Human remains were found in a rural area of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, during a search in connection with the disappearance of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos, the Amish woman who has been missing since June 21, 2020, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday .
On Wednesday it was exactly 10 months ago that Linda disappeared while walking home from church.
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Lampeter Township Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police were called to the scene, who are under forensic processing. The remains will then be released to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office for official identification and to determine the cause and mode of death.
Linda was last seen around 12:30 p.m. on June 21, 2020 in the Bird-in-Hand area, East Lampeter Township, walking home from church, Lieutenant Matt Hess told Dateline just days after Linda disappeared. When Linda did not join her youth group later that night, her parents were concerned and called the police.
Justo Smoker, 34, of Paradise, Pennsylvania, became an interesting 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 on the afternoon Linda went missing.
In July 2020, investigators searched a rural location in Ronks, where they believed Linda might have been taken after she was kidnapped.
On June 23, a smoker’s car was seen parked at that location. Investigators found items of clothing believed to belong to Linda buried in a wooded area there.
Police received a security video – reinforced by FBI forensic technicians – showing Linda being kidnapped on Beechdale Road, where she walked home from church. That video also shows a red Kia Rio, which police said was involved in the kidnapping. Driver and vehicle testimonials are consistent with Smoker and his vehicle.
A month after Linda’s disappearance, Smoker was charged with kidnapping and felony imprisonment. In December 2020, Smoker was subsequently charged with murder in connection with Linda’s death after prosecutors claimed that the passage of time, along with the complete cessation of all routine activities, led to the inevitable conclusion that Linda had died and that Smoker had her. death.
Smoker is currently charged with a criminal murder related to death and is being held in Lancaster County Jail awaiting trial.
According to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, the Stoltzfoos family has been made aware of this update and are asking to give the family privacy during this difficult time.
On the Facebook page Amish Girl Missing – Linda Stoltzfoos, a statement was posted on Wednesday that read, “Thank you for all your prayers and support in helping Linda get home. At this point, we regret to inform you that her body has been found. Please keep the family in your prayers as they mourn. The PO Box 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.
