CRIME A pregnant Amish woman is killed in her rural Pennsylvania home, and police have no suspects

[Ogre]

SPARTANSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Investigators have no suspects in the killing of a pregnant 23-year-old Amish woman inside her home in rural northwestern Pennsylvania, and are appealing for tips from the public to help solve the crime, a state police spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Rebekah A. Byler was the victim of a criminal homicide inside her home on Fish Flats Road a few miles outside Spartansburg, Trooper Cynthia Schick said.

A relative and a family friend discovered her body in the living room around noon on Monday. They also found her two young children in the home, unharmed, The Meadville Tribune reported, citing prosecutors and the coroner.

Schick said an autopsy Tuesday has provided evidence including when she was killed. She said no children were harmed, but declined to share other details. A message seeking comment was left for Crawford County Coroner Eric Coston.

The Crawford County borough of Spartansburg is about 36 miles (58 kilometers) southeast of Erie.

A pregnant Amish woman is killed in her rural Pennsylvania home, and police have no suspects

SPARTANSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Investigators have no suspects in the killing of a pregnant 23-year-old Amish woman inside her home in rural northwestern Pennsylvania, and are appealing for tips from the …

fox4kc.com

 

[mzkitty]

Sounds personal to me, but why? Too many questions............

 

[Meemur]

Sounds like it's going to become a made-for-TV movie.

She and her children are in my prayers.

 

[mzkitty]

The obit. Lots of gaps.

Rebekah A Byler Obituary A Tragic Loss in Crawford County

Crawford County, PA — A heartbreaking incident has left the community in mourning as 23-year-old pregnant Amish woman, Rebekah A Byler, was found dead in - Rebekah A Byler Obituary A Tragic Loss in Crawford County ERLDC

erldc.org

 

[Meemur]

Yep. Nothing about her husband or that she was a widow.

 

[Millwright]

Times are changing...rapidly.

It could be aliens.

In less than a week, there have been 4 vicious attacks against innocent young Americans, all committed by illegal immigrants.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Times are changing...rapidly.

It could be aliens.

Aliens. The Amish Mafia, which I'm told is a thing. A shunning gone too far. Who KNOWS?

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Is that picture above Rebekah Byler?

I kinda doubt it. Amish do not pose for portrait photos.

 

[Bridey Rose]

What do they mean "No children were harmed." Her fetus was killed along with her!

My bet is on the baby daddy as the perp. Pregnant women are notoriously prone to getting kacked by the baby daddy.

 

[LightEcho]

I'm going to GTR... white supremacist with dark skin.... undocumented migrant.

 

[Macgyver]

Is that picture above Rebekah Byler?

I kinda doubt it. Amish do not pose for portrait photos.

She could be Mennonite. I don't think they have the camera issue.
I'm sure whoever wrote the article probably does not know the difference between Amish and Mennonite's.

 

[Macgyver]

Probably the house.
I see cars in the driveway and what looks like a transformer on the pole out by the street leading me to believe they have electricity.
So definitely a good chance they are Mennonite.

Fish Flts Rd · Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

www.google.com

 

[summerthyme]

Her cap and clothing are Amish. As far as photos, different communities have different rules... our old friends didn't allow ANY cameras in their shops, but some are more relaxed.

It's also possible the pic was taken before she joined the church...

Summerthyme

 

[hiwall]

Just another of thousands of unsolved murders in the once great USA.

 

[Macgyver]

Arrest made in murder of pregnant Amish woman found dead in her Pennsylvania home

Police have announced an arrest in connection to the death of 23-year-old Rebekah Byler that has shaken an Amish community in Pennsylvania.

abcnews.go.com

Arrest made in murder of pregnant Amish woman found dead in her Pennsylvania home​

Shawn Cranston, 52, is now facing multiple charges.

Police have announced an arrest in connection to the death of 23-year-old pregnant Rebekah Byler that has shaken an Amish community in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania State Police announced early Saturday morning that Shawn Cranston -- a 52-year-old man from Corry, Pennsylvania -- has been arrested in connection with the murder of the Amish woman and is now facing multiple charges, including criminal homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child, burglary and criminal trespass.
Cranston was arraigned Saturday morning and is currently being held without bond at the Crawford County Jail.

On Feb. 26, police responded to a home in Sparta Township, where they found Byler dead, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Byler's cause of death has not been released.


Sparta Township is a small township in Crawford County, just outside of the borough of Spartansburg and about 35 miles southeast of Erie, Pennsylvania.
"Everyone is stunned -- this doesn't happen here," Charleen Hajec, a pharmacist who was born and raised in Spartansburg, told ABC News. "Everyone is talking. It's scary and frustrating."

Hajec said she couldn't believe a murder
would happen in Sparta Township, which she called a "tight-knit community."
"The outside world doesn't get in," Hajec said. "To have something this tragic ... it doesn't happen here."
ABC News' Emily Shapiro and Stephanie Ramos contributed to this report.

 

[mzkitty]

PUBLISHED: 09:06 EST, 2 March 2024 | UPDATED: 10:51 EST, 2 March 2024

Just two days after saying they had no suspects Pennsylvania State Police have arrested a 52-year-old local man and charged him with the murder of Amish mother of two, Rebekah Byler.

The 23-year-old was six months pregnant when she was gunned down in her home in Spartansburg on Monday morning.

Now, after what cops described as an 'exhaustive' five-day investigation the man charged with the murder of Byler and her unborn child has been named as Shawn Cranston.

Cranston, pictured here for the first time, is married to nurse Jamie, 46, was taken into custody Saturday morning when he was arraigned at 4.24am and committed to Crawford County Jail.

His Facebook bio reads: 'I'm someone's worst nightmare if they mess with me and mine'.

Cranston has been charged with criminal homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child, burglary, and criminal trespass. He is not eligible for bail.

His preliminary hearing is set for March 15.

Bylers' two- and three-year-old children were in the home when their mother was killed. It fell to her husband, Andy, to make the gruesome discovery of her dead body.

According to investigators, the victim had wounds to her neck and head.

Police have not released any information regarding the scene beyond confirming that she was shot and that her death was a homicide.

The remote house, set on a long dirt road that cars rarely drive, stood empty when DailyMail.com visited Friday.

A child's scooter rested by the front door and swing set and slide stood in the rough garden. A traditional Amish buggy was parked in front of an outbuilding.

More here:

Man arrested for murder of Amish woman

Shawn Cranston, 52, from Corry, Pennsylvania was arrested today for allegedly murdering pregnant Rebekah Byler, 23, in her home on Monday

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Signwatcher]

He looks like a mean son of a gun.

 

[summerthyme]

Sigh... I wonder if he's one of the many who are sort of "associates" of the Amish community... helping out (and making cash doing it) by driving them places (Amish taxi) and letting them use his phone, etc. Many who are close Englisch neighbors do this, but the communities also seem to attract a number of misfits and oddballs, who often don't realize they aren't really viewed as "friends", but are seen mostly as a necessary evil.

Amish women (especially the younger ones) tend to be very passive and non confrontational, and would be more likely to deflect and try to ignore awkward verbal advances... I'm thinking he may have been obsessed with her, and when he tried to get physical (which he convinced himself she "wanted"), she screamed and fought back, panicking him..

Or, he may have believed they had cash at home (very common, although young married tend to be pretty broke), and he didn't expect anyone to be home.

Regardless, I hope the POS never sees the light of day outside prison again!

Summerthyme

 

[Publius]

What's missing from the article is did he know her and a motive or was it a random home invasion.

 

[summerthyme]

What's missing from the article is did he know her and a motive or was it a random home invasion.

That won't come out until trial...

Summerthyme

 

[Groucho]

I live in an area that's touted as being the 4th largest Amish community in the U.S. If I had to say what happened, it would be the creep tried to take advantage of the young mother, she objected and he killed her. I'm willing to bet he had an Amish "taxi" service and that's how he knew her. Some of those guys are really rough, although not all.
For some reason, this story really pushed my button. If this creep is guilty, the death penalty is what he deserves.

 

[Taco Salad]

helping out (and making cash doing it) by driving them places (Amish taxi)

Yoder Toter is the common term here.

 

[pauldingbabe]

Hate to say this but...

What if that was his baby?

Sorry and not trying to be disrespectful at all!

 

[mzkitty]

Daughter of arrested suspect reacts to pregnant Amish woman murder case​

Posted: Mar 2, 2024 / 06:49 PM EST
Updated: Mar 2, 2024 / 07:23 PM EST

Warning: Details in this story may be disturbing to some readers.

Spartansburg, Pa. (WJET/WFXP) — Five days after a pregnant Amish woman was murdered in her Pennsylvania home, her alleged killer is behind bars.

State police took 52-year-old Shawn C. Cranston, from Corry, Pa., into custody Friday night in connection to the death of 23-year-old Rebekah Byler. He was arrested outside of a Dollar General store on Main Street, right next to his home.

“It was crazy. I’ve never seen so much law enforcement at once. Never once,” said Julie Purpura, Doller General employee.

According to court paperwork, Cranston allegedly broke into Byler’s home on Fish Flats Road in Sparta Township on Monday, Feb. 26, where he shot her in the head and slashed her throat.

As of Saturday, Crime scene tape still surrounds Cranston’s home on Main Street in Corry. JET 24/FOX 66’s Jennifer Mobilia spoke with a woman who said Cranston was her foster dad growing up.

That woman is in her 20s now and has children of her own, but she said Cranston is the only father she’s known. She was visibly upset and did not want to be on camera.

“Like I could never picture my dad being that cold-hearted monster. Never in a million years,” daughter of Shawn C. Cranston.

The morning of the murder, neighbors reported seeing a red Jeep in Byler’s driveway. Then on Friday night, a red Jeep was towed from Cranston’s home.

“As far as I know, he just wanted his grandson back,” she added.

Cranston’s daughter believes the murder was a case of mistaken identity. She added the Amish couple who lived in Byler’s home a few years ago adopted Cranston’s grandson.

“Supposedly she started yelling at him, coming in, then that’s when boom, all it took. It’s just horrifying to think that,” she continued.

Cranston has been charged with criminal homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child, burglary and criminal trespass.

He is currently being held in the Crawford County Jail without bail.

Daughter of arrested suspect reacts to pregnant Amish woman murder case

Warning: Details in this story may be disturbing to some readers. Spartansburg, Pa. (WJET/WFXP) — Five days after a pregnant Amish woman was murdered in her Pennsylvania home, her alleged kill…

www.yourerie.com

 

[Matt]

Here in Farmington, Nm we had a Mennonite get abducted, killed and dumped in Flagstaff at the Sunset crater campground.... Sasha Kraus.... ended up being another Mennonite that did it.... this woman and her child were killed by one of her own.... guaranteed!

 

[Doc1]

Prayer up for Mrs. Byler, her kids and her husband.

Best
Doc

 

[toxic avenger]

“As far as I know, he just wanted his grandson back,” she added.

Cranston’s daughter believes the murder was a case of mistaken identity. She added the Amish couple who lived in Byler’s home a few years ago adopted Cranston’s grandson.

That’s the case for premeditated murder right there. PA has the death penalty, but the system is weak. He’ll die of old age on death row…over a case of mistaken identity.

I don’t recall reading anything about the husband/baby daddy. I’ll bet he is fit to be tied. Not all old order are “turn the other cheek”, many are very cold and calculated and play the long game.

 

[nebb]

1993 Penna had an Amish women disemboweled by her husband, guy was found to be schizophrenic and served 18 yrs (I think) was released to a mental clinic that worked with Amish. Got in trouble with the law a couple times over the yrs and was living with another Amish couple and ended up hanging himself…….never got rid of his demons.

 

[Macgyver]

Yoder Toter is the common term here.

That's hysterical.

 

[summerthyme]

Looks like my suspicions were correct (Post #18)

View: https://youtu.be/GH3bUn7R2uA?si=jDwff2ZkD_jAIMPp


Summerthyme

 

[Meemur]

How awful for those children. Thanks for the update! I've been wondering about that case.

 

[mzkitty]

Looks like my suspicions were correct (Post #18)

View: https://youtu.be/GH3bUn7R2uA?si=jDwff2ZkD_jAIMPp

According to several comments under the video, the murderer has no foster daughter and no grandson.

 

[summerthyme]

Wouldn't surprise me. See my comments above about the "misfits and oddballs" who gravitate towards the Amish. Probably my first guess that he had a crush on her, and showed up knowing her husband wasn't at home was right...

Summerthyme

 

[Meemur]

It wouldn't surprise me: he doesn't look right in the head, and I can see him getting a crush on a young lady. In any case, I hope he gets locked away for the rest of his life if they can't get a death row conviction.