Bedford Man Charged With Murdering Woman On Maine Beach Ordered Held Without Bail

YORK, Maine (CBS) – Jeffrey Buchannan, the man accused of killing 35-year-old Rhonda Pattelena during a domestic violence incident at a popular Maine Beach, was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation as he remains held without bail. Both Buchannan and Pattelena are Bedford residents.

Witnesses at Short Sands Beach in York, Maine called 911 Friday to report a man assaulting a woman behind a large rock. Pattelena was found dead with blunt force trauma to the head.

Buchannan, who has a child with Pattelena, was arrested and charged with murder.

On Tuesday, Buchannan appeared briefly in a Maine courtroom.

No facts of the case were read and no plea was entered. Buchannan remains held without bail, and a judge ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation.

A status conference is scheduled for May 12.

An online fundraiser for Pattelena's family has surpassed $40,000.