HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a Crawford County jury convicted a man of killing a pregnant woman last year in her Sparta Township home.
After four days of testimony, the jury convicted Shawn Cranston of first-degree murder, second-degree murder of an unborn child, and related charges. Cranston will spend the rest of his life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 28.
The Office of Attorney General presented testimony this week that Cranston targeted Rebekah Byler’s home for a burglary, and, after encountering her home alone, sliced her throat and shot her.
“It is hard to fathom conduct more heinous than brutally killing a young expectant mother and her unborn child in her home,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Our homes are supposed to be our safe haven — this defendant violated the sanctity of home to commit these truly evil acts.”
Prosecutors presented testimony about key pieces of evidence, including a piece of a glove found at the home containing Cranston’s DNA; shoe prints and vehicle tire treads that matched Cranston’s shoes and vehicle; and GPS data from Cranston’s vehicle that placed him at the scene.
An autopsy showed Byler, 23, died of sharp force injuries and a gunshot wound to the head.
“I commend our team and the Pennsylvanian State Police for dealing with this truly horrific case and focusing on the facts, which clearly pointed to Shawn Cranston’s guilt,” Attorney General Sunday said.
Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry and Deputy Attorney General Kevin Scheibel prosecuted the case.
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