Estranged husband used Uber to travel from Bensalem to murder wife: Police

A 37-year-old Bensalem man wanted for allegedly abusing his wife earlier this year has been charged with breaking into her Montgomery County home and stabbing her to death.

Springfield Township Police discovered the body of Elizabeth Shea, 57, around 7:30 a.m. on April 10 after they were called to the Cromwell Lane home for a wellness check. Her body was found on the floor in the master bedroom with stab wounds to her head and neck, according to a probable cause affidavit.

On April 11 authorities announced they have charged her estranged husband Kenneth Shea with first-, second- and third-degree murder and related offenses. He is incarcerated in Montgomery County Correctional Center without bail.

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Officers found a rear sliding glass door to the home unlocked and a window-unit air-conditioner pushed inside the residence allowing access, the affidavit said.

Police also found numerous video surveillance cameras inside and outside the home, and the hard drives from three of the four video recorders in the home had been discarded in a utility room sink along with the fourth recorder, the affidavit said.  Three cellphones also were discarded in a toilet.

Elizabeth Shea’s son told authorities that his mother alleged Kenneth physically abused her, and she changed all the locks in the home last month. She obtained a PFA on March 15, which was also the couple's first wedding anniversary, according to county records.

Police confirmed they responded to prior domestic calls. Shea also had an active arrest warrant for allegedly assaulting and strangling his wife the day before their anniversary, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Montgomery County Detectives obtained records from the ride-share company Uber that showed that Kenneth Shea used the service twice on April 10.

The first time was around 12:30 a.m. when he was picked up at a Bensalem motel where he had been living since he was evicted from the couple’s home and he was dropped off close to 1 a.m. near the Cromwell Road home.

The second request was shortly before 3:30 a.m. where Shea was picked up on a street behind Cromwell Road, and later dropped off at the same Bensalem motel, the affidavit said.

Bensalem police, who took Shea into custody, obtained a search warrant for the room, where they found clothing Shea was believed to be wearing in surveillance footage the day of the murder and staining consistent with blood on the bed and inside the room.

Shea also had fresh injuries to his right hand including cuts on his right index finger, the affidavit said.

Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at Jciavaglia@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Kenneth Shea charged in murder of Elzabth Shea in Montgomery County