WORCESTER, Mass. — Police are still working to identify a suspect Friday while friends and family try to understand how and why a twoman could have been killed.
Friends, colleagues and family are mourning the loss of 49-year-old Sandra Hehir, known to many as Buffy.
The body of the middle school instructional assistant was found in her Congress Street apartment Sunday night in what police are ruling a homicide by strangulation.
"During the Super Bowl on Sunday, I received a couple of text messages from Pats students in the community saying they thought something had happened to her," said Superintendent Maureen Binienda.
Binienda said she had confirmation something was wrong when Hehir didn't show up for work on Monday. Hehir's beloved students were devastated.
Binienda taught Hehir at South Community High School where Hehir was a popular athlete in the Class of 1985. Basketball and softball were her favorites, and she later became a health teacher there.
"Last week they were dealing with her passing. And this week; today, they read the paper, see in social media that she was a victim of a homicide," said Binienda.
Binienda says Hehir walked to the middle-high school every day for 10 years. The district is not disclosing the name of the school to protect the shaken student body.
"Buffy was beautiful inside and out...she loved her students," said friend and former classmate Tracy Russin. "I'm so saddened and disgusted that another human being could do such a thing to Buffy."
Hehir leaves behind a brother and three sisters.
Funeral arrangements are still being made.
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