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Shawn Cranston Arrested for Murder of Pregnant Amish Woman in Pennsylvania

Rebekah Byler was found with a slashed throat and a scalping-type wound in her home, sparking a community-wide investigation.

  • Pennsylvania police arrested Shawn Cranston, 52, for the murder of Rebekah Byler, a 23-year-old pregnant Amish woman, found dead in her home with a slashed throat and a scalping-type wound.
  • Rebekah Byler was discovered by her husband and a family friend in a pool of blood in their Sparta Township home on Feb. 26.
  • Investigators recovered a broken knife, unidentified hair, three firearms, bullets, and two spent casings from the crime scene.
  • A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Byler's husband and two other children, highlighting community fears that the crime targeted the family due to a previous adoption.
  • Cranston, who faces charges including criminal homicide of an unborn child, burglary, and trespass, is being held without bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 15.
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