Pennsylvanian Man, Justo Smoker, Charged Over Missing Amish Girl, Linda Stoltzfoos

A 34 year-old man, Justo Smoker, has been arrested and charged for felony kidnapping and misdemeanor false imprisonment over an Amish girl who had gone missing in Pennsylvania in June. He was arrested on Friday night and arraigned on Saturday morning.

The East Lampeter Township Police in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania are still searching for Linda Stoltzfoos, the 18-year-old girl that was reported missing on June 21. 

Investigators, who believed Stoltzfoos was harmed in an abduction, released a statement that said, “Smoker became a person of interest in the kidnapping after police received information about a red/orange vehicle seen in the Gap area on the afternoon of the abduction. Multiple witnesses in the area reported seeing an Amish female in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by a male. Witness descriptions of the driver and vehicle are consistent with Smoker and his vehicle.” 

There was surveillance video footage that captured Stoltzfoos walking and a red Kia Rio that fit the description of both Smoker’s vehicle registration and his bumper stickers. 

Stoltzfoos was walking to a social gathering for her youth group, but was then reported missing by her father when she did not return home. The police reported that Stoltzfoos did not make it to her destination and was abducted beforehand. 

Police have also found articles of clothing buried in a rural area where they believe Stoltzfoos was brought by her abductor.  

The police statement continued, “District Judge Joshua Keller, at arraignment, made Smoker ineligible for bail, citing the nature of charges and the ongoing investigation,” and added, “East Lampeter Township police is being assisted by multiple agencies, to include the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police and Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.”

The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who can give information that leads to Stoltzfoos’ recovery.