Amish abduction victims found safe; police searching for suspects

Two young Amish girls who were abducted near their family home in upstate New York were found unharmed Thursday night, and police are now trying to determine who kidnapped them and why.

St. Lawrence County Dist. Atty. Mary Rain told the Los Angeles Times that Fannie Miller, 12, and Delia Miller, 6, were dropped off by their kidnappers outside a home in Richville around 8 p.m. Thursday, nearly 20 miles from the highway in Heulevton where they were kidnapped late Wednesday night.

The girls, who were both in good health, walked up to a stranger’s door, Rain said. The person who answered the door recognized the girls, still dressed in traditional Amish clothes, from news accounts and called police.

Rain said the girls were kidnapped near the family home on Wednesday night. Delia Miller had noticed a customer driving a white four-door sedan pull up to the family’s vegetable stand. Fannie went out to the stand with her, according to Rain, who said their 11 siblings were performing various chores on the family plot.

The girls were taken a short time later. Rain declined to say if police had identified the suspects, but said the investigation is “progressing.”

“The investigation is answering some of those questions; I just can’t provide the answers at this point … we have directions from the young ladies on where to begin our search for these people, persons or people,” Rain said.

It was not clear if the girls were targeted because of their Amish heritage. Rain said that “can’t be ruled out” at this stage.

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