Cops: Couple Accused of Kidnapping Amish Girls Intended To Kidnap More
An arrest has been made in the case of the abduction of two Amish girls in Oswegatchie, N.Y. As reported by the Associated Press, Delila and Fannie Miller, aged 7 and 12, were found safe 24 hours after their abduction on Wednesday, when they turned up at a stranger's house in Hermon, N.Y., about 13 miles away from their family's farm stand.
The search for the girls was complicated by the traditions and customs of the Old Order Amish community. According to the New York Times, no photographs of the girls existed, hindering the search, while rescue workers and local police were combing the area with the most limited of physical descriptions. Police persuaded the family to speak with a sketch artist who spoke Pennsylvania Dutch, and a sketch of the oldest child was released.
St. Lawrence County police chief Kevin Walls stated that there was "definite potential" of additional victims besides the two sisters, and went on to say that the motive was "to take these girls from their home and victimize these girls."
Stephen Howells II and Nicole Vaisey of Hermon were charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping with the intent to physically harm or sexually abuse, and have been jailed without bond. Their preliminary hearing is set for Thursday.
[Photo via AP]