HARRISBURG, PA — A Crawford County jury has convicted Shawn Cranston of first-degree murder, second-degree murder of an unborn child, and related charges in the brutal killing of 23-year-old Rebekah Byler last year in her Sparta Township home. Cranston now faces life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for July 28.
Over four days of testimony, prosecutors outlined evidence that Cranston targeted Byler’s home for a burglary. Upon encountering her alone, he stabbed her throat and fatally shot her.
“It is hard to fathom conduct more heinous than brutally killing a young expectant mother and her unborn child in her home,” said Attorney General Dave Sunday. “Our homes are supposed to be our safe haven — this defendant violated the sanctity of home to commit these truly evil acts.”
Investigators presented critical evidence, including a glove fragment containing Cranston’s DNA, shoe prints and tire treads matching his sneakers and vehicle, and GPS data placing him at the scene. An autopsy revealed that Byler, who was expecting a child, died of sharp-force injuries and a gunshot wound to the head.
Attorney General Sunday commended the prosecution and law enforcement teams for their efforts. “I commend our team and the Pennsylvania State Police for dealing with this truly horrific case and focusing on the facts, which clearly pointed to Shawn Cranston’s guilt.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry and Deputy Attorney General Kevin Scheibel, with the verdict marking a decisive end to a case described as both chilling and deeply tragic.
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