A suspect has been arrested for the killing of Rebekah Byler, a 26-year-old Amish woman who was six months pregnant at the time of her slaying.
Shawn Cranston was taken into custody in the early hours of Saturday morning, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release. He was arraigned just after 4:30 a.m. on charges including criminal homicide, criminal homicide of unborn child, burglary, and criminal trespass, WJET reported.
Authorities provided few other details, including what evidence triggered the arrest. It follows an exhaustive five-day investigation, launched after authorities discovered Byer dead inside her home in Sparta Township, some 30 miles southeast of Erie. Police responded to the residence after Byler’s husband and a friend found her on lying her back and unresponsive, and then phoned 911.
This is the home a few miles outside of Spartansburg, Pa., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, where investigators discovered the body of a pregnant 23-year-old Amish woman. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Police said Byler suffered fatal wounds to her head and neck, though the official cause of death has not been released.
The grisly violence earlier this week rocked the rural Amish community in northwestern Pennsylvania, who restrict the use of technology and are known for their traditional clothing. Those living in the area have noted the religious group gets on well and co-exists alongside others who do not share their beliefs.
“Everyone is stunned — this doesn’t happen here,” Charleen Hajec, a pharmacist who was born and raised in Spartansburg, told ABC News. “Everyone is talking. It’s scary and frustrating.”
An Amish carriage is parked in the yard of the home a few miles outside of Spartansburg, Pa., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, where investigators discovered the body of a pregnant 23-year-old Amish woman. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Hajec added that their “tight-knit community” is still struggling to recover and process what had happened to Byler.
“The outside world doesn’t get in,” Hajec said. “To have something this tragic … it doesn’t happen here.”
Cranston was being held without bond at the Crawford County Jail. His preliminary hearing is set for March 15.
With News Wire Services