Fundraiser Created to Help Family of Mom Killed on a York Beach

A GoFundMe page has been created to assist the family of a Massachusetts mother of three found dead on a York beach on Friday.

The body of a woman, identified as Rhonda Pattelena, 35, of Bedford, Massachusetts, was located behind a rock on Short Sands Beach after police received calls she was being assaulted by a man according to Maine State Police.

The man, Jeffrey Buchannan, 33, also of Bedford was charged with murder and is being held at the York County Jail. The date for Buchannan's first court appearance in York County Superior Court in Alfred has not been set.

The Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was blunt force injury to the head and the manner of death was homicide, according to Maine State Police, who did not disclose why they were on the beach.

According to a GoFundMe page  created to assist her family with funeral and other expenses Pattelena was a single mother of three boys named Bobby, 17, Noah, 14, and Jaxson 2. Police said she shared a child with Buchannan.

"Rhonda was a beautiful, loving, caring, and generous person, she had such a big heart, she was always smiling and laughing. She was so full of life," the page's creator, Melissa Matranga, wrote.

Matranga in an update on Sunday said Pattelena's family would like to spend some of the donations on a bench in York in her memory.

"York Beach was her favorite place to be and if they allow it, her family would like to get a memorial bench in Rhonda's name put at the beach. We are working on finding out how we go about doing this," Matranga wrote.

Friend Jessica Gioia wrote on Facebook, "you will forever be missed by me, our patients and anyone who was lucky enough to be in your presence... my thoughts are with your whole family and the boys."

"I am truly shocked by this. I am saddened to hear about the sad news. You are a fabulous person to worm with at TILL Central. I adore you soooooo much. You are a phenomenal mother to three boys. I will always love you like a sister I wish I have," Alan Chefitz wrote on Facebook.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced for Pattelena.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH