Man, 52, arrested over death of pregnant Amish woman Rebekah Byler, 23, who was found dead in her Pennsylvania home
- Shawn Cranston, 52, of Corry, Pennsylvania, was arrested today morning for allegedly killing pregnant Rebekah Byler, 23, in her home on Monday
- He is being held in the Crawford County Jail without bond
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 shot in her Spartansburg home Monday morning.
Now, after what police described as an “exhaustive” five-day investigation, the man accused of killing Byler and her unborn child has been named 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 4:24 a.m. and booked into the Crawford County Jail.
His Facebook bio reads, “I’m someone’s worst nightmare when they mess with me and mine.”
He has been charged with murder, murder of an unborn child, burglary and criminal trespass. He is not eligible for bail.
Shawn Cranston, 52, of Corry, Pennsylvania, was arrested today morning for allegedly killing pregnant Rebekah Byler, 23, in her home on Monday
Mother of two Rebekah Byler, 23, was found dead in a home on Fish Flats Road in Sparta Township, Pennsylvania
Cranston’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 15.
Bylers’ two- and three-year-old children were in the home when their mother was killed. It was up to her husband, Andy, to make the gruesome discovery of her dead body.
Police have released no information about the scene other than confirming that she was shot and that her death was a homicide.
The remote house, located on a long dirt road where cars rarely travel, was empty when DailyMail.com visited on Friday.
There was a children’s scooter at the front door, and a swing and a slide were in the rugged garden. A traditional Amish buggy was parked in front of an outbuilding.
The Amish woman’s body was found with gunshot wounds. Her two toddlers were home at the time of her death
Despite the shocking crime, neighbors remained tight-lipped, in keeping with the customs of the notoriously secretive Amish community.
One Amish woman declined to comment other than telling DailyMail.com, “We like to keep things between ourselves. We don’t talk to protect the parents and the husband.’
Residents and relatives reported seeing a red Jeep parked in front of Byler’s home around 10 a.m. Monday morning — an unusual sight in a part of the world where motor vehicles are a rarity and on a road normally crossed only by horses and buggies .