GUILTY PA - Linda Stoltzfoos, 18, murdered, Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, 21 June 2020 *arrest* #4

[Lmustang89]

The Smithfield State Correctional Institution is a medium security prison that houses around 1375 inmates at any point in time. The Smithfield State Correctional Institution offers literacy courses to help the inmates learn skills to help them reenter society successfully. The facility houses males and there are two males per cell.

Capacity 1375


Social Services Programs:

• Batterers Intervention
• Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment
• Violence Prevention
• Thinking for a Change
• Parenting
• Institutional Orientation Group
• Long-Term Offenders Group
• Sex Offenders Group
• Special Needs Medication Compliance
• Special Needs Unit Adjustment Group
• Special Needs Unit
• Act 143, Victim Awareness
• Secure Residential Treatment Unit
• Puppy Program
• Impact of Crime
• AOD Co-Occurring Outpatient Program
• Behavior Management Unit (BMU) Co-Occurring Disorders Group

Smithfield State Correctional Institution - Martin County Sheriff

I want to go there. Pfffft

 

[CCJD]

Nearly four years after a Lancaster County man was charged in the kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos, his family is sharing their story.

With the blessing of the Amish community, the family reached out to WGAL News 8's Anne Shannon. They want to world to know what happened to them after police filed charges.

Go here to learn what they had to say.

Family of man who pleaded guilty in Amish girl's disappearance, murder talks to WGAL

With the blessing of the Amish community, the family of the man convicted in her killing reached out to WGAL News 8's Anne Shannon. They want to world to know what happened to them after police filed charges.

www.wgal.com

 

[realanastasia]

Nearly four years after a Lancaster County man was charged in the kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos, his family is sharing their story.

With the blessing of the Amish community, the family reached out to WGAL News 8's Anne Shannon. They want to world to know what happened to them after police filed charges.

Go here to learn what they had to say.

Family of man who pleaded guilty in Amish girl's disappearance, murder talks to WGAL

With the blessing of the Amish community, the family of the man convicted in her killing reached out to WGAL News 8's Anne Shannon. They want to world to know what happened to them after police filed charges.

www.wgal.com

“The family didn't know what to do. They were overcome with grief, sadness and anger.

Then a young Amish neighbor knocked on their door.

"She shared her name and said, 'You may not know this, but I was the teacher at Nickel Mines School,'" said Rogers. "When she came to the door, she came with a deep level of understanding, of empathy, of love, of mercy, of compassion."

The visit was the first of many with the Amish community, including Stoltzfoos's family and her close friends. Rogers and his family expected them to be upset and angry. Instead, they offered kindness, mercy, and forgiveness.

"That's grace. That's true, unmerited grace," Shertzer said. "It's really uncomfortable and really hard."

"To receive it was so healing and so difficult and so beautiful at the same time," Rogers said.”
*****************
What a beautiful and selfless gesture from this young woman and the other Amish community members who rightly recognized that JS’s family members were, like poor Linda, innocent victims of JS. Following the Nickel Mines school shooting which the young woman survived in 2006, I believe the local Amish community similarly reached out to the family of the shooter to offer compassion and mercy.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Still, the family never imagined that three weeks after Stoltzfoos went missing, police would charge Smoker with her kidnapping and eventually, her murder.

"This isn't Justo," Rogers remembers thinking. "He wouldn't do this."

The family didn't know what to do. They were overcome with grief, sadness and anger.

Then a young Amish neighbor knocked on their door.

"She shared her name and said, 'You may not know this, but I was the teacher at Nickel Mines School,'" said Rogers. "When she came to the door, she came with a deep level of understanding, of empathy, of love, of mercy, of compassion."

The visit was the first of many with the Amish community, including Stoltzfoos's family and her close friends. Rogers and his family expected them to be upset and angry. Instead, they offered kindness, mercy, and forgiveness.

"That's grace. That's true, unmerited grace," Shertzer said. "It's really uncomfortable and really hard."

"To receive it was so healing and so difficult and so beautiful at the same time," Rogers said.

Family of man who admitted to kidnapping and killing Amish girl shares story

With the blessing of the Amish community, family members want the world to know what happened to them after the police filed charges against Justo Smoker in the death of Linda Stoltzfoos.

www.wgal.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“As my daughter and I realized we were processing our grief in the same way, we realized we had some stories to tell," Rogers explained.
Those stories will now be shared with the rest of the world, in a self-published book Tim and Megan co-authored. It's called “Beechdale Road."

“Literally it’s where Linda lived, it’s where this event happened," Shertzer explained. "But figuratively, I think for us it’s an image of 'Can we turn Beechdale Road into not only the place this horrific event happened but also the place where we found redemption and mercy and grace from her family?'”

“Someone once said words are the tools we use to create reality," added Rogers. "I found that to be a really profound idea. The words we’ve put into this book and story we hope will reframe a reality around what happened with Linda.”

Justo’s relatives have formed an unlikely friendship with Linda’s family.
“We have their blessing to write [the book] which is really special for us," continued Megan. "We’ve gotten to know her family and close friends pretty well over the last four years.”

“It was such a tragedy and such an evil that happened. That is true," said Tim. "At the same time, what we experienced is that the power of grace and mercy is equal to the task of being greater even in the worst things that we experience.”

“She helped in a one-room schoolhouse, she specifically helped students with special needs so we’re donating a portion of the proceeds of this book to Amish special education," said Shertzer.

“Redemption is always more powerful than tragedy," added Rogers.

Family of Justo Smoker, the man who murdered Linda Stoltzfoos, write book about their experience

"Beechdale Road" will be available to purchase on April 1. It's written by Justo Smoker's niece and brother-in-law.

www.fox43.com

 

[Hereshecomes75]

“The family didn't know what to do. They were overcome with grief, sadness and anger.

Then a young Amish neighbor knocked on their door.

"She shared her name and said, 'You may not know this, but I was the teacher at Nickel Mines School,'" said Rogers. "When she came to the door, she came with a deep level of understanding, of empathy, of love, of mercy, of compassion."

The visit was the first of many with the Amish community, including Stoltzfoos's family and her close friends. Rogers and his family expected them to be upset and angry. Instead, they offered kindness, mercy, and forgiveness.

"That's grace. That's true, unmerited grace," Shertzer said. "It's really uncomfortable and really hard."

"To receive it was so healing and so difficult and so beautiful at the same time," Rogers said.”
*****************
What a beautiful and selfless gesture from this young woman and the other Amish community members who rightly recognized that JS’s family members were, like poor Linda, innocent victims of JS. Following the Nickel Mines school shooting which the young woman survived in 2006, I believe the local Amish community similarly reached out to the family of the shooter to offer compassion and mercy.

There’s a book written by the mother of the Nickel Mines shooter in which she details the forgiveness and ongoing friendships that came from that tragedy. It’s called “Forgiven: The Amish School Shooting, a Mother's Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace.” She has passed away now, but she was a lovely person who did all she could to bring kindness and love into a terrible situation.