LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — This Friday will mark two months since 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos disappeared. The question still remains, where is she?
Justo Smoker, 34, is facing kidnapping charges in connection to her disappearance.
He appeared before a judge for his preliminary hearing on August 7, over a week ago.
At that hearing officials presented further evidence in the case.
Meanwhile, community members are still searching for answers, and continue to pray for Linda and her family.
Officials said their search is a constant, ongoing, and collaborative effort.
At this time her whereabouts are unknown and investigators are actively working to determine what happened to her after she left a church event on June 21.
According to preliminary hearing testimony from East Lampeter Township police and Pennsylvania State Police:
- Linda “was content with her Amish lifestyle. Nobody we spoke with reported she was unhappy in any capacity.”
- She was “timid in groups” and in public. She never had any boyfriends or non-Amish friends.
- Police searched Linda’s bedroom and found: her money was still there, along with her travel bag and all other belongings. The only things missing were her church clothes.
- Police checked for activity on Linda’ bank accounts as recently as Aug. 5 – there has been none.
- Witnesses saw an Amish female in a red car on the afternoon Linda disappeared. That was ‘extremely noteworthy’ because Amish females typically would not be alone in a vehicle wearing a head covering.
- One witness said, “she looked at me with pleading eyes.”
- As for the red car, Smoker was seen cleaning it a few hours after Linda was abducted. He also sent a Facebook message stating he was cleaning his car.
- Smoker told police no one else drove his car around the time of the abduction, and that he was not in that area on June 21 – but when police showed him surveillance images, he said the car appeared to be his.
- On June 23, a witness saw Smoker’s car parked near a wooded area where police later found Linda’s stockings and bra buried. A plastic zip tie also was found in that area.
- The witness photographed the car - it matched Smoker's registration.
Investigators are still seeking tips from the public, which can be provided by calling (717) 291-4676 or (717) 299-7650 or by submitting a tip online.