James Walsh Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter During Poker Tournament

Sturbridge man, James A. Walsh will be sentenced next month for killing a 45-year old Daniel Mc Donald during a poker tournament.

Passions run high at the tables, and sometimes things get out of hands. This is what happened for James Walsh, when his impulsive reaction caused much more grief than he had expected.

On Friday, March 16th, Daniel McDonald was playing poker at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Southbridge. According to witness' statements, Walsh was angry, full of rage and he 'sucker punched' Daniel because of what he might have said to James’s girlfriend. McDonald fell down on the carpeted cement floor. The fall, which proved to be fatal, was followed by McDonald hitting his head hard against the floor and losing consciousness.

A medical technician who happened to be present at the scene that night stayed with Daniel while they were waiting for the emergency to arrive. Daniel was bleeding from his mouth and he had troubles breathing. After the emergency had arrived, he was swiftly moved to the closest hospital, but it turned out the skull and brain injuries were too severe. McDonald passed away eight days after the incident.

Testimonies surrounding the case were unclear. While one witness claimed that McDonald directed a sexual comment towards James’ girlfriend and fiancee Loyd, another witness stated that it might have been referred to a man who was playing poker with McDonald. Police interviewed several people about the tragic incident on the Friday night including Loyd. Loyd claimed that what happened was unintentional and that James didn't mean to kill McDonald.

On March 21, Mr. Walsh turned himself to the police. His lawyers were John Madaio and Jorge Villali.

During the trial at Worcester Superior Court, while Terrence M. Reidy, Assistant District Attorney, was reading the statements written by McDonald's family and his coworkers , James Walsh was wiping his eyes with a tissue.

McDonald’s family described Daniel as a loving father, a good person and their best friend. His son David McDonald and the daughter Alyssa were devastated. Coworkers were saddened by the loss as well. Their statements were all about Daniel’s good heart and soul.

Judge James R. Lemire postponed sentencing until January 30 because of Walsh’s personal reasons and released him after the cash bail was paid.

Walsh is now facing a possibility of spending up to 20 years behind the bars for the manslaughter.

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