Monson man sentenced to life in prison for Chicopee murder

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A Monson man has been found guilty of murder in connection to the shooting death of a Springfield man in Chicopee in 2019.

According to the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, 48-year-old, William Allsop was sentenced Tuesday in Superior Court to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The jury found him guilty of first degree murder in the death of 39-year-old, Gary Gaudette Jr.

On November 21, 2019 Chicopee police officers were called to Montgomery Street for a report of an unresponsive male in a vehicle. Despite officers efforts to save the victim, the Hampden DA’s Office says “it became clear” that the individual had already passed away after suffering a gunshot wound.

The following day, on November 22, 2019 Western Mass News learned Allsop was accused of shooting Gaudette Jr. near his business, Arrow Tree Service.

According to publicly-available court documents, Gaudette Jr. was found sitting in a truck. Officers reported they “...observed a bullet entry wound in the back of his head.” In reviewing security footage, officers also reported Gaudette Jr. was on Montgomery St., along with Allsop.

In the video, officers said Gaudette Jr. got back into his truck and was not seen alive afterwards.

The Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit, the Hampden DA’s Office and the Chicopee Police Department all assisted in the investigation.