Mugshot/Getty
Shawn Cranston is the suspect accused in the murder of Rebekah Byler, the pregnant Amish woman and married mother of two who was murdered in her home in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, on February 26, according to a press release from the Pennsylvania State Police.
A previous press release from Pennsylvania police identified the victim as Rebekah A. Byler, age 23.
In the latest press release, police said the suspect is Shawn C. Cranston, 52, of Corry, Pennsylvania. According to VINE Link, the suspect’s full name is Shawn Christopher Cranston. He was taken into custody just after 7 a.m. on March 2, jail records say.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Reports Say that Rebekah Byler Was Found With ‘Cutting Wounds to Her Neck & Head’
Crawford Co JailShawn Cranston booking sheet.
According to the press release, the victim’s manner of death “was ruled a homicide.”
On February 26 at about 12:26 p.m., Pennsylvania police were notified “of a deceased female at a residence located on Fish Flats Road,” the release says. There was some confusion about the cause of death and the nature of Byler’s wounds.
Byler had gunshot wounds, according to an initial report by CBS News. CBS News reported that Byler also “suffered cutting wounds to her neck and head.”
Jennifer Borrasso, a local journalist, wrote on X, “Shawn C. Cranston of Corry, Pa charged in the death of PREGNANT AMISH WOMAN, Rebekah Byler, her unborn child after breaking into her home Mon, says Pa state police release. I’m told Byler had a gunshot wound & cut to her neck. Her two children, 2 & 3 home at the time.”
PA courtsShawn Cranston docket.
The Meadville Tribune reported that the criminal complaint accuses Cranston of “shooting her in the head and/or slashing her throat” and says the female unborn child died because of the injuries to Byler.
2. A Red Jeep Tied to Shawn Cranston Was Key to Breaking Open the Case, Reports Say
MugshotShawn Cranston.
The Meadville Tribune reported that the criminal complaint describes a red 2012 Jeep Patriot SUV as being a key piece of evidence in the case. A red Jeep was seen in the victim’s driveway and driving down the road, the newspaper reported.
Around 9 p.m. on March 1, “the Dollar General store in Corry had been shut down and a red Jeep there was the focus of state police investigators,” the newspaper noted.
CBS reported that Byler’s body was discovered in the living room of her home. Officers “found Rebekah Byler on her back in the living room,” CBS News reported, citing a search warrant. According to CBS News, police are seeking “knives, blades, cutting instruments and other items,” but they do not have the murder weapon.
According to Your Erie.com, the neighborhood in Spartanburg, Pennsylvania, where Byler died “usually doesn’t see much vehicle traffic, mostly just horse and buggy.” Your Erie.com reported that Byler was pregnant.
“Everyone is stunned, this doesn’t happen here,” Charleen Hajec, a pharmacist, told ABC News. “Everyone is talking, it’s scary and frustrating.”
“This is a tight-knit community, the outside world doesn’t get in,” Hajec added. “To have something this tragic … it doesn’t happen here.”
3. Shawn Cranston Is Accused of Homicide, Criminal Homicide of an Unborn Child & Other Charges
The death of a 23-year-old pregnant Amish woman in Crawford County is under investigation as a homicide, police say.
On March 2, “after an exhaustive five-day investigation,” Cranston was identified as the suspect, the latest release says.
It says that he is now accused of homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child, burglary, and criminal trespassing. He was arraigned and taken to the Crawford County Jail where he is “not bailable” due to the nature of the offense, the release says.
Troopers “responded to the scene and located the deceased female. The death is currently being investigated as a criminal homicide,” the news release says.
Pennsylvania State Police wrote that they are “aggressively investigating all available leads.”
The public “is being asked to report any suspicious persons, vehicles or activity in the area of Fish Flats Road to the Corry barracks at 814-663-2043,” the release says.
According to Go Erie, the home where the murder occurred is a small house located down a dirt road. Homicide is rare in Amish country, according to Go Erie.
“We are just aggressively following up on leads,” Lt. Mark Weindorf, crime section supervisor for the state police told Go Erie.
4. Rebekah Byler Was 6 Months Pregnant
Amish woman murdered in Pennsylvania: Rebekah Byler, 23, was pregnant when she was shot dead at home t.co/FgrY3Drdrx via @MailOnline
According to My Erie, Byler’s husband discovered her body. They have two other children. Go Erie reported that a relative and family friend discovered Byler’s body, however.
And CBS News later reported that, according to a search warrant, a female family friend called 911 after Byler’s husband, Andy Byler, found her body.
“I said ‘Let’s hope when I come around the corner there’s not a person in sight’… and it was just packed. I said ‘Oh my god’. I just can’t believe it. Why would someone do that to a young girl?” a man in the community, who knew the victim, told My Erie, although he did not give his name.
WTAE-TV reported that Byler was six months pregnant. The couple’s two children were not harmed, WTAE reported. It’s not clear whether the two children were inside the home when the murder occurred or what their ages are.
5. Shawn Cranston Has Lived in Many Communities Throughout Pennsylvania
ARREST Shawn C. Cranston of Corry, Pa charged in the death of PREGNANT AMISH WOMAN,Rebekah Byler, her unborn child after breaking into her home Mon.says Pa State Police release. I’m told Byler had a gun shot wound & cut to her neck.Her two children, 2 & 3 home at the time. @KDKA
Shawn Cranston has lived in various Pennsylvania communities throughout his life, according to public records, which show him with past addresses in Erie, Mill Village, Sabinsville, and other locations. He is listed under a 2004 bankruptcy filing. His address lists to a single-family home in Corry assessed at about $46,000.
My Erie.com quoted a police official as saying the death occurred under “suspicious circumstances.”
According to Amish America, “With 53 total settlements, Pennsylvania leads the nation in number of Amish communities.” Crawford County, where Byler died, also has a significant Amish community, according to the site.
“Crawford County is remarkable for being the county containing the greatest number of individual Amish communities, with a total of 7 as of 2008,” Amish America reports. “Significant settlements in this county include the community at Atlantic (1924, 6 districts), Spartansburg (1966, 9 districts), and Conneautville (1969, 3 districts).” The “oldest and best known” Amish community in Pennsylvania is located in Lancaster, however, according to Amish America.
In the United States as a whole, according to Amish America, “there are more than 380,000 Old Order Amish people living in over 630 settlements.”
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