GUILTY OH - Barbara Weaver, 30, murdered in her Apple Creek home, 2 June 2009

[oh_gal]

I thought this was interesting. I've lived near the Amish nearly my entire life, and they are pacifists in general. Divorce is unheard of, as well as other "worldly crimes" like assault, murder, stealing, etc., etc. (I do recall hearing of one case, though, of an Amish man who was schizophrenic who killed his wife.)

Back to this most recent story, though. Apparently, 30 year old Barbara Weaver, mother of 5, was found dead in her bed, from a gunshot wound to the chest. Her husband was away on a fishing trip (although he has not been ruled out as a suspect).

Here is a link to the news report:

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20090602/UPDATES01/90602022

 

[STEADFAST]

I hope her husband didn't do it, but I wouldn't give odds.

 

[Blackwatch]

I thought this was interesting. I've lived near the Amish nearly my entire life, and they are pacifists in general. Divorce is unheard of, as well as other "worldly crimes" like assault, murder, stealing, etc., etc. (I do recall hearing of one case, though, of an Amish man who was schizophrenic who killed his wife.)

Back to this most recent story, though. Apparently, 30 year old Barbara Weaver, mother of 5, was found dead in her bed, from a gunshot wound to the chest. Her husband was away on a fishing trip (although he has not been ruled out as a suspect).

Here is a link to the news report:

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20090602/UPDATES01/90602022

After reading the article I didn't have the impression the family was Amish. Do you know for sure they are?

BTW, the Amish man you referred to above, Ed Gingerich, was put away for quite a while, whether in jail or a mental hospital I'm not sure. When he got out a couple of years ago, he and his brothers kidnapped his children. They were caught and I'm not sure what happened to him after that.

There was a second Amish man, too lazy too look up the name, who is believed to have killed his son and possibly a few other people. The name of this case was "Little Boy Blue" from the clothing/blanket they found the child's body in.

You don't hear much about Amish crime, but it is there. Mainly, however, it is taken care of inside the community.

 

[SuziQ]

http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-amish-murder,0,5673721.story

(snip)
Tuesday morning 30-year-old Barbara Weaver was found in her bed by one of her children in their home in the small Amish community of Maysville.

 

[oh_gal]

After reading the article I didn't have the impression the family was Amish. Do you know for sure they are?

BTW, the Amish man you referred to above, Ed Gingerich, was put away for quite a while, whether in jail or a mental hospital I'm not sure. When he got out a couple of years ago, he and his brothers kidnapped his children. They were caught and I'm not sure what happened to him after that.

There was a second Amish man, too lazy too look up the name, who is believed to have killed his son and possibly a few other people. The name of this case was "Little Boy Blue" from the clothing/blanket they found the child's body in.

You don't hear much about Amish crime, but it is there. Mainly, however, it is taken care of inside the community.

Yes, she was Amish. Her obituary states that she was a member of the Old Order Amish church.

Here is the obit:

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/no_byline_article/4600782

 

[mysteriew]

I've lived near the Amish too and have always thought of them as law abiding and pacifists. However there are rumors that domestic violence and child abuse may be pretty common. But it isn't really known for sure because they do handle it within the community.

 

[STEADFAST]

I've lived near the Amish too and have always thought of them as law abiding and pacifists. However there are rumors that domestic violence and child abuse may be pretty common. But it isn't really known for sure because they do handle it within the community.

I don't understand this. They're subject to U.S. law just like anyone else. It's not like they're in a sovereign Indian Nation or something. I could see how they could cover up domestic violence. But how could they manage to or be allowed to handle a murder "within their community"?

 

[mysteriew]

I don't know that murders are covered up. But the rumors are that even though the religion is non-violent, that domestic violence and child abuse both physical and sexual does happen. And that it is either ignored within the community or it is handled within the church. But it isn't reported to authorities.

 

[lookieloo]

I live in the area and there hasn't been anything in the paper about it at all yesterday or today. It is very odd, and of course looks suspicious for the husband to be away fishing at that moment.

 

[Boyz_Mum]

http://us.macmillan.com/abandonedprayers

 

[Blackwatch]

I don't understand this. They're subject to U.S. law just like anyone else. It's not like they're in a sovereign Indian Nation or something. I could see how they could cover up domestic violence. But how could they manage to or be allowed to handle a murder "within their community"?

While they don't have their own jails, they do have their own "hospital" type places where their mentally ill go. Basically, they do not call 911 or inform the police when someone goes wrong in their community, that's why they appear to have such a low crime rate. The Gingerich case that I referenced is written about in Crimson Stain, by Jim Fisher. It goes into quite a lot of detail. I've also "heard" that inbreeding is taking a toll on their communities, but that's just hearsay.

 

[daisy.faithfull]

Do I have this correct...
* Husband left at 3.30 am in the morning .
* Barbara was found just after 8 am on the same morning by one of the couple's children.
* She had been shot in the chest, and her husband owns a hunting and fishing store.
* There is a possibility that the community is secretive about instances of domestic violence, child abuse and other crimes.

This is so scary. Is it even possible that someone could have shot Barbara and none of the children would hear anything?

If the community does truly keep things like this under wraps then I would think that the husband's fishing buddy would be motivated to lie to "protect the community",no?

And the children, if they are abused or see their mother abused would they be afraid to come forward if they did hear anything or if their is a history of abuse? I hope they are in a safe place and if they are with him he is not the murderer. Reminds me Lisa Stebic...:yow::no:

The timeline of the husband leaving and the child finding his mom reminds me of Sheri Coleman...:yow: I guess this will be another case of knowing more once the timeof death had been determined. :shakehead:

Like I said I hope I'm wrong.

 

[daisy.faithfull]

http://us.macmillan.com/abandonedprayers

Is this the you're talking about?http://amishamerica.typepad.com/amish_america/eli_stutzman/

"The body of ex-Amishman Eli Stutzman--convicted of one murder, suspected in four others--lies in a Texas morgue, unclaimed by his former Ohio Amish community.

Stutzman's DNA may be the case-breaker in the 1985 deaths of two Colorado men.

Gregg Olsen, author of Abandoned Prayers, commented on the case which has hounded him for the past 20 years.

Olsen makes an interesting point--if Ida (Stutzman's wife and supposed first victim) hadn't been Amish, there would have been a full investigation of her death."

more at link

Bolded by me, because that's exactly what I'm afraid will happen in this case. It does say that he was the father of "little boy blue" on the page, and that he committed suicide. Why didn't he do that before murdering his wife and child? Monster.

Thank you Blackwatch and Boyz_Mum for bringing up the case, how horrifying, but something to consider as I never would have considered something like that possible in an Amish community. :shakehead:

 

[maconrich]

Thank you oh_gal for the link to the local paper which does seem to be covering the story.

FWIW the Miller and Troyer families have long solid ties to the Amish community in Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties. (Which doesn't mean all members of either family are or have remained Amish.)

"Maysville Woman found shot to death"
posted June 3

"SALT CREEK TWP. -- Wayne County Sheriff's deputies are investigating an apparent homicide in the death of a 30-year-old Maysville area woman found shot Tuesday in her home.

Barbara Weaver, 10465 Harrison Road, Apple Creek, was found dead Tuesday at about 8 a.m.

According to Wayne County Sheriff's reports, Weaver was found unresponsive in her bed by a family member who contacted a neighbor. The neighbor called 9-1-1 and a Fredericksburg squad, responding to the call, determined Weaver was dead and had suffered a gunshot wound.

A preliminary autopsy indicated the cause of death to be from a single gunshot wound to the chest, Wayne County Coroner Dr. Amy Jolliff said. A full autopsy will be performed today, Jolliff said.

More at link

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4599974

and "Murder probe ongoing"
posted June 4

"WOOSTER -- The investigation into the homicide of a Maysville area woman continued Wednesday as the Wayne County Sheriff's Office gathered more evidence.

"While an arrest has not yet been made, investigators continue to build this case one piece at a time," Sheriff's Capt. Doug Hunter said. "In an effort to maintain the integrity of the investigation, we are unable to release specific details surrounding the case at the current time."

More at link:
http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4600776

~Prayers to the family and the Community~

 

[oh_gal]

I live in the area and there hasn't been anything in the paper about it at all yesterday or today. It is very odd, and of course looks suspicious for the husband to be away fishing at that moment.

I find it frustrating, too, that nothing more has been said in the papers. Is it because there truly is nothing more to report, or is it because of the "code of silence" (with the outside world) the Amish adhere to? I mean, if no one's talking, no one's talking.....we've seen that before.

It's possible the husband killed her before he left for his fishing trip (maybe he thought that would provide him with an alibi. It was also reported that none of the children heard any shots. Maybe that could have been muffled by a pillow/comforter/quilt -- (I don't know anything about guns, and don't even know if it's possible to silence the sound of a shot, without a silencer.)

I have also heard the various stories about sexual abuse within the community (not that one in particular, just the Amish as a whole) -- and stories of young girls being "given" to older men (uncles, etc.)...I don't know how much of that is true, and how much is just imagined by outsiders because we know so little about what goes on within the community, which makes you imagine the worst. I do remember the 20/20 epsidoe that was done (or was it dateline?) that "exposed" all the craziness that goes on with the young Amish (drinking, using electric devices, smoking, etc.). None of that was any surprise to anyone who lives near an Amish community (growing up, all we heard on Sunday nights was the vibrations from boom boxes mixed with the clopping of horse hooves going down our road well past 2 am).

 

[Jen38]

I live over in Tuscarawas county, and this is the first I've heard of this. Nothing at all in our local paper....regarding the inbreeding issue, I know there's a higher incidence of genetic disorders found in the Amish community, but I've never heard anything regarding mental illness.

Those poor children ....I truly hope it wasn't one of them that found her.

 

[Lili]

*snipped*
I do remember the 20/20 epsidoe that was done (or was it dateline?) that "exposed" all the craziness that goes on with the young Amish (drinking, using electric devices, smoking, etc.). None of that was any surprise to anyone who lives near an Amish community (growing up, all we heard on Sunday nights was the vibrations from boom boxes mixed with the clopping of horse hooves going down our road well past 2 am).

The time of worldly ways for the Amish teens is called "rumspringa." It's the time when they can experience the outside world without any consequences from their community. Drinking, drugs, the whole gambit, and believe me, they try it all. Yea, the clip-clop of hooves on blacktop along with the clink-smash of beer bottles being tossed from a buggy full of laughing and screaming over the sound of a boom box. Then they choose to remain in the community or leave. If they choose to leave, they are considered "dead" to their family and community.

Crime certainly does happen, but it is all covered up under the blanket of "religious beliefs," and handled within the community.

 

[Boyz_Mum]

Is this the you're talking about?http://amishamerica.typepad.com/amish_america/eli_stutzman/

more at link

Bolded by me, because that's exactly what I'm afraid will happen in this case. It does say that he was the father of "little boy blue" on the page, and that he committed suicide. Why didn't he do that before murdering his wife and child? Monster.

Thank you Blackwatch and Boyz_Mum for bringing up the case, how horrifying, but something to consider as I never would have considered something like that possible in an Amish community. :shakehead:

Thanks Daisy for more information on the "Little Boy Blue" case.

Before reading the opening post about this current murder, I had no idea that crime was a problem in the Amish community. Logically thinking, I know crime is everywhere, but for whatever reason thought the Amish were "different" (kwim?)

I pray they solve the case about Barbara Weaver's murder.

 

[Blackwatch]

I live over in Tuscarawas county, and this is the first I've heard of this. Nothing at all in our local paper....regarding the inbreeding issue, I know there's a higher incidence of genetic disorders found in the Amish community, but I've never heard anything regarding mental illness.
Those poor children ....I truly hope it wasn't one of them that found her.

". In this community of quiet-spoken, humble pacifists, such behavior "really stands out against the social landscape," observes Medical Sociologist Janice Egeland, who has spent more than 25 years among the Old Order Amish, as the group is formally known. When it does occur, the Amish often have an explanation: "Siss im blut," they say; the peculiar behavior is "in the blood."
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963725,00.html

This is a very interesting article and, for anyone wanting to know more, there is plenty of information available. I'd like to point out that schizophrenia is the next level up from manic depression.

My opinion only

 

[Columbo]

Her husband certainly would have had access to guns, being the owner of a hunting and fishing store. And the children might know exactly what happened, but be living in fear of him, so they wouldn't speak up.
These days it's easy to say "the husband did it ," but this is another scenario where it just seems too obvious that it's him. sigh.