SPRINGFIELD -- America Lyden disappeared last summer -- and in December, her sister put out a plea on Facebook: "She is MISSING and could be in DANGER."

When Ernestine Ryans disappeared it was her sister, too, who raised the alarm, writing a Facebook post in March asking anyone with information to contact the Springfield or Hartford police departments.

Kayla Escalante, meanwhile, wears a hospital gown and holds a baby girl in a Facebook photo from December 2015. In a comment on the photo, she wrote: "It's so nice to hear and say...my family. I love it. I love my family. We have the greatest family ever!!!"

Escalante's Facebook account went quiet in December. In one of her last pictures, she's smiling broadly as she holds the girl, now a toddler.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni on Monday delivered grim answers to the mystery of the women's disappearances, putting their names to the three bodies found last week at 1333 Page Blvd. in Springfield.

Escalante, of Ludlow, is the youngest victim. Court records show she would have turned 27 on May 30 -- the day before Gulluni announced the grisly discoveries at the home of Stewart Weldon, a suspect in two separate kidnapping and sexual assault cases. Weldon has not been charged in connection with the bodies.

Investigators recovered the women's remains during a five-day search of the property in a busy city neighborhood that began on the evening of May 30. Police descended on the house after Weldon's mother called 911, reporting a rank odor.

The state's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Sunday identified Escalante as well as Lyden, 34, and Ryans, 47, both of Springfield, Gullini's office said. Records show Lyden had a previous address in Bristol, Connecticut; Ryans, meanwhile, had ties to Hartford.

Family members had reported both Lyden and Ryans missing, Springfield police said.

"They are needless to say distraught and heartbroken," Gulluni said of the women's family members during an afternoon press conference Monday.

Officials have not publicly said how or when the women died. "We are investigating these deaths as suspicious," Gulluni said, later adding that the case was "unlike anything I've ever seen."

A written statement issued by Gulluni's office said: "Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni and Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri offer their sympathies to Ms. Ryans', Ms. Lyden's, and Ms. Escalante's families during this difficult time."

Springfield police arrested Weldon, 40, on May 27 after he was pulled over for a broken taillight, according to court records. His female passenger told police they saved her life; Weldon had been torturing her and holding her captive for a month, she said.

The 25-year-old woman -- who had been in a relationship with Weldon, and shared two children with him -- was taken to the hospital and treated for "grotesque" injuries, according to police reports. Weldon had stabbed her in the abdomen, beaten her with a hammer and rained other abuses on her, court records say.

The woman has remained in the hospital since the traffic stop, according to Gulluni, who held a series of press briefings along with Commissioner Barbieri near the search site last week.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Children and Families said officials took a toddler into state custody after police arrived at Weldon's home. Weldon's mother, Constance White, 72, purchased the modest green house surrounded by a fence in 2016, records show. White has been unavailable for comment.

Earlier on Monday, Weldon -- who has a robust criminal record and was the subject of a fugitive warrant issued in February, according to court records -- was arraigned on new charges including kidnapping and assault to rape. Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett waived the formal reading of the charges, meaning the alleged crimes were not detailed in open court.

A judge ordered documents in the new case impounded. Bennett said the new charges involve a different alleged victim from the woman in the car. At each arraignment, district court judges ordered Weldon held on $1 million bail at the Hampden County House of Corrections.

Gulluni has said repeatedly that neighbors in East Springfield should not feel endangered.

A relative of Weldon told WesternMass News last week that Weldon has long struggled with "issues of the mind."

Snapshots of lost lives

Escalante was a Catholic school student who played first base in a youth softball league and was once a fan of the boy band, "O-Town," according to clips from The Republican in 2001 and 2004.

She was prolific on social media, posting frequently on MySpace.com and later on Facebook, chronicling youthful exploits and personal news. Undated photos on MySpace show the typical: selfies, clowning with friends, family fishing trips and party scenes.

On Facebook, Escalante's photos chronicle the milestones of a young adult, including pictures of her immediately after giving birth to a baby girl in late 2015. "I still cant beleive (sic) it," she wrote with one picture.

"That's awesome! I had no idea you were pregnant! Congratulations!!!" one response reads.

Other posts include a promotion for a anti-drug abuse event -- and, in January 2016, a flyer for a missing South Hadley teenager whose body was later found in the Connecticut River.

Court records show Escalante's mother, Laurie Higgins, sought a restraining order against her that was granted by a judge through December 2018. Outside her Ludlow home Monday, Higgins declined a reporter's request for an interview.

Reached by phone Monday, Kayla Escalante's father, Michael Escalante, said he had little contact with his daughter over the past eight years.

"She lived with me for a time, but she was never home and I was working out of town, so we didn't have much contact," he said.

"Her mother and I are divorced and she asked me not to talk to anyone about this, so I'm going to respect her wishes," Escalante said of his ex-wife.

Springfield police put out the word about Lyden's missing person case in December 2017, on the day after Christmas. The notice, published by MassLive and other outlets, said she hadn't been in touch with her family since June.

The police statement, which noted that Lyden also used the name America Canales, followed a Facebook post from her sister that read: "This is my sister, AMERICA CANALES. She is MISSING and could be in DANGER."

The post added that Lyden, who also used the name Jordan, was under 5 feet tall and weighed around 100 pounds. The sister, who could not be reached Monday, wrote that Lyden was last seen in the "Springfield area" in August 2017.

Responses show acquaintances and family trying their own detective work.

"Did you check Chicopee jail?" someone asked. The sister replied: "Yes ... but nothing."

Others chimed in with hopeful thoughts and condolences. A few replied that Lyden had been seen "around Worthington Street" and "by the Peter Pan bus station."

"Has anyone heard from America yet?" another asked 22 weeks ago, according to posts.

"Nothing yet," her sister replied, and the public dialogue dropped off.

Ryans, who has a scant social media footprint, also was reported missing by her sister.

In a March 24 Facebook post, the sister wrote: "Please share this post and any information is appreciated we have filed a missing persons report for Ernestine Ryans ! If you know of her where abouts please contact Me,The Springfield or Hartford police departments ! (sic)."

A reporter was unable to reach the woman Monday.

Springfield police said the report came in to their department on March 18, 2018.

"The person who reported her missing stated that Ms. Ryans had not been seen by family since March 8th, 2018," a department spokesman said Monday. "She also stated that Ms. Ryans had gone missing before, but never for this long, which is why she reported her missing to the police."

This is a developing story that will be updated after additional reporting.