Pennsylvania State Police arrested a man Saturday for murdering a pregnant Amish woman last week.
Shawn C. Cranston, 52, of Corry faces charges of criminal homicide, unborn child killing, burglary, and trespass.
Court filings acquired by NBC News indicate that Cranston broke into the house of Sparta Township resident Rebekah A. Byler, 23, on Monday and killed her by “shooting [her] in the head and/or slashing her throat.”
A family member found her dead before 12:30 p.m., police said. The residence contained her two children when her body was found.
Cranston was denied bond at a preliminary arraignment early Saturday morning owing to a possible life sentence and remains in Crawford County jail. His preliminary hearing is on March 15, according to court documents. No public defender has been requested. Rural northern Pennsylvanians believe the Amish get along with their neighbors, so the killing startled them.
After Byler's husband, Andy Byler, found her death inside the home after noon on Feb. 26, police began investigating. On Thursday, Trooper Cynthia Schick told The Associated Press that the investigation and autopsy suggested a murder weapon.
The Bylers live on a dirt road in a secluded farming area. A community home hosted calling hours Thursday night for scores of Amish. Many arrived in headlight-lit buggies on winding country roads. Residents stated the Amish had lived there for a long time and blended seamlessly. The Amish labor for the non-Amish and attend fish fries, they added. They also visit each other's homes. Neighbors are raising money for the Bylers.
The Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania says the Amish are not homogeneous but follow basic Christian beliefs and customs. They travel by horse and buggies and dress simply. Local congregations have dress, technology, and social involvement standards. Nearly 400,000 Amish live in hundreds of villages in 32 states, Canada, and Bolivia. Pennsylvania has a large Amish population.
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