GUILTY PA - Linda Stoltzfoos, 18, murdered, Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, 21 June 2020 *arrest* #4

[Lusitana]

Come on, please be Linda. I feel for her poor family.

 

[Rocky1]

I hope the family can bring some closure, however, Harrisburg is 45 miles away, and I would think if JS dumped her body there, the phone records would have shown that. If the river flowed from Bird In Hand towards Harrisburg, I'd think differently. I believe he wouldn't drive all the way to Harrisburg where there's a lot of people just to dispose of her taking a risk of someone seeing him. I think he would have dumped her out in the country first. Then again, who knows, he's not that bright.
I hope I'm wrong.

 

[lex8396]

I hope the family can bring some closure, however, Harrisburg is 45 miles away, and I would think if JS dumped her body there, the phone records would have shown that. If the river flowed from Bird In Hand towards Harrisburg, I'd think differently. I believe he wouldn't drive all the way to Harrisburg where there's a lot of people just to dispose of her taking a risk of someone seeing him. I think he would have dumped her out in the country first. Then again, who knows, he's not that bright.
I hope I'm wrong.

But if he had an accomplice.....

 

[Lusitana]

I think it would make sense if the body was moved.

 

[Rocky1]

Would the Amish couples who were were walking and saw LS in the truck be called to testify in this case. If called, would they appear?

Yes. The Amish can be called to testify. They don't have to swear an oath though. They are also exempt from Jury Duty.
Being called to testify, and having to testify are two different things. They are still entitled to exercise their 5th amendment right, like anyone else, but they still have to appear.

 

[Rocky1]

Come on, please be Linda. I feel for her poor family.

That's odd. The story posted is dated Feb 4th. 10 days and no update on the person pulled from the river.

 

[Lusitana]

That's odd. The story posted is dated Feb 4th. 10 days and no update on the person pulled from the river.

Oh... that's strange.

 

[crhedBngr]

Prayers LS is found in 2021 so that her Family and Friends have closure.

 

[Rocky1]

No name connected yet as far as I can tell in reference to the body found in the creek. There is one article I did find that claimed that no foul play was involved.
Nothing ‘criminal in nature’ about body found in Harrisburg creek: police - Flipboard

 

[TwoBlueJays]

Almost nine months later...there wouldn't still be a body to throw in a river. Unless someone preserved it somewhere, like a freezer. Which makes me think about the shed-building business. Would JS have been able to access the building to dispose of anything inside? Although I thought I'd read that the building was not only locked but under surveillance by the owner (person who looked into his car in the parking lot?). Sorry, it's been a while and my brain is muddled. I still puzzle over why he returned there so many times. IMO

 

[Niner]

Friday, March 5th:
*Preliminary Hearing (re murder) (@ 1:30pm to 5pm ET) - PA – Linda Stoltzfoos (18) (last seen June 21, 2020, Bird-In-Hand, Lancaster County; not found) – *Justo Roberto Smoker (34) arrested (7/10/20 at work at Dutchland, Inc.), charged (7/11/20) & arraigned (8/24/20) with felony 1st degree kidnapping to inflict injury/terror & misdemeanor false imprisonment. Plead not guilty. Held without bond.
*Charged (12/14/20) & arraigned (12/18/20) with criminal homicide.
Case & court info from 7/11/20 thru 12/14/20 reference post #9 here:
PA - PA - Linda Stoltzfoos, 18, Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, 21 June 2020 *kidnapping arrest* #4
12/18/20 Update: No info on arraignment hearing re murder charge. Next preliminary hearing on 12/30/20 @ 10am before District Judge Denise Cummins.
12/30/20 Update: Preliminary hearing for murder charge was postponed. Murder: Next preliminary on 3/5/21 before Magisterial District Judge B. Denise Commins. No date set for kidnapping charge.

 

[sds71]

Smoker's attorney asked the judge to dismiss the murder charge against his client, arguing that there is no certainty Linda Stoltzfoos got into Smoker's car, but Commons ultimately decided there was enough evidence to proceed.

Smoker's arraignment has been scheduled for March 26.


Judge determines there's enough evidence to proceed with homicide charges against Justo Smoker, accused of abducting, killing Linda Stoltzfoos | fox43.com

@Niner

 

[Rocky1]

Smoker's attorney asked the judge to dismiss the murder charge against his client, arguing that there is no certainty Linda Stoltzfoos got into Smoker's car, but Commons ultimately decided there was enough evidence to proceed.

Smoker's arraignment has been scheduled for March 26.


Judge determines there's enough evidence to proceed with homicide charges against Justo Smoker, accused of abducting, killing Linda Stoltzfoos | fox43.com

@Niner

I was hoping that the State would have more direct evidence showing that he killed Linda.
All I see is one piece of direct evidence (DNA on her clothing) and a lot of circumstantial evidence showing he kidnapped her.

A group of girls seeing a man in a red car riding around the day before Linda was kidnapped, doesn't mean much. Did they say it was him?

Purchasing alcohol, shoe laces and gloves before her kidnapping doesn't mean much. They never recovered them. Maybe he bought that for someone else? Maybe he returned them? Maybe he used the gloves to clean his car? Maybe he decided he didn't need them and threw them away?

Could it be that Linda is not dead, but rather is being held captive somewhere and that's why there's been no sightings, or phone activity?

I'm not saying any of this is true, but once again, he's going to have an attorney that will raise doubt. That's is job.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Prosecutors say no sign of her has been found since, and friends and family report that Stoltzfoos was happy with her life and had never expressed any desire to leave. In fact, they say, she had made plans to join others in a church youth group the day she disappeared.

Smoker was charged with homicide in December and was earlier charged with a felony kidnapping count and misdemeanor false imprisonment. Authorities said surveillance video enhanced by FBI forensic technicians showed a red sedan, the same kind of car owned by the defendant, involved in the abduction.

In a rural location in Ronks where they believe the victim might have been taken and where the vehicle was seen parked June 23, authorities found items of Stoltzfoos’ clothing buried in a wooded area, prosecutors said. A DNA profile “attributable to Smoker” was found on one of her buried stockings, prosecutors have said.

Christopher Tallarico, the county’s chief public defender, argued Friday there was no proof that Stoltzfoos had ever gotten into Smoker’s car, and he elicited testimony that her DNA wasn’t found on samples taken from the car. East Lampeter Township Detective Christopher Jones said DNA profiles recovered were insufficient to test.

Jones also testified that FBI analysis of Smoker’s cell phone data showed him proceeding from the kidnapping area to the rugged, largely rural Welsh Mountain area, which along with the kidnapping scene has been the subject of numerous searches by hundreds of people. Jones said investigators continue to search for the victim.

First Assistant District Attorney Todd Brown said no decision has been made on whether to seek the death penalty. Smoker will be formally arraigned March 26 on the homicide charge; he pleaded not guilty earlier to the kidnapping and false imprisonment charges.
Homicide trial ordered in Pennsylvania Amish teen’s disappearance | News Break

 

[Pleeang]

Prosecutors say no sign of her has been found since, and friends and family report that Stoltzfoos was happy with her life and had never expressed any desire to leave. In fact, they say, she had made plans to join others in a church youth group the day she disappeared.

Smoker was charged with homicide in December and was earlier charged with a felony kidnapping count and misdemeanor false imprisonment. Authorities said surveillance video enhanced by FBI forensic technicians showed a red sedan, the same kind of car owned by the defendant, involved in the abduction.

In a rural location in Ronks where they believe the victim might have been taken and where the vehicle was seen parked June 23, authorities found items of Stoltzfoos’ clothing buried in a wooded area, prosecutors said. A DNA profile “attributable to Smoker” was found on one of her buried stockings, prosecutors have said.

Christopher Tallarico, the county’s chief public defender, argued Friday there was no proof that Stoltzfoos had ever gotten into Smoker’s car, and he elicited testimony that her DNA wasn’t found on samples taken from the car. East Lampeter Township Detective Christopher Jones said DNA profiles recovered were insufficient to test.

Jones also testified that FBI analysis of Smoker’s cell phone data showed him proceeding from the kidnapping area to the rugged, largely rural Welsh Mountain area, which along with the kidnapping scene has been the subject of numerous searches by hundreds of people. Jones said investigators continue to search for the victim.

First Assistant District Attorney Todd Brown said no decision has been made on whether to seek the death penalty. Smoker will be formally arraigned March 26 on the homicide charge; he pleaded not guilty earlier to the kidnapping and false imprisonment charges.
Homicide trial ordered in Pennsylvania Amish teen’s disappearance | News Break

 

[Pleeang]

I was in Lancaster Saturday and retraced the roads that Linda may have travelled to go home. She was almost to her driveway. Wonder why she didn't take off running or scream for help. There were houses around where she was walking. I feel so sad that they probably drove right pass her driveway. If he just took any girl he could find. He probably didn't know where she lived. I also wonder why did it take someone to miss her? She was to come home after church, get the dessert she made, change her clothes. No one ever saw her dessert was still there? If gathering wasn't till later, why didn't anyone not realize then she didn't come home from church? Instead it was like 10-11 hours later?! I pray everyday they will find her and solve this mystery one way or another.

 

[Shamrock1]

I was in Lancaster Saturday and retraced the roads that Linda may have travelled to go home. She was almost to her driveway. Wonder why she didn't take off running or scream for help. There were houses around where she was walking. I feel so sad that they probably drove right pass her driveway. If he just took any girl he could find. He probably didn't know where she lived. I also wonder why did it take someone to miss her? She was to come home after church, get the dessert she made, change her clothes. No one ever saw her dessert was still there? If gathering wasn't till later, why didn't anyone not realize then she didn't come home from church? Instead it was like 10-11 hours later?! I pray everyday they will find her and solve this mystery one way or another.

As to why she didn’t run and/or scream - sometimes people freeze. And someone in that terrified state might just do as she as told. We all KNOW what we should do - but the difference between that and what we actually do in that moment can be vast, unfortunately .

 

[Maryland Oracle]

A few observations.

It puzzles me why the Harvest Structures property is described as rural, remote and wooded. There are just a few trees in between the back of the property where sheds are kept and the railroad.

Regarding the undergarments found buried, why does the criminal complaint only reference LS family members stating that the items are similar to those belonging to Linda therefore leaving room for doubt? They tested and found Smoker's DNA on them, surely to goodness they found Linda's DNA also to remove all doubt!

This is the first time LE have mentioned the belief that Smoker may have taken LS to the Harvest Road location. Which is significant. What was it that lured him back there time after time? Was Linda still alive and being violated each visit? I suspect that had the trooper responded to the business owner's call regarding a suspicious car in a more timely manner, this case would now be solved.

Perhaps he couldn't find anywhere suitable in the Welsh Mtn however driving up there produced cell tower pings that resulted in searchers looking in the wrong location all this time.

 

[Trackergd]

Of course JS's defense team is going to poo poo all the evidence. That's their job. We still don't know the depth of the evidence that LE has and the extent of the forensic analysis and results. I pray that both JS and Linda's foot prints were at the Harvest Road location and that LE took extensive photographs and casts. My greatest fear is that he went back to Harvest Road time and again to dismember poor Linda and scatter her parts to the four winds. If that is the case, there should have been a large amount of blood evidence. My greatest hope is that she is alive and that JS tells LE where.

 

[crhedBngr]

Continued prayers for LS Family and Friends.