This is the second time the trial of Shawn C. Cranston, accused of killing 23-year-old pregnant Amish mother Rebekah Byler, has been moved. Cranston was originally meant to be tried in June, but the defense team got a continuance due to having to process “large amounts” of evidence. Cranston had a preliminary hearing in March, which revealed that he had driven for the Amish. Later,…
This story appeared several days ago with scant details attached. Now more has come out and (a bit to my surprise) it’s starting to get national attention. Besides getting a lot of local coverage, Newsweek has now picked it up. Amish in the neighborhood of LaValle, Wisconsin (Sauk County) had been getting harassed in their homes at night. Nine juveniles were cited for disorderly conduct….
The Petersen sisters, who you might remember from the buggy-car crash which killed two Amish schoolgirls in Minnesota, are trying to avoid a trial. Sarah and Samantha Petersen allegedly swapped identities so that one sister could take the blame instead of the other. Samantha was allegedly high on drugs when her vehicle hit the buggy and killed Irma (11) and Wilma (7) Miller last September….
There is no doubt that the media loves to report on crimes of all kinds, and experienced by all kinds of people. And none more readily make the news than crimes with Amish as the victims. Like all crime stories, it is the more heinous incidents that most likely make the front page. For several days, it was the murder of Rebekah Byler in late…
Is “Easterday” an Amish surname In Kentucky? Or anywhere else for that matter? I’m asking because of an unusual detail in a recent report which caught my eye. A 23-year-old man named Isreal Easterday was convicted and recently sentenced to two years in prison for a pepper spray attack on two Capitol police officers on January 6, 2021. He’s also said to have had a…
Shawn C. Cranston, accused in the killing of Amish mother Rebekah Byler, had a preliminary hearing on Friday, March 15th. It lasted over three hours and saw more than 10 witnesses called to testify. After looking at reporting from the case, I’ve put together some of the takeaways here, compiled from several reports linked within this post.  1) Cranston as Amish taxi driver Cranston…
That’s the question Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle asked in the ongoing legal saga between Amish dairy farmer Amos Miller and the state of Pennsylvania. “Why doesn’t Amos Miller just go get a permit … just like every other Amish farmer in the county and commonwealth does if they want to sell raw milk?” the judge asked. “Doesn’t he see in his heart that’s all…
The matter of Amos Miller, an Amish organic farmer in Lancaster County who has clashed with the government for years over the sale of raw milk products, is making headlines again. Miller’s troubles date to 2015, when the government alleged that a listeria illness which sickened two and killed one person had its source in milk from Miller’s farm. Miller in turn objected, claiming the…
An Indiana man who schemed Amish and Mennonite investors out of millions of dollars has been sentenced after being found guilty of fraud in May 2022. From WNDU: SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – A Goshen man has been sentenced to just over eight years in prison and has been ordered to pay over $2 million in restitution for his role in an investment fraud scheme….
Bizarre and disturbing story out of an Amish community in Missouri. A man (who happens to have an Amish appearance, and a name typical among Amish) allegedly confessed to seeking to kill 11 Amish children in the community. The number is oddly specific, and the story doesn’t elaborate on who the children were, or why that number. This is reported by local news channel KTTN:…