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

[crhedBngr]

I'm not a corn farmer, but I'm the wife (and daughter/daughter-in-law, granddaughter, niece, etc. etc.) of one, and our home is currently quite literally surrounded, besides our driveway, with up to 10 foot tall field corn. I would not want to be going in there for any reason. The stalks are really tough, as mentioned, and so are the leaves. There's maybe 12-18" between rows, but this space is mostly filled with leaves from about 12" off of the ground.

If you drag something like a body through a row, I can't imagine how you wouldn't see some damage to the stalks along the entry point, but if you enter somewhere obscure, it might just be that no one would notice any damage. The dragger and the draggee would both be likely to be wide enough to knock in to some of the stalks, IMO.

Our corn was sprayed with a pre-emergent herbicide, and then it's left alone until harvest.

Hope that helps a little. I'll maybe be back more with my "expertise" on hog farms

RBBM

Growing up in farming country (upper Midwest), I agree.

JMVHO.

 

[Rocky1]

Ita!

The cases I've followed where the offender was a stranger to the victim they havent ended in any plea deal.

In fact I've seen many of those cases where there wasn't any familiar link between the offender,and victim or multiple victims that became DP qualified cases with the DAs refusing to make any deal at all with the 'devil.'

Sometimes in the states who have the DP it is more important for the DA to send a strong message. Concluding that when a defendant goes against everything society is willing to accept the death penalty is the only rational sentence option that fits the crimes committed by the worst of the worst defendants.

Imo, Linda's case is one of those where the DA will think long, and hard about what is the harshest appropriate punishment allowable under PA criminal law supported by the facts surrounding her case.

In Linda's case you have the innocence of the victim who hadn't ever had a boyfriend. Imo, she was pure as the little defenseless young victims of pedophiles who defiled them destroying their innocence before being murdered.

So I believe knowing who she was, and how she lived her short beautiful life will be greatly considered when the DA contemplates which sentence under PA law fits all of the horrific crimes she had to endure from beginning to the fatal end. It will also be considered should the defendant, and his client come with a plea deal offer.

I believe once the ongoing investigation is completed by all LE agencies working her case they will have amassed a wealth of evidence to prove first degree murder BARD with or without Linda's body.

Cases like Linda's are just too horrendous to warrnt any plea deal.

I remember Sierra Lamar's DA made it known from minute one he wouldn't accept any plea offer in exchange for giving up the location where the murderer had put her body. She's still missing,and he's serving LWOP. Sierra's parents understood that decision knowing when it comes down to it ..its up to the DA to decide.

Jmho tho

You may very well be right, however, the DA's objective is to win his/her case.
Some DA's are elected, so politics do play a role. The pressure the public puts on a DA can determine how the defendant will be charged.
There's a big difference between trying to achieve a guilty verdict in a death penalty case, and a case where lwop is on the table. There are people that are against the death penalty, and no matter how severe and gruesome the case may be, can't bring themselves to sentence someone to death.
The severity of the crime will also play a factor as to whether the DA will go for the DP.
Another factor the DA will consider, is that PA has only executed 3 people since 1976, and those three waived the appellate process.

 

[Rocky1]

LE can't take your phone without a warrant.

And just to add. If they obtain a warrant to confiscate your phone, they need a separate warrant to search the contents.

 

[Curiosity1234]

And just to add. If they obtain a warrant to confiscate your phone, they need a separate warrant to search the contents.

Oh, thank you. I figured they would need a warrant to take phone but didn't know they needed a second one to search contents. Are they confined to only searching for specific topic ?

 

[Rocky1]

Oh, thank you. I figured they would need a warrant to take phone but didn't know they needed a second one to search contents. Are they confined to only searching for specific topic ?

Just to be clear, my post was in reference to the above post, meaning seizure of a phone without being arrested.
If you are arrested, your phone can/will be seized. A warrant is not needed for the seizure, however is needed to search it.
If you are not being arrested, then they need a warrant to seize, and a warrant to search, unless it specifies a search can be conducted on the initial warrant.
I may be wrong, and I'll have to check, but I believe a federal warrant covers both unless specified otherwise.
There's also what's called "The Third Party Doctrine", and that implies any information you knowingly share with a third party is not covered under cell phone privacy laws. So, for example up until 2018, LE didn't need a warrant to access cell phone records from your cell phone provider that tracked your movement. The Supreme Court has since ruled against that, so now LE needs a warrant to obtain cell phone records as well.

 

[Really?]

I wish Linda to be found...enough of this family and community suffering.

I also wish one of our wonder mappers would map this all out.

 

[CuriousQuiet1]

he lived in apt. 7
wasn't the fire at apt 2?
there are 18 pics of the scene on the lancaster incident network fb and kinzer fire dept site


Kinzer Fire

MOO, the apartment the fire department was worried about was the one closest to the car. With flames that size the window blinds would melt, curtains could catch fire, etc. A dangerous amount of heat through those windows due to the car. I don't think the apartment number is significant as it relates to JS.

From Paradise Fire Dept website, snipped by me: "Arrived With A Working Vehicle Fire Against An Apartment Building...Rescue 47 (Lt.47-3) W/6 Arrived With Crew Making Access Into The Apartment Building Checking For Extension." I think the "checking for extension" just means they entered the apartments to be sure the vehicle fire didn't set anything inside on fire. I don't see anything indicating they battled a fire inside the building that day.

Not a fire fighter, JMO.

 

[Rosegold68]

just looking on google maps. what about that quarry in paradise? theres a part where you can directly enter from the road side (62- 64 mcvilane rd) the silt/gravel piled up etc....

 

[CuriousQuiet1]

Very good CuriousQuiet1, I suspect the car fire wasn't accidental either. I thought it odd that the hood wasn't up during the fire, wouldn't that indicate engine, mechanical problem as cause of fire etc. ?

Many years ago I was doing some work in the area just south of Death Valley during July. Daytime temperatures always around 115 F. Along the highway there I saw at least 2 car fires per day. Maybe 2/3rds were overheated engines going up a mountain grade and the other 1/3rd were from overheated brakes going down the mountain. If it was the engine overheating the car would usually have the hood up. If it was the brakes they wouldn't. There are also fires ignited by electrical problems.

I agree with you that the engine is the most likely starting point of a car fire but the gas tank is in the back and the inside is full of combustible fabric and plastic so I have no idea how to interpret these pictures of the burned car. I find it suspicious because of the location, at JS's apartment, and the timing, just after he kidnaps LS and needs to destroy evidence. Not having the hood open adds a little to my suspicion, but I would be suspicious even if the hood was open.

 

[CuriousQuiet1]

<modsnip>

Wondering if you or any of the other locals can describe/verify Denlinger Pond, nearly adjacent to JS's apartment. The reason I ask is I have been looking at Mapquest and Bing Maps to get alternate pictures of the area and this pond does not show up on anything but Google maps. The satellite views clearly show a pond so I'm confused. Is it really a pond? Or is it a marshy/swamp area? I guess what I am really asking is, if you threw a weighted body in there, is the water deep enough to conceal it?

I seriously doubt he would be that stupid to put it next to his house, but I have read stupider things recently here on WS (looking at you, Chad Daybell).

 

[oceanblueeyes]

You may very well be right, however, the DA's objective is to win his/her case.
Some DA's are elected, so politics do play a role. The pressure the public puts on a DA can determine how the defendant will be charged.
There's a big difference between trying to achieve a guilty verdict in a death penalty case, and a case where lwop is on the table. There are people that are against the death penalty, and no matter how severe and gruesome the case may be, can't bring themselves to sentence someone to death.
The severity of the crime will also play a factor as to whether the DA will go for the DP.
Another factor the DA will consider, is that PA has only executed 3 people since 1976, and those three waived the appellate process.

Thank you.

I'm not aware of any DA who isn't elected.

As far as those who are against the DP they would be disqualified to sit on any DP case anyway.

The governors or other elected officials in some states may be opposed to the DP. However the last poll I saw the majority of Americans still believe it should be an option.

Just because the governors doesn't carry them out....juries consistently vote for the DP in the worst cases.

It's really sad that CA has over 700 on DR who haven't been executed.

It's not the fault of the jurors who carefully listened to all of the evidence, both in the trial phase, and then the sentencing phase to come to their weighty decision taking weeks or even months of their time to come to the correct sentence. CA hasnt executed anyone in years either, but juries are still sitting on DP cases, and giving it even now when all 12 agree it is the sentence that most fits the crime.

It's really a slap in the face of all juries everywhere that has the DP when they are the ones that must make this decision unanimously, and when they do then their verdict isn't carried out by those who weren't even there hearing all of the testimony.

Jmho

 

[MsMac]

I am stuck on Linda Stoltzfoos being in the Gap area maybe because that was the last place he was seen with her in his vehicle. It can't be because it's where he works because I am pretty certain I didn't find out he worked in Gap til a later date. He has relatives who live in Gap so I bet he's really familiar with that area. He could have gone to wherever he hid her body after work on Monday July 22nd or any day. JMHO.

I think people are over thinking his travels on the day of the abduction. Why assume he had already disposed of Linda before he got to Harvest Structures in Ronks on 6/21? He could have actually had her in the car when he was there!!!! As far as I know, no one saw him there on 6/21. Only his cell phone data puts him there on 6/21. The witness saw him there on 6/23.

 

[MsMac]

I think people are over thinking his travels on the day of the abduction. Why assume he had already disposed of Linda before he got to Harvest Structures in Ronks on 6/21? He could have actually had her in the car when he was there!!!! As far as I know, no one saw him there on 6/21. Only his cell phone data puts him there on 6/21. The witness saw him there on 6/23.

We don't really know what he did at Harvest Structures on 6/21. Only that he was there. He was there again on 6/23 and could have buried the bra and stockings at that time.

 

[Curiosity1234]

We don't really know what he did at Harvest Structures on 6/21. Only that he was there. He was there again on 6/23 and could have buried the bra and stockings at that time.

I thought he buried the bra and stockings on 621 and went back on 6/23 to make sure they were still buried. Just my own thoughts.

 

[Curiosity1234]

I think people are over thinking his travels on the day of the abduction. Why assume he had already disposed of Linda before he got to Harvest Structures in Ronks on 6/21? He could have actually had her in the car when he was there!!!! As far as I know, no one saw him there on 6/21. Only his cell phone data puts him there on 6/21. The witness saw him there on 6/23.

You might be right, I could be over thinking. If she was in the car on the 21st at Harvest Structures he could not have buried her there because they would have found her in that area by now.

 

[Curiosity1234]

I think people are over thinking his travels on the day of the abduction. Why assume he had already disposed of Linda before he got to Harvest Structures in Ronks on 6/21? He could have actually had her in the car when he was there!!!! As far as I know, no one saw him there on 6/21. Only his cell phone data puts him there on 6/21. The witness saw him there on 6/23.

You might be right, I could be over thinking. If she was in the car on the 21st

I think people are over thinking his travels on the day of the abduction. Why assume he had already disposed of Linda before he got to Harvest Structures in Ronks on 6/21? He could have actually had her in the car when he was there!!!! As far as I know, no one saw him there on 6/21. Only his cell phone data puts him there on 6/21. The witness saw him there on 6/23.

at Harvest Structures he could not have buried her there because they would have found her in that area by now.

 

[MsMac]

I thought he buried the bra and stockings on 621 and went back on 6/23 to make sure they were still buried. Just my own thoughts.

Could be. But we don't actually know that. The time line on 6/21 doesn't give him much time to do anything like dispose of a body if you think he did it before arriving at Harvest Structures in Ronks on 6/21.

 

[Lineblock]

Yes there are double railroad tracks to the rear of his home, also double railroad tracks to the rear of his work place (dutchland) and double rail road tracks where they found the bra (shed Place). Very odd, or coincidence.

That is good , never be seen leave apt. Or work and go right to the spot he buried them

 

[MsMac]

You might be right, I could be over thinking. If she was in the car on the 21st at Harvest Structures he could not have buried her there because they would have found her in that area by now.

I'm not thinking he buried her there. Just that she could have been in the car at that point. If that is the case, he had many days to do what he did and could have traveled many miles.

 

[Curiosity1234]

Could be. But we don't actually know that. The time line on 6/21 doesn't give him much time to do anything like dispose of a body if you think he did it before arriving at Harvest Structures in Ronks on 6/21.

I think he temporarily hid the body in Gap. That's what I am saying.