The search for missing Amish teenager Linda Stoltzfoos has come to a tragic end. On April 22, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced that the remains of the 18-year-old had been discovered.
Stoltzfoos first disappeared on June 21, 2020. She was walking home from her church in the Bird-in-Hand area of Lancaster County to change before a youth group meeting. She never made it to her home or back to the church.
In July 2020, authorities arrested 35-year-old Justo Smoker. Smoker was charged with felony kidnapping and misdemeanor false imprisonment in connection with Stoltzfoos' disappearance. In December, murder charges were added after investigators determined Stoltzfoos was most likely deceased.
On Wednesday morning, the Lancaster District Attorney's Office announced that human remains had been discovered in a search related to the disappearance of Linda Stoltzfoos. Stoltzfoos, an 18-year-old Amish teenager, was last seen walking home from church on June 21, 2020.
Linda was supposed to go home to change between church services and a youth group later in the day. She never made it to her home, nor did she reappear at church. In July, investigators made an arrest in her disappearance, shedding light on what may have happened that day.
Justo Smoker, 35, was arrested in July. He was charged with felony kidnapping and misdemeanor false imprisonment in connection with Stoltzfoos' disappearance. Authorities continued their investigation into what happened and had new developments just a few months later.
In December, investigators had gathered enough evidence to determine it was likely that Stoltzfoos had been murdered. At that time, murder charges against Smoker were added.
Later, police revealed they'd found buried articles of clothing believed to belong to Stoltzfoos in a wooded area where a car connected to the suspect was seen two days after Stoltzfoos disappeared.
Thanks to neighboring surveillance footage, police were able to see how Stoltzfoos was abducted. The car she was abducted in belonged to Smoker and was identified by a bumper sticker. A car matching the same description was seen the next day in a rural area, where investigators later discovered the clothes they matched to the victim.
Smoker has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is currently being held at Lancaster County Prison without bail.
Authorities have not officially identified the remains as Linda Stoltzfoos. However, the family has confirmed that the remains are believed to be hers.
"The Stoltzfoos family has been notified of this update and are understandably still processing this information," the DA's office said in a statement.
An autopsy is pending to determine the cause of death.
