Murder victim remembered for her compassion

MARBLEHEAD – A devoted mother, daughter and a childcare provider for many infants, Donna Buonanduci’s life was guided by compassion.But this compassion also led to her murder; as Buonanduci went to visit to her ex-husband Joseph in Peabody on Friday, and he allegedly beat her to death.”She just cared about everybody, really,” Richard Burke, Buonanduci’s boyfriend, said Tuesday. “She was loving and compassionate, and she looked after her own ex-husband when nobody else really did.”Donna Buonanduci, 45, was found beaten to death Friday at her ex-husband’s Putnam Road home. Police arrested Joseph Buonanduci, 46, Saturday morning after a high-speed chase where the suspect said he tried to crash his ex-wife’s car and commit suicide. While lying in a hospital bed Monday morning, Joseph Buonanduci pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.Donna Buonanduci was from Swampscott and attended Swampscott High School and later North Shore Community College. She and Joseph Buonanduci were married for 20 years, and the couple adopted a child from Russia when he was an infant. The couple separated last March, and the divorce was finalized in January.Joseph Buonanduci, 46, however, had a troubled past. He had made “accusatory statements” to his ex-wife since the divorce concerning “money, property and perceived unfairness,” police said they were told by Burke. Police also reported Joseph Buonanduci had a history of suicide attempts and was an alcoholic who routinely drank at home. In fact, Joseph Buonanduci was no longer supposed to drive because of his recent suicide attempts and alcohol abuse, police said.But Burke said Donna Buonanduci still helped her ex-husband, and went over to his home twice on Friday: once in the morning to drop of their dog, and then later after work.”I don’t know that we’ll ever know what brought her back to the house,” Burke said. “That was the worst part, if she had never gone back?”Burke said that he loved Donna Buonanduci’s compassion, however, describing her as caring and dedicated.The two met a year ago, and Burke said he loved Donna immediately, but they waited for six months to begin a relationship because of her family situation.”She put her family and especially her son above all, but she also was devoted to her work with children.”Donna Buonanduci had worked in the infant program at Kindercare in Peabody for 17 years and was known as “Miss Donna.””She was very well known, very well loved, and a person who many, many children grew up with,” Colleen Moran, a spokesperson for Kindercare said Tuesday.Burke said he felt lucky to have been important to Donna Buonanduci.”I’ve been told by any number of her friends and family that she was happy the last year of her life because she met me and she felt free,” Burke said. “My heart is broken because I lost the person who loved me as she loved everybody – unconditionally.”