Current:Home > ScamsRobert Brown|An arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania -ClearPath Finance
Robert Brown|An arrest has been made in the slaying of a pregnant Amish woman in Pennsylvania
Poinbank Exchange View
Date:2025-04-10 23:47:10
SPARTANSBURG,Robert Brown 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! (74919)
Related
- How effective is the Hyundai, Kia anti-theft software? New study offers insights.
- E-cigarette and tobacco use among high school students declines, CDC study finds
- Star of David symbols spray-painted on Paris buildings under investigation by authorities in France
- Former Missouri officer pleads guilty after prosecutors say he kicked a suspect in the head
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Oregon Democratic US Rep. Earl Blumenauer reflects on 27 years in Congress and what comes next
- Vanessa Hudgens Reveals Why She's So Overwhelmed Planning Her Wedding to Cole Tucker
- Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah leader threatens escalation with Israel as its war with Hamas rages on
- Kehlani Responds to Hurtful Accusation She’s in a Cult
- Former D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier focuses on it all as NFL's head of security
Ranking
- Taylor Swift Cancels Austria Concerts After Confirmation of Planned Terrorist Attack
- Former Missouri officer pleads guilty after prosecutors say he kicked a suspect in the head
- Rideshare services Uber and Lyft will pay $328 million back to New York drivers over wage theft
- Partner in proposed casino apologizes for antisemitic slurs by radio host against project opponent
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Stellar women’s field takes aim at New York City Marathon record on Sunday
- Why Kim Kardashian Really Fired Former Assistant Steph Shep
- NASA spacecraft discovers tiny moon around asteroid during close flyby
Recommendation
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Right turn on red? With pedestrian deaths rising, US cities are considering bans
Massive storm in Europe drops record-breaking rain and continues deadly trek across Italy
Israel deports thousands of Palestinian workers back to Gaza’s war zone
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
'White Lotus' star Haley Lu Richardson is 'proud' of surviving breakup: 'Life has gone on'
Lancôme Deal Alert: Score a $588 Value Holiday Beauty Box for $79
Beloved Russian singer who criticized Ukraine war returns home. The church calls for her apology