A 53-year-old Pennsylvania man, Shawn Christopher Cranston, was convicted of first-degree murder after the 2024 killing of a pregnant Amish woman, Rebekah Byler. She was cut and shot dead by Cranston while her two children were inside her Spartansburg home.
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According to The Associated Press, Cranston was convicted by a jury on Thursday, June 12, of first-degree murder, second-degree murder of an unborn child, and other related offenses. He will be sentenced in late July, as per the outlet.
The incident took place on February 26, 2024. Byler was at her home with her children while her husband, Andy Byler, went to work. Cranston, who was a driver for an Amish man who lived a mile away from Byler’s home, entered the residence.
As reported by PennLive, Crnaston had attempted to carry out a burglary. However, when he found Rebekah was still at home, Cranston slashed her neck and shot her in the head. The incident occurred in the living room while her two children were in the house. The children remained unharmed.
Upon returning home, Andy Byler was met by his children, who told him about the tragic news.
“I didn’t really believe it,” Byler testified back in 2024, as per the AP. “I walked in and saw her cap laying inside the door.”
Chilling Details
Days later, on March 2, 2024, police arrested Shawn Christopher Cranston. Prosecutors, during his trial, showed evidence of him being at the house at the time of the incident. As per PennLive, these included a glove containing Cranston’s DNA at the Byler home, matching shoe prints and tire treads, and GPS data of Cranston’s vehicle, placing him at the scene.
Moreover, this was not the first time that the Byler family dealt with Cranston. According to PEOPLE, citing court documents, Cranston would randomly appear at the Byler home. In one instance, he allegedly wandered across the property while wearing black clothing. He also had a holstered black pistol on his belt.
“It is hard to fathom conduct more heinous than brutally killing a young expectant mother and her unborn child in her home,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a release, as per the AP. “Our homes are supposed to be our safe haven — this defendant violated the sanctity of home to commit these truly evil acts.”