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

[belleyes]

Excellent point! I forgot about those crimes. I keep thinking of the produce stand thefts. I remember how no one let their children run the stands. I’m afraid this will rock the false sense of safety that we all have in the the “southern end”
I hadn’t thought of that....What if someone was waiting at her house?

 

[Rosiebones]

Excellent point! I forgot about those crimes. I keep thinking of the produce stand thefts. I remember how no one let their children run the stands. I’m afraid this will rock the false sense of safety that we all have in the the “southern end”
I hadn’t thought of that....What if someone was waiting at her house?

She may have surprised a burglar, which also may explain why no one saw anybody pick her up.
Also, if it was after church, it surprised me that no one else was walking up or down Stumpfield or even Beachdale on their way home. Others must have been out and about.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

Excellent point! I forgot about those crimes. I keep thinking of the produce stand thefts. I remember how no one let their children run the stands. I’m afraid this will rock the false sense of safety that we all have in the the “southern end”
I hadn’t thought of that....What if someone was waiting at her house?

We lost a few convenient produce stands after that happened. We don’t get the paper anymore, and the website is behind a paywall—did they arrest anyone for those? How about the burglaries during church? I guess you’d think you’d have warning when a buggy came clopping up the drive, but a single girl walking? Not so much. I guess too there have been so many stupid tourists that a cornered burglar could try to play it off as they were just lost or curious or had the wrong house.

 

[MontereyMama]

Also didn't someone on WS state that LS is the oldest of the children? Anyone know at what age they join the youth group? If it was customary for the parents to stay longer and she is the only family member going to the youth function, possibly noone else was going in her direction to walk with her. Did someone have knowledge of that and were they lying in wait?
Wow, all the details abt how often they have church and where, make me ask: how could it possibly be a non- local?

 

[Rosegold68]

I’m not sure about the rest of the world but here in the UK it’s always the family who are prime suspects

most crimes against under 18’s are committed by people in their household

I know nobody likes to think it but I hope the FBI are looking at those closest to Linda very very carefully

 

[ACG2x]

I’m not sure about the rest of the world but here in the UK it’s always the family who are prime suspects

most crimes against under 18’s are committed by people in their household

I know nobody likes to think it but I hope the FBI are looking at those closest to Linda very very carefully

Immediate family and close friends should always be the first place LE looks unless there is obvious evidence to the contrary. Works the same way in the US.

 

[Tricia]

Good Day Everyone,
Please join us at 2M EASTERN for Websleuths True Crime Chat. Today we will discuss the Golden State Killer sentencing and I will be updating everyone about your posts and Linda's case. So be sure and join us.
CLICK HERE AT 2 PM AND 10 PM EASTERN FOR WEBSLEUTHS YOUTUBE LIVE
https://tinyurl.com/qqhq3dv

 

[JerseyGirl]

Here's why the FBI is helping in the search for a missing Amish teen

East Lampeter police are winding up their involvement in leading the search of the area in Upper Leacock Township.

Volunteer searchers continued into Friday afternoon.

Police investigators are instead focusing on the hundreds of tips that have poured in. Many are general or vague, such as someone calling to say they saw a brown car or the like. But investigators process them in case more of the same tips come in and a pattern begins to develop.

Investigators aren't sure what happened to Stoltzfoos.

The department relies on the FBI for all types of cases. An FBI spokeswoman said its involvement isn't unusual.

 

[UnapologeticallyAspie]

Criminals aren’t all stupid.... I think by now majority of people will know that mobile phones will catch you out very quickly

have police appealed for anyone’s dashcam footage? Are they searching farms? Obtaining any warrants?

This, yesssss!
I was just thinking about this the other day. And you’re right, not all criminals are stupid. Just think about all of the serial killers that have never been caught. Obviously they are NOT stupid. Nor any other criminal of various crimes who don’t get caught.

I am seriously hoping that this isn’t the case for LS! And I’m still holding out hope that somehow, someway she is still alive, UNHARMED (in JC’s name!)!!

 

[Coppertop15]

1989 from the 'Ville

My dad taught there then!

The idea that someone who knows a bit about the Amish, and did something is compelling. You'd know they would be at church. You'd know who was hosting church, and you know they will be gone a long time. Ugh. This makes my skin crawl.

 

[JrzyGirl70]

I recently read an investigative piece that was put together over the course of a year by Cosmo magazine with regard to the sex abuse crisis amid Amish culture. Praying someone in her community was not one of these abusers and something terrible happened to Linda. Not sure if link is allowed to article so I won't post but you can easily find.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

My dad taught there then!

The idea that someone who knows a bit about the Amish, and did something is compelling. You'd know they would be at church. You'd know who was hosting church, and you know they will be gone a long time. Ugh. This makes my skin crawl.

Several of the families in my Mennonite church have or had bed and breakfasts over the years, and they can attest to the fact that there are some really odd characters that become obsessed with the Amish. Some people are genuinely attracted to the simpler way of life, which I’m sure seems relaxing and fulfilling to many. Others kind of make it into a Disneyesque romantic fantasy, which is pretty weird. There are always people who ask how they can join the Amish. (Short answer—you can’t.). But for people who become interested in the Amish way of life for any reason, it’s not hard to get “insider” information by hiring tour guides who will even ride with you in your car and arrange for you to visit an Amish family in their home. This business has probably slowed quite a bit due to covid, but I’d hope in light of recent circumstances that tour guides would let police know about any tourists that seemed extra creepy.

 

[Rocky1]

To me anyway, someone abducting her from her home would be way down on the list of possibilities.
I understand that someone could know the family schedule, and know they would be at church, however, It would make sense to me that if someone was robbing the house, they would be driving a car. I don't see anyone taking the chance of being a stranger running away through open fields and along the roadside where they would bring attention to everyone passing by unless it was a neighbor that lived very close by.
If Linda walked home from church, that means the service was over, meaning the entire family could have made it back to the house faster by buggy than she could have walked and could have caught the intruder. I would think the intruder would know what time the service would have ended, and would have been long gone by then IMO.
Linda would have seen a car, or truck parked in the driveway,and would have never gone in the house alone.
All speculation on my part.

 

[belleyes]

To me anyway, someone abducting her from her home would be way down on the list of possibilities.
I understand that someone could know the family schedule, and know they would be at church, however, It would make sense to me that if someone was robbing the house, they would be driving a car. I don't see anyone taking the chance of being a stranger running away through open fields and along the roadside where they would bring attention to everyone passing by unless it was a neighbor that lived very close by.
If Linda walked home from church, that means the service was over, meaning the entire family could have made it back to the house faster by buggy than she could have walked and could have caught the intruder. I would think the intruder would know what time the service would have ended, and would have been long gone by then IMO.
Linda would have seen a car, or truck parked in the driveway,and would have never gone in the house alone.
All speculation on my part.

True...unless they were English and she trusted them to be there. The nicklemines shooter (which is only 15min drive from her) was an Englishman they trusted and knew.

 

[Rocky1]

True...unless they were English and she trusted them to be there. The nicklemines shooter (which is only 15min drive from her) was an Englishman they trusted and knew.

I am not too familiar with the Amish way of life in detail, but would it be a common practice to allow someone to occupy their house without them being home? TIA.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

no foul play believed to be involved

well do her family/friends really know her as well as they think then? she could escape/blend in....change of hairstyle and clothes and she would be largely unrecognisable within minutes of leaving that roadside....though why be so underhand about it and leave her family to worry if the community allows and gives a chance, to change her life to one she would prefer

wondering a few things here.....first,as i asked before, anyone know if she had access to cash? to leave on her own, she would need that (but not if she was being helped)

secondly, did something happen that morning at church which led to her snapping.....maybe someone was inappropriate or she was being bullied, blackmailed or something which may be nothing much to us but be a great deal to a young Amish woman. what was going on behind the scenes there.....Amish people come across as lovely quiet and law abiding.....was there a bad apple?

this is all my own thoughts and opinion but i have young adults and i work with them (not Amish) and i know sometimes things escalate quickly for them

I have found in missing persons cases the families did know them very well, and what they would do, and not do.

In fact it's been many families who refused to believe their loved one simply left on their own that turned out to be why many cases involving foul play all along were finally solved.

It was because they refused to believe what wasn't proven nor should they imo.

I pray shes found soon, but it doesn't look good.

Jmho

 

[belleyes]

I am not too familiar with the Amish way of life in detail, but would it be a common practice to allow someone to occupy their house without them being home? TIA.

not in the house but if they were waiting in Barn or driveway.

I haven’t seen her house/ driveway but you could park on most farms and not be seen by passers by. They have many “out building” (sheds, garages, barn for buggie, cow barn etc) sometimes long lanes to the house.

 

[am80]

I have a feeling that we will learn more soon. Way too much weirdness going on in Lancaster area right now. IMO- a predator gained the trust of the family and is still amongst them right now. Predators /sociopaths work like that.

 

[GordianKnot]

To me anyway, someone abducting her from her home would be way down on the list of possibilities.
I understand that someone could know the family schedule, and know they would be at church, however, It would make sense to me that if someone was robbing the house, they would be driving a car. I don't see anyone taking the chance of being a stranger running away through open fields and along the roadside where they would bring attention to everyone passing by unless it was a neighbor that lived very close by.
If Linda walked home from church, that means the service was over, meaning the entire family could have made it back to the house faster by buggy than she could have walked and could have caught the intruder. I would think the intruder would know what time the service would have ended, and would have been long gone by then IMO.
Linda would have seen a car, or truck parked in the driveway,and would have never gone in the house alone.
All speculation on my part.

BBM:

I agree.
That scenario is scraping the bottom of the barrel of my list of possibilities, too.

Had she interrupted an intruder breaking into the home, there would more than likely have been evidence of a break-in, signs of a disturbance, items missing from the home, etc.

No signs of that whatsoever here.

JMO.

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

This crime, where 2 Amish girls were abducted and sexually abused, sits in the back of my mind.
Couple Who Abducted 2 Amish Sisters Receive Lifetime Sentences