Bodies Found At Springfield Home ID'd, New Charges For Man: DA

SPRINGFIELD, MA—The man held on kidnapping charges faces new charges and additional bail after three bodies were found at his home last week.

Stewart Weldon, 47, was arrested last Sunday night and was being held on $1 million bail for allegedly holding a woman hostage for a month. On Monday, Weldon appeared in court to face an assault to rape and kidnapping charge and an additional $1 million in bail, reports WCVB-TV. Weldon did not speak but his attorney entered a not guilty plea.

At a Monday afternoon press conference, Hampden County District Attorney Gulluni said the three bodies found Wednesday and Thursday night at 133 Page Boulevard in Springfield have been identified as Ernestine Ryans, 47, of Springfield; America Lyden, 34, of Springfield, and Kayla Escalante, 27, of Ludlow.

Two of the three women had been the subject of missing women reports, Gulluni said.

Lyden was reported missing on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, and Ryans was reported missing on Sunday, March 18, both to the Springfield Police Department.

Weldon had been in custody for allegedly kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and torturing a woman. The new charges handed down on Monday to Weldon are unrelated to the original charges from May 29 and involve two different victims, Gulluni said.

No one has been charged in the deaths of the women found at the property.

"Springfield police and members of my office have been in touch with members of the victims' families," he said. "Needless to say, they are distraught and heartbroken. Please respect their privacy and that they are dealing with a very tragic loss."

"This is an ongoing investigation and remains very active. The homicide unit and members of my office are on the scene and have been on the scene all weekend. They have spent dozens of hours and the work there is not done. It will be investigated for days to come. We expect to be there for quite some time."

The causes of death have not been released, but they are being investigated as "suspicious," Gulluni said.

Weldon was initially arrested after a car chase with police in which he crashed into a cruiser and then wrestled with the officers. The woman who was in Weldon's car told police he had her captive for a month, sexually assaulted her, and beat her with objects.

By early Friday morning, an underground radar imaging service had been set up and more "shovels and barricades" had come out, according to MassLive. Fox25 News reported that a child was also taken from the home.

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