GREENFIELD — Two men accused of beating another nearly to death in Millers Falls the night after Christmas can be released if they post $2,500 bail and submit to GPS monitoring, a Franklin County Superior Court judge ruled on Tuesday.

Brendon Collette, 25, of Turners Falls, and Xavier Z. Chadwell, 21, of Greenfield, also must remain in the state and avoid Northfield and Bernardston, based on an agreement reached between their attorneys and Assistant District Attorney Matthew Russo. Judge Francis Flannery ordered the men and co-defendant Jennica A. Chapin, who has been released on personal recognizance, to stay away from and have no contact with the alleged victim.

Collette and Chadwell have pleaded not guilty to single counts of assault and battery causing serious bodily injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, disorderly conduct, carrying a dangerous weapon and mayhem. Chapin has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault and battery resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of mayhem. All three were originally arraigned in Greenfield District Court, but their cases were transferred to Superior Court due to their severity.

Two juveniles also were arrested for their roles in the incident, but their names and information about their cases have been impounded, due to their age.

Collette and Chadwell are accused of assaulting a man on Mormon Hollow Road in Millers Falls at about 11:20 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2023, leaving him with life-threatening injuries. The victim had to be transferred to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, where he was sedated due to a potentially fatal traumatic brain injury.

According to a probable cause statement filed by Montague Police Detective Sgt. Joshua Hoffman, authorities concluded that Collette and Chadwell went to a Mormon Hollow Road home with Chapin and the two minors to buy marijuana and a “shroom bar,” a psilocybin mushroom chocolate bar. A 20-year-old man who was with the victim at the time told police a black BMW pulled into the driveway and multiple masked people exited it, two of them with weapons (a steel pipe and a machete). They reportedly attacked the victim before leaving in the vehicle.

Sgt. Jacob Dlugosz, of the Montague Police Department, was on patrol in downtown Turners Falls when he stopped a vehicle occupied by people he later identified as Collette, Chadwell and the two juveniles, one of whom eventually admitted the four had been involved with the assault on Mormon Hollow Road after going there to buy marijuana.

Montague Police Officer Christopher Smerz reportedly found a machete in a backpack one of the juveniles eventually admitted to owning. At least one black face mask was found in the BMW’s front compartment and a baseball bat was on the floor.

Defense attorney James R. Goodhines represents Collette, while Chadwell is represented by R. Dave DeHerdt. Chapin is represented by Stephen Shea.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.