Found Deceased PA - Linda Stoltzfoos, 18, Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, 21 June 2020 *arrest* #2

[Rocky1]

Re: planned abduction v impulse decision, if any theories shared a few days ago about psych impact of his young life experiences are even a little bit applicable, some of the conditions linked to those developmental experiences are notorious for leaving behind some off the charts impulsivity. I wouldn’t be surprised to find he’d driven past and responded to an impulse he had right there and then tbh. Not just because the theory posts but just because of what we do know about him.

It doesn’t sound meticulously planned in any way.

I'm leaning that way too. I think he drove by her, and made the choice right there and turned around. If it was planned, he would have been driving up and down that road waiting for her and the guy sitting on his porch would have noticed that. The cams would have captured it too imo.

 

[Yemelyan]

I'm leaning that way too. I think he drove by her, and made the choice right there and turned around. If it was planned, he would have been driving up and down that road waiting for her and the guy sitting on his porch would have noticed that. The cams would have captured it too imo.

This is how the majority of offenders operate in cases like this. They are very opportunistic. The crime may be loosely planned in the sense that the offender has previously fantasized about abducting a victim (not a specific one) and has maybe given quite a bit of thought to how he might do it and what it would be like. However, all of these plans may go by the wayside when the crime actually occurs. One of the reasons geographic profiling can work well is that this type of offender is, in a manner of speaking, always on the lookout for a possible victim as he goes about his usual activities.

 

[Bucksharbor]

I'm leaning that way too. I think he drove by her, and made the choice right there and turned around. If it was planned, he would have been driving up and down that road waiting for her and the guy sitting on his porch would have noticed that. The cams would have captured it too imo.

It would have taken Linda about 12 minutes to walk from church to the place on Beechdale where she was abducted. JS would have passed her twice on Stumptown. First while traveling East, shortly after Linda left church and then again after leaving Red Ln traveling West before he turned on Beechdale.

I have never really thought that this was planned... BUT... I can't explain why he turned on Beechdale and pulled off the road to wait. How did he know that Linda would be turning there to go home?

 

[Rocky1]

This is how the majority of offenders operate in cases like this. They are very opportunistic. The crime may be loosely planned in the sense that the offender has previously fantasized about abducting a victim (not a specific one) and has maybe given quite a bit of thought to how he might do it and what it would be like. However, all of these plans may go by the wayside when the crime actually occurs. One of the reasons geographic profiling can work well is that this type of offender is, in a manner of speaking, always on the lookout for a possible victim as he goes about his usual activities.

Good point.
A lot of these guys never plan past the murder, like for example "now what do I do with the body?"
I may be wrong, and I have nothing to base this on, but I believe the only thing that has kept him from doing this earlier in life if he hasn't is because he was incarcerated for so long. Most start off gradually at a very young age, and even his parents said he's been nothing but trouble.
I wonder if he's a pyro, or wet the bed into his early teens... signs of a serial killer in the making.
I'm sure he had lots of time to plan this in his head while he was in prison.

 

[Rocky1]

It would have taken Linda about 12 minutes to walk from church to the place on Beechdale where she was abducted. JS would have passed her twice on Stumptown. First while traveling East, shortly after Linda left church and then again after leaving Red Ln traveling West before he turned on Beechdale.

I have never really thought that this was planned... BUT... I can't explain why he turned on Beechdale and pulled off the road to wait. How did he know that Linda would be turning there to go home?

Do you think maybe when he passed her on Stumptown Rd, she was so close to Beachdale that he saw her turn down Beachdale in his mirror, turned around and then passed her again on Beachdale and then pulled in the side road and waited?

 

[Bucksharbor]

Do you think maybe when he passed her on Stumptown Rd, she was so close to Beachdale that he saw her turn down Beachdale in his mirror, turned around and then passed her again on Beachdale and then pulled in the side road and waited?

... I'm just not sure
According to the tape JS was about 4 minutes ahead of LS:

• 12:36:53 JS pulled into the farm lane off of Beechdale
• 12:40:50 LS is seen walking along Beechdale
• 12:41:18 JS approaches LS
• 12:41:52 Car pulls out of farm lane on to Beechdale

I don't believe that LS reached Beechdale before 12:39. I feel like we are missing something. I just keep going around and around in circles over this point...

 

[Wildthing3]

Going to this spot in an hour. It looks really really interesting on Google Earth.

Hey there, had to set up an account to reply. Did you go? See anything? Could you tell me if "Ambassadors for Christ" is the church you're referring to? There's something about this place...

Did you go back towards the basketball court? If you look at google maps there's something beyond/behind the BB court that's rectangular shaped. I think it could be a small cemetery, but can't zoom in close enough to know for sure. Did you see it? Is that what it is?

 

[heart8788]

"That's the Engine Control Unit."
Not to get too far OT, but....
There's another control unit that deploys the airbag in a crash contains an Event Data Recorder. That records many things like speed, direction of travel, when the brakes were applied, throttle position, along with many other things. It also contains a GPS that can give your location to render help in the event of a crash in some cases. Travel can't be traced though because when a crash occurs, the EDV is activated and records roughly 30 seconds before the crash happened, so it's only recording in a loop and then erased until a crash happens. After the crash, that data is then stored and it takes special tools to retrieve the data. Some states won't allow LE to access the data unless it's a fatal accident.

Pff I don't care if it's OT, this is super interesting. Guess that's another rabbithole for me to go down

 

[Trackergd]

I just can't see JS driving his car up any of the fire/jeep trails off of Gault road. The risk of getting stuck is too great. Most individuals are not going to drag or carry a body very far into the woods. Trails and fire roads offer the path of least resistance.

 

[Clementine3]

Re: planned abduction v impulse decision, if any theories shared a few days ago about psych impact of his young life experiences are even a little bit applicable, some of the conditions linked to those developmental experiences are notorious for leaving behind some off the charts impulsivity. I wouldn’t be surprised to find he’d driven past and responded to an impulse he had right there and then tbh. Not just because the theory posts but just because of what we do know about him.

It doesn’t sound meticulously planned in any way.

I'm leaning that way also, but taking into consideration he was probably armed (gun, knife) to get LS to comply, this would mean he had this weapon on him/in vehicle all the time

 

[CSIDreamer]

What year is that Kia Rio? I'm scrolling through and finding links that aren't working for the affadavit. Still scrolling. Jmo

 

[sds71]

What year is that Kia Rio? I'm scrolling through and finding links that aren't working for the affadavit. Still scrolling. Jmo

2007
Justo Smoker Charges

 

[Curiosity1234]

Exactly what I think! I think when he was seen at the Harvest Drive location on the 23rd he was retrieving Linda’s body. Harvest Drive is 3 miles from Linda’s home. Searchers were out looking for her that day, super gutsy move for him to be there just to bury a bra and socks (as some have said) I think he panicked and didn’t want her found so he went back and got her. The bra and socks, he forgot. They were buried but only 6-8 inches under ground. Thing is where did he take her from there ?

Good point.
A lot of these guys never plan past the murder, like for example "now what do I do with the body?"
I may be wrong, and I have nothing to base this on, but I believe the only thing that has kept him from doing this earlier in life if he hasn't is because he was incarcerated for so long. Most start off gradually at a very young age, and even his parents said he's been nothing but trouble.
I wonder if he's a pyro, or wet the bed into his early teens... signs of a serial killer in the making.
I'm sure he had lots of time to plan this in his head while he was in prison.[/QUOTE. Another sign of a serial killer is children who have a history of killing animals.

 

[CSIDreamer]

2007
Justo Smoker Charges

Thank you.

 

[Hatfield]

I hope she is found today.

For any searchers that are helping try to find her, the one thing I try to keep in mind about perps like this is that they normally wont drag a victim very far from their vehicle. They will usually find a convenient place where they can drive close to where they are going to dispose of the body.

Its not like they will drag a victim 1/2 mile or more into the woods with their bare hands. Its more likely they will find a spot where they will be able to drive and pull up close to where they will be disposing the body. They may drag them into the woods or brush some X number of feet but it usually is not all that far from their vehicle.

So one approach to trying to find her is to first find places where he would have parked and check fairly close to those places.

 

[Curiosity1234]

I hope she is found today.

For any searchers that are helping try to find her, the one thing I try to keep in mind about perps like this is that they normally wont drag a victim very far from their vehicle. They will usually find a convenient place where they can drive close to where they are going to dispose of the body.

Its not like they will drag a victim 1/2 mile or more into the woods with their bare hands. Its more likely they will find a spot where they will be able to drive and pull up close to where they will be disposing the body. They may drag them into the woods or brush some X number of feet but it usually is not all that far from their vehicle.

So one approach to trying to find her is to first find places where he would have parked and check fairly close to those places.

Great advice Hatfield.

 

[Maplesyrup]

I hope she is found today.

For any searchers that are helping try to find her, the one thing I try to keep in mind about perps like this is that they normally wont drag a victim very far from their vehicle. They will usually find a convenient place where they can drive close to where they are going to dispose of the body.

Its not like they will drag a victim 1/2 mile or more into the woods with their bare hands. Its more likely they will find a spot where they will be able to drive and pull up close to where they will be disposing the body. They may drag them into the woods or brush some X number of feet but it usually is not all that far from their vehicle.

So one approach to trying to find her is to first find places where he would have parked and check fairly close to those places.

I agree. I participated in an organized search for a missing person in Indiana in 2000. If I recall correctly, the officer briefing the search groups said that the majority of victims will be dumped within 140 feet either side of a road surface, whether gravel, paved or a dirt path. So for initial searches, that is probably a good rule of thumb given the vast wooded areas surrounding where Linda disappeared. All IMO and from memory.

 

[Ashildir]

It would have taken Linda about 12 minutes to walk from church to the place on Beechdale where she was abducted. JS would have passed her twice on Stumptown. First while traveling East, shortly after Linda left church and then again after leaving Red Ln traveling West before he turned on Beechdale.

I have never really thought that this was planned... BUT... I can't explain why he turned on Beechdale and pulled off the road to wait. How did he know that Linda would be turning there to go home?

This is going to sound a little strange, I know as I don't think my explanation of my thought process is going to sound coherent
I was on Google Maps looking at Beechdale Rd etc trying to get a visual on the area ( I'm not from the States, so I had a lovely time!) and trying to find where cameras may have been located (it was before the post with the camera hidden in a windmill type thing), anyway, I got to about 570 Beechdale I think, and I noticed a red car parked up ( I am not saying its JS' vehicle - it was the colour of vehicle that made me think)- if LS wasn't familiar with vehicle models but regularly saw a vehicle of same colour/similar shape on her walk home - she wouldn't necessarily think twice about another car if it looked like the one that was familiar - this probably makes no sense - so I apologize for that, maybe he was able to park up and watch her regularly without her noticing?

 

[Curiosity1234]

This is going to sound a little strange, I know as I don't think my explanation of my thought process is going to sound coherent
I was on Google Maps looking at Beechdale Rd etc trying to get a visual on the area ( I'm not from the States, so I had a lovely time!) and trying to find where cameras may have been located (it was before the post with the camera hidden in a windmill type thing), anyway, I got to about 570 Beechdale I think, and I noticed a red car parked up ( I am not saying its JS' vehicle - it was the colour of vehicle that made me think)- if LS wasn't familiar with vehicle models but regularly saw a vehicle of same colour/similar shape on her walk home - she wouldn't necessarily think twice about another car if it looked like the one that was familiar - this probably makes no sense - so I apologize for that, maybe he was able to park up and watch her regularly without her noticing?

What you said does makes sense.

 

[Ashildir]

What you said does makes sense.

Phew!