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

[MsMac]

If she had a cell phone there is a free app called Life 360. It is very accurate. We have it on all of our phones and I actually used it to find my cell phone out on the soccer field one day. My husband was able to pull my phone's location up on Life 360 and told me the phone should be beside the soccer goal and it was! I suggest this possibility because again, it is a free app and could be added to most phones.



Along these same lines, if she is deceased, I would want to know where the local Amish community dispose of deceased farm animals...cattle, horses, stillborn calves, etc. If there is a burial area or a general area where this occurs, they need to look carefully. It would be a good area to conceal a person and could possibly throw off cadaver dogs trying to track scent.

It is weird how they are concentrating on creek areas. I live near the Honey Brook area where they were asking property owners' for permission to search. It is an area along the East Branch Brandywine Creek.

 

[Knox]

I read from the beginning so I could come up to speed on Linda's case. But it doesn't seem like there have been any developments other than the FBI coming in.

Just curious about how most of you feel. Possible this was voluntary, or do most of you think foul-play is involved?

My fear is Linda seems like a vulnerable young adult. I wonder if someone had been cultivating her, from either inside or outside of her community? If not, an outright stranger abduction seems likely. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it also seems like LE has none of the usual technology to work with, i.e., cameras or cell phone data. In today's world those tools are so widely used to solve crime, without an eyewitness, I fear this case may linger.

 

[MsMac]

I read from the beginning so I could come up to speed on Linda's case. But it doesn't seem like there have been any developments other than the FBI coming in.

Just curious about how most of you feel. Possible this was voluntary, or do most of you think foul-play is involved?

My fear is Linda seems like a vulnerable young adult. I wonder if someone had been cultivating her, from either inside or outside of her community? If not, an outright stranger abduction seems likely. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it also seems like LE has none of the usual technology to work with, i.e., cameras or cell phone data. In today's world those tools are so widely used to solve crime, without an eyewitness, I fear this case may linger.

Outside the community is a distinct possibility. She worked at a nearby farmers market which I believe is the one on Old Philadelphia Pike (Rt 340). It is a tourist spot.

 

[MsMac]

That whole area is a tourist destination.

 

[MsMac]

Outside the community is a distinct possibility. She worked at a nearby farmers market which I believe is the one on Old Philadelphia Pike (Rt 340). It is a tourist spot.

I should have said that I have HEARD she worked at a farmers' market. The Bird In Hand Farmers Market is about a mile from the area where she lived and was last seen. The farmers' market would not be open on Sunday.

 

[UnapologeticallyAspie]

“police want her to know she is not in trouble and to contact police”

IF she truly left on her own accord, I don’t think that she may be worried that she could be in trouble with police. I think that IF she was possibly worried about anything, it would something along the lines of not being sucked back in that way of life that she tried desperately to get away from. And/or getting manipulated by certain someone(s) to come back. Again IF this is the case, she would want to make a clean and efficient, d

If you look at Google Earth of the area Linda went missing, it is very open. It is not heavily wooded and there is only one nearby water feature. The scenario's are somewhat limited.

• Left in a vehicle (on purpose or by misadventure).
• Hidden in a nearby building or outbuilding.
• In the water but as yet undiscovered.
• In a field or drainage ditch.

I still have not heard if she had a cell phone or not. Someone likely knows something, but it may take a bit of time for it to come out.

People do not simply vanish into thin air. There is always evidence of some type. Chief Zerbe and his team at East Lampeter PD are competent, compassionate and have involved the FBI who have resources in depth. I am confident that what can be done, will be done to find this young lady.

Well technically that’s not exactly true. I think of the Malaysia airplane in 2014 that completely disappeared. There were like 200-something people that “poof be gone’d” into thin air.
So.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But it is extremely bizarre. And very frustrating for a lot of people because from our POV there is no digital footprint. And I believe that is why it looks like she disappeared into thin air. MOO.

 

[MsMac]

“police want her to know she is not in trouble and to contact police”

IF she truly left on her own accord, I don’t think that she may be worried that she could be in trouble with police. I think that IF she was possibly worried about anything, it would something along the lines of not being sucked back in that way of life that she tried desperately to get away from. And/or getting manipulated by certain someone(s) to come back. Again IF this is the case, she would want to make a clean and efficient, d

Well technically that’s not exactly true. I think of the Malaysia airplane in 2014 that completely disappeared. There were like 200-something people that “poof be gone’d” into thin air.
So.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But it is extremely bizarre. And very frustrating for a lot of people because from our POV there is no digital footprint. And I believe that is why it looks like she disappeared into thin air. MOO.

I would be surprised if there is absolutely no digital info. I believe she worked in 'town'. A tourist 'town'. Lots of outside influences.

 

[MsMac]

I believe, whether willing or unwillingly, she was taken by outsiders. There were and are plenty of outsiders in that community on a regular basis. It is an Amish tourist destination. Please don't speculate on an insider Amish abuser/predator with out some sort of evidence. Considering the location it is mostly likely someone outside the Amish community. Tons of tourists enter that community on a daily basis!!

 

[cutter99]

Along these same lines, if she is deceased, I would want to know where the local Amish community dispose of deceased farm animals...cattle, horses, stillborn calves, etc. If there is a burial area or a general area where this occurs, they need to look carefully. It would be a good area to conceal a person and could possibly throw off cadaver dogs trying to track scent.

The best answer for this is it depends on the size of the farm. When we lived in the area, we composted our livestock, as it is a fairly rapid process, especially if you have a large manure pile and acreage to spread the compost on. It is also more inexpensive than having a rendering company pick the animal up. Some will still use a rendering service, who will come with a large truck to pick up remains. Some farms will bury animals, but this is not common in that area due to zoning, ground water restrictions and potential contaminations. There are some good size farms in that area, so they could use any of the above methods of disposal.

 

[Rocky1]

The question I have is if she left on her own, why would she do that, without telling anyone knowing her family would be worried sick? She could have left on her own like many do with encouragement from their parents during the Rumspringa years. That doesn't add up.... for me anyway.
If someone abducted her, they had a very small window of time to do so, imo.
Random abduction? Could be, but why waste time looking for someone to abduct in such a sparse area where one could go to a city and have a larger choice?
I would say it's possible she cut through a field somewhere and something happened to her there, but what? She's young, so I doubt something like a heart attack. Animal attack? I would think there would be signs of that. I would also think the dogs would have grabbed her scent even a day later, but maybe not. If she got in a car, the dogs would have lost the scent. I don't know how many dogs there were, but if there were many, that would to me anyway be an indication either the dog lost the track, or they never had one to begin with, and were looking for one.
Of course we don't know yet, but I'm going with someone that knew her routine, and grabbed her, and that hinges on whether or not she always walked home from church services alone.

 

[ludakristen]

The question I have is if she left on her own, why would she do that, without telling anyone knowing her family would be worried sick? She could have left on her own like many do with encouragement from their parents during the Rumspringa years. That doesn't add up.... for me anyway.
If someone abducted her, they had a very small window of time to do so, imo.
Random abduction? Could be, but why waste time looking for someone to abduct in such a sparse area where one could go to a city and have a larger choice?
I would say it's possible she cut through a field somewhere and something happened to her there, but what? She's young, so I doubt something like a heart attack. Animal attack? I would think there would be signs of that. I would also think the dogs would have grabbed her scent even a day later, but maybe not. If she got in a car, the dogs would have lost the scent. I don't know how many dogs there were, but if there were many, that would to me anyway be an indication either the dog lost the track, or they never had one to begin with, and were looking for one.
Of course we don't know yet, but I'm going with someone that knew her routine, and grabbed her, and that hinges on whether or not she always walked home from church services alone.

I tend to agree. I am curious if we know for absolute certain that she left that house though. It wouldn't be the first time that a body was found inside a home weeks after a disappearance, hidden somewhere nobody else could find.

 

[adot0902]

I should have said that I have HEARD she worked at a farmers' market. The Bird In Hand Farmers Market is about a mile from the area where she lived and was last seen. The farmers' market would not be open on Sunday.

To clear this up. She sold THE BEST soft pretzels and lemonade. Also candies. She worked at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Right off 3rd and Verbeke Street.

 

[adot0902]

The Broad Street Market is open Thursday and Friday 7AM-6PM and Saturdays 7AM-4PM.
It's two buildings, very small and pretty much the same people every week. It's pretty popular though. One building is only hot food to go. The other is a mix of grocery and hot food/to go food. Linda works in the grocery/ hot food. Right near the middle entrance/exit.

 

[MimosaMornings]

How long is it via buggy from Bird-in-Hand to Harrisburg?
(It’s about an hour by car from what I remember)

 

[Rocky1]

I tend to agree. I am curious if we know for absolute certain that she left that house though. It wouldn't be the first time that a body was found inside a home weeks after a disappearance, hidden somewhere nobody else could find.

I would think the odor of decomposition would be overwhelming by now, if that was the case. It's been hot.

 

[adot0902]

How long is it via buggy from Bird-in-Hand to Harrisburg?
(It’s about an hour by car from what I remember)

I have no idea. But I've never seen a buggy at the broad street market? Most of the vendors come in vans.

 

[Rocky1]

How long is it via buggy from Bird-in-Hand to Harrisburg?
(It’s about an hour by car from what I remember)

If you average 50 miles an hour by car, a horse and buggy travels between 10 and 15 mph..... so about 4-5 hours, at a good trot, but you'd need a break in between, according to Quora.

 

[squareandrabbet]

Maybe they created this composite just in case, but now I'm thinking maybe her leaving on her own isn't that unlikely. I still think she didn't, but who knows.

But I think if someone took her for whatever reason, the first thing they’d do is get her out of her distinctive clothing. The composite helps show what she’d look like and also drives home the point that we’re essentially not looking for an Amish person at this point. Don’t discount seeing and reporting a confused/panicked/drugged teenager because she didn’t look Amish.

either way, I think it’s super smart. Remember Elizabeth Smart’s captor had her dressed in some sort of weird quasi Muslim mufti when he took her out and about??

also, I question the ‘left church voluntarily with someone‘ theory, because without seeing the market where Linda works firsthand, I’d imagine that it was probably easier by orders of magnitude to leave directly from the market if she had desired to, even if she manned the market stall along with a compatriot.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

I have no idea. But I've never seen a buggy at the broad street market? Most of the vendors come in vans.

That’s usually how it works. I have an ex-Amish friend who used to drive a van full of Amish people to work at a market in Maryland. She’d leave at 4 in the morning, work at the market herself, then drive everyone back to PA at the end of the day. It was a loooooong day, but she only did it once a week.

The Amish are industrious, and women who don’t have young children at home often do a variety of jobs in a given week. Most farmers markets aren’t open every day, so a lady might do some cleaning or babysitting or work at another retail place on the other days. Sometimes they sew or do crafts to sell. And different seasons bring different jobs, especially if your family farms.

We’ve heard that Linda seemed to have a job related to school, so the market work might be her summer job. I agree with the poster upthread who suggested that a planned escape from the Amish community would have been a lot easier to orchestrate from a market 60 miles from home than from your own neighborhood on church day. “I’m feeling sick, coworker, I’ll be in the restroom”...change into English clothes from the backpack you always bring, walk out the door, drop a letter in the mailbox to mom and dad, and step into the car that takes you to your new life. That seems a lot more likely to me than some scenario where you’d have to rely on perfect timing to be walking alone and avoid being seen by droves of church people.

Amish do church every other week. Does anyone know if all the church districts are on the same schedule? Or could someone from another district have had an off week when Linda’s church was meeting? (I’m missing the pattern of the district near me, since all the members live south of us.) I’m wondering if someone from another district could have been there, maybe in a car, waiting for Linda, planned or not. If he wasn’t supposed to be at church that day, people might not wonder where he was.

 

[Filly]

Was the market up and running during this covid crisis? Does the dang Governor have juridiction over the Amish community as well?

Just thinking out loud. Perhaps if this young lady had a diversion from her normal working routine something went different? Or some creep had nothing to do but stalk young women because he is cooped up?

Praying this dear, hard working young woman is found safe. Special thanks to our posters up there as we call it "Lancaster way" for filling us in.