Human remains were found in a rural area of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, during a search related to the disappearance of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos, the Amish woman who has been missing since June 21, 2020, the district attorney’s office of Lancaster County. Announced Wednesday.
Wednesday was exactly ten months since Linda disappeared when she walked out of the church.
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, East Lampeter Township Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police were called to the scene, which is being processed in court. The remains will then be released to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office for official identification and to determine the cause and manner of death.
Linda was last seen at 9:30 pm on June 21, 2020 in the vicinity of Bird-in-Hand, East Lampeter Township, as she walked home from church, Lieutenant Matt Hess told Dateline a few days after Linda disappeared . When Linda did not pick up her youth group later that evening, her parents became concerned and called the police.
Justo Smoker, 34, of Paradise, Pennsylvania, became an interested person in connection with the disappearance after police received information from multiple witnesses about seeing an Amish woman on the passenger side of a red / orange vehicle. . The vehicle was also seen in the Gap area that afternoon, where Linda went missing.
In July 2020, investigators searched a rural location in Ronks, where they believe Linda may have been taken after she was abducted.
Smoking vehicle was seen parked at that spot on June 23rd. Investigators found that Linda’s clothing was buried in a wooded area.
Police found a security video – enhanced by FBI forensic technicians – suggesting Linda be abducted on Beechdale Road, where she was walking away from church. The video also shows a red Kia Rio, which according to police was involved in the kidnapping. Witness descriptions of the driver and vehicle correspond to Smoker and his vehicle.
One month after Linda’s disappearance, Smoker is charged with kidnapping and misconduct. In December 2020, Smoker is then charged with murder related to Linda’s death after prosecutors claimed that the lapse of time, coupled with the cessation of all routine activities, led to the inevitable conclusion that Linda had died and that Smoker had died. caused.
Smoker is currently charged with one count of culpable homicide related to death and is being held in the Lancaster County Jail.
According to the Lancaster County District Attorney, the Stoltzfoos family has been notified of this update and is asking the family to be granted privacy during this difficult time.
A statement was posted Wednesday on the Amish Girl Missing – Linda Stoltzfoos Facebook page that reads: ‘Thank you for all your prayers and support for bringing Linda home. At the moment, we are sorry to inform you that her body has been found. Keep the family in your prayers while they are grieving. The mailbox is still open for letters of encouragement and support. ‘
Anyone with additional information that may be helpful to the case is asked to call 717-291-4676 or submit a tip on the Crime Watch website.
