John Jefferson
Kenneth Shea, inset, on June 10, 2024, amid his guilty plea for murdering his estranged wife, Elizabeth Shea. He took an Uber to her home and stabbed her to death. on April 10, 2024. (Screenshots: WCAU)
Two months after taking an Uber to murder his estranged wife in the middle of the night, a Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to the committing the act.
Kenneth Shea, 37, was sentenced on Monday to life in prison, according to Philadelphia NBC affiliate WCAU. He reportedly apologized in tears to the victim Elizabeth Shea, 57, and her sons. Speaking at the side of his brothers Sean and Corey, eldest son Bob Bradley acknowledged the apology but noted that the murder was defendant Shea’s decision.
“I felt his apology was sincere, and I appreciate — we do appreciate that,” he told the outlet of his estranged stepfather. “He’s suffering a loss too, so that’s unfortunate, but then it was a decision he made as well.”
Bob Bradley, son of murder victim Elizabeth Shea, said his mother was “an absolutely amazing woman.” “We are going to cherish her memory and she’s always going to be with us.” pic.twitter.com/qeE77bRdA5
— Carl Hessler Jr. (@MontcoCourtNews) June 10, 2024
As previously reported, Kenneth Shea marred the marital relationship by abusing Elizabeth, going as far as to choke her. Kenneth had been charged with simple assault and strangulation for a January incident. In March, Elizabeth Shea obtained a protection from abuse order against him. Kenneth Shea was also evicted from the home.
Elizabeth Shea’s family reportedly said that the defendant had taken advantage of her, her business and her home.
Prosecutor Tanner Beck, in describing the motive to outlets like WCAU, said he thought the factors included jealousy, the protection from abuse order and defendant Shea being evicted.
“But this was a relationship that had turned abusive and was going downhill,” he said.
That downhill trajectory culminated the early morning of April 10, just after midnight. Kenneth Shea had been staying at a Comfort Inn when he ordered an Uber and showed up minutes later at his estranged wife’s home in the community of Wyndmoor. He allegedly stabbed her to death, then returned to the hotel in another Uber at 3:58 a.m. Video surveillance showed him arriving and entering room 314 while wearing camouflage pants, authorities said.
When Elizabeth did not show up for work at the Lucky Dogz pet daycare, police carried out a welfare check in which they discovered the rear sliding glass door to be unlocked but the master bedroom to be locked.
They forced their way inside to find Elizabeth on the floor dead, suffering cuts to her head and neck. Blood stained the bed. County detectives noted blood in the home’s bathroom sink as if someone had tried to clean up.
“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,” the DA’s office wrote at the time. “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.”
Authorities tracked down Kenneth Shea. His cellphone records showed his phone was in the area of the Comfort Inn in the days leading up to the killing and throughout the day on April 10. Bensalem police SWAT arrested him at the hotel room when he exited, prosecutors said.
“She will truly be missed in our family,” Elizabeth’s youngest son, Corey Bradley, said on Monday. “Still trying to wrap our heads around it, but we know one day at a time, and she’s always watching over us in good spirits. And she wanted the best for us, so we just got to make her proud now.”
Corey Bradley, youngest son of murder victim Elizabeth Shea, seen here with brother Sean, said “my mom was such a beautiful personality” & “She’s always watching over us in good spirits and she would want the best for us so we just got to make her proud.” pic.twitter.com/AjvQ2HW6lH
— Carl Hessler Jr. (@MontcoCourtNews) June 10, 2024
More Law&Crime coverage: Man who murdered his wife, in-laws and family dogs before asking for the death penalty gets 3 consecutive life terms
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