is being conducted by members of the New Marlborough and Sheffield police departments, state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office, troopers assigned to the Lee barracks and state police Crime Scene Services.

Another New Marlborough resident, William S. Demagall, 24, is serving 25 years to life for the 2006 murder of George Mancini of Hillsdale, N.Y. New Marlborough has less than 1,500 residents.

Updated on March 17, 2008, at 1:55 p.m.;  March 18, 2008,  at 5:15 p.m.
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Final Summary of PHS Investigation Released

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A School Committee-initiated investigation into allegations of misconduct by Pittsfield High School staff members was unable to conclude that an administrator shared a nude image with students on social media.

On Thursday, the final executive summary was released. It is focused on administrator 2, who is alleged to have shared a photograph of female genitalia on her Snapchat account.

"During this investigation, we sought to determine the validity of allegations about PHS Administrator #2 sharing a photograph of female genitalia with PHS students on her Snapchat account," the 11-page report reads.

"Notwithstanding the information we obtained from persons we interviewed and the documents and materials we reviewed, we are unable to conclude with confidence that on her Snapchat account (or possibly through her other social media accounts), PHS Administrator #2 knowingly or intentionally sent to or knowingly or intentionally shared with minors or students a picture of female genitalia."

The investigation was based largely on second- and third-hand accounts. The report states, "It appears that what has circulated in the community may be a screenshot of a photograph allegedly posted by PHS Administrator #2 on her Snapchat account."

Three administrators and two teachers, past and present, were investigated by Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas LLP for a range of allegations that surfaced or re-surfaced at the end of 2024 after Pittsfield High's former dean of students, Lavante Wiggins was arrested and charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for allegedly conspiring to traffic large quantities of cocaine in Western Massachusetts.

The report states that the Pittsfield Public Schools' investigation into allegations regarding the photograph was complicated by another set of pictures that "confused" the allegations.

"In early March 2023, PHS administrators conducted a preliminary inquiry of two photographs of PHS Administrator #2 wearing a shirt with a low-cut neckline while at her home, which a student related to her through marriage had posted on his own Snapchat account. PPS administrators spoke with PHS Administrator #2 about the photographs but did not consider these photographs as warranting a report to DCF," it reads, explaining that on viewing the photographs, the firm agrees.

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