Current:Home > InvestAn arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania -Momentum Wealth Path
An arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania
View
Date:2025-04-15 03:47:02
SPARTANSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man was arrested Saturday and charged with the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman whose body was found last week.
Shawn C. Cranston, 52, of Corry, has been charged with criminal homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child, burglary and criminal trespass, Pennsylvania State Police said.
He was denied bail at a preliminary arraignment early Saturday morning and is being held at the Crawford County jail. Online court records show a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 15; they do not list a defense attorney.
Calls and emails to state police, the district attorney and public defender’s offices were not immediately returned Saturday morning.
Cranston’s arrest comes less than a week after authorities found the body of Rebekah A. Byler, 23, in the living room of her home a few miles from Spartansburg.
Police said she appeared to have cutting wounds to her neck and head.
The killing shocked the rural community in northwestern Pennsylvania, where people say the Amish get along well with their neighbors in the area.
Police began their investigation Feb. 26 after Byler’s husband, Andy Byler, found her body inside the home shortly after noon.
Trooper Cynthia Schick told The Associated Press on Thursday the investigation and autopsy have given police an idea of what murder weapon may have been used.
Two young Byler children at the home were not harmed, Schick has said.
The Bylers’ home is located along a dirt road in a very remote farming area. Scores of Amish turned out for calling hours Thursday evening at a home in the community. Many arrived by buggies lit by headlights along the narrow country roads.
Residents said the Amish had a longstanding presence in the area and mix well with the surrounding community. Amish and non-Amish visit each other’s homes, and the Amish work jobs for the non-Amish and attend events like the fish fries, they said. Neighbors have been raising money to help the Byler family.
The Amish generally follow basic Christian beliefs and practices but are not homogeneous, according to the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. They are known for simple clothing and for relying on horses and buggies for transportation. Local congregations maintain a variety of rules and restrictions regarding dress, the use of technology and participation in American society.
The overall Amish population is nearly 400,000 people in hundreds of settlements across 32 states, Canada and Bolivia. Pennsylvania has one of the greatest concentrations of Amish.
veryGood! (6433)
Related
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Details on Zac Efron's Pool Incident Revealed
- Possible small tornado sweeps into Buffalo, damaging buildings and scattering tree limbs
- Dogs kill baby boy inside New York home. Police are investigating what happened before the attack
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Chic Desert Aunt Is the Latest Aesthetic Trend, Achieve the Boho Vibes with These Styles & Accessories
- Chappell Roan may have made history at Lollapalooza with 'biggest set of all time'
- Buca di Beppo files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after closing several locations
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Florida attorney pleads guilty to bomb attempt outside Chinese embassy
Ranking
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Social media pays tribute to the viral Montgomery brawl on one year anniversary
- Za'Darius Smith carted off field, adding to Browns' defensive injury concerns
- Republican congressman who voted to impeach Trump fights to survive Washington primary
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Stock market recap: Wall Street hammered amid plunging global markets
- Secretaries of state urge Elon Musk to fix AI chatbot spreading election misinformation on X
- Buca di Beppo files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after closing several locations
Recommendation
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
What Iran’s attack against Israel could look like with the support of regional allies
3rd set of remains with bullet wounds found with possible ties to 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Social media pays tribute to the viral Montgomery brawl on one year anniversary
'Most Whopper
Nvidia, Apple and Amazon took a hit Monday, here's a look at how some major stocks fared
Social media pays tribute to the viral Montgomery brawl on one year anniversary
Horoscopes Today, August 6, 2024