Lower Bucks Co. Man Charged With Death Of Estranged Wife

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —A Lower Bucks County man has been arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of his estranged wife.

Kenneth Shea, 37, of Feasterville-Trevose, faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Elizabeth Shea at her Wyndmoor home on Wednesday, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Springfield Township Police Chief Michael E. Pitkow announced Thursday.

The victim was found around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday by Springfield Township Police, who responded to a residence in the 1,000 block of Cromwell Lane for a requested wellness check.

Police found Elizabeth Shea dead on the master bedroom floor, with obvious cut wounds to her head and neck.

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.

In the residence, four hard drives from the home’s digital recording units and three cell phones had been discarded in the bathroom sink and toilet.

Detectives obtained Uber records that showed that Kenneth Shea had utilized the ride-share service early Wednesday morning.

He was picked up at 12:36 a.m. Wednesday at the Comfort Inn in Feasterville-Trevose and dropped off at 12:55 a.m. on Wainwright Road, which is behind the victim’s residence.

At 3:37 a.m., the defendant was picked up on Wainwright Road and returned to the hotel at 3:58 a.m., where video surveillance from the lobby showed him arriving and going to Room 314.

Location records for Kenneth Shea’s cell phone showed his phone was in the area of the Comfort Inn in the days leading up to the murder and throughout Wednesday.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Bensalem Police S.W.A.T. officers were stationed outside of Room 314 and arrested Shea as he exited the room.

An autopsy was performed on Elizabeth Shea Thursday by Dr. Kahlil Wardak with the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, who determined that the cause of death was multiple stab wounds and the manner of death was homicide.

Kenneth Shea is charged with First-Degree Murder, Second-Degree Murder, and Third-Degree Murder.

He was arraigned on Thursday by Magisterial District Judge John D. Kessler.

There is no bail available for First-Degree Murder charges, and he was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. on April 23 before Magisterial District Judge Katherine E. McGill.