Westmoreland County Woman Kidnapped by Her Husband Found Safe in Kentucky; Suspect in Custody
SCOTTDALE, Pennsylvania — A Westmoreland County woman who was kidnapped by her husband and later went missing again after her initial escape has been found safe in Kentucky, authorities confirmed Saturday morning. Her husband, the suspect in the abduction, is now in police custody.
Police: Couple Located in Maysville, Kentucky
According to the Scottdale Police Department, officers were notified overnight that a red Subaru registered in Pennsylvania and connected to the case had been captured by a roadside camera in Morehead, Kentucky.
Police immediately began coordinating with Kentucky and Tennessee law enforcement agencies to track the couple’s movements and determine their location.
“On the evening of October 3, into the early morning hours of October 4, officers were alerted to the vehicle being seen by a roadside camera in Morehead,” police said in a statement. “They began calling as many agencies as possible in the area to obtain direction of travel and possible destinations.”
The search ended when officers located the vehicle in a hotel parking lot in Maysville, Kentucky, where they found 48-year-old Lydia Prince and 29-year-old Shawn Prince. Shawn was taken into custody without incident and is awaiting extradition to Westmoreland County.
From Escape to Second Disappearance
The discovery comes just two days after authorities reported Lydia missing for a second time — only days after she had escaped an earlier kidnapping allegedly orchestrated by her husband.
According to investigators, Lydia previously ran into the Scottdale Police Department on Wednesday, telling officers that her husband had kidnapped her at gunpoint and threatened to kill a friend’s child if she didn’t comply.
She said he drove her into a remote wooded area, where he put a gun to her head and held her overnight. The next morning, when he began “nodding off”, he told her to drive. Recognizing familiar surroundings near Ohiopyle, Lydia managed to escape and drive herself to safety at the police station.
“He told her to take over driving,” said Scottdale Police Chief Mike Whipkey. “At that point, she noticed she was in the Ohiopyle area. She got her bearings and was able to come back to Scottdale.”
Despite that escape, Lydia was reported missing again Thursday afternoon, prompting a renewed search effort that ultimately led to her being found in Kentucky.
Husband Faces Multiple Felony Charges
The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office announced that Shawn Prince faces numerous charges, including kidnapping, simple assault, terroristic threats, and harassment.
Authorities said additional charges may be filed once he is returned to Pennsylvania.
The District Attorney’s Office thanked local residents and multiple agencies across Pennsylvania and Kentucky for helping locate the pair and ensuring Lydia’s safe recovery.
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