A traffic stop in May in Springfield, Massachusetts just may have unmasked a serial killer. 40-year-old Stewart Weldon, originally of Jamaica, Queens, New York, was initially pulled over by police for a routine traffic stop. This stop then turned very ugly when police found a beaten and bruised woman inside of Weldon's vehicle. It was later revealed that the woman had been kidnapped by Weldon and had been physically and sexually assaulted by the ex-con for at least a month.
This week, Springfield authorities have named the three additional female corpses found at Weldon's home.
Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni has named the three as 47-year-old Ernestine Ryans, 34-year-old America Lyden, and 27-year-old Kayla Escalante. No cause of death has yet been given, and Weldon has yet to be charged with any of their deaths. As of this writing, Weldon has only been charged in two kidnapping and sexual assault cases.
Lyden was originally reported missing on December 1, 2017, but family members have said that they had not seen her since that June. Ryans, who, like Lyden, was also a resident of Springfield, was reported missing on March 18, 2018. Escalante, a resident of nearby Ludlow, Massachusetts, was reported missing in December of last year.
Life of crime
The Sun newspaper in Great Britain has reported that Weldon has a history of crime in Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Previous charges on Weldon's criminal record include assault, burglary, and various weapons offenses. The suspected serial killer has lived in Springfield since 2005, and his last known residence is actually owned by his 71-year-old mother.
The Sun has also reported that Weldon's mother called police on May 27, the same day as her son's arrest.
This phone call included a complaint about a "foul smell" coming from the family's property. The three bodies were ultimately found in the home's basement and garage. Weldon is currently being held on a $1 million bail and has plead not guilty to the kidnapping and sexual assault charges stemming from his May 27 arrest.
'Ladies man'
MassLive.com published today an article containing information about Weldon's personal life. Apparently, friends have described Weldon as a "ladies man" with a "kind heart." Weldon's aunt, Theresa Jenkins, told Western Mass News that "We just can't believe it because he does have a kind heart, he really does, when he's, you know, Stewart."
Jenkins also told the media that her nephew has a history of mental health issues, and that he has been off of his medication for quite some time. Another Weldon family member told the British tabloid The Daily Mail that Stewart was often violent and unpredictable.
