Found Deceased PA - Linda Stoltzfoos, 18, Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, 21 June 2020 *kidnapping arrest* #3

[Trackergd]

Think cow paths and wagon tracks that eventually became paved roads. They meander around, make sharp turns, odd intersections and don't seem to make sense to those from out of the area.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

Think cow paths and wagon tracks that eventually became paved roads. They meander around, make sharp turns, odd intersections and don't seem to make sense to those from out of the area.

Very true. And most of the “towns” are more like “regions”—few have any sort of identifiable town center.

I live 15 minutes from the Harvest Road location, but I don’t drive over there very often. Yesterday I was coming from some errands and decided to set my GPS for Harvest Structures. I was second in a parade of three weirdos pulling right into their parking lot and back out onto the road that seems to dead end in front of them. I’m sure they’re growing weary of that.

Anyway, it didn’t really look how I expected it to. It was a long, narrow property. Lots of bikes parked outside—many of the employees must be plain Mennonites. And there was hardly any space behind the main building before there was a berm and railroad tracks, with a field beyond that. Seems like a strange place for JS to choose for whatever tasks, although no houses seemed very close. Anyone have any insights about this property?

 

[Torbs]

Very true. And most of the “towns” are more like “regions”—few have any sort of identifiable town center.

I live 15 minutes from the Harvest Road location, but I don’t drive over there very often. Yesterday I was coming from some errands and decided to set my GPS for Harvest Structures. I was second in a parade of three weirdos pulling right into their parking lot and back out onto the road that seems to dead end in front of them. I’m sure they’re growing weary of that.

Anyway, it didn’t really look how I expected it to. It was a long, narrow property. Lots of bikes parked outside—many of the employees must be plain Mennonites. And there was hardly any space behind the main building before there was a berm and railroad tracks, with a field beyond that. Seems like a strange place for JS to choose for whatever tasks, although no houses seemed very close. Anyone have any insights about this property?

I believe they manufacture prebuilt sheds, a very popular business in Lancaster County. Typically there would be a bunch of newly-built stock on the lot waiting to go out for delivery. It makes me uneasy that there were probably several empty sheds on the property when he was poking around.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

I believe they manufacture prebuilt sheds, a very popular business in Lancaster County. Typically there would be a bunch of newly-built stock on the lot waiting to go out for delivery. It makes me uneasy that there were probably several empty sheds on the property when he was poking around.

I thought there’d be more sheds and just a bigger amount of land. The way the Amish searched everything in the days after LS disappeared, I imagine they would have checked in each shed. I guess they could have overlooked evidence that wouldn’t be really obvious to a layperson, however.

 

[Curiosity1234]

Any one know when JS next court appearance is ? TIA.

 

[Torbs]

@Hereshecomes75 I’m glad you posted your description of the Harvest Road location. I 100% agree. His interest in this place is very strange - why did he go here three times (that we know of)? It’s not a clever place to hide evidence; as you rightly pointed out there isn’t much to the property, including the thin wooded buffer between the rear of the property and the train tracks. There are plenty of big secluded wooded lots and bodies of water all over that area that he could have gone to hide evidence. To me it makes no sense to do it there. It’s completely exposed in comparison. You’d only do that there if you had no other option. So what was he up to?

 

[Torbs]

I thought there’d be more sheds and just a bigger amount of land. The way the Amish searched everything in the days after LS disappeared, I imagine they would have checked in each shed. I guess they could have overlooked evidence that wouldn’t be really obvious to a layperson, however.

by the time they went to check the sheds that were there when he was (do we know that?), those structures were probably already off to their new homes across the East coast.

 

[Twolabs]

BBM
This may have been the white item seen on the seat of the vehicle. I have never believed the item photographed was her bra. For the simple reason JS may have been at the location to bury it (along with her stockings).

I always felt it was the white cap also!

 

[Hereshecomes75]

Not trying to be a jerk, but she didn’t have a white covering with her that morning.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

Any one know when JS next court appearance is ? TIA.

They haven’t updated anything on the docket sheet—it still says 7/21. And there’s no attorney entered for JS yet, either.

 

[Wildthing3]

Just wondering...
Do trains ever park or stop at the Harvest Drive tracks? Could there have been an empty car or container that he placed her body in?

 

[Hereshecomes75]

by the time they went to check the sheds that were there when he was (do we know that?), those structures were probably already off to their new homes across the East coast.

I don’t know specifically that the sheds were searched and when. However, this East Lampeter PD press release dated 6/22 describes the searches that were ongoing at that time.

CASE: Missing Person

(Edited to add that the linked press release mentions the “white cape”)

Lots of EMS units were involved, and the Amish community covered a lot of area right from the beginning. The searches were pretty intense of the local area, because recovering Linda alive but injured was a possibility. I hope they checked in the sheds.

 

[belleyes]

Think cow paths and wagon tracks that eventually became paved roads. They meander around, make sharp turns, odd intersections and don't seem to make sense to those from out of the area.

Yes! Best description.
Townships even have wonky boundaries.

FYI: don’t get stuck too much on the names of towns. The towns often overlap and when it’s not near anywhere it’s just ‘Lancaster’. A local high school has a mailing address of “Lampeter” and a street address that says the town is “Lancaster”

 

[belleyes]

Things to keep in mind about the area and LE:
• Court system in Lancaster Co is
S L O W. (It was a problem even before covid).
• the D.A. Is newly elected
• State Police cover jurisdiction who don’t have local police coverage. They also run the crime labs which are ALWAYS back logged. (yes i know FBI is involved)

 

[belleyes]

Lingering questions:
- Does LE really have a “smoking gun” to keep JS?
- when the owner reported JS snooping around Harvest...Why didn’t LE investigate?
(They had an active missing person)
- Is LE using vague terminology because they really don’t have much else?

 

[jellybeanz]

I always felt it was the white cap also!

Yes!

 

[JDough]

The FBI missing persons flier describes what she was wearing. LINDA STOLTZFOOS — FBI

One thing to keep in mind (for all of us, myself included), is that what she was seen last wearing may not be how she left her home that morning, or church later that day.

The last person(s) to see her were the young couple walking, and the gentleman sitting on his porch.

Not trying to be a jerk, but she didn’t have a white covering with her that morning.

But did he? At this point we have no idea what his original plans were. We have no idea how he may have planned the abduction. We have no idea if JS brought clothing along to alter LS appearance. But investigators do. Perhaps this is why a photo portraying how Linda would like in "street clothing" (w/o a head covering) was included in the FBI missing poster?

 

[Niner]

They haven’t updated anything on the docket sheet—it still says 7/21. And there’s no attorney entered for JS yet, either.

Hi! The link I use for Lancaster County is this one:
https://courtcal.co.lancaster.pa.us/CourtAdmin.Public/?selectedDate=07/27/2020 00:00:00

I've been searching by his last name on that one. Can you give me the link to what you are seeing? I would like to see if I can access that one - this link I have doesn't show any docket sheets.
TIA!

edited to add - he's not on there thru 7/31.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

Hi! The link I use for Lancaster County is this one:
https://courtcal.co.lancaster.pa.us/CourtAdmin.Public/?selectedDate=07/27/2020 00:00:00

I've been searching by his last name on that one. Can you give me the link to what you are seeing? I would like to see if I can access that one - this link I have doesn't show any docket sheets.
TIA!

edited to add - he's not on there thru 7/31.

Use this search for magisterial courts, select to search by “participant name,” and put in his name and Lancaster County.
Magisterial District Judge Docket Sheet


Edited to add, then if you click on the icon at the extreme left of the line you want, it will give you the choice of seeing the docket sheet or a court summary.

 

[Hereshecomes75]

One thing to keep in mind (for all of us, myself included), is that what she was seen last wearing may not be how she left her home that morning, or church later that day.

The last person(s) to see her were the young couple walking, and the gentleman sitting on his porch.


But did he? At this point we have no idea what his original plans were. We have no idea how he may have planned the abduction. We have no idea if JS brought clothing along to alter LS appearance. But investigators do. Perhaps this is why a photo portraying how Linda would like in "street clothing" (w/o a head covering) was included in the FBI missing poster?

I agree that if JS planned the abduction and was planning to keep and transport LS for any length of time, putting her in regular clothes would be the first order of business.

I feel like I’m missing something about a white covering. LS would have been walking home in her black church covering. Changing into her white one would have been part of changing her clothes at home. It’s not as simple as just switching from one hat to another. The coverings are usually pinned onto the hair with straight pins. I’m not sure where JS would come up with a white covering. An English man going into an Amish store to buy a covering would have seemed pretty strange IMO.