Updated: Essex DA Formally Identifies Georgetown Victim; Friends Mourn

Matthew Church at Haverhill District Court.

Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office has released the identity of a Georgetown woman found dead in her home. Meanwhile, her husband, accused of physically abusing her, is now scheduled to return to Haverhill District Court for a hearing Sept. 29. He remains held without bail.

Carrie Kimball-Monahan, spokesperson for Blodgett, confirmed the victim to be Kate Church, 31, of Georgetown. As reported last week by WHAV, Matthew Church, 33, of Georgetown, was ordered held without bail at his arraignment Sept. 2 on a charge of assault and battery on a household member. Comments posted on WHAV.net suggest Kate Church was a teacher who “worked with special need children and was loved by everyone.”

“I had the pleasure to know and work with Kate at the Webster School for a couple of years,” said Cathy Karelas Friday in a post. “She was the one of the best speech therapists, always smiling, happy and truly loved what she was doing. My heart is heavy thinking of what she had to go through, she will be missed.”

Monday, Janet Lamy wrote, “I have know her for six years, we have been best of friends she was a beautiful friend. She was so talented at her work and she made everyone smile. She has never had a good thing to say about her family only that she loved them anyway…I am someone who loved her dearly and I miss her so much.”

Church was arrested a week ago as the result of an investigation by Georgetown police into a report the victim fell and hit her chin on a sink after she had been drinking. However, according to Essex Assistant District Attorney Kim Faitella, police found the victim was not under the influence but did suffer other bruises to her arms, legs and back. She refused an emergency medical team’s suggestion to be hospitalized for concern of possible serious internal injury. Later, police found the victim dead during a return call from her father who traveled from western Massachusetts and could not enter the home.

Charges against Matthew Church may be upgraded pending the outcome of an autopsy. “That matter is still under investigation and the Medical Examiner’s report is not complete,” Kimball-Monahan said Tuesday. Church was scheduled to face a dangerousness hearing Tuesday, but the date was changed.

5 thoughts on “Updated: Essex DA Formally Identifies Georgetown Victim; Friends Mourn

  1. The grieving father is level headed and is waiting for the verdict. He’s not making irrational judgements, such as your comments. He.knows more than anyone does so far, and I’ll leave it at that. Leave him be. Please stop attacking and judging a family that is trying their best to grieve and make it through this tough time. Your behavior is.disgusting.

  2. I still wonder what is going on with Matthew Church. Did Kate’s father give up on her and go back home and let his family write the obituary. He should be fighting for her!! My God here was a man on probation for domestic abuse who calls his parole officer saying Kate was drinking and hit her chin on the sink. The police were called and there were bruises all over Kate, but she refused help. She showed the police the texts, which showed he was beating her.
    Later on her father came from the western part of the state and couldn’t get into her house and called the police who found her dead next to her bed. Why did her obituary say she “died peacefully”? I am sickened about the cover-up. Why was it not in the Georgetown MA newspapers? Travesty of justice!

  3. Friends and co-workers were not allowed to be a part of her Mass or Ceremony. The texts between Kate and her husband Matthew tell the whole story. Whoever the family who wrote her obituary said “she died peacefully”. How would they know? She said in her texts: “You have been throwing me around like a toy lately” and “my chest really hurts”. The cops came and arrested the domestic abuser and hopefully we will hear about him being sent to prison for good. God Bless Kate because her family are not doing her justice.

    • If Kate wanted you to be take part in a celebration with her FAMILY then you would have been there. How do you they’ve had it already? I’ve heard some people wait as long as 6 months, so who knows what they chose to do, that’s the families business. Sorry you’re so affected by a situation you don’t know very much about, perhaps buy a journal, because I highly doubt if Kate were alive she would have approved of the numerous comments you’ve made.

    • Kitty, YOU are the one on not serving Kate.justice, with all the.misleading, incorrect and down right hateful comments you’re making. How dare you criticize a grieving father? You know nothing about what they are going through. All of your incoherent comments make you look crazy and you.clearly weren’t close with her family let alone Kate herself. She would have an earful for you! I pray you get your sanity back. Peace