The estranged husband of a 57-year-old woman, who had a protection order against him, is facing charges in Montgomery County Court for stabbing her to death in her home in the Wyndmoor section of Springfield Township.
Kenneth Crisden Shea Jr., 37, who lived on Lincoln Highway in Lower Southampton Township, Bucks County, has been ordered to stand trial after being accused of first-, second-, and third-degree murder, burglary, and possessing a weapon in connection with the fatal stabbing of his estranged wife, Elizabeth Shea, on April 10, 2024.
Shea has also been ordered to stand trial for separate charges of simple assault and strangulation in connection with a domestic assault of Elizabeth in January 2024.
During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Tanner Christian Beck presented evidence from county detectives, Springfield Township police officers, and a domestic violence counselor to support the charges against Kenneth Shea.
Defense lawyer Francis John Genovese argued that there was not enough evidence to support the strangulation and simple assault charges, claiming they were based on hearsay with no corroborating evidence.
Shea will now go through a formal arraignment hearing on all the charges in June and a county judge will schedule his trial afterward.
After the hearing, Genovese said it's too early to comment on potential defense strategies until the results of any pretrial hearings regarding the admissibility of evidence are known.
Genovese added that the defense strategy will be guided by the results of those hearings.
Shea will be held without bail in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility until his trial.
First-degree murder, which is an intentional killing, and second-degree murder, which is a killing committed during another felony like burglary, can lead to life imprisonment if convicted.
A person convicted of third-degree murder, a killing committed with malice, can face a maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison.
The investigation began around 7:15 a.m. on April 10 when Springfield Township police went to the victim’s residence to check on her welfare after her coworkers reported she hadn't shown up for work at Lucky Dogz Pet Daycare Center in Wyndmoor.
When officers arrived, they found the victim's rear sliding glass door unlocked, and upon entering, they discovered the master bedroom door locked. They forced entry into the bedroom and found the victim's lifeless body on the floor with apparent cut wounds to the head and neck area.
Police also noted numerous video surveillance cameras inside and outside the residence.
The victim was determined to have died from being stabbed multiple times, according to the autopsy.
Based on court documents, detectives knew about previous domestic incidents involving Elizabeth and Kenneth Shea at the Cromwell Road residence, including an active arrest warrant for Kenneth for simple assault and strangulation of Elizabeth in January 2024.
In March 2024, the victim got a protection from abuse order against Shea, who was given a copy of the order on March 15, as stated in court papers. When the police served the order, Shea was evicted from the Cromwell Road residence.
When detectives examined the crime scene, they found that a window air conditioner had been pushed inside the residence, allowing entry through that window. They also saw the victim in the master bedroom with cut or stab wounds to her neck, according to court papers.
According to Caso and Baiada, there was blood in the sink area of the bathroom as if someone had tried to clean up the area in the residence.
The victim’s son informed detectives that his mother had told him on March 15 that she had filed for a protection order against Shea and had described some of the physical abuse she had suffered, according to the arrest affidavit. The victim’s son also mentioned that his mother had changed all the locks in her home.
During the investigation, detectives obtained records from Uber Technologies Inc. which showed that Shea used two Uber ride-share services on April 10.
The first Uber ride was requested at 12:23 a.m. with a pickup time of 12:36 a.m. near the Comfort Inn where Shea had allegedly been staying in the 2700 block of Lincoln Highway in the Feasterville/Trevose section of Lower Southampton Township, according to court papers. Records showed Shea was dropped off at 12:55 a.m. along Wainwright Road in Wyndmoor, the road directly behind the victim’s Cromwell Road residence, detectives said.
The second Uber ride was requested by Shea at 3:27 a.m. with a pickup time at 3:37 a.m. on Wainwright Road and the drop-off time was 3:58 a.m. at a location near the Comfort Inn in Lower Southampton Township. Detectives also obtained video surveillance from the Comfort Inn that showed Shea arriving in the lobby area of the hotel, around the time the Uber dropped him off, and going to a room booked by a known associate of Shea, according to the criminal complaint.
At 6:06 a.m. April 10, members of the Bensalem Police Department S.W.A.T were stationed outside the hotel room when Shea opened the door, entered into the hallway and was taken into custody, according to court documents.
During a search of the hotel room, detectives confiscated camouflage pants that surveillance video showed Shea wearing as he entered the hotel in the early morning hours of April 10.
Caso and Baiada alleged that there were bloodstains on the bed inside the room. “At the time of his arrest, Kenneth Shea had injuries to his right hand, including three small cuts to his right index finger.”
