The adopted daughter of a Pennsylvania man who allegedly shot and killed a pregnant Amish woman in her home can’t believe that her father was the kind of “cold-blooded monster” who would commit such a heinous crime. It is said that he spoke.
Sean Cranston, 52, was arrested early Saturday morning on suspicion of killing Rebecca Byler, a 23-year-old pregnant mother of two, in an isolated farmhouse late last month, authorities said.
However, Cranston’s adopted daughter He told JET 24/FOX 66 in Erie. She believes the brutal killing was a mistake, she said. An Amish family that lived in Byler’s home several years ago had adopted Cranston’s grandson.
Collie’s Cranston wanted him back.
“I could never have imagined that my father was such a cruel monster,” said Cranston’s distraught daughter. The station only identified her daughter as a woman in her 20s. “Never in a million years.”
“I think she started screaming at him and he came in and that’s when boom, that was enough,” his daughter said. “It’s horrifying to think about that…As far as I’m concerned, he just wanted his grandson back.”
Pennsylvania State Police arrested the truck driver outside a Dollar General store next to his home, the network said.
“It was crazy,” Dollar General employee Julie Purpura told the station. “I’ve never seen so much law enforcement at once. Never.”
Police said Cranston was charged with murder, murder of a fetus, robbery and trespassing.
Cranston was indicted early Saturday morning and is now held without warranty at the Crawford County Jail.
Police arrived at Byler’s home on February 26 after Rebecca’s husband, Andy, and a family friend found her unconscious inside their Sparta Township home, about 60 miles from Erie. visited.
According to authorities, Cranston allegedly slit the woman’s throat, who was six months pregnant, then shot her in the head.
The family’s two other children were still in the home and were not injured.
“Everyone is surprised. This doesn’t happen here,” said Charlene Hajek, a Spartansburg pharmacist. he told ABC News. “Everyone’s talking about it. It’s scary and frustrating.”
“The outside world doesn’t come in,” Hajek said, adding that Spara is a close-knit community. “For something so tragic to happen… it doesn’t happen here.”
