The daughter of the alleged gunman suspected of killing a pregnant Amish mother of two has claimed her father intended to kill the previous owner.
Shawn Cranston, 52, was arrested and charged with the murder of Rebekah Byler, who was shot in the head and had her throat slit inside her home on Monday.
Cranston’s daughter, who was a similar age to the young victim, told JET 24/Fox 66 that she believed the murder may have been a case of mistaken identity.
The AThe Mish couple, who lived in the Byler house a few years ago, adopted Cranston’s grandson. The daughter said: “As far as I know, he just wanted his grandson back.”
According to the daughter, events took a deadly turn when Byler began yelling at her father. She said: ‘She allegedly started shouting at him when she came in, and that’s when boom, it all took. It’s just horrible to think that.
Shawn Cranston, 52, of Corry, Pennsylvania, was arrested earlier today for allegedly murdering pregnant Rebekah Byler, 23, in her home on Monday.
The 23-year-old was six months pregnant when she was shot and killed in her Spartansburg home Monday morning.
Cranson’s daughter added: “Like I could never imagine my dad being that cold-hearted monster.” Not in a million years.’
Since the double homicide, Cranston has been charged with criminal homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child, robbery and burglary.
He is currently being held in the Crawford County Jail without bond.
Just two days after police said they had no suspects, Pennsylvania State Police arrested Cranston and charged him with the murder of the Amish mother.
The young mother was six months pregnant when she was shot and killed in her Spartansburg home Monday morning.
Police described the case as an “exhaustive” five-day investigation before Cranston was charged with the murder of Byler and her unborn child.
Cranston is married to nurse Jamie, 46, was arrested Saturday morning when he was processed at 4:24 a.m. and booked into the Crawford County Jail.
His Facebook bio says: ‘I’m someone’s worst nightmare if they mess with me and mine.’
He has been charged with criminal homicide, criminal homicide of an unborn child, robbery and burglary. Not eligible for bail
His preliminary hearing is set for March 15.
Cranston’s neighbors told DailyMail.com of their shock at the horror of his arrest and the violence of the crime he is accused of.
Police say Byler appeared to have “slash wounds to his neck and head” and confirmed he was shot.
Paula Stine, who lives two doors down from the man now accused of double homicide, said: ‘I was shocked. It’s scary to think how close someone like that was and I have grandchildren.’
Yellow police tape surrounded the crime scene Saturday morning. The windows were obscured by drawn curtains and objects stacked against them.
A tractor was in the messy, muddy, trash-filled yard where a motor home was parked.
The remote house, located down a long dirt road where cars rarely travel, was empty when DailyMail.com visited on Friday.
Ms Stine told DailyMail.com that police had blocked off Corry’s East Main Street on Friday night and that a SWAT team arrived at Cranston’s ramshackle home there around 9 p.m.
He said he didn’t know how or if Cranston knew Byler, adding: “I rarely spoke to him.” He really kept to himself, but it’s really chilling to think that he was there.
Bylers’ children, ages two and three, were in the home when their mother was killed. It fell to her husband, Andy, to make the gruesome discovery of her corpse.
Police have not released any information about the scene beyond confirming that he was shot and that his death was a homicide.
The remote house, located down a long dirt road where cars rarely travel, was empty when DailyMail.com visited on Friday.
There was a children’s scooter by the front door, and in the garden there was a swing and a slide. A traditional Amish buggy was parked in front of an outbuilding.
The Amish woman’s body was found with gunshot wounds. Her two young children were home at the time of her death.
Police have not released any information about the scene beyond confirming that he was shot and that his death was a homicide.
One Amish woman declined to comment beyond telling DailyMail.com: ‘We like to keep things between us. We are not talking to protect the parents and the husband.’
Despite the terrible crime, neighbors remained quiet, in keeping with the Amish community’s notoriously closed customs.
One Amish woman declined to comment beyond telling DailyMail.com: ‘We like to keep things between us. “We are not speaking to protect the parents and the husband.”
Residents and family members reported seeing a red Jeep parked outside Byler’s home around 10 a.m. Monday morning, an unusual sight in a part of the world where motor vehicles are a rarity and on a road that usually Only horses and buggies pass through.
Locals in the community have also come together to raise money for Byler’s family.
“I am absolutely heartbroken about what has happened,” Charleen Hajec, owner of Spartansburg Pharmacy, told ABC 6. “I am very concerned for the Amish community and concerned for them.”
Locals in the community have also come together to raise money for Byler’s family.
A homicide investigation is extremely rare in the rural area, which is 40 miles from the city of Erie.
Kelsey Bova, owner of Bova’s Hardware and administrator of a local Spartansburg Facebook group, created a GoFundMe for donations.
A homicide investigation is extremely rare in the rural area, which is 40 miles from the city of Erie.
Kelsey Bova, owner of Bova’s Hardware and administrator of a local Spartansburg Facebook group, created a GoFundMe for donations.
“We would like to show our support for the entire Amish community and help raise funds so Andy and his children can find a safe new home,” he wrote.
Bova announced that it was organizing a drive for food, toys, cleaning supplies and gift cards, inviting locals to drop off donations at the hardware store or a local pub.
Byler’s cousin, Rosanna, posted on Facebook asking her friends to pray for her.
‘I am in shock! I can not believe it! Where they live in Pennsylvania is rural!’ wrote the woman from Rogers, Ohio. “I grew up about 20 miles from there and went down to that area all the time.”