Amish “Wannabe” ASSAULTS & KIDNAPS Amish Girl – Saved By Brave Amish Woman
This is a crazy story which somehow flew under my radar the last two days.
In Arthur, Illinois, a man who is described as wanting to join the Amish attacked and then attempted to kidnap a 16-year-old Amish girl.
I only write “attempted” because she was saved by a 20-year-old female Amish relative – who gave chase and got the abductor to release the girl. From the Decatur Herald & Review:
ARTHUR — More details emerged Tuesday in the strange case of the African-American suspect who dressed as an Amish person — and police said wanted to join that religious community — and is now accused of severely injuring an Amish teenage girl while trying to kidnap her.
That 21-year-old suspect, Lester M. Raymind, has been jailed on charges of aggravated battery and kidnapping in the incident, which dates to just after 5 a.m. Monday on Columbia Street in Arthur.
The Chief of the Arthur Police Department, Elliott T. Tinnon, would not comment on the extent of the 16-year-old girl’s injuries. But, speaking Tuesday, he told the Herald & Review: “There was great bodily harm, yes.”
“Great bodily harm” is not good. She was taken to a local hospital, and afterwards airlifted to another, presumably larger hospital.
Here’s what happened:
Tinnon said the girl had been working to open up Roselen’s Coffees & Delights, a coffee shop, when she had been allegedly attacked from behind and battered by Raymind.
“The suspect then attempted to carry the victim from the scene on foot,” Tinnon added.
But he was stopped by the brave intervention of a 20-year-old Amish female relative of the girl who gave chase “until the victim was released,” according to the chief.
Attacker Thought He Was Amish
Raymind was an “Amish seeker”. He’d been living in the community and had been trying to join the community. According to Fox Illinois, he “reportedly believed himself to be Amish”. I have heard off and on of someone out there vaguely fitting his description; I am not sure if this is the same person.
Tinnon confirmed that Raymind likes to wear Amish-style clothes and had dreams of being Amish himself. “He was attempting to become a member of the Amish community,” he said. “He’s been a local here for approximately one year.”
I have something of a window into the “Amish seeker” topic. Having repeatedly written about cases of Amish joiners for about 18 years now, people who want to become Amish find this site, and in turn I’m often contacted by them.
Sometimes, there is a background issue either revealed, or suggested of, in the correspondence from the would-be Amish convert.
As I wrote in Six Reasons Why People Fail To Join The Amish, one reason people gravitate towards joining the Amish is that they see it as a source of stability, a safe harbor or a way to “fix” their life’s problems.
It maybe be something as simple as seeing the Amish as a “fresh start” after a hard upbringing. But as I explained in the above-mentioned post, the Amish are not a “quick fix”.
Suspect’s 2nd Battery Charge in 10 Days
The Amish may also attract people with darker issues. It sounds like the suspect here has his share of them.
There’s another detail that is not going to sit well: Raymind had just been charged with battery – only 10 days earlier.
It was a separate incident involving a non-Amish woman. From Fox Illinois:
This marks Raymind’s second arrest for battery in just 10 days. Previously, he was involved in an assault on another woman residing in his apartment building. Although the woman did not press charges, Raymind was booked for simple battery and released under the SAFE-T Act. Police persuaded him to undergo a mental health evaluation, which he claimed lasted three days.
It makes you wonder why this person with a record of violence very recent history of a separate similar allegation of violence was out and about to be able to commit this second crime.
The SAFE-T Act referenced above apparently provides for more latitude in releasing arrested individuals. This is how it’s described in Wikipedia:
The Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, commonly known as the SAFE-T Act, is a state of Illinois statute enacted in 2021 that makes a number of reforms to the criminal justice system, affecting policing, pretrial detention and bail, sentencing, and corrections.[1][2] The Act’s section on pretrial detention, which took effect in full on September 18, 2023, is also known as the Pretrial Fairness Act.
The Pretrial Fairness Act is described like this:
In the prior system, judges set an amount of “cash bail” or “money bond” for detained individuals. Detainees could be released prior to a trial if they paid the amount of bail. In the new system, the role of cash payments will be eliminated and judges will determine whether detained individuals pose a risk if released. Pretrial release can be denied by a judge after a hearing, “when it is determined that the defendant poses a specific, real and present threat to a person, or has a high likelihood of willful flight.”[3]
Would Raymind have been out under the prior system? I do not know. But here you had someone who apparently was suspected of having mental issues as well. On first look at least, it doesn’t look great.
Sad Echoes
An outsider kidnapping an Amish girl immediately brings to mind the case of Linda Stoltzfoos, an 18-year-old Amish girl kidnapped and murdered in Lancaster County in 2020.
In that case, a local non-Amish man abducted Linda while walking on road in Lancaster County. Authorities eventually arrested Justo Smoker, who made a deal to reveal the location of Linda’s body and is now serving up to 88 years.
Thank God the family and community are not looking at a similar nightmare in this case in Illinois. Thank God the girl’s brave relative was there to save her.
That’s not to say that great harm hasn’t been done. Details are limited but it sounds like the poor girl was badly injured here – physically – not to mention the trauma of the event.
Amish Wannabe ASSAULTS & KIDNAPS Amish Girl – Saved By Brave Amish Woman
My prayers are with that dear girl. I pray her body heals and in time her spirit too.
My dear, God, your family, friends and community will help you through this. Try not to dwell on it and look to God for guidance. You are young and stronger than you think. I am so thankful that you are safe with your family and loved ones. None of us know why God allows certain things to happen, but there is always a reason and perhaps this unfortunate experience was allowed so you could help others through similar situations.
You are a child of God. In time you will heal and forgive. Forgiveness is key to the healing process and will come in due time. Right now please know you are loved, even by complete strangers such as myself as I too have experienced something similar around the same age as you. I am now 67 yrs young and I thank God for my Christian Faith as a Baptist, that’s what got me through and it will you. God bless you my dear girl, and I wish only the best for you.
In Christ’s Love,
Carla N-G
Florida
Yep. A person who received slap on the wrist and allowed to walk free, so soon, after assaulting a woman. Not surprised.
When you give people a slap on the wrist, they no longer fear punishment.
Why stop doing wrong when there are no consequences?
This person should be locked up for a long time. But doubt it. Most likely he will be heard from again. Sadly.
And when movies/tv/books/people in general, romanticize the Amish, it draws a lot of attention to them. Including from disturbed people. Sometimes I wish people would stop writing books and making movies, etc, about them. The attention is not always a good thing.
Attempted abduction thwarted by brave woman
Another lester the molester. Geesh, I hope the Amish take at least minimal steps to moniter and protect ( 2nd amendment?) their wholesome communities. No body else will. Hopefully less vulnerable.
Suspicion
Suspicion isn’t enough to detain someone indefinitely. If the first woman he assaulted wouldn’t “press charges” she would not be an effective witness and it would be unlikely he would be convicted.
Even if she did “press charges” it would likely be a “he says/she says” account of the assault; without evidence “beyond a reasonable doubt” and he would go free.
If he had no prior record of conviction for assault or other crimes, it’s likely he would go free under any US court system.
Attempted Abduction Amish girl
Um, can you say, “OBJECTION, your Honor!!”?? This law clearly did not have a vulnerable population such as the Amish in mind, (nor children, the physically handicapped, emotionally challenged individuals, etc.) which, for what it’s worth, absolutely sickens me! I agree that a slap on the wrist is simply not enough to deter someone from committing crimes in the future. As for the Second Amendment: isn’t that the one about “Keeping & Bearing Arms”?? I doubt very highly the Amish (known for their pacifism) are suddenly going to go out and buy guns to protect themselves. Remember, they believe all things (good or bad) are the will of God. They live in such a way that if they die violently, they can still say, “He/she was a defenseless Christian.” Sounds to me like Illinois is simply trying to empty their jails/prisons, and this latest “law” is ridiculous and dangerous. Were I a resident of that state, I’d be absolutely furious that this law was even introduced to lawmakers! But it seems as though someone has to either be hurt or killed before laws are changed. And this law most certainly needs to be CHANGED and now!! Just my opinion.
Unknown Outcome
It is not yet known what punishment he will receive for the abuction of the Amish girl. I don’t think the write up here specifies, but he is likely being held until trial. The outcome of a future trial will determine the consequences.
Record
The post references that he had a “record of violence.” Was he tried and convicted of the first assault, despite the victim not “pressing charges?” If he wasn’t, he does not have a record of past violence.
Thanks for your comment and I think that’s fair.
“Record” is a loaded word in these cases as it usually suggests a person has acquired a criminal record, than its broader vaguer meaning.
I have crossed out “record” in the post and changed it to the clunkier but hopefully more precise “very recent history of a separate similar allegation of violence”.
The one thing I’ll say is that if shortly after you are accused of being the cause of a similar act of violence with the end result this time of a severely injured individual in hospital, it tends to obliterate any benefit of the doubt you might have enjoyed in the first instance. Though no, that doesn’t equate to a criminal conviction.
That poor little girl! My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends
Any Update?
Is there any update on the young lady’s condition?