As preliminary hearing arrives, here's what we know in killing of pregnant Amish woman

Corry resident Shawn C. Cranston, 52, is scheduled to appear for his preliminary hearing on Friday on charges in the death of Rebekah A. Byler, a 23-year-old pregnant Amish woman who was killed inside her home at 21845 Fish Flats Road in Sparta Township, Crawford County, on Feb. 26.

More details on Byler's death and what led the Pennsylvania State Police to identify Cranston as a suspect are expected to be revealed at the hearing, scheduled for 1:15 p.m. at the Crawford County Judicial Center.

Here's what we know so far:

How did police learn of Rebekah Byler's death?

State police at Corry, in southern Erie County, were summoned to Byler's Fish Flats Road home, which sits west of Route 89, shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 26.

A caller to 911, described by state police as a family friend who had given Byler's husband a ride to an outing earlier that day, reported that she and Byler's husband returned to the Byler residence to find Rebekah Byler unresponsive inside, according to information state police filed with search warrants for the Byler home.

Troopers found Byler, who was six months pregnant, on her back in a pool of blood in the home's living room, according to information in the warrants. Two toddler-age children were also inside the home but were not injured, state police said.

A laceration was observed on the front side of Byler's neck "in addition to a scalping type wound on her head," the trooper who obtained the search warrants wrote in their affidavits.

Crawford County Coroner Eric Coston pronounced Byler dead at the scene at 1:45 p.m. on Feb. 26.

How did police investigate Byler's death?

State police obtained two search warrants for the Byler residence from Titusville District Judge Amy Nicols and served them on the residence shortly after 3 p.m. on Feb. 26. Evidence they were looking for included knives, firearms, blood, DNA, fingernail scrapings and clippings, electronic devices "and any other physical evidence associated with criminal activity," according to the warrants.

Inventory lists of items collected from the property were returned on the early afternoon of March 4. The seized items included a rifle and two shotguns, two discharged cartridge cases, pieces of at least one broken knife, a partially smoked cigarette, a black hair, an empty soda bottle and a cotton-tipped applicator used for a DNA swab containing possible DNA, according to the inventory lists.

Erie County forensic pathologist Eric Vey, M.D., performed an autopsy on Byler in Erie County on Feb. 27. Details on the autopsy, including the cause and manner of Byler's death, were not released in order to maintain the integrity of the active investigation, Coston wrote in a news release issued on Feb. 28.

Coston said he released Byler's body to a funeral home in Union City on the evening of Feb. 28.

A GoFundMe effort was organized on Feb. 28 by a friend of the Byler family to raise funds for Byler's husband and children. The GoFundMe post said Byler was six months pregnant.

When was Shawn Cranston charged in Byler's death?

Cranston, who state police said is known to some in the Amish community where the Bylers live, was taken into custody in Corry on the evening of March 1.

State police on March 1 also searched Cranston's residence at 428 E. Main St. in Corry, with the search continuing into March 2.

Cranston was brought before Nicols at 4:24 a.m. on March 2 for his arraignment. He was placed in the Crawford County Correctional Facility without bond.

The criminal complaint filed against Cranston did not include an affidavit of probable cause. The trooper who filed the charges wrote in the complaint that Cranston is accused of killing Byler by shooting her in the head and/or slashing her throat.

What penalties would Cranston face if convicted?

Cranston is charged with criminal homicide, with criminal homicide of an unborn child and felony counts of burglary and criminal trespass.

The two homicide charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, the burglary charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and the criminal trespass charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, according to information in the criminal complaint.

Crawford County District Attorney Paula DiGiacomo is prosecuting the case. The Crawford County Public Defender's Office is representing Cranston, according to information in his online court docket sheet.

Cranston's preliminary hearing was initially scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday in Nicols' district court in Titusville.

Crawford County President Judge John Spataro issued an order on March 8 moving the hearing to 1:15 p.m. Friday in Courtroom 1 of the Crawford County Judicial Center, at 359 E. Center St. in Meadville, off Diamond Park. Nicols will preside.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: PA pregnant Amish woman's slaying: Preliminary hearing arrives Friday