Man accused of stabbing estranged wife to death in Wyndmoor intends to plead guilty and accept life in prison

Kenneth Shea, 37, of Bensalem. (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office)

The ex-husband of a Wyndmoor mother of three, who was the subject of a protection from abuse order, has chosen to accept life in prison without parole and will plead guilty to stabbed to death in her home in April, according to The Pottstown Mercury.

At his arraignment in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court on Thursday, attorneys representing Kenneth Crisden Shea Jr., 37, of the 2700 block of Lincoln Highway, Lower Southampton, Bucks County, informed the court that, under a plea agreement, their client would plead guilty. for first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of his wife, Elizabeth Shea, 57, of Springfield Township, according to the report.

First-degree murder is intentional killing and carries potential sentences of life in prison or the death penalty.

Shea will also be sentenced to life in prison at a hearing on June 10, according to the report.

The defendant will also plead guilty to separate charges of simple assault and strangulation in connection with an alleged domestic assault against his wife in January 2024.

“Obviously he will plead to first-degree murder in exchange for a life sentence,” defense attorney Francis John Genovese told The Mercury. “I have the impression that, more than anything, he wanted to give peace of mind to the victim's children, especially his youngest son, who I understand will be going to college later. 'autumn. What if he (Shea) could give him peace of mind knowing that this matter was over and resolved when he left for school to start his life, that he (Shea) wanted to do it. So that's the main reason why he made this decision.

Springfield Township police went to the 1000 block of Cromwell Lane at 7:30 a.m. April 10 for a well-being check, after Shea's co-workers called police to report she had not shown up to his usual shift. When police arrived, they found Shea's body lying on the master bedroom floor with “obvious injuries to the head and neck,” according to a spokesperson for the district attorney's office.

Investigators found that four hard drives from the home's surveillance system and three cell phones had been thrown into the bathroom sink and toilet.

An autopsy determined Shea's cause of death was multiple stab wounds and the manner of his death was a homicide, officials said.

An investigation by Springfield police and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau determined that Shea took an Uber to the Comfort Inn in Bensalem at 12:36 a.m. and was dropped off behind the victim's residence at 12:55 a.m., officials said.

He then allegedly entered the home by pushing an air conditioning unit through a window and then forced entry into the master bedroom, according to the criminal complaint.

Shea was then picked up by an Uber behind the victim's home at 3:37 a.m. and returned to the Comfort Inn at 3:58 a.m., police said.

Shea was arrested outside his hotel room at 6 p.m. by Bensalem SWAT officers. A search warrant executed in the room revealed clothing matching Shea's surveillance footage, as well as stains consistent with blood on the bed inside the hotel room, police said.

The criminal complaint does not mention a weapon recovered at the scene.

Investigators said they were aware of previous domestic incidents at the victim's home and that there was an active warrant for Shea's arrest in connection with an alleged assault of the victim in January 2024. Police said the The victim had obtained a protection from abuse order against Shea in March, and he was evicted from the home on March 15.

“This is a tragic case and our hearts go out to Elizabeth Shea’s family,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in April. “I would also like to thank the Bensalem police for the significant resources they made available, including drone surveillance and a K-9, as well as numerous officers, who allowed this defendant to be placed in custody. custody without incident.”

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship or experiencing domestic violence, help is available. In Montgomery County, you can contact Laurel House at 800-642-3150 or the Montgomery County Women's Center at 800-773-2424.