CHILLING
Who is Linda Stoltzfoos and when did she go missing?
AMISH teenager Linda Stoltzfoos disappeared in Pennsylvania after a Sunday church service.
The 18-year-old reportedly never made it home and was believed to have been kidnapped by a man named Justo Smoker.
3
Who is Linda Stoltzfoos and when did she go missing?
Linda Stoltzfoos is an Amish teenager who was believed to have been kidnapped on Beechdale Road in Bird-in-Hand, East Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania.
She was reportedly last seen on June 21, 2020 walking from church to her parents’ Upper Leacock Township home.
A month after her disappearance, police arrested a man named Justo Smoker after he was believed to have been involved in her kidnapping.
He was first charged with kidnapping and misdemeanor false imprisonment, but prosecutors added a homicide charge in December of 2020 after they concluded that he was involved in Stoltzfoos’ death.
3
East Lampeter Township police Detective Christopher Jones testified that DNA samples from Smoker’s cheeks matched DNA samples found on Stoltzfoos' blue bra and white stockings.
Jones also testified that several Amish females told investigators that they recalled seeing a car matching Smoker’s driving around them
Smoker had reportedly bought alcohol, packs of gloves and five pairs of shoelaces the day before and of the teen’s disappearance.
What have police said about Linda Stoltzfoos disappearance?
in the eastern part of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania while searching for Stoltzfoos on April 21, 2021.
On Thursday, April 22, Lancaster Country District Attorney Heather Adams announced in a press conference that the remains were believed to be those of Stoltzfoos.
"While the coroner's office has not yet made a positive forensic identification, based on all of the information currently known and available to us, we strongly believe and are comfortable saying, that the remains are those of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos," Adams said.
The remains will be sent to the Lancaster County Coroner’s office for official identification and a cause of death. An autopsy was slated for Friday.
Adams said the remains were found near Smoker's former place of employment and investigators also discovered a dress, shoes and bonnet.
3
Most read in US News
Police also said they notified members of Stoltzfoos' family.
According to her loved ones, Stoltzfoos was happy with her life and did not have plans to leave her community.
She was reportedly involved in her church and had plans to attend a youth group the day she went missing.
Topics