Shawn Cranston: Suspect arrested after pregnant Amish woman found dead in her Pennsylvania home

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

SPARTA TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA: A 52-year-old man from Pennsylvania was arrested for being involved in the death of an Amish woman.

Shawn Cranston appeared in court early on Saturday morning and was accused of multiple murder charges as per the New York Post.

A 23-year-old pregnant woman named Rebekah Byler was killed at her farmhouse on Fish Flat Roads in Sparta Township on February 26, 2024. 

Byler's two young children were also in the house when her body was found. She was six months pregnant when she died.

What are the charges placed on arrested Shawn Cranston?

Following his arrest on Saturday, the Pennsylvania State Police declared that Shawn Cranston is charged with several offenses, including criminal homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child, burglary, and criminal trespass. 

It's important to note that Cranston is presently detained without bond at the Crawford County Jail, and his preliminary hearing is set for March 15, 2024.

As per ABC News, the criminal complaint against Cranston claims that he killed her by either shooting her in the head or slashing her throat. 

Police also stated that Cranston seems to be employed by a trucking company and has a photo of a rig named "The Flying Turd" in his possession. 

Additionally, based on information from his Facebook page, he wrote, "I'm someone's worst nightmare if they mess with me and mine."

Rebekah Byler was found unresponsive in her farmhouse

On February 26, the police went to a home in Sparta Township where they found Byler dead. Her cause of death has not been told yet. She was found lying on her back in the living room, with fatal wounds on her neck and head.

According to Crimeonline, Byler's two young children were at home when she was found dead, but they were not hurt physically.

Police got search warrants to look for knives, blades, and other things used in the attack, in the house and other buildings on the property.

Byler lived in a rural area with many Amish families. Relatives saw a red jeep in her driveway on the morning she died, and it was also seen driving down the road.

Sparta Township is a small place in Crawford County, near Spartansburg and about 35 miles from Erie, Pennsylvania.

Charleen Jajec, a pharmacist from Spartansburg, said “Everyone is stunned this doesn’t happen here, Everyone is talking, it’s scary and frustrating.”

She said, "It's hard to believe that a murder could happen in such a close-knit community like Sparta Township, where people usually keep to themselves."

An Amish man who knows Byler's family said her death has broken their community. He said they are turning to God for help. “We are people who believe in God and turn to him during a time like this.”