Pennsylvania man accused of fatally stabbing wife weeks after she filed protection from abuse order

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA: A Pennsylvania man took an Uber to his wife’s home, forced his way in, and stabbed her to death after months of abuse, according to Montgomery County officials. Kenneth Shea, 37, was arrested after law enforcement tracked his whereabouts, including returning to his hotel in another Uber, according to Law&Crime.

Shea is accused of killing his wife Elizabeth Shea and is charged with murder, burglary, and related offenses. He is being held without bail. There is no sign that he has retained an attorney.

Elizabeth Shea found dead in her Wyndmoor home

Springfield Township Police reported that Elizabeth Shea, 57, was found dead after a welfare check. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found the rear sliding screen door unlocked and the master bedroom secure.

Cops forced their way into the bedroom and found Elizabeth dead on the floor. She had wounds on her head and neck and blood stains on the bed. In the bathroom, detectives noticed blood in the sink, likely from cleaning.

The District Attorney's office stated, "A joint investigation into the homicide by Montgomery County Detectives and Springfield Township Police determined that an air conditioning unit had been pushed inside the residence, allowing access through the window." 

Additionally, it was noted, "In the residence, four hard drives from the home’s digital recording units and three cellphones had been discarded in the bathroom sink and toilet." 

Kenneth Shea arrested from his hotel room

According to investigators, the suspect used an Uber to arrive at a Comfort Inn at 12.36 am on April 10. The Uber then dropped him off behind his estranged wife's residence at 12.55 am. The Uber then picked him up again at 3.37 am and dropped him off at the hotel at 3.58 am. According to surveillance footage, the suspect entered room 314 in camouflage pants.

According to prosecutors, phone records placed his phone near the Comfort Inn in the hours leading up to the slaying and throughout the day. Police in Bensalem used a SWAT team to arrest him after he left the hotel room.

Elizabeth Shea filed a protection from abuse order against Kenneth Shea

Investigators discovered a turbulent past, highlighting domestic altercations between Elizabeth Shea and her estranged husband. In March, authorities reported that Elizabeth's husband allegedly assaulted and choked her during a dispute at their Springfield Township residence. 

He was subsequently arrested, leading Elizabeth to secure a protection-from-abuse order against him.  The couple tied the knot on March 15 of the previous year, 2023. However, on the eve of their first anniversary, Shea purportedly attacked his wife once again during a disagreement at their Cromwell Road residence in the Wyndmoor area of the township, as The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

District Attorney Kenneth Steele said, “This is a tragic case, and our hearts go out to the family of Elizabeth Shea,”

He thanked, “I also want to thank the Bensalem Police for the significant resources they provided, including drone surveillance and a K-9, as well as numerous officers, which enabled this defendant to be taken into custody without incident.”