Found Deceased PA - Linda Stoltzfoos, 18, Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, 21 June 2020 *kidnapping arrest* #3

[Izmack]

Respectfully clipped above quote.

Do you think JS is willing to sit in jail just so Miss Linda can go have a life somewhere else?

SPOT on!

 

[Hereshecomes75]

@Jillian2020, you make excellent points about how it must have looked to the Amish who saw Linda in the car. And if she were leaving the Amish, she’d have changed her look fast with different hair and English clothes she would have arranged to have along. They wouldn’t have been driving around back roads 45 minutes after he picked her up, when major highways are minutes away. I agree too that JS is probably one of those people who are too dumb to realize they aren’t smart.

 

[Riddlemethis19]

Respectfully clipped above quote.

Do you think JS is willing to sit in jail just so Miss Linda can go have a life somewhere else?

It’s funny that you say because I was discussing this yesterday with my sister and I said the same exact thing to her. I like to ponder on all sorts of theories. But I’m not ignorant. I don’t like to exclude any scenario. Because there are so many odd things about this case, it would be silly to dismiss the even the most ridiculous. Even LE checks out any and all tips they receive even the most outlandish because you just never know.

 

[Riddlemethis19]

From all reports, Linda was very happy in her community. She especially enjoyed being surrounded by her family. Is there reason you believed Linda wanted to leave, and she asked JS for assistance? How do you think she knew him (if she did)? How do you explain the video of JS driving up and down the road before leading Linda to his car? I'm also curious about your thoughts. It would be wonderful if Linda was still alive. Unfortunately; with the information released by investigators, I don't believe that is the case. I would love to be wrong!

I’m just merely hypothesizing. I probably watch too many movies and always expecting a big twist in the plot that nobody saw coming. I’m a sucker for a good mystery that’s why I love this site so much. I’m also new here and not looking to upset anyone. I just like a good friendly debate

 

[Niner]

@Riddlemethis19 to WS & this case! You'll love it here!

 

[Rocky1]

I believe JS wanted the undergarments and zip tie to be discovered; I think he wanted to pin this on the Plain folks to confuse LE. He was trying to be clever, IMO. But like many criminals, he’s impulsive and not a good planner. I think he used the zip tie in the car so Linda couldn’t open the car door or signal for help. He must have figured that if Linda looked calm, he could get away with people seeing her in the car. But Linda not being able to wave backfired on him. Linda not smiling, and not giving the Amish one-index finger wave back, would have been red flag number one. Wearing a black bonnet outside of church, while driving around with a man, would have been red flag number two. The Amish folks who saw her knew something was strange, and I would have too. It was Sunday, which would have been red flag number three. For all the years that I have driven my Amish friends...and their friends…around Lancaster County, I have only been asked to drive on a Sunday one time – and that was because there was an emergency. It was the first—and last—time I was asked to drive on Sunday. So everything about this was uncharacteristic of the Amish. It seems counterproductive to raise red flags if she wanted to get away unnoticed. I think she would have immediately let her hair down and changed clothing if she wanted to escape the Amish lifestyle without question. And I believe that she would have chosen a female to help her instead of a man with criminal history.

Great post. Let me ask you this...
If he wanted the undergarmets and the zip tie to be found, why do you think he buried them?
If he used the zip tie so Linda couldn't open the door, how and where do you think he secured it?
If he was tying her hands together, where would he secure the other end to? He would need to send it through some type of a loop so she wouldn't be able to pull it away, and that would have to be within arms reach. The only item I can think of is the male end of the seat belt that has the hole in it, but she'd still be able to wave because the seat belt would stretch enough to allow her to wave. She may not be able to exit the car, but she'd still be able to open the door.

 

[Spartygirl]

Thanks so much for the reply spartygirl! That makes sense.

I have a theory that has been jumping around a lot in my head. Not a popular one and I hope it doesn’t rub anyone the wrong way.

I’m wondering if the reason she got into the car was that she may have known JS. Could it have been a plan that the two had set in place? I do not think the two were involved romantically together. What if during his prison time, he came to be someone known through certain avenues as helping one leave their community. I say this because what if the reason LS didn’t wave back to the walking couple (as customary) was not to signal “help” but a way to not mentally acknowledge them. Maybe the driving to GAP was the two meeting a third party to drive LS to where she wanted to go. Then JS buries the bra and stockings to near Amtrak tracks to throw LE off thinking she’s dead...

JMO I come in peace

I have questioned that also.. that she perhaps knew him, or seen him before, perhaps he was a customer or along those lines and she went willingly with him.
I don't think she "pre-planned" to leave on her own accord.
But we do know that happens, look at Maddie's case, SMH
I just don't believe that is what happened with Linda.
I think JS killed her and hid her body and he buried the clothing to get rid of evidence.
JMO

 

[Izmack]

Respectfully clipped above quote.

Do you think JS is willing to sit in jail just so Miss Linda can go have a life somewhere else?

SPOT on!

Great post. Let me ask you this...
If he wanted the undergarmets and the zip tie to be found, why do you think he buried them?
If he used the zip tie so Linda couldn't open the door, how and where do you think he secured it?
If he was tying her hands together, where would he secure the other end to? He would need to send it through some type of a loop so she wouldn't be able to pull it away, and that would have to be within arms reach. The only item I can think of is the male end of the seat belt that has the hole in it, but she'd still be able to wave because the seat belt would stretch enough to allow her to wave. She may not be able to exit the car, but she'd still be able to open the door.

I envisioned that he secured her in the seat belt, then threaded the zip tie through the actual lap belt (that doesn’t adjust to movement), and then tied her hands together. Or daisy-chained her already-bound hands with another zip tie threaded through the lap belt. Then, I make myself feel better knowing that he’ll be restrained in a similar fashion each and every time he goes to court for the rest of his days.

 

[nao]

Would it not be more efficient to zip tie hands behind back. We're the zip ties found cut?

 

[Izmack]

Would it not be more efficient to zip tie hands behind back. We're the zip ties found cut?

Yes, the one zip tie they found was cut. Wait...I may be confusing it with another now-debunked zip tie, the image of which I saw. So I don’t know if the valid one was cut.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

Would it not be more efficient to zip tie hands behind back. We're the zip ties found cut?

I think they found one, and it had been cut. It was also very small IIRC.

 

[Spartygirl]

I could see him saving trophies like her bra and maybe her stockings, but do you think he'd save a plastic tie wrap for a trophy too?

I was thinking more like, he had her bra and stockings and while scooping them up in the car to dispose of, the zip-tie just happened to be in the clothes pile.
Like, maybe he didn't even know the zip tie was there, it was bundled up under clothing.
OR he noticed it while scooping up the clothes and buried it also with the clothes just to get rid of it.
Who knows what this guy was thinking ??
JMO

 

[Rocky1]

SPOT on!


I envisioned that he secured her in the seat belt, then threaded the zip tie through the actual lap belt (that doesn’t adjust to movement), and then tied her hands together. Or daisy-chained her already-bound hands with another zip tie threaded through the lap belt. Then, I make myself feel better knowing that he’ll be restrained in a similar fashion each and every time he goes to court for the rest of his days.

If there were two zip ties, then I'd agree he may have Daisy Chained them, but I believe there was only one.
The "actual lap belt" is the female end of the belt, therefore I don't think there would be anything to run the zip tie through. If she was secured by the belt, that means both ends of the belt were snapped together? I doubt you'd be able to run the zip tie through the hole on the male side either if they were connected.
To me anyway, I think the zip tie was used to strangle her, and his threats of bodily harm to her kept her secure in the car with nothing more than a secure seat belt and a locked door.
All MOO.
My next question is... If this wasn't a planned kidnapping, then what was he doing with a zip tie in his car?

 

[JDough]

My next question is... If this wasn't a planned kidnapping, then what was he doing with a zip tie in his car?

Hi @Rocky1!
I'll take a stab at answering your question (from my personal perspective, of course).

Based on the evidence we've learned so far (which is not a whole lot), I believe JS did plan Linda's kidnapping. Considering the fact that he was seen cruising the road where the abduction took place both before and after church services. IMO, he was watching for a lone female.
While I don't necessarily think he planned to kidnap Linda specifically, I do believe he was out trolling for a victim.

As to the zip ties- my guess is that he carried them specifically to restrain a victim(s). Part of his "kill kit", so to speak. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to use them. I have long wondered if the zip ties are associated with LE's statement that Linda has been harmed in some way. Was there something on that zip tie that would lead them to believe this? Blood, skin cells, or some other form of DNA? Finding only one zip tie is a bit perplexing, but the others (if any), may still be attached to Linda. (Sorry all- I sincerely don't like voicing such things).

ETA- why was he seen in the same area two days later? Was he looking for another victim (since he may have believed he "got away with it", or, was he looking for evidence of some sort that may have been left behind? A bible or shoe dropped at time of abduction? Maybe another zip tie he planned to use for restraining a victim?

 

[Jillian2020]

It’s funny that you say because I was discussing this yesterday with my sister and I said the same exact thing to her. I like to ponder on all sorts of theories. But I’m not ignorant. I don’t like to exclude any scenario. Because there are so many odd things about this case, it would be silly to dismiss the even the most ridiculous. Even LE checks out any and all tips they receive even the most outlandish because you just never know.

Welcome and please discuss and debate. I am just exploring different theories with you.

 

[JDough]

I’m just merely hypothesizing. I probably watch too many movies and always expecting a big twist in the plot that nobody saw coming. I’m a sucker for a good mystery that’s why I love this site so much. I’m also new here and not looking to upset anyone. I just like a good friendly debate

You didn't upset me in the slightest!
I'm glad for your post- it helps me to think about every possible scenario, and reevaluate my theories. I was just curious for your reasoning, and you provided it!

You're in a good place. Pretty sure many of us watch Forensic Files, or ID tv on a regular basis! And we all love sharing theories, and sometimes debating them- also on a regular basis!

 

[Warwick7]

Thank you for the link.
I see Cadaver dogs found the bra, stockings, and the zip tie.
Those dogs are remarkable if they can detect decomposition in such a short time.

Think about it. If Linda was kidnapped around noon, and he was washing his car around 3, that's a 3 hour window. I have nothing to base this on, but I assume he must have kept her alive for at least an hour and a half if she was spotted in other areas while in his car. If his motive was rape, that took time.
It took time for him to drive from wherever he killed her to where he buried the items and then to drive to the car wash, so for conversation sake, let's go with an hour. That means that zip tie could have been on her for no longer than a half hour after she died.
I read that decomposition starts around 4 minutes after death, but that's from internal organs beginning the process.
So, how much of a scent would have been on the zip tie? My guess is not much at all, but enough so the dogs hit.
Amazing.

This is a well thought out comment.

 

[Jillian2020]

Great post. Let me ask you this...
If he wanted the undergarmets and the zip tie to be found, why do you think he buried them?
If he used the zip tie so Linda couldn't open the door, how and where do you think he secured it?
If he was tying her hands together, where would he secure the other end to? He would need to send it through some type of a loop so she wouldn't be able to pull it away, and that would have to be within arms reach. The only item I can think of is the male end of the seat belt that has the hole in it, but she'd still be able to wave because the seat belt would stretch enough to allow her to wave. She may not be able to exit the car, but she'd still be able to open the door.

I think he buried them close to the surface in the hopes that one day somebody would find them. Maybe he thought the logs pointing to the zip tie burial site, I believe, would be enough for somebody to kick some dirt around to see what was there. Because there was such a great risk of being caught at the Harvest Road building, when getting rid of the undergarments and zip tie would have been so easy, I can't help but to believe he wanted them found. I don't necessarily believe he secured the zip tie in the car. I sort of think he may have used them simply as handcuffs. Because the nature of the Amish is to be cooperative, he may have thought that the handcuff restraint was good enough. Perhaps it was enough to keep her from opening the door and I think he probably warned her not to try anything. Maybe he told her that if she cooperated, he would let her go? Just some possibilities. Your theory about the seat belt hole is a good one too.

 

[Jillian2020]

Hi @Rocky1!
I'll take a stab at answering your question (from my personal perspective, of course).

Based on the evidence we've learned so far (which is not a whole lot), I believe JS did plan Linda's kidnapping. Considering the fact that he was seen cruising the road where the abduction took place both before and after church services. IMO, he was watching for a lone female.
While I don't necessarily think he planned to kidnap Linda specifically, I do believe he was out trolling for a victim.

As to the zip ties- my guess is that he carried them specifically to restrain a victim(s). Part of his "kill kit", so to speak. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to use them. I have long wondered if the zip ties are associated with LE's statement that Linda has been harmed in some way. Was there something on that zip tie that would lead them to believe this? Blood, skin cells, or some other form of DNA? Finding only one zip tie is a bit perplexing, but the others (if any), may still be attached to Linda. (Sorry all- I sincerely don't like voicing such things).

ETA- why was he seen in the same area two days later? Was he looking for another victim (since he may have believed he "got away with it", or, was he looking for evidence of some sort that may have been left behind? A bible or shoe dropped at time of abduction? Maybe another zip tie he planned to use for restraining a victim?

ITA with this. I was vacillating between whether or not he planned the kidnapping until I read that he was on Beechdale Road in the morning. Knowing that he was out there in the morning, I too believe that he was trolling for a victim - possibly even Linda.

 

[LadyL]

I think he thought it best to separate evidence and bury different items in different locations and that somehow would be less suspicious or more unlikely to lead to conviction if found. I don't think he wanted any of the evidence discovered; more likely he was careless and lazy or in a hurry when burying it. I don't know why he didn't just burn it. I think a farmer will likely unearth other items of clothing while harvesting. JMO.