Woman Found Guilty After Unleashing Bee Swarm on Deputies During Eviction
A Massachusetts woman who wore a beekeeper suit and unleashed a swarm of agitated bees on sheriff's deputies during an eviction has been found guilty, concluding a bizarre confrontation captured in striking arrest photographs.
Chaotic Confrontation at Longmeadow Mansion
Rebecca Rorie Woods, 59, was convicted of multiple assault charges and sentenced to six months in jail following the chaotic 2022 confrontation at a Longmeadow mansion, where deputies were serving a lawful court order. Prosecutors stated she deliberately used beehives to attack law enforcement officers attempting to carry out the eviction.
'This was unlike anything our team has ever experienced,' Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi said in a statement following the verdict. 'Our deputies were carrying out a lawful court order and were met with a deliberate act that put lives in danger. We are grateful the jury recognized the seriousness of what occurred and the risk it posed to our staff and the community.'
Extraordinary Scene Captured in Photographs
Images from the scene show deputies restraining Woods while she remained protected inside a mesh-covered bee suit, as well as the moments leading up to the chaos. Authorities could be seen struggling to secure the hive boxes she had brought to the property.
The photographs underscore just how extraordinary the incident was. In one image, Woods can be seen standing between deputies, her hands restrained behind her back, still wearing the protective beekeeper hood that shielded her from the swarm she had just released. In another, officials grapple with a strapped wooden hive box, attempting to contain the bees before they could spread further.
Rapid Escalation into Medical Emergency
Authorities described how the situation escalated rapidly and turned a routine eviction into a medical emergency. According to the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, the incident unfolded shortly after 9:15am on October 12, 2022, as deputies executed the final phase of an eviction order at a large home on Memory Lane in Longmeadow.
Woods arrived in a blue Nissan Xterra towing a trailer loaded with multicolored beehives. She left her dog inside the vehicle and immediately approached the hives, attempting to remove their lids. A deputy tried to intervene, but bees had already begun to escape.
Authorities said Woods then smashed open one of the hives and flipped it off the trailer, causing the insects to become 'extremely aggressive' and swarm the area. Deputies and bystanders were stung as the bees spread. Several of the officers on scene were known to be allergic, and one sheriff's employee was taken to the hospital. Thousands of bees were killed in the incident.
Evidence of Intent and Further Escalation
Prosecutors highlighted one remark in particular as evidence of intent. When told that deputies were allergic to bee stings, Woods responded: 'Oh, you're allergic? Good,' according to authorities.
Even after the initial swarm, officials say Woods escalated further. Wearing her beekeeper suit, she carried what was described as a stack or 'tower' of hives toward the front door of the home, attempting to intensify the disruption and halt the eviction before deputies ultimately arrested her at the scene.
Background and Property Details
The property at the center of the eviction was a roughly 9,500-square-foot home with seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, valued at more than $1.5 million, according to public listings. Authorities said Woods had no direct connection to the home, but had become involved as an anti-eviction activist.
Her involvement came against the backdrop of her own history. Years earlier, she had been evicted from a property in Hadley following a prolonged legal dispute. At the time, Woods told MassLive she was living in a tent on a friend's land and dealing with serious health issues, including cancer.
'The eviction process has clearly been weaponized by the courts to thwart my appeal, which has every chance of success due to case law precedent,' she said.
Extended Legal Proceedings and Arrest
The case stretched on for years after the initial arrest. In August 2025, Woods failed to appear for her trial in Springfield District Court. Authorities later located her about 800 miles away in Kingsport, Tennessee where she was arrested at a motel.
She remained in custody there for more than three months after refusing to waive extradition back to Massachusetts. Once returned, she faced trial on charges stemming from the 2022 incident.
Official Statements on Public Safety Threat
Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni described her actions as a clear and deliberate threat to public safety. 'This was an intentional and dangerous act that put law enforcement and members of the public at risk,' he said. 'Court orders exist to be followed, and the defendant's attempts to disrupt them were unlawful and absurd.'
He added that he commended Assistant District Attorney Blake McConnell and the deputies involved. Sheriff Cocchi said the case stood out even among the many evictions his department handles each year.
'We don't just show up to enforce an order - we try to help people through difficult situations,' he said. 'That commitment doesn't change, even in the face of something like this.'
Officials said they routinely prepare for resistance during evictions but stated nothing could have prepared them for what they faced that morning.
