A devoted mother of two who worked at a group home was allegedly stabbed to death by one of the residents. Marlene McNeill, 40, was allegedly killed by 40-year-old Armando Javier Negrete on Monday at Shalom House in Portland, Maine.
The Incident
McNeill was a project manager at the facility, where she cared for adults with severe mental health disorders. Negrete appeared in court remotely on Wednesday, and few details about him were released due to sealed court records.
The project manager's best friend and coworker, Jessica McKosky, spoke to WGME about the devastating loss. 'I didn't accept it at first,' McKosky said. 'It was shocking.'
Colleague's Account
'She was so selfless. She put everything aside for other people,' the grieving friend told the outlet. McKosky revealed details about the incident, as she worked closely with the patient in the home.
'I worked very closely one-on-one with him, and as angry as I would like to be at this particular client, it's very out of character,' McKosky told the outlet. 'It wasn't him in the incident,' she added.
Safety Concerns
The coworker said she was dumbfounded by how the suspect obtained a weapon, as residents in the home were never given access to sharp objects. Drawing on her time working at the group home, she added that there were typically at least two employees on shift.
But she told the outlet there was one vulnerable spot for workers - a hallway behind a door - and police say that is where McNeill was attacked. 'That hallway that we walk into every morning is isolated. You have a locked door and a stairwell to another locked door, so nobody's watching,' McKosky told the outlet. 'It sounds like she was a very easy target there,' she added.
Community Support
A GoFundMe was started for the late mother-of-two's family, with over $110,000 raised of a $180,000 goal. The proceeds are going to McNeill's family to help with the sudden loss of her income, it will help her husband manage groceries, childcare and basic daily necessities.
'Marlene McNeill was the kind of person who made everyone around her feel seen,' the GoFundMe stated. 'She was a devoted mother to her two young children, a fiercely loyal partner to Mike O'Connell, and a friend whose laughter, warmth, and generosity left a lasting mark on everyone she touched.'
'She loved those kids more than anything,' McKosky said of her friend. 'And I cannot imagine how they must be feeling right now.'
