Guilty Verdict for Rebekah Byler’s Killer
Meadville – After three hours of deliberation, jurors in Crawford County found Shawn Cranston of Corry guilty of homicide in the first degree, second-degree homicide of an unborn child, burglary, and related charges in the February 2024 death of Rebekah Byler near Spartansburg. Lawyers from the Office of the Attorney General filled in for local prosecution and provided four days of witness testimony proving that Cranston attacked the Amish mother of two while she was six months pregnant and killed her because he was trying to burglarize her home. Cranston will be sentenced on July 28th; his conviction requires a sentence of life in Prison.

Pauly Likens Murder Trial Delayed
Sharon – In a Mercer County homicide, the trial for DeShawn Watkins has been moved from July to September after Judge Daniel Wallace granted the defense attorney’s motion for extended discovery. Watkins is accused of the murder and dismemberment of transgender teen Pauly Likens last summer. Watkins’s attorney, Vincent Nudi, a public defender, requested the continuance in May, saying he needed more time to explore certain aspects of his defense strategy.
According to Nudi, he needs more information before he can decide whether his client may have mental health issues that affect the case. The victim, Pauly, was discovered dismembered in the Shenango Valley Reservoir in late June of last year.