The search for a missing young Amish woman is spreading across Pennsylvania state. The family and community of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos have been looking for her since June 21.
Linda was last seen at a farm in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. She was wearing a tan dress, a white apron, and a white cap. People in the area believe they saw Linda walking home from church around noon. She never made it there.
According to authorities working the case, Linda "may be at special risk of harm or injury." They're reaching out to the community and encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
Meanwhile, Linda's family and community are coming together to search for her. Search teams utilized dogs, boats, and horses in efforts to locate her on Monday. A Facebook group dedicated to the missing teen has over 11,000 people following her story. Prayers are coming in from people of all faiths for her safe return.
Police are searching for a missing young Amish woman in Pennsylvania. Linda Stoltzfoos is an 18-year-old who left her home to attend church on Sunday. She was seen walking home from church around noon, but she never made it there.
Linda's parents, Lloyd and Susie Stoltzfoos, are worried about their daughter. They've emphasized that they have no reason to believe Linda would voluntarily leave home.
"There's no reason to believe that she wanted to leave," East Lampeter Township Police Department officer Matt Hess told WGAL.
"She didn't indicate to anyone that she wanted to go take a trip, so it's very out of character for Linda to do this."
The fact that Linda has never indicated a desire to leave her community or to simply travel outside of it has concerned authorities. "It changed the circumstances in the sense that there was no pre-planned events or reasons for her to not come back home," they noted.
Linda was last observed on a farm on Stumptown Road in Bird-in-Hand wearing a tan dress, white apron, and white cape, according to CrimeWatch.
The Amish community recognizes that sometimes teens decide to leave the community. They emphasize that they don't believe this to be the case here. Linda never suggested a desire to live a different lifestyle. No note was left to explain her absence.
A Facebook page has been set up to update those following Linda's case. That page has amassed over 11,000 likes in less than 48 hours. The community is also putting together enormous efforts to find Linda.
Search teams have used dogs, boats, and horses to thoroughly search the area. They searched throughout Monday's hot weather, calling it for the day at 9 p.m. Sadly, the search hasn't produced any leads.
On Monday night, the community came together to pray for Linda. The community meeting was to pray not only for Linda's safety but also for her parents and for wisdom to guide law enforcement and aid in her return. The turnout was huge as people rallied around Linda's family.
Late Monday night, the Facebook page informed people that the search would resume at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Authorities advised that they would need fewer community volunteers as more trained personnel manned the case. Volunteers were still ready bright and early to assist in any way they could.
Officials haven't provided any public updates on Tuesday. The Facebook page continues to show the community gathered, hoping for information and gathered in prayer now that their participation in the search has been limited. It's clear that they are holding dear to their faith to get them through this time.
Linda is described as being 5-foot-10 and approximately 125 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the East Lampeter Township Police Department at 717-291-4676. You can also submit a tip on the CrimeWatch website.
