Pregnant Amish woman killed in Pennsylvania home had cuts to head, neck: report

close Video

Feds target Amish farmer in armed raid

Jeremy Loffredo with Rebel News shares insights from his reporting on an armed US Marshalls’ raid on an organic Amish farmer and his family on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight.’

Join Fox News for access to this content Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge. Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided. Having trouble? Click here.

A pregnant Amish woman found dead in her living room on Monday had lacerations to her head and neck, according to search warrant filings issued for her Pennsylvania home, The Associated Press reported.

Rebekah A. Byler, 23, was about six months pregnant when she was killed. 

A woman, previously described by police as a family friend, called 911 to report the discovery of Byler’s body “a short distance inside” the house on Fish Flats Road in Sparta Township, Crawford County, around 12:36 p.m., according to a warrant application reviewed by The Associated Press. 

Trooper Adam Black wrote in the application that Andy Byler, the slain woman’s husband, found his wife unresponsive on her back around noon. He was reportedly not home at the time of the murder, according to ABC 13. 

Byler’s two children in the home were unharmed, Pennsylvania State Trooper Cynthia Schick told The Associated Press. 

DEATH OF PREGNANT AMISH WOMAN FOUND IN PENNSYLVANIA HOME INVESTIGATED AS HOMICIDE: REPORT

Investigators in the death of 23-year-old Amish woman Rebekah Byler said she had neck and head wounds when her body was found inside of her Fish Flats Road residence, pictured. (TIM HAHN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS/USA TODAY NETWORK)

Byler’s death has been ruled a homicide, but state police have not yet named any suspects.

The woman’s autopsy and a state police investigation have given investigators an idea of what the murder weapon may have been, but they do not have it in their possession, Schick said.  

The warrant application sought knives, blades, cutting instruments and other items.

On Thursday afternoon, there were no signs of activity outside Byler’s home, which is located along a dirt road in a very remote farming community. A buggy, a bike and a truck were parked outside, The Associated Press reported. 

CONSERVATIVES RALLY BEHIND PENNSYLVANIA AMISH FARMER WHO SUFFERED POLICE RAID OVER MILK SALES

An Amish carriage passes the Dutch Treat restaurant in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. The body of a pregnant 23-year-old Amish woman was discovered on Monday in her home a few miles outside Spartansburg. Pennsylvania State Police are appealing for tips from the public to help solve the crime, a state police spokeswoman said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The slaying shocked the rural northwestern Pennsylvania community. Residents say the Amish, known for their plain dress and restricted use of technology, get along well with their non-Amish neighbors, The Associated Press reported.

“It’s not something that happens around here,” Lindsey Smith, president of the women’s auxiliary of the nearby Spartansburg Volunteer Fire Department, said.

PA AUTHORITIES REVEAL CAUSES OF DEATH FOR VICTIMS OF MURDER-SUICIDE ARSON INCIDENT

“We’re worried about our Amish,” Smith said. “They are a big part of our community. They support us a lot.”

Katie Rhodes, a waitress at the Dutch Treat Restaurant in Spartanburg, said the community is still shocked.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“My heart breaks for the family, for the little kids,” she said.

There are about 400,000 Amish living across settlements in 32 states, Canada and Bolivia – Pennsylvania has one of the highest concentrations of the Mennonite sect, according to the news agency.

Christina Coulter is a U.S. and World reporter for Fox News Digital. Email story tips to christina.coulter@fox.com.