Police charge man after pregnant Amish woman slain in Pennsylvania

SPARTANSBURG, PA. ― A five-day investigation into the death of a pregnant Amish woman in northwestern Pennsylvania has ended with police charging a man, saying he broke into the home where she was found with cutting wounds to her neck and head.

The man, Shawn C. Cranston, 52, was charged Saturday in the death of 23-year-old Rebekah Byler and her unborn child in Crawford County, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release. Crawford County is immediately south of Erie County, bordering Ohio. Cranston faces homicide, homicide of an unborn child, burglary and criminal trespass charges.

Byler was found dead Monday afternoon at her home in Sparta Township. Her husband and a friend returned to the home and found Byler lying on her back in the living room and called 911, according to case documents.

Byler had neck and head wounds, according to investigators. Two toddlers were also inside the home, but not injured, state police said.

Details on what led police to identify Cranston as a suspect in Byler's death, and information on a possible motive in the killing, were not immediately available Saturday.

State police said troopers searched Cranston's home in Erie County on Friday night and into Saturday morning.

Cranston is being held without bond at the Crawford County Correctional Facility. He has a preliminary scheduled for March 15.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Pregnant Amish woman slain in Pennsylvania; man charged