Arrest Made In Relation To Murder Of A Pregnant Amish Woman In Pennsylvania

This is the home a few miles outside of Spartansburg, Pa., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, where investigators discovered the body of a pregnant 23-year-old Amish woman on Monday. Pennsylvania State Police are appealing for tips from the public to help solve the crime, a state police spokeswoman said Wednesday. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
11:30 AM – Sunday, March 3, 2024

Days after a 23-year-old pregnant Amish woman was discovered earlier this week with slashes on her head and neck, a suspect has been arrested.

After a five-day investigation, 52-year-old Shawn Cranston of Corry, Pennsylvania, was taken into custody, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Cranston is currently being charged with burglary, criminal trespassing, and criminal homicide of an unborn child.

A 23-year-old pregnant woman was found dead at a house on Fish Flats Road in Sparta Township, Crawford County, on Monday, according to information sent to state police. Troopers found her with cutting injuries to her neck and head.

Reportedly, Cranston broke into the residence of the woman, who has been identified as Rebekah A. Byler of Sparta Township, last Monday and killed her by “shooting [her] in the head and/or slashing her throat.”

Just before 12:30 p.m., according to the police, Byler’s husband discovered her dead. They added that when her body was found, her two kids were also inside the house. The two young children were unharmed.

At his preliminary arraignment early on Saturday morning, Cranston was denied bond because he might receive a life sentence. He is currently being held at the Crawford County jail.

According to court records, Cranston has a preliminary hearing set for March 15^th. He has not obtained a public defender.

Shortly after 12:00 p.m. on February 26^th, Byler’s husband, Andy Byler, discovered her dead inside the house, prompting the police to launch an inquiry. According to Trooper Cynthia Schick, the autopsy and investigation have provided police with a potential murder weapon.

The small community in northwest Pennsylvania, where the Amish are said to get along well with their neighbors, was surprised by the murder. Sparta Township is a small township located in Crawford County, around 35 miles southeast of Erie, Pennsylvania, and just outside the city of Spartanburg.

“Everyone is stunned — this doesn’t happen here,” Charleen Hajec, a pharmacist who is a Spartansburg native, told the press. “Everyone is talking. It’s scary and frustrating.”

Additionally, Hajec explained that she couldn’t believe a killing would occur in Sparta Township, which she referred to as a “tight-knit community.”