Aunt of serial killer Stewart Weldon says 'something snapped' in him and that he was off his meds
63-year-old Hanna Weldon, the aunt of Stewart Weldon, who is a suspected serial killer, told the Daily Mail that the family was shocked when the news broke that there were three bodies found in his home. She said that "something snapped" in her nephew.
She said, "When I saw what had happened to that girl, I said that boy is sick he really is. At least he gave her some water to stay hydrated. Something had to snap for him to turn like that. I know his father is turning over 50,000 times in that grave. He would have never approved what he was doing."
40-year-old Weldon was arrested on May 27 after his vehicle was stopped because of a broken tail-light. This happened in Springfield, Massachusetts. The man was quick to flee in the vehicle and a high-speed chase ensued with the authorities.
They were finally able to stop his vehicle and, shockingly, found a 25-year-old woman in the car who had severe injuries. The woman immediately told the police that she had been held hostage for a month and also tortured and raped her.
The woman was subsequently taken to the hospital and the police described her injuries as "grotesque and violent". The list included a possible fractured jaw, stab wounds to her abdomen, marks from being hit with a blunt object and a leg infection.
The aunt said, "I think it’s a damn shame that he handcuffed her, kidnapped her and beat her with a hammer. It really hurts that somebody could do something like that. If they hadn’t stopped him with that broken tail light they would have never have known that she was in the car."
The suspected serial killer is a father to a young son and a six-month-old baby girl. The boy lives in New Jersey. Weldon has been charged with kidnap, sexual assault and torture. His aunt added, "DSS [Department of Social Services] has the baby now, so there’s no telling what’s going to happen."
The authorities were called to Weldon's home in Springfield on May 30 and discovered one body in the basement and another one in the garage. A third body was found on May 31. The police have not released the identities or the genders of the bodies as of now. Crime scene specialists are digging up the backyard to look for the bodies any more possible victims. Weldon's aunt said, "We are just waiting to find out who they actually found."
The man has not been charged till now for the three bodies that were discovered in the home he is currently living in. The house belongs to his mother. According to the aunt, Weldon had never been violent towards anyone in his own family.
She said, "It’s just the outside. I don’t know what triggered him. He’s been off his meds for a long time. When you stop taking your meds, you can flip out. It’s terrible the way things are going because we don’t know who the people are that they found. When you reach a certain age, you can’t force somebody to take their medication. Or people sell them, depending on what kind of pills they are."
Weldon's aunt said that she was not privy to the specifics when it came to her nephew's mental illness. Weldon's aunt from his father's, Stewart Weldon Sr., side said that the rest of the family was "devastated and shocked" to find out that her nephew committed such crimes. She said, "It’s just heart-breaking and the family is trying to deal with it, one day at a time. We’re still in shock."
The 63-year-old woman found out about her nephew being accused of such violent crimes when she got a call from her sister who lives in Arizona. Her sister's son had watched the whole thing unfold on the news and had asked his mother if they were related to Weldon.
The aunt said, "I called my other sister and she said it’s Stewie’s son. Then looking at his picture – I knew he was a Weldon. He looks like his father. It was a shock when everybody heard, our mouths just dropped. We didn’t believe it until we saw it on the news."
The aunt's main worry is for Weldon's 72-year-old mother Constance "Connie" Weldon. The suspect's ageing mother had been living in the house that's on Page Boulevard with her only son. The aunt said, "We have not got in touch [with Connie]. Nobody knows if his mom was there when it happened."
Hannah Weldon said that any news of her suspected serial killer nephew that she received was very sporadic through the years. She said, "You see him and you don’t see him. The majority of that side of the family, they all stayed in jail. There was nothing we could do."
She also said that Weldon had attended Springfield Central High and he had lived somewhere between Massachusetts and New Jersey when he was younger. The aunt mentioned that her nephew had been in trouble with the law for a long time. She said, "He’s been going to jail since 1997. It’s ridiculous."
Weldon's criminal records show that he has had a lengthy history of violent attacks and weapons charges. With his name being all over the news now, some members of the family are trying to cash in on the action and come forward saying that they are related to the man after the discovery of the bodies in the house.
Court records show that the 40-year-old had almost 20 cases against him before he was arrested on May 27. Three of those cases are currently open.
In the meantime, Isaiah Welson, a man who says he is the cousin of the suspected serial killer, has posted multiple messages on Facebook asking to talk to news outlets. Authorities know that he is trying to cash in on the whole serial killer thing.
One post that was written on June 1 reads: "Heard the news my cuz Stewart Weldon is officially a serial killer. Yes he is my first cousin and their [sic] looking for family to speak with well somebody tell DateLine, NBC, GM America I need 6 figures for my story. Trust me I got stories. If not no comment."
Weldon has so far pleaded not guilty to a number of charges that were placed on him on May 29. He was held on a $1million bail at the time.
Just a few hours after the charges were leveled against his cousin, Isaiah Weldon wrote, "But why ABC news just hit me back. Oh it's bout to get real. Like I said 6 figures and up. Listen if you from a news channel please do not hit my inbox unless we talking 6 figures. Yes 6 figures till then so far ABC looking interested in my story."
Stewart Weldons criminal history began in 1997 in New Jersey. He was charged with the unlawful possession of rifles and shotguns. Later on, he was charged with breaking and entering. He was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and thrown in jail in 2005 in Massachusetts. The man was released in 2008.
He was also charged in 2010 with felony breaking and entering, assault and battery on two police officers and resisting arrest along with some other charges. According to the report, Weldon was trying to rob a Food Zone store in Springfield at 1:15 a.m. on July 22 when he was interrupted by the arrival of police. This led to a high-speed chase. He lost control of the van and fled on foot but the officers were able to nab him.
The report says, "Mr. Weldon violently resisted, kicking at Officer Goodrow's legs and elbowing me in the chest and shoulders." The officers at the scene had to spray him with O.C. spray to be able to bring him under control and then he was finally arrested.
According to records, Weldon is currently being held on kidnapping, sexual assault and other charges including resisting arrest; driving with a revoked license; and failing to stop for police. He has still not been charged for anything related to the three bodies that were found in his home.
Lauren Chicoine, a neighbor who lives right behind Weldon's house, said that she had not noticed anything strange in the house in all these years. This is also in spite of the fact that her dog is let out regularly in the backyard. She claims she has never seen the man at home.
She said that the only reason she knew something was wrong was because 15 police cruisers surrounded Weldon's house on May 30 at around 6 pm and the officers were going to all the neighbors to speak to them about Weldon.
She said, "I just feel guilty to know that something so awful has been happening this close and we didn't know anything. And to know there were children in the house. It's horrible. This is a nice neighborhood."