Rebekah Byler dies in fatal Spartansburg shooting

Rebekah Byler dies in fatal Spartansburg shooting

Fatal Spartansburg shooting death of Rebekah Byler

Rebekah Byler, a 23-year-old pregnant Amish woman, was fatally shot inside her home in rural Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, early last year. On Thursday, a jury found 53-year-old truck driver Shawn Christopher Cranston guilty of her murder, as well as the murder of her unborn child and other related charges.

Cranston was arrested weeks after the killing and was tried in Crawford County, where he was convicted of first-degree murder and second-degree murder of an unborn child. His sentencing is scheduled for late July.

According to authorities, Byler was discovered in her living room with gunshot and sharp force injuries. Her two young children, a 2-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son, were present during the attack but were not physically harmed. The son reportedly told investigators that a man in sneakers had killed his mother.

Investigators began focusing on Cranston within a day of the crime and seized multiple items from his home in Corry, located roughly eight miles from Spartansburg. Members of the local Amish community attended the trial.

Byler’s husband, Andy Byler, testified that he had been out exploring roofing work when the attack happened. Upon returning home, he was informed of the incident by his children and found Rebekah’s cap near the entrance before discovering her body.

Authorities described the crime as particularly horrific and emphasized the violation of safety that occurred within the family’s home.