Current:Home > MarketsAn arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania -NextFrontier Finance
An arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania
View
Date:2025-04-17 07:04:01
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! (552)
Related
- How breaking emerged from battles in the burning Bronx to the Paris Olympics stage
- The next generation of Buffetts is poised to become one of the biggest forces in philanthropy
- Travis Kelce's NFL Suite Features Sweet Nod to Taylor Swift
- 'Shogun' rules Emmys; Who is Anna Sawai? Where have we seen Hiroyuki Sanada before?
- NCAA President Charlie Baker would be 'shocked' if women's tournament revenue units isn't passed
- Florida sheriff fed up with school shooting hoaxes posts boy’s mugshot to social media
- NFL Week 2 overreactions: Are the Saints a top contender? Ravens, Dolphins in trouble
- Democrats put up $25 million to reach voters in 10 states in fierce fight for Senate majority
- Plunge Into These Olympic Artistic Swimmers’ Hair and Makeup Secrets
- Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan Shares Why She Was “Terrified” at the 2024 Emmys
Ranking
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Florida sheriff fed up with school shooting hoaxes posts boy’s mugshot to social media
- Connie Chung talks legacy, feeling like she 'parachuted into a minefield' on '20/20'
- Hillary Clinton takes stock of life’s wins and losses in a memoir inspired by a Joni Mitchell lyric
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Chiefs show gap between them and other contenders is still quite large
- 2024 Emmys: Pommel Horse Star Stephen Nedoroscik Keeps Viral Olympics Tradition Alive Before Presenting
- Tito Jackson of The Jackson 5 Dead at 70
Recommendation
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
A'ja Wilson makes more WNBA history as first player to score 1,000 points in a season
Emmys: What you didn't see on TV, including Jennifer Aniston's ticket troubles
The Key to Fix California’s Inadequate Water Storage? Put Water Underground, Scientists Say
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
Could YOU pass a citizenship test?
You'll Be Royally Flushed by the Awkward Way Kate Middleton Met Brother James Middleton's Wife
Steve Gleason 'stable' after medical event during hurricane: What we know