Current:Home > InvestAn arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania -Stellar Wealth Sphere
An arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania
View
Date:2025-04-28 12:54:25
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! (684)
Related
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Who will win next year's Super Bowl? 2024 NFL power rankings using Super Bowl 2025 odds
- TikTok removes music from UMG artists, including Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift
- Could Louisiana soon resume death row executions?
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Powerball winning numbers for Wednesday night's drawing: Jackpot climbs to $206 million
- Premature birth rate rose 12% since 2014, the CDC reports. A doctor shares what to know.
- Pearl Jam throws a listening party for their new album that Eddie Vedder calls ‘our best work’
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Pastor Alistair Begg's podcast pulled over his advice that a woman attend LGBTQ wedding
Ranking
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Is Elon Musk overpaid? Why a Delaware judge struck down Tesla CEO's $55 billion payday
- More than 200 staffers with Chicago Tribune and 6 other newsrooms begin 24-hour strike
- Who will win next year's Super Bowl? 2024 NFL power rankings using Super Bowl 2025 odds
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Damian Lillard cheered in his return to Portland after offseason trade to the Bucks
- West Virginia construction firm to buy bankrupt college campus
- Gold ornaments and other ancient treasures found in tomb of wealthy family in China
Recommendation
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Biden's new climate envoy is John Podesta. He has a big domestic climate job too
What you need to know about the origins of Black History Month
Chrissy Teigen accidentally slips that she's had her breasts done 3 times
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
More than 200 staffers with Chicago Tribune and 6 other newsrooms begin 24-hour strike
Online news site The Messenger shuts down after less than a year
Australian TV news channel sparks outrage for editing photo of lawmaker who said her body and outfit were photoshopped