Current:Home > MarketsAn arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania -FundWay
An arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania
View
Date:2025-04-13 03:48:47
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! (984)
Related
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Blink-182 announces 2024 tour dates in 30 cities across North America: See the list
- The damage to a Baltic undersea cable was ‘purposeful,’ Swedish leader says but gives no details
- Britney Spears Reveals the Real Story Behind Her 55-Hour Marriage to Jason Alexander
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Dwayne The Rock Johnson wants Paris museum to change the skin color of his new wax figure
- Police in Massachusetts are searching for an armed man in connection with his wife’s shooting death
- Natalee Holloway's Mom Reflects on Power Joran van der Sloot Had Over Her Before His Killing Confession
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Man United pays respects to the late Bobby Charlton with pre-match tributes at Old Trafford
Ranking
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- Bernie Sanders will vote no on Biden's pick to lead NIH, but nomination may proceed
- The Best Work-Appropriate Halloween Costume Ideas for 2023 to Wear to Your Office Party
- Two ships have collided off the coast of Germany and several people are missing
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Is Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system ironclad?
- At least 50 people are kidnapped over two days in northern Cameroon by unknown gunmen
- Ryan Gosling Scores 2023 Gotham Awards Nomination for Barbie: See the Complete List
Recommendation
Could your smelly farts help science?
Detroit officials approve spending nearly $14 million in federal dollars on inflatable dome
Authorities find getaway car used by 4 inmates who escaped Georgia jail, offer $73,000 reward
Anchor of Chinese container vessel caused damage to Balticconnector gas pipeline, Finnish police say
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
Illinois mother recuperates after Palestinian American boy killed in attack police call a hate crime
Tennessee faces federal lawsuit over decades-old penalties targeting HIV-positive people
Dime heist: 4 Philadelphia men charged after millions of dimes stolen from US Mint truck