PA - Rebekah Byler, 23, mother & six months pregnant, murdered, Crawford County, 26 Feb 2024 *Arrest*

[YourM0m]

I wondered if the neighbor had called the house when they saw the red jeep.,and got no answer.and was a bit frightened to enter the house, but called Andy to come home.

Yes, one of the scenarios that went through my head as well. Maybe Rebekah had her own cell phone & didn't answer.

I bet law enforcement is checking various lists to see who in the area owns a red Jeep, and paying visits to them. That's how it goes in the true crime shows anyway.

Agreed. It worked in Idaho.

 

[airportwoman]

There are people who are hired by the Amish to drive them for business, errands, or on trips. Ladies going shopping sometimes have a driver take them to the store. People going a long way for a doctor appointment will probably hire a driver. It’s usually on an as-needed basis, not like the family employs a chauffeur.

Most of the people who did this in my old town were retired men who were paid in cash. I have no idea how much they charged, or if they charged by the person, mile, hour, or some combination.

I follow several Amtrak webcams, and the stations in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri certainly see a lot of Amish travelers.

 

[iamshadow21]

Think of a friend giving you a ride more so than an Uber. For example, I used to give my neighbor a ride to our midwife's office because both of us were pregnant. It just made sense instead of her taking her buggy on that road.
Some of these rural PA roads really aren't buggy safe anymore (@bdawk20 @Hereshecomes75 can you imagine buggies on Rt. 30 now? Like it was when I was a kid. Or even 896)
So, my neighbor shared my info in the community & pretty soon I started getting requests from various Amish families in the area to drive them around. I turned most down, because I just didn't have the time (or want to). But I could have made a fair amount of cash under the table if I had.

Another example is my husband used to work at a lumber yard with a lot of Amish. They had the same old man who would go around & pick them all up in a 13 passenger van & bring them to and from work. So if they needed to go to the store on Saturday, guess who they would call first if they wanted a ride.



Thank you! I've been a WS lurker for awhile. Finally decided it was time, ha ha.

I imagine you're right, that this shift has been spurred by the increased risk. I mean, just look at that awful case the other week where that group of Amish kids died when that woman who was speeding while high on drugs just drove right into them, then convinced her twin to say it was her? The roads are so busy, now, and even in rural communities, there doesn't seem to be the courtesy and awareness of horse drawn vehicles there once was. It's all cars and trucks and tractors.

MOO

 

[Hereshecomes75]

Yes, the woman being there doesn’t sound suspicious to me right off. Amish families and their drivers often become friends, and many rely on neighbors for help (and typically reciprocate with help or food). Sometimes family friends can be cousins but too distant to be called a relative.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The warrant applications regarding the home and outbuildings that were submitted by an investigator, Trooper Adam Black, said the victim's husband, Andy Byler, found her body “a short distance inside” the home shortly after noon.

Black wrote that a woman, previously described by police as a family friend, called 911 at 12:36 p.m. to report that she and Andy Byler found Rebekah Byler unresponsive when they arrived.

Arriving at the crime scene, state police officers found Rebekah Byler on her back in the living room, Black wrote. The warrants sought knives, blades, cutting instruments and other items.

The home is located along a dirt road in a very remote farming area. There were no signs of activity Thursday afternoon at the house, where a buggy, a bike and a truck were parked outside. A few miles away, a gift shop displayed a handwritten sign offering prayers for their Amish neighbors.

Scores of Amish turned out for calling hours Thursday evening at a home in the community. Many arrived by buggies lit by headlights along the narrow country roads

Slain pregnant Amish woman had cuts to her head and neck, Pa. police say

Search warrants reveal new details as police investigate the killing of 23-year-old Rebekah A. Byler, who was found at her home in a very remote farming area in northwestern Pennsylvania.

www.wtae.com

Search warrants issued in connection with the death of a pregnant Amish woman from the Spartansburg area said she appeared to have suffered cutting wounds to her neck and head.

Rebekah A. Byler, 23, was found deceased around midday Monday in the living room of her home on Fish Flats Road in Sparta Township.

Black wrote that a woman, previously described by police as a family friend, called Crawford County 911 at 12:26 p.m. to report that she and Andy Byler found Rebekah Byler unresponsive when they arrived.

Trooper Cynthia Schick told The Associated Press on Thursday that the investigation and autopsy have given police an idea of what the murder weapon might have been, but they do not have it in their possession.

Schick confirmed to The Meadville Tribune on Thursday that Byler had received two wounds — one to the neck and one to the head.

Search warrants indicate cut wounds in Byler death

Search warrants issued in connection with the death of a pregnant Amish woman from the Spartansburg area said she appeared to have suffered cutting wounds to her neck and head.

www.meadvilletribune.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Authorities released no additional information but a friend of the victim tells Inside Edition Digital that Rebekah was six-months pregnant.

That friend also said that Rebekah's husband, Andy, allegedly saw her last when he left the home at around 8:15 a.m. on Monday.

Pregnant Amish Woman, 23, Murdered While at Home With Her 2 Children

A friend of Rebekah Byler tells Inside Edition Digital that Rebekah was six months pregnant. That friend also said that Rebekah's husband Andy last saw her when he left the home at around 8:15 a.m. on Monday.

www.insideedition.com

 

[SherryLock]

FWIW, I like to differentiate statements as "Verified" and "Unverified," and also "Unknown," since what we're told so often turns out to be inaccurate later. It's not always obvious which is which to me otherwise, and also often all gets mixed together in our discussions. The cases usually look different to me when I deliberately sort them out this way.

So, "Verified" would be what's been stated by the authorities involved, things we see for ourselves in photos, or what we can check out ourselves.

"Unverified" would be things reported by neighbors, friends and family members and bystanders, whether named or not. This is where it most often gets mixed up, in my opinion.

"Unknown" is, obviously, what hasn't been stated, though sometimes people fill it in and it becomes part of the discussion as if it is a verified fact. Or it's when something is stated but later contradicted.

And of course, it's not always crystal clear what belongs in each category. But to me, it makes me see what's going on differently and maybe more accurately. So, here's how I think it's sorted so far. Feel free to add, subtract or correct:

Verified
Name, age and address of the deceased
Husband's name and address
Rebekah was pregnant
Rebekah was dead when authorities arrived
Rebekah was lying on her back near the entrance of the home when authorities arrived
Rebekah had cuts to the neck and head
Rebekah's two small children were in the home when authorities arrived

Unverified
The sightings/existence of the red Jeep(?)

Unknown
Time of death
Manner of death
Motive
Who did it
Details surrounding Rebekah being found (such as identity of family friend)

MOO

 

[Songbird1973]

As a previous poster commented, Andy and Rebekah Byler purchased their home in 2023. It was in fact, bought very recently, on Oct 4, 2023. This is per the County assessor's records. <modsnip: sleuthing random people> Not that they couldn't have had enemies, but they were likely long time local people. ArcGIS Web Application You will need to do a search for Rebekah's name, or her husband's.

 

[Songbird1973]

As a previous poster commented, Andy and Rebekah Byler purchased their home in 2023. It was in fact, bought very recently, on Oct 4, 2023. This is per the County assessor's records. <modsnip> Not that they couldn't have had enemies, but they were likely long time local people. ArcGIS Web Application You will need to do a search for Rebekah's name, or her husband's.

As I mentioned above, Andy Byler purchased their home in Oct 2023. Many real-estate websites show that two months later, in Dec of 2023 it was put up for sale again, then removed from the market on Jan 5th. It could be an error, but it's interesting. This site has photos of the interior, showing that the original garage area has been remodeled into part of the living space. The pictures appear to confirm that the living room area, where Rebekah is reported to have been found, is the room behind the "front" double doors on the "non-garage" side. If the house was relisted while Andy and Rebekah lived in it, then these pictures could also be from after they moved in. https://www.realtor.com/realestatea...h-Flats-Rd_Spartansburg_PA_16434_M46398-17184

 

[SherryLock]

Ooh, good sleuthing there, @Songbird1973

 

[Songbird1973]

In thinking about Rebekah's possible time of death, it looks like she had started or maybe even finished her "Monday laundry" job that morning before she was murdered. In this picture (open it up) I see 3 women's dresses, 4 toddler dresses, 2 men's shirts, 4 toddler shirts, and assorted whites. In other pictures, men's and boy's pants are closer to the house. So probably 3 or more loads. So she couldn't have died too many hours before being discovered.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

The placement of her body sounds like she may have opened the door to someone who harmed her right off.

It would be helpful to know the condition of the home when she was found. Ransacked? Undisturbed?

Unless RB is an exception, young Amish mothers, as far as I know them, are toward the bottom of the list of people who have enemies, feuds, etc. My feelings if this was done by an Amish person, it’s someone known to the community as someone with mental issues. If the killer was an “English” person, I am going to guess that the motive was robbery or the person had nursed a huge out of proportion grudge to where he’d kill a pregnant lady.

 

[RetLawyer]

Has anyone seen a mention of gunshot wounds in any source other than the Jennifer Borrasso report posted above?

Later reports say she had cutting wounds to her head and throat. Police got a search warrant for the home to look for knives, blades, sharp objects. No cause of death released.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

Later reports say she had cutting wounds to her head and throat. Police got a search warrant for the home to look for knives, blades, sharp objects. No cause of death released.

Thanks. I saw that too. So no gunshot, just cutting wounds? This is kind of confusing. Not much info, and seems like there are some inaccuracies floating around.

 

[airportwoman]

I wonder if the cuts to her head and neck were caused by her falling into something when she collapsed after being shot.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“Anything that maybe seems suspicious, if your gut instinct is saying something’s not right, we want that reported. We’ll follow up, we’ll make sure that that information is received here and then passed on to our investigators. Again, nothing is too small at this point. We’re relying on the community and their help,” said trooper Cindy Schick, with Pennsylvania State Police.

Murdered Amish woman suffered injuries to head, neck: investigators

WARNING: Some of the material in this report is graphic in nature and may be disturbing to some readers. (WJET/WFXP)– Investigators looking into the murder of Crawford County resident Rebekah…

www.wkbn.com

 

[azure]

I think the perp is going to turn out to be a random semi-local English person with a history of violence/mental health issues. I doubt LE would make a community appeal if the assailant was Amish.

 

[Stunned]

Weren't her hands cut also? Like in defense wounds?

 

[musicaljoke]

I wondered if the neighbor had called the house when they saw the red jeep.,and got no answer.and was a bit frightened to enter the house, but called Andy to come home.

None of the Amish in our communities have telephones in their homes. One of the community members might have a phone in the barn or in an out building. Folks can leave messages on that number which, in due time, get delivered to the intended recipient.

 

[ifindedout]

Most of the people who did this in my old town were retired men who were paid in cash. I have no idea how much they charged, or if they charged by the person, mile, hour, or some combination.

I follow several Amtrak webcams, and the stations in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri certainly see a lot of Amish travelers.

Amish, often entire families, regularly use Amtrak's Keystone Service between Philadelphia, Lancaster and Harrisburg, and are a regular sight at 30th Street Station in Philly.