Shivangi SinhaBetween December 2017 and December 2018, three women, America Lyden, Ernestine Ryans, and Kayla Escalante, went missing in Massachusetts. In the months surrounding their disappearances, several other women also reported being assaulted or kidnapped, leaving authorities struggling for answers. The breakthrough came when police received a call about a house in Springfield, Massachusetts, where the remains of the three missing women were discovered. HBO Max’s ‘A Body in the Basement: We Got a ***** Serial Killer’ explores the details of the case and how investigators linked the crimes to a single perpetrator.
America Lyden, Ernestine Ryans, and Kayla Escalante’s Remains Were Found Months After Their Death
America “Jordan” Canales-Lyden was born on February 9, 1984, in Holyoke, Massachusetts. She was a vibrant woman who found joy in fiction books and fantasy worlds, and she loved sharing stories with everyone around her. Known for her colorful personality, she gravitated toward bright and beautiful things. Her two daughters, Taje Rivera and Niaja Baez, adored her deeply and loved her to bits. America was last seen by her family in June 2017, and while they knew she had her own personal struggles, it was in December 2017 that concern grew stronger. Her sister, Mari Canales, recalled that America, 34, had promised to return her call but never did, which alarmed her and led her to report America missing to the police.
Ernestine Ryans was born on October 30, 1970, to Larry Hackett and Clara Snell. She grew up in Hartford, Connecticut, alongside her siblings Anthony Ryans, Frederick Snell Jr., Jermaine Snell, Larry Hackett Jr., Kelvin Hackett, Angela Snell, Shakara Snell, Angela Lomax, and Joy Monroe. Ernestine was full of energy and often the life of the party whenever the family gathered. Becoming a mother to her daughters, Kierra Starks and Miracle Thomas, was everything she had dreamed of, and her grandchildren later brought even more joy into her life. She cherished the small, everyday moments with them. Though the 47-year-old often went months without contacting her family, who understood her independent nature, this time the silence stretched too long and caused concern. On March 18, 2018, her family filed a missing person report.
Michael Escalante and Laurie A. Higgins Escalante welcomed their daughter on May 30, 1991. She grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, where she attended local schools, including Cathedral High School and Ludlow High School. Her siblings, Robert, Jason, and Crystal Escalante, adored her, and together they shared plenty of childhood mischief. In December 2015, when she became a mother herself, her family celebrated this new chapter and admired the graceful way she embraced motherhood. By that time, the 26-year-old was living in Ludlow, Massachusetts, and seemed to be finding her own path. However, the last time her family and friends heard from her was in December 2017. On May 30, 2018, the police recovered the remains of all three women from a house on Page Boulevard in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the official cause of their death was noted as homicidal violence.
Stewart Weldon Was Caught While Holding Another Woman Hostage
During the time the women were reported missing, police had also been receiving multiple complaints of sexual assaults and kidnappings in the area. These cases remained unsolved and caused growing concern in the local community. On May 27, 2018, officers in Springfield pulled over a man named Stewart Rudolph Weldon after noticing a broken taillight on his vehicle. When they approached the car, they discovered a woman tied up in the backseat, who immediately told them she had been kidnapped. Police quickly ran his profile and learned that Weldon had an extensive criminal record, had previously served time in prison for various charges, and had cut off his ankle monitor in February 2018, making him a wanted fugitive at the time.
Police immediately placed Weldon under arrest and interviewed the woman they had rescued. She reported that he had held her captive for about a month and had repeatedly assaulted her. Investigators soon linked him to the series of sexual assaults reported in the area since June 2017. On May 30, his mother contacted authorities, saying that after his release from prison in February 2018, he had been living with her, and she had begun noticing a foul odor coming from the basement. Acting quickly, police obtained a search warrant, where they discovered the remains of America Lyden, Ernestine Ryans, and Kayla Escalante.
Stewart Weldon is Serving Three Life Sentences Today
Stewart Weldon was charged with 52 offenses, including three counts of first-degree murder, to which he initially pleaded not guilty. His trial was scheduled to begin in April 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays. Following a mental health evaluation, he was deemed competent to stand trial in September 2020, with proceedings rescheduled for October that year. However, on September 28, 2021, he changed his plea to guilty. Later that month, he was sentenced to three consecutive life terms. He is currently incarcerated under the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, though details of his exact location have not been made public. It is certain that he will spend the remainder of his life in prison.
