Kidnapping Suspect Faces New Charges as Three Bodies Identified

A Massachusetts man who had been charged with kidnapping last week now faces a new set of kidnapping charges, days after three dead bodies were found in his Springfield home, according to The New York Times. The suspect, Stewart Weldon, was initially arrested after officers attempted to pull him over for a broken taillight, which sparked a 10-minute chase. After blocking Weldon’s car and approaching the vehicle, officers found a woman inside who claimed that Weldon had raped her, beat her with a hammer, and kept her captive for about a month, according to a police report cited by the Times. The woman was sent to the hospital with stab wounds and other injuries. Today, Weldon was arraigned on charges of kidnapping another woman, as authorities released the names of the three dead women found in his home. They were identified as Ernestine Ryans, 47, of Springfield; America Lyden, 34, of Springfield; and Kayla Escalante, 27, of Ludlow. Officials have not charged him in connection with the deaths of those women, and have not declared a homicide investigation.