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

[I am not Sherlock H.]

Pennsylvania Crawford County Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts appears to have established a specific webpage / links ‘Commonwealth v. Shawn C. Cranston’ for the case of Shawn Christopher (C.) Cranston. Pretrial Conference appears to be scheduled IIUC.

Included in those documents is a May 15, 2024 Decorum Order ‘Govering’ Pretrial Conference. (There appears to be a misspelling of Covering / Governing?)

Seems a June 24, 2024 pre trial hearing has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (EST) in Courtroom 2 of the Crawford County Judicial Center:

Commonwealth v. Shawn C. Cranston

www.crawfordcountypa.net

 

[GingerGirl83]

Does anyone know what the possible motive was for this? I can't seem to find where LE has mentioned a motive.

 

[Joe Friday]

Does anyone know what the possible motive was for this? I can't seem to find where LE has mentioned a motive.

Speculation on my part.

I remember something about a child being adapted by a different family also named Byler. This child may be related to Cranston. Cranston may have been looking for that child. Very possible he was at Rebekah home thinking this was where the child was and one thing led to another.

 

[Joe Friday]

Trail has been scheduled for November 12, 2024

https://www.crawfordcountypa.net/courts/Documents/Cranston/PreTrialOrder-CR2272024.pdf

 

[Chimera]

Speculation on my part.

I remember something about a child being adapted by a different family also named Byler. This child may be related to Cranston. Cranston may have been looking for that child. Very possible he was at Rebekah home thinking this was where the child was and one thing led to another.

His reaction was (IMO) unforgiveable.
Awful to take a wife from her husband and a mother from her children.
If the courts remove a child or children, there is often a compelling reason.
Reunification is stressed so much these days -- that it's rare the child isn't returned.
Wait and work it out through the court system and maybe think about what led to the child's removal in the first place ?
Don't take the law into your own hands.
Omo.
Imo.
So sorry for Rebekah's immediate family and loved ones.

 

[Knox]

All court filings can be found at this link - Commonwealth v. Shawn C. Cranston

 

[vls12345]

Pretrial Conference Sets Stage for November Trial in High-Profile Byler Murder Case - exploreClarion

Shawn Cranston, charged with the murder of Rebekah Byler and her unborn child, is moving closer to a November trial.

www.exploreclarion.com

 

[Knox]

The trial for 52-year-old Shawn C. Cranston, which had been scheduled for November, was moved to March, Crawford County District Attorney Paula DiGiacomo said Friday. The trial was moved after Cranston's Pittsburgh lawyer, Louis Emmi, requested a continuance this week. Crawford County Judge Francis J. Schultz granted the continuance in an order issued on Thursday, according to court records.

Trial date moved for Corry man accused of killing Amish woman, unborn child in Crawford

Shawn Cranston is now scheduled for trial in March in the killing of Rebekah Byler and her unborn child in February.

www.goerie.com

 

[Knox]

“Conversations with the defendant are difficult in that, even at the jail, they are not totally private, so it takes additional time to review information and have questions answered,” Emmi wrote in seeking the continuance.

Crawford County District Attorney Paula DiGiacomo has consented to the continuance.

However, in granting the continuance, Schultz’s order states “There shall be no continuances of this trial absent extraordinary circumstances.”

Court sets March 2025 trial for suspect in alleged murder of pregnant Amish woman

The man accused by Pennsylvania State Police of killing a pregnant Amish woman and her unborn child in February now is scheduled to go on trial in Crawford County next

www.meadvilletribune.com

 

[Knox]

No change in the trial schedule, just posting link to court page for this case.

Commonwealth v. Shawn C. Cranston

www.crawfordcountypa.net

 

[Cryptic]

If the courts remove a child or children, there is often a compelling reason.
Reunification is stressed so much these days -- that it's rare the child isn't returned.
Wait and work it out through the court system.

I fully agree with all three of these points- and also like short and simple presentation style.

Years ago, I knew a prospective adoptive couple who foster cared. They saw several children who looked like strong possibilities for adoption (dad is in jail, mom has custody, but is not interested and on drugs etc. etc) ordered returned to their parent(s) or close relatives.

Likewise, there is nothing to suggest that the removal order was not for, as you stated, 'compelling circumstances'. No accusations of a biased social worker with an agenda and no accusations of novel considerations by the judge etc.

In short, and as you stated, the situation was statistically going to go in the perpetrator's favor. Why not just wait for it?

 

[Cryptic]

It depends on each community on what the bishop allows. I've transported amish for many years and many times it's allowed.

Good point, Amish are not truly unified as a group (though subgroups can have alot of similarities).

Rather each congregation makes their own rules regarding permissible degrees of outside contact and permissible degrees of direct and indirect exposure to technology etc.

As for guns, I asked one Mennonite (before I knew they were pacifists) if they served in the military. He laughed and said the only people Mennonites have ever shot have been other Mennonites in alcohol fueled hunting accidents.

 

[Richrd]

.

24 February 2025 (Upper) Court Date

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/CpDocketSheet?docketNumber=CP-20-CR-0000227-2024&dnh=pZ3CNlQnkHbD8toSUtrr6w%3D%3D

Commonwealth v. Shawn C. Cranston

www.crawfordcountypa.net

[Special Thanks to Knox]

State is now handling case of man charged in killing of pregnant Amish mom. What's next

Crawford County DA says office's lack of staff led her to ask Attorney General's Office to prosecute Shawn C. Cranston in Rebekah A. Byler's death.

www.poconorecord.com

May Prompt Justice Be Served.

 

[Knox]

Thank you @Richrd for posting the update, from your news link.

Due to a staffing shortage in the Crawford County District Attorney's Office, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office has taken over the prosecution of the case against Shawn C. Cranston, the Corry resident charged in the killing of 23-year-old Rebekah A. Byler, who was Amish, and her unborn child in Sparta Township in February.

Cranston's trial is scheduled for March in Crawford County Common Pleas Court.

Crawford County District Attorney Paula DiGiacomo said she requested that the Attorney General's Office take over the case in the fall, after the size of her staff dropped from four prosecutors to two, including herself.

State is now handling case of man charged in killing of pregnant Amish mom. What's next

Crawford County DA says office's lack of staff led her to ask Attorney General's Office to prosecute Shawn C. Cranston in Rebekah A. Byler's death.

www.poconorecord.com

Happy to hear the trial hasn't been delayed, at least as of now.

 

[Knox]

According to court documents, two witnesses recently came forward and were interviewed by Pennsylvania State Police on March 3—just eight days before the scheduled start of the trial.

These witness statements provide what prosecutors suggest is a direct connection between Cranston and the crime, along with previously unrevealed details about the defendant's alleged motive and the manner in which the killing occurred.

According to information in the amended motion, one witness stated that Cranston had a "meth issue" and was engaging in what was described as "shed hopping” — breaking into sheds, garages and houses to steal items.

The witness provided detailed information about the crime, alleging that Cranston went to Byler's residence because he was told there was money there. After arriving, Cranston reportedly slammed his car door deliberately so that anyone inside would hear it and come outside.

Cranston murder trial postponed for 3rd time as new witness statements emerge

The trial of Shawn C. Cranston, the Corry man accused of killing a pregnant Amish woman in February 2024, has been postponed until June after new witness statements have come

www.nenjnews.com

Rebekah lost her life because Cranston was a meth head and needed money to support his habit. I thought the motive was so much more complicated than this.

Throw away the key ...

 

[Joe Friday]

Jury selection had been scheduled to start March 11, but is now scheduled for June 9.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Witnesses called on Tuesday morning included Daniel Byler, the Bylers’ Amish neighbor; Warner, Andy Byler’s driver; Ida Miller, nearby resident who went by the Byler house in a buggy on the day of the homicide; Rebecca Byler, friend of the victim who lived just down the road from Andy and Rebekah; Trooper Brad Romancik, who was tasked with locating and taking photos of Cranston’s jeep; Michael Sweet, who was in the area and noticed a red Jeep in the victim’s driveway’ Dan Miller, who experienced a home robbery on Jan. 5, 2024; Lester A. Byler, who experienced a home robbery on Feb. 9, 2024; Trooper Jered Thomas of the PSP Tactical Intelligence Unit, who performed a “trash pull” from the garbage cans at the road in front of Cranston’s residence; and Clara Wengerd, an Amish woman whose father’s driver was Cranston before his son, John Cranston, took over.

Cranston murder trial begins with husband's testimony, forensic evidence

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an ongoing story, and updates will be published as they become available.

www.thecorryjournal.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[LNL]

Thank you for posting this update.

 

[Knox]

No doubt in my mind Cranston will be convicted. My thoughts are with Rebekah’s loved ones, as the trial proceeds. Such a tragic loss.