The daughter of the man accused of murdering a pregnant Pennsylvania woman in her home is speaking out following his arrest late Friday, WJET-TV reports.
Shawn C. Cranston, 52, faces multiple charges in connection with the death of 23-year-old Rebekah Byler, who was six months pregnant at the time she was killed.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Byler was found unresponsive around 12:30 p.m. on February 26 by her husband and another person at their home in Sparta Township.
Byler was reportedly found in a pool of blood on her back in the living room and had wounds to her neck and head, according to the Erie Times-News. Investigators believe she was shot in the head and stabbed in the throat.
Two young children were at the home when Byler was found, but they were not harmed physically, police said.
A woman who says Cranston was her foster father growing up said she believed the killing may involve mistaken identity. Details are not clear, but the woman told WJET-TV that an Amish couple who had lived in the same residence where Byler was killed had adopted Cranston’s grandson several years ago.
“As far as I know, he just wanted his grandson back,” the woman told the television station.
It is not clear if the Amish couple the woman was referring to was still living at the residence.
The television station did not reveal the woman’s name and she did not wish to be on camera. Still, she said she could not imagine Cranston doing what he is accused of.
“Like I could never picture my dad being that cold-hearted monster. Never in a million years,” the woman told WJET-TV.
CrimeOnline has not independently confirmed the woman’s account or her relationship with Cranston.
Byler’s relatives had reported seeing a red Jeep in her driveway on the morning she was killed. That Jeep had also been seen driving down their road, according to WJET-TV. On Friday night, a red Jeep was observed being towed from Cranston’s residence.
Cranston faces charges of criminal homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child, burglary, and criminal trespass. He was arraigned early Saturday and remains in the Crawford County Jail without bail. He faces life in prison if convicted of the homicide charges.
A preliminary hearing is set for March 15.
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[Feature Photo: Shawn Cranston/Pennsylvania State Police]
