Current:Home > ContactAn arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania -FundPrime
An arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania
View
Date:2025-04-23 08:33:24
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! (881)
Related
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Why Paige DeSorbo Broke Down in Tears Over Engagement Talk With Craig Conover
- NATO allies on Russia's border look to America for leadership as Putin seizes territory in Ukraine
- COP26 sees pledges to transition to electric vehicles, but key countries are mum
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Dutch prime minister resigns after coalition, divided over migration, collapses
- Get a $118 J.Crew Shirt for $20, a $128 Swimsuit for $28, a $118 Dress for $28, and More Can't-Miss Deals
- Amazon's Secret Viral Beauty Storefront Is Hiding the Best Makeup & Skincare Deals Starting at $3
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- A biodiesel boom (and conundrum)
Ranking
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- How 2021's floods and heat waves are signs of what's to come
- Earth sees third straight hottest day on record, though it's unofficial: Brutally hot
- Veteran anti-consumerist crusader Reverend Billy takes aim at climate change
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Monsoon rains inundate northern India, with floods and landslides blamed for almost two dozen deaths
- Biden announces a plan in Glasgow to help poorer countries with climate change
- Satellites reveal the secrets of water-guzzling farms in California
Recommendation
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
Jonas Brothers Twin With Molly Shannon's Sally O'Malley on SNL
16 Dresses & Skirts With Pockets You Need to Get Your Hands On This Spring
Key takeaways as China urges solidarity with Russia, India and other Shanghai Cooperation allies
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Elton John bids farewell in last show of final tour
At least 51 people killed in road accident in western Kenya, 32 injured, police and Red Cross say
Check Out the Most Surprising Celeb Transformations of the Week