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

[TwoBlueJays]

JS was in prison for approx 10-15 years for armed robbery, released from prison in February 2019.

Apologies - you're correct. Incarcerated at 21, as an adult, served 12 1/2 years. He's currently 34. He's not been out long.

 

[MontereyMama]

I believe nataliewould was speaking in general terms, not in particular to this situation.
In general, Amish believe everything that happens is in God’s will (good and bad).

Or to clarify: not that God actually willed this event to happen (altho they use that term), but that he permitted it. Guess that's basically a Christian belief no matter who you are.

Prayers for the families and community as they grapple with the evil that has crashed so unexpectedly into their peaceful existence. And yes, prayers for the family who so kindly adopted JS. Talk about ingratitude

 

[Wowno17]

Police: More details about missing Amish teen Linda Stoltzfoos

The driver's side window was down and a white object could be seen on the front seat passenger side.

I wonder what the white item was?

 

[Spartygirl]

Popping in for updates.
I saw the court docs this morning and my heart just breaks for Linda and her family.
She sounded like a wonderful young lady, who tutors and helps others along with being active in her church and the youth groups.
I hope she is found soon and brought home to her family, even though it is not the way they would want her to come home, at least they could have a respectful religious burial for her as she deserves.

(Edited to add-- I just don't understand WHY she went with him when approached unless he had a weapon of some sort and she was threatened.) **

 

[Izmack]

Police: More details about missing Amish teen Linda Stoltzfoos

The driver's side window was down and a white object could be seen on the front seat passenger side.

I wonder what the white item was?

It could be the Cape Amish girls wear to church. Unmarried girls wear white, married wear black.

 

[Izmack]

Popping in for updates.
I saw the court docs this morning and my heart just breaks for Linda and her family.
She sounded like a wonderful young lady, who tutors and helps others along with being active in her church and the youth groups.
I hope she is found soon and brought home to her family, even though it is not the way they would want her to come home, at least they could have a respectful religious burial for her as she deserves.

(Edited to add-- I just don't understand WHY she went with him when approached unless he had a weapon of some sort and she was threatened.) **

A weapon is a possibility, or else he concocted a fake emergency to lure her into the car.

 

[coastal]

Police: More details about missing Amish teen Linda Stoltzfoos

The driver's side window was down and a white object could be seen on the front seat passenger side.

I wonder what the white item was?

Thanks for the link, Wowno17! From it:

BBM
Investigators are asking anyone who might have seen Smoker — or his red Kia Rio sedan — around the time Linda Stoltzfoos waIs abducted, and in the days after, to contact East Lampeter Township Police at 717-291-4676.

@almino, if you are still here reading, investigators are specifically asking for anyone who might have seen Smoker or his red Kia Rio sedan around the time of the abduction, or after, to contact them. That's you!

 

[Jmoose]

Popping in for updates.
I saw the court docs this morning and my heart just breaks for Linda and her family.
She sounded like a wonderful young lady, who tutors and helps others along with being active in her church and the youth groups.
I hope she is found soon and brought home to her family, even though it is not the way they would want her to come home, at least they could have a respectful religious burial for her as she deserves.

(Edited to add-- I just don't understand WHY she went with him when approached unless he had a weapon of some sort and she was threatened.) **

I wonder if he stopped her to ask for directions to someplace, and when she would’ve tried to explain, he might have said, “listen, show me where xyz is, and I will drop you off at home-it’s too hot for walking” or something like that-more likely though, he threatened her with a weapon, because I doubt he is that charming

 

[Spartygirl]

A weapon is a possibility, or else he concocted a fake emergency to lure her into the car.

I thought about that also.

 

[MsMac]

I wonder if he stopped her to ask for directions to someplace, and when she would’ve tried to explain, he might have said, “listen, show me where xyz is, and I will drop you off at home-it’s too hot for walking” or something like that-more likely though, he threatened her with a weapon, because I doubt he is that charming

Highly unlikely a young Amish woman would just willingly get into a car on any day, let alone on Sunday. She was almost home. He had to have something like a gun or a knife. According to Anabaptist nonresistance doctrine, she may have refused to offer any resistance against her offender.

 

[Curiosity1234]

Thank you - this was something I've been puzzling over as well. It's one reason I speculated on gang initiation as a motive; this situation is particularly odd. He was in prison for non-violent juvenile offenses (essentially), then is released early in his 20s, and goes about his business until one day he - what? - and kidnaps a woman and assaults her (and potentially kills her).
How does that come out of nowhere? What was the trigger? The family funeral? Was it just that he was familiar with Amish women, being from the area? And that they are potentially more accessible due to their docility and habit of walking rural roads?
I'm going to sit down in my armchair and play therapist; did he have a bad encounter with a woman recently that prompted him to take out his rage on a stranger? Was he over-compensating for his small stature (could fit with all the body building, a possible legacy from prison?) by picking up a 'weak' Amish woman? Was he possibly gay and hated himself (masculine Hispanic culture) so 'proved' himself with Linda?
All MOO and speculation.

TwoBlueJays, please tell me when was he (JS) in prison for non-violent juvenile offenses ? In 2007, at the age of 21 (JS) was sentenced and served 12 years in prison for a 5 day string of armed robberies of businesses with a BB gun; his 18 year old younger brother was arrested as well. JS was released in February of 2019. JS was certainly not a mentor or a good role model for his younger brother IMO. He went to high school in Kinzers which is less than 8 miles from Bird In Hand, had a 3.0 grade average and was a wrestling star. Talk about going down the wrong road in life. Oh, boy!!!!!

 

[Curiosity1234]

I wonder if he stopped her to ask for directions to someplace, and when she would’ve tried to explain, he might have said, “listen, show me where xyz is, and I will drop you off at home-it’s too hot for walking” or something like that-more likely though, he threatened her with a weapon, because I doubt he is that charming

You'd be surprised Jmoose, some men are charming, disarming, dangerous and evil. I haven't read anywhere that this guy was charming or a ladies man.

 

[LadyL]

Police: More details about missing Amish teen Linda Stoltzfoos

The driver's side window was down and a white object could be seen on the front seat passenger side.

I wonder what the white item was?

her apron IMO

 

[Blue Ridge]

Bumping, with prayers for Linda, for all who love and are missing her, and for all those out there searching for her. Please, let them find her!

 

[Torbs]

The Ronks shed business on harvest road might be the key. As I said before, he must have had some connection to it because it’s not a place you’d randomly stumble across (or remember how to get back again if you did). By my count smoker visited there three times:

- 1, his cell phone pings there on Father’s Day, the day of the kidnapping
- 2, two days later when he’s spotted peering in the windows
- 3, later that same day, when his car is seen parked there again (Backed into a space) and the business owner calls the police/takes pictures

Dollars to donuts he was out burying things in the wooded area behind that site during visit 3, when the property owner called it in. The distance would explain why he felt comfortable snooping around taking pictures. The owner probably thought it was petty theft, vandalism, drug use, etc. And the answer to the question why he was taking pics of the car’s interior is easy: he saw something either identifying, suspicious, or both inside that car. He just didn’t realize what the crime he might have helped solve was.

 

[crhedBngr]

The Ronks shed business on harvest road might be the key. As I said before, he must have had some connection to it because it’s not a place you’d randomly stumble across. By my count smoker visited there three times:

- 1, his cell phone pings there on Father’s Day, the day of the kidnapping
- 2, two days later when he’s spotted peering in windows
- 3, later that same day, when his car is seen parked there again (Backed into a space) and the business owner calls the police/takes pictures

Dollars to donuts he was out burying things in the wooded area behind that site during visit 3, when the property owner called it in. The distance would explain why the guy felt comfortable snooping around. The owner probably thought it was petty theft, vandalism, drug use, etc. And the answer to the question why he was taking pics of the car’s interior is easy: he saw something either identifying, suspicious, or both inside that car. He just didn’t realize what the crime he might have helped solve was.

THIS^^^^.

 

[Torbs]

Highly unlikely a young Amish woman would just willingly get into a car on any day, let alone on Sunday. She was almost home. He had to have something like a gun or a knife. According to Anabaptist nonresistance doctrine, she may have refused to offer any resistance against her offender.

or a tool, like a hammer or crowbar. I wonder if that’s what the Ronks business owner saw in the car that caused him to take pictures. He might have associated tools like that with a break-in attempt, which is what he was probably worried about when he called 911.

 

[cjl570]

I still feel its brazen to walk up and take pictures of someones interior. The resident saw something big to risk taking pictures knowing driver can walk up to him with a gun. To risk all this for pictures do you think he saw a back seat of blood or bloody clothes?

 

[lex8396]

If JS was released from prison in Feb 2019....could there be more victims?? Scary thought!! Anymore missing girls in the area?

 

[Torbs]

I still feel its brazen to walk up and take pictures of someones interior. The resident saw something big to risk taking pictures knowing driver can walk up to him with a gun. To risk all this for pictures do you think he saw a back seat of blood or bloody clothes?

I’m personally unclear as to where the owner of the property was when he saw smoker’s car again and went to have a look. That said it’s a quiet rural area and I’m sure at most he’s thinking it’s some harmless idiot looking to steal tools. Smoker wasn’t around, he was likely way off behind the property burying her clothes near the train tracks. So it probably just looked like no one was around and he snapped his pics. I still say he saw tools because that would a) validate his most likely fear of a burglary, and b) explain why it took so long for the police to show. If he saw a gun or a body or bloody clothes they would have been out there in a hot second.