Woman charged with manslaughter in death of ex-husband, popular Democratic operative

A Brookline woman has been charged with manslaughter in the death last year of her former husband, a well-known environmental consultant and a Democratic aide to former governor Michael S. Dukakis.

Penelope McGee, 54, pleaded not guilty Friday in Norfolk Superior Court to a charge that she caused the January 2020 death of Andrew Savitz, who also lived in Brookline. Savitz, who was 66 at the time of his death, was a longtime political operative in Massachusetts, and helped run Dukakis’s 1988 presidential campaign before turning his focus to the environment and sustainability.

Officials say that Savitz’ death resulted from a domestic dispute that turned physical and was witnessed by one of the couple’s children.

The day after his death, McGee was interviewed for a Boston Globe obituary about her former husband. Authorities initially said Savitz died at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, after collapsing in his home; he had suffered a stroke months earlier, and had also suffered from diabetes mellitus, as well as cardiovascular disease. McGee had not been charged in relation to his death at the time the Globe ran the obituary, and did not disclose the circumstances of the death.

Brookline police also did not immediately reveal the investigation into McGee’s alleged involvement in the death, because it involved a domestic incident.

According to Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s office, a state medical examiner concluded that Savitz’ cause of death was “cardiac dysrhythmia following an altercation.” McGee was charged with assault and battery after the death. She was indicted on the manslaughter charge in February and arraigned last week.

Prosecutors allege in court records that McGee had gone to Savitz’ home to confront him after receiving an e-mail from his brother about evicting her from her residence. McGee allegedly told police they argued, and that Savitz pushed her and grabbed her hair. Authorities observed several broken plates and food containers strewn about the kitchen. McGee allegedly said that, at one point, Savitz collapsed and she began performing CPR.

But one of their children, who was upstairs at the home, told investigators a different story. The daughter said she heard Savitz repeatedly asking McGee to leave the house. The daughter came downstairs and saw McGee slap Savitz in the face and chest, and push and shove him. While the daughter was calling 911, Savitz collapsed and fell to the ground, authorities said in court records.

On Friday, McGee was ordered held in lieu of $20,000 cash bail with a variety of conditions, including that she not leave the state and abstain from alcohol. It was not immediately clear if she has posted bail since Friday. She is slated to return to court in May.

Larry Tipton, an attorney for McGee, did not return a call for comment. He said in court Friday that McGee has suffered from depression, and was working to turn her life around following the tragedy, according to the local Patch news outlet. He said she had no prior criminal record.

A representative of the Savitz family said his relatives were following the court proceedings, but they did not want to comment.

Savitz was born in Newton, attended Johns Hopkins University, and studied at New College in Oxford, England, before earning a law degree from Georgetown University School of Law.

He began focusing on the environment while working in state government, including as assistant secretary for law enforcement in the state executive office of environmental affairs. He eventually moved to the private sector and began consulting with businesses on sustainable growth and related topics; later in his career he served as principal of the consulting firm Sustainable Business Strategies, based in Greater Boston.