CRAWFORD COUNTY, Penn. (TCN) — A 53-year-old truck driver who was convicted of killing a pregnant Amish woman will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office announced that a judge sentenced Shawn Cranston on July 28 to life in prison without parole plus an additional life sentence. A jury previously found him guilty of first- and second-degree murder and other related charges in connection with the death of 23-year-old Rebekah Byler and her unborn baby.
According to prosecutors, in February 2024, Cranston “targeted” Byler’s residence for a burglary. He encountered her alone and reportedly sliced her throat with a knife and shot her to death.
The attorney general’s office said investigators recovered a piece of a glove containing the defendant’s DNA. They also purportedly discovered shoe prints, vehicle tire treads, and GPS data that linked Cranston to the crime.
According to The Associated Press, Byler’s children, ages 2 and 3, were home during the incident, but they were unharmed.
Prosecutors said, “Byler is remembered as a woman who lived for her children and had a passion for cleaning.”
In a statement, Attorney General Dave Sunday said, “This defendant committed a truly evil act and is now held fully accountable, as he will spend the rest of his life behind bars without an opportunity to ever again harm another person in free society.”
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