Tara Monastesse ’25
Content warning: this article contains discussion of violence and assault.
After several trial complications due to COVID-19 precautions, former art studio professor Rie Hachiyanagi of Mount Holyoke College will serve 10-12 years in prison following a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
The previous Friday, Oct. 15, Hachiyanagi appeared in Franklin County Superior Court to plead guilty to nine charges, which included three counts of armed assault to murder a person over the age of 60, three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person over 60, and three additional counts of mayhem, home invasion and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony.
The charges pertain to an attack carried out by Hachiyanagi in December of 2019 on fellow MHC colleague, Professor Lauret Savoy, after an unexpected appearance at the victim’s home. Over a period of four hours, Hachiyanagi used pruning shears, a rock and a fire poker to attack Savoy, only relenting when Savoy convinced her to call for help.
A press release from the Northwestern District Attorney’s office outlined the sentencing process, wherein Judge Francis Flannery made the decision to adopt the 10-12 year prison sentence suggested by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Thomas. Hachiyanagi’s defense attorney Thomas Kokonowski had recommended a 5-7 year prison sentence, citing Hachiyanagi’s lack of a previous criminal record and her status as a “model prisoner” following her incarceration as supporting evidence for a shorter sentence. Both attorneys recommended a period of probation to follow their respective sentences. While he initially considered exceeding Thomas’s suggested sentence, Flannery ultimately decided to enforce it.
Even after reviewing evidence from the defense that indicated Hachiyanagi’s good character, Flannery was still reluctant to impose a lighter sentence. In a transcript of the sentencing hearing obtained by Mount Holyoke News, he discussed why he was conflicted during the sentencing process.
“On one hand, I have a defendant who is a talented artist, a respected peer. I read all the letters,” Flannery said. “But then, on the other hand, I have a defendant who tried to torture to death over the course of four hours someone who wasn’t an enemy, but was rather a friend.”
“I still don’t understand,” he continued. “A repressed childhood, work stress, the breakup of a relationship — this is what … Kokonowski had to work with, but I still don’t see these as adequate explanations for what happened. This is one of the most horrific set[s] of facts I’ve heard, and I’m a Superior Court judge.”
Following her release from custody, Hachiyanagi will serve three years of probation. In addition to being fitted with a GPS monitoring device, Hachiyanagi will also be required to stay away from Savoy, Savoy’s residence and the Mount Holyoke College campus. She will also be required to attend mental health counseling and evaluations.
Savoy, who has worked with the College since 1990, teaches environmental studies as well as geology. She appeared at Hachiyanagi’s change of plea hearing on Oct. 15 to address the court regarding the impact of the assault on her life, both personally and professionally. Savoy’s statements were included in a press release issued by the NDA’s office the same day of the hearing.
“The emotional, physical, financial and professional impacts of this crime have been huge and they continue. Now the defendant’s violation of me is becoming part of a public persona that I did not choose. She has invaded my privacy, my career, my life,” Savoy said. “The cruelty she wielded with weapons, and expressed in words, was extreme.”
In addition to sustaining emotional and mental trauma, Savoy also suffered broken bones, several puncture wounds, and significant blood loss, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. Flannery highlighted Savoy’s perseverance during Hachiyanagi’s sentencing hearing.
“She was the completely innocent victim of a horrific crime, but that’s not what I’m going to remember about her,” Flannery said. “I’m going to remember that she had, somehow, the presence of mind, and the cunning, and the courage to convince her attacker not to kill her. That’s remarkable.”
Hachiyanagi is currently being held in custody at MCI-Framingham, a medium-security women’s prison in Massachusetts. The 632 days that Hachiyanagi had spent in custody prior to the sentencing hearing will be applied as a credit towards her sentence.