Man pleads guilty to stabbing death of estranged wife in Wyndmoor, sentenced to life in prison

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

The attorney for Kenneth Crisden Shea Jr., 37, told prosecutors last week that his client intended to plead guilty to the brutal killing of his estranged wife and mother of three in her Wyndmoor, W.A., home. Springfield Township in April and accept his fate. in prison — and that's exactly what he did Monday in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

According to The Mercury, as the victim's sons and sisters looked on, Shea, of the 2700 block of Lincoln Highway in Lower Southampton Township, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to prison in life without parole for stabbing Elizabeth Shea, 57. the owner of Lucky Dogz Pet Daycare in Wyndmoor.

By imposing life in prison as part of a plea deal, Shea avoided a possible death penalty sentence, according to the report. Prosecutors had announced plans to seek the death penalty if the case went to trial, according to the report.

The victim's sons said the plea deal avoided the trauma of a jury trial, according to the article.

“Mom had such a lovely personality, a beautiful smile, a hardworking person and our family will truly miss her. She was a very loving mother, cared about everyone in her life, wanted the best for everyone,” Corey Bradley, Elizabeth Shea’s youngest son, told The Mercury. “We’re still trying to figure this out. She always looks out for us in a good mood and she would want the best for us, so we just have to make her proud.

The victim's sisters, Evelyn and Ruth, according to the article, described the “parasitic leech” Shea as a “deadly infection” that manipulated and used their sister.

Shea also pleaded guilty to separate charges of simple assault and strangulation in connection with a domestic assault against his wife who died in January 2024.

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.