Edward Gingerich the only Amish man tried for murder, from’s the Crime Library — The Old Order — Crime Library
On Thursday March 18, 1993, a Pennsylvania Amish man named Edward Gingerich murdered his wife Katie as their children looked on in horror. The brutality of the crime shocked the Amish community and the nation. Who was Edward Gingerich? What was he? And how would the Amish community deal with his crime? This story is a true account of the only Amish man in history ever to be convicted of homicide.
Unfortunately, knowledge of the Amish and their religious practices come almost exclusively from the media. A journalist for the New York Post once wrote, Everything I know about the Amish, I learned from the Harrison Ford movie, Witness. While this and similar films may be entertaining, they also tend to stereotype the Amish community and make it very difficult for the layman to separate fact from fiction.
In reality, the Amish are a religious group who live in settlements in 22 states and Ontario, Canada. The Amish stress humility, family, community, self-sufficiency, uniformity and separation. They were part of the early Anabaptist movement in Europe, which took place at the time of Reformation. The Anabaptists believed that only adults who had confessed their faith should be baptized, and that they should remain separate from the larger society. Both Catholics and Protestants put many early Anabaptists to death, considering them heretics. The remaining groups quickly fled to Switzerland and Germany to escape religious persecution. Here began the Amish tradition of farming and holding their worship services in homes rather than churches.
A young Catholic priest from Holland named Menno Simons joined the Anabaptist movement in 1536. His writings united many of the Anabaptist groups, who were nicknamed “Mennonites.” A Swiss bishop named Jacob Ammon broke from the Mennonite church in 1693. His followers were called the “Amish.” Although the two groups split, the Amish and Mennonite churches continued to share many of the same beliefs. They differ only in matters of dress, language, form of worship, interpretation of the Bible, and technology. The Amish and Mennonites both settled in Pennsylvania as part of William Penn’s “holy experiment” of religious tolerance. The first sizable group of Amish arrived in Pennsylvania during the late 1730s.
Modern day Amish differ very little from their predecessors. Old Order groups, such as the one Ed Gingerich belonged to, all drive horses and buggies rather than cars, do not have electricity, and send their children to private one-room schoolhouses. Children only attend school through the eighth grade. After that, they work on their family’s farm or business until they marry.
Old Order Amish women and girls wear modest dresses made from solid-colored fabric with long sleeves and a full skirt. These dresses are covered with an apron and are fastened with straight pins or snaps. They never cut their hair, which they wear in a bun on the back of the head. On their heads they wear a white prayer covering if they are married and a black one if they are single. Men and boys wear dark-colored suits, straight-cut coats, broad trousers, suspenders, solid-colored shirts, black socks and shoes, and black or straw broad-brimmed hats. Their shirts fasten with conventional buttons, but their suit coats fasten with hooks and eyes. The Amish feel these distinctive clothes encourage humility and separation from the world. Amish men do not have mustaches, but they grow beards after they marry. There is no such thing as an Amish divorce, and until 1993, there had never been an Amish murderer.
The Amish, like everyone else, move because they are hoping for something better. During the spring of 1983, Dannie and Mary Gingerich, along with eight sons and daughters, left their home in Norwich, Ontario, and moved to a remote area of Pennsylvania. Their new home was a 150-acre farm located in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, 30 miles south of the city of Erie. The closest town, Mill Village, consisted of nothing more than a few houses and a handful of quaint buildings. The Gingerich family was the first of seven Amish clans to make the journey to what would later become know as the Brownhill settlement.
Edward D. Gingerich, son of Dannie and Mary Gingerich, was just 18 years old during the relocation. Ed was nothing like his father, who basically defined the term Old Order Amish. Ed was exactly the opposite; considered lazy, moody and short-tempered by those who knew him well. Ed had completed his eight grades of Amish education1 while living in Ontario, Canada.
By June of 1985, the Brownhill settlement had grown to 13 families, with a total population of 93. Dannie Gingerich had built a diesel-powered sawmill2 on the corner of Frisbeetown Road and Ed was eager to learn the mechanics of its operation. It was not long before Ed began impressing fellow Amish men with his natural mechanical knowledge and skill. Ed soon befriended a local Englishman, Richard Zimmer. The Amish referred to their non-Amish neighbors as English or Englishmen. Ed would often times avoid church by faking illness and spend his time at Zimmers nearby farm. As their friendship grew, Ed began to confide in Zimmer that he did not understand the Amish way of life, and disliked doing everything the hard way. He also confided that he had been thinking about leaving the Amish faith, but that he was not exactly sure how to go about it. Ed felt trapped in an entanglement of rules by which he no longer wanted to live.
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1. The Amish feel that their children do not need more formal education than eight grades. Although they pay school taxes, the Amish have fought to keep their children out of public schools. In 1972, the Supreme Court handed down a landmark unanimous decision, which exempted the Old Order Amish and related groups from state compulsory attendance laws beyond the eighth grade.
2. The Amish are allowed to use gas-powered machinery to a certain extent, however the use of tractors, cars and power-driven machinery is prohibited. Bottled gas is used to operate water heaters, stoves and refrigerators. Gas-pressured lanterns and lamps can be used to light homes, barns and shops. This is acceptable because it is self-reliance on a natural Godly source of power, as opposed to man-made electricity.
(AP/Wide World)
During the fall of 1985, Ed met 21-year-old Katie Shetler, the sister of a co-worker and niece of the clans Bishop. Katie was an energetic, hard working young woman who exemplified what it meant to be Old Order Amish. Her father, Levi, was one of the most respected elders in the community, while her mother, Emma, worked hard to keep the family running smoothly and had raised five loving children.
Ed and Katie, while an unlikely pair, dated off and on for approximately a year before Ed started feeling pressure from the elders. In his own family, he was next in line to be married and for Katie, her fear of being passed over in marriage was intense. She was the last of her siblings who had not yet wed. The weight on Eds shoulders was heavy. If he did not marry Katie, the community would most certainly shun him. He could either take his chances in the English world or marry Katie and continue living a lie. As appealing as the English world was, Ed decided it was not time to gamble, so he proposed to Katie.
An Amish couple must take several steps before they may marry. Proper certification of membership must be requested from the church. All couples that plan to marry are “published” and the deacon is responsible for announcing the names of the girls and the men they plan to marry. The fathers then announce the date and time of the wedding and invite the members to attend. The betrothed couple does not attend the church service on the Sunday they are published. Instead, the young woman prepares a meal for her fiancé and they enjoy dinner alone at her home. When the girl’s family returns from church, the daughter formally introduces her fiancé to her parents. Unlike English engagements, the future groom does not give her a diamond. He may give her china or a clock.
After being published, the young people have just a few days before the ceremony. The girl also helps her mother prepare for the wedding and feast, which takes place in her parents’ home. During this time, the future husband keeps busy extending personal invitations to members of his church district.
On December 2, 1986, a rainy winters day, Ed married Katie. Friends and family from Canada, western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York attended the daylong ceremony. Katies uncle, Bishop Rudy Shetler, presided over the wedding. Katie wore a dark blue dress during the ceremony. Blue is the typical color chosen for weddings by young Amish women. An Amish bride’s wedding attire is always new. She usually makes her own dress and also those of her attendants, known as newehockers, (Pennsylvania Dutch for sidesitters). Katies dress was plain cut, mid-calf length and unadorned — there was no fancy trim, lace or train. Unlike English brides who normally only wear their bridal dress once, an Amish bride’s wedding dress will become her Sunday church attire after she is married. She will also typically be buried in the same dress when she dies. Instead of a veil, Katie wore a black prayer covering to differentiate from her daily white cap. By strict Amish tradition, no one in the bridal party carried flowers. Ed and his newehockers wore black suits. All coats and vests were fastened with hooks and eyes, not buttons. Their shirts were white, and shoes and stockings were black. Ed also wore high-topped black shoes, and a black hat with a three-and-a-half-inch brim. There was no best man or maid of honor; all newehockers are of equal importance. The three-hour long service began with the congregation singing hymns, (without instrumental accompaniment), while the minister counseled Ed and Katie privately. After Bishop Rudy and the young couple returned to the room, a prayer, Scripture reading and long sermon began. Following the sermon, the Bishop asked Katie and Ed to step forward from their seat with the rest of the congregation. Then he questioned them about their marriage to be, which was similar to English wedding vows. The Bishop then blessed the couple and the fathers of the couple gave testimony about marriage to the congregation. A final prayer and the ceremony drew to a close.
Following the wedding ceremony, festivities began. The women served dinner while the men set up tables in a U-shape around the walls. A corner of the table was reserved for Ed, Katie and the bridal party. This is an honored place called the “Eck,” meaning corner. The tables were laden with the “roast,” (roast chicken with bread stuffing), mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed celery, coleslaw, applesauce, cherry pie, donuts, fruit salad, tapioca pudding and bread, butter and jelly.
Katie sat on Eds left, in the corner (the same way they will sit as man and wife in their buggy). The single women sat on the same side as Katie and the single men on the same side as Ed. The immediate family members sat at a long table in the kitchen, with both fathers at the head. Following dinner, the afternoon was spent visiting and playing games.
The newlyweds’ first night together is always spent at the bride’s home because they must get up early the next day to help clean the house. In Ed and Katies case, they would have to live in her parents basement until spring, when a home could be constructed.
Their honeymoon was spent visiting all their new relatives on the weekends throughout the winter.
In March of 1987, Ed’s family constructed a one-story house for Katie and Ed. The home was intended to be a temporary residence until Katie would begin to bear children. This did not take long and, shortly after moving into their new home, Katie became pregnant. Ed was not exactly pleased with the news, however he did express hope that the child would be a boy.
On September 20, 1987, a neighbor transported Ed and Katie to a birthing clinic1 in the tiny village of Little Cooley. Following a brief labor, Katie gave birth to a seven-pound baby boy. The child was named Dannie E. after Ed’s father. Katie remained at the clinic overnight and returned home with the child the following morning. Katie’s younger sisters stayed with her for the first few weeks to help care for Ed and the child.
It did not take long for Ed to find out how much work being a father entailed. He disliked the demands that accompanied a new born and began spending less and less time at home. Even though the mill closed at five, Ed would seldom come home before 11 o’clock at night.
During the summer of 1988, Ed constructed a machine shop next to the sawmill and spent most of the summer buying motors and mechanical parts. Katie soon began to wonder if there was something wrong with her husband. Ed seldom spoke to her, ignored their child, and came and went as he pleased. Regardless of his behavior, Amish wives stick by their husbands and Katie wasn’t about to give up.
By July of 1988, changes in Ed’s behavior became even more apparent. He seldom ate, began losing weight, and complained of recurrent dizzy spells. Ed began coming home in the afternoons and would spend hours behind their closed bedroom door sleeping. Katie began to wonder if Ed was seriously ill and was concerned about his depressed and exhausted appearance. Many elders felt that Ed was simply faking illness to get out of work and dismissed the possibility of an illness, albeit mental or physical.
In August of 1988, Katie was nearing her wits’ end with Ed, and his apparent problems. Something had to be done and Ed desperately needed help. Katie’s parents suggested a medical doctor in a nearby town, however Katie was not interested1; she had already made an appointment with Dr. Merritt W. Terrell, a chiropractor located just 15 miles south in the town of Cambridge Springs.
Dr. Merritt W. Terrell’s office was nothing more than a tiny one-story house, marked only with a small sign that read ‘Drugless Therapy.’ While Doc Terrell was deemed a fast-talking folk doctor by most English, he was considered a healer by the Amish and treated hundreds of Amish patients from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ontario. At first glance, Doc Terrell appeared to be a ‘Barnum and Bailey’ leftover to many that met him. The 66-year-old doctor stood 5 feet 5 inches in his cowboy boots, sported close-cropped gray hair on top of his square head, had piercing blue eyes, and often times wore a large cowboy hat. He never wore a coat or tie and was undistinguishable from his patients at first glance. The Amish appreciated Doc Terrell’s simple, nonscientific methods, and were grateful that he did not subject them to x-rays, blood tests, or drugs as most English doctors do2.
Ed and Katie entered Doc Terrell’s office through what had at one time been the front door to a residence. The former living room had been converted into a waiting room and a receptionist, behind a tiny desk in what used to be a hallway, greeted them as they entered. The receptionist handed Ed a slip of paper, on which he was instructed to write his name, date of birth, address, and symptoms. After a brief wait, Ed was directed down a hallway to an examination room. The only piece of furniture in the room was a large leather lounge chair, where Ed was instructed to sit. As Ed sat down in the chair, Doc Terrell appeared from behind a curtain and fed Ed’s slip of paper into a small instrument the size of a fax machine. The machine was somehow supposed to determine Ed’s illness by scanning his handwriting. After the paper was fed through the machine, a series of numbers and codes were displayed, which Doc Terrell interpreted for diagnosis and treatment. In Ed’s case the machine revealed that he needed a toe pulling and a foot rub. Following the treatment, Ed walked back into the reception area where he paid $25 for his visit, was given a jar of blackstrap molasses for purifying his blood, and sent on his way– supposedly cured.
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1. Most Amish use either a local birthing clinic– built and run by and for the Amish, or local hospitals. Some do however still have midwives who deliver at home.
2. While most Amish groups do not oppose modern medicine, their readiness to seek health services varies from family to family. Nothing in the Amish understanding of the Bible forbids them from using modern medical services, including surgery, hospitalization, dental work, etc. They do believe, however, that good health, both physical and mental, is a gift from God, and medical doctors are a last resort.
As the months passed by, Katies hopes of a quick cure for Ed diminished. Follow-up visits with Doc Terrell in August, September, and December, had little effect. Docs drugless cures did not seem to be helping and Ed appeared to be getting worse.
On March 21, 1989, just four days after her 25th birthday, Katie gave birth to another boy. The child was named Enos, after one of Katies younger brothers. Ed was neither upset nor overjoyed by the birth– he simply did not care. Family members continued to keep their low opinions of Ed to themselves. Bishop Shetler, who considered Ed a bad apple, decided to keep a close eye on him.
(David Lohr)
Eds problems persisted and were only compounded when tragedy befell the clan on the night of December 3, 1989. An English farmer, while driving west on Sturgis Road, saw flames shooting into the sky as he approached the Frisbeetown intersection. As the farmer drew closer, he discovered that the blaze was originating from the Gingerichs sawmill. By the time fire trucks arrived at the scene, it was too late. Ed, Katie, and several family members stood by and watched as the mill burned to the ground. It was later determined that an unmonitored fire in a wood stove had gotten out of control and caused the blaze. Not only did the fire take the mill, but it also took Eds refuge, purpose, and identity. His machine shop lost its justification and he was left feeling as though he had no future.
Because the Amish do not believe in insurance, the mill was a total loss. Nonetheless, they do band together within their communities and see that anyone who needs financial help is not turned away. Hence, Ed made it his mission to see to it that another mill was erected in place of the old one. He wanted to design it from top to bottom and build it on a four-acre plot his father had given him on Sturgis Road. Eds plans included modernizing the mill to increase production and profit. However, before proceeding with his plans, Ed had to receive permission from Bishop Shetler.
The idea of a new mill did not bother the bishop and Ed was given permission to build, as long as he agreed to only hire Amish workers, and not to make the mill too modern. Eds obsession with modern mechanics was displeasing to the bishop and he strictly advised that the new mill adhere to the Ordnung1. Ed disliked the fact that he was restricted in how he constructed his mill; however the excitement of regaining his identity outweighed his anger for the time being.
As plans for the new mill fell into place, Katie discovered that she was once again pregnant. Ed was anything but pleased with the news. The thought of another child was not something he relished.
On March 13, 1990, four days before her 26th birthday, Katie gave birth to a seven-pound girl. The child was named Mary after Eds mother. Ed did not pay any attention to Katie or their newborn; he was too busy planning construction of the new mill, something he seemingly cared about more than anything.
Construction of the mill began in April of 1990. The building took little time to erect, and in the end measured an impressive 150 feet long and 25 feet wide. Ed showed off his knowledge by designing a fully automated plant, which impressed Amish and English alike. Diesel-powered conveyor belts delivered logs through a 5-foot saw blade, and saw dust was automatically hauled out on a specially-designed carrier belt. Ed was pleased with his work and his machine shop once again had a purpose.
The everyday workings of the new mill were handed over to Noah Stutzman, a hard working young man who was new to the Brownhill settlement. Ed wanted the freedom to come and go as he pleased, and by hiring Noah he would have more time to devote to his machine shop.
Problems between Ed and Katie continued to grow. Ed refused to have sex with Katie for fear of getting her pregnant and he began staying out late again, continuously ignoring Katie and the children. Whenever Ed spoke to Katie, he would frighten her with talk of modernization or leaving the Amish lifestyle. Katie feared that if Bishop Shetler learned that Ed thought such things, they would be excommunicated2 for good.
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1. Donald B. Kraybill, in his book, The Riddle of Amish Culture, writes: The Amish blueprint for expected behavior, called the Ordnung, regulates private, public, and ceremonial life. Ordnung does not translate readily into English. Sometimes rendered as ordnance or discipline, the Ordnung is best thought of as an ordering of the whole way of life . . . a code of conduct, which the church maintains by tradition rather than by systematic or explicit rules. Rather than a packet or rules to memorize, the Ordnung is the “understood” behavior by which the Amish are expected to live. In the same way that the rules of grammar are learned by children, so the Ordnung, the grammar of order, is learned by Amish youth. The Ordnung evolved gradually over the decades as the church sought to strike a delicate balance between tradition and change. Specific details of the Ordnung vary across church districts and settlements.
2. Excommunicated– meaning eternally damned, or banned, in the eyes of the Amish.
An Amish bishops number one enemy is a Christian evangelist. The Amish consider these born-again Christians to be religious fanatics. Christians believe that faith alone guarantees a place in heaven, while Amish believe that sinners must be held accountable and getting into heaven requires not just faith, but hard work. Throughout Amish history, Christian missionaries have felt it their duty to spread their version of Gods word to the Amish, and on several occasions managed to penetrate and convert entire Amish families.
In August of 1990, a young Englishman named David Lindsey visited Eds sawmill in hopes of selling some logs. David was quite impressed with the mill and asked Ed for a guided tour. Ed was flattered by the Englishmans interest and was more than happy to show him around. Following the tour, David asked Ed if he could drop by the following week to talk.
Ed replied, Sure, anytime.
David went on to say, Id like to talk to you about something that changed my life … its about Jesus; accepting him as your personal Lord and Savior.
Ed did not appear too enthusiastic with Davids request, however he did agree to meet with him on his next visit to the mill.
David Lindsey was a born-again Christian, and a man on a mission. He was convinced that his calling was to rescue the Amish of the Brownhill settlement from what he referred to as the bishops cult. David felt that Amish people would be subjected to eternal damnation unless someone showed them the way to salvation with Jesus Christ. Upon talking to Ed, David decided that Ed would be the key to formulating a successful Brownhill crusade. David concluded that once Ed was successfully converted, others would be sure to follow.
A few days after their initial meeting, David returned to Eds mill armed with his Bible. Ed saw him drive up, and walked over to greet him. David rolled down his window and asked Ed to join him in the car and talk for a while. As soon as Ed sat down in the car, David began preaching to Ed about the Christian faith and the error of the bishops ways. The end of the meeting left Ed confused and uncertain of his current faith.
Following their second meeting, David Lindsey became a regular visitor to Eds sawmill. It was not uncommon to see Ed talking to English customers, so Katie had no reason to suspect that Ed was discussing religion with David Lindsey.
In early October 1990, Ed began complaining of earaches and skin rashes. He had also twisted his ankle and was limping. Katie made another appointment with Doc Terrell. During the visit, Doc Terrell massaged Eds ankle, and prescribed a jar of blackstrap molasses for his other ailments.
For the next year, Ed divided his time between the sawmill and machine shop. David Lindsey also visited him on a regular basis for religious discussions.
In September of 1991, Eds father began construction of a new home for Ed and Katie next to the sawmill. Ed wanted nothing to do with the work and left his father and the sawmill crew to build the two-story, four-bedroom home. Bishop Shetler was angry that Ed was not helping to build his familys home. Never before had an able-bodied Amish man not helped in the construction of his own home. Regardless of Eds laziness, the house was completed by November, and occupied by Ed and Katie almost immediately.
(David Lohr)
Over the next few months, Eds health seemed to spiral downward. He rarely ate and constantly complained of dizziness, itchy skin, earaches and back pain. Katie had sent away for a small quantity of herbs, in hopes that they would help Ed, and or possibly cure him. Regardless of her intentions, Ed refused to take the herbal medicines out of fear that Katie was trying to poison him.
Ed spent the morning of March 17, 1992, in his machine shop. He had no idea that it was Katies 28th birthday, and most likely would not have cared. He was busy degreasing a diesel engine with a solvent called Gunk. According to the warnings on the can, the solvent was to be used only if significantly diluted and in a well-ventilated area. Obviously ignoring the warnings, Ed was applying the solvent undiluted and the shop was closed up tight. He remained in the shop until four in the afternoon before finally stepped outside. The chilling fresh air overwhelmed him and he nearly fell down as he stumbled to the house. Ed said very little to Katie as he walked inside, and went straight to the bedroom where he collapsed onto the bed. His brain felt as though it was on fire and his hands were swollen and stiff.
The following morning, Ed awoke feeling groggy and suffered from a headache. He poured a cup of coffee and headed back out to the machine shop. Even though the small building still reeked of Gunk, Ed did nothing to air it out, and went back to work on the engine. Ed remained in the machine shop for nearly seven hours before finally stumbling outside. He had a pounding pain between his eyes and his limbs felt stiff as though they were not receiving any blood.
Later that evening as Katie and the children sat down to eat, David Lindsey knocked at the door looking for Ed. Upon hearing his English friends voice, Ed came downstairs. David had stopped by to purchase a saw blade Ed had previously agreed to sell, and the two men went outside to load it into Davids truck. David did not have much time for idle conversation, because he was on the way to his regular Wednesday night prayer meeting. After the two men loaded the saw blade, Ed asked David to look at some pigs he had recently purchased. David did not really care to see the pigs, however he sensed that his Amish friend did not want to talk, and agreed to look at them. As the two men gawked at Eds new pigs, Ed began talking about the motor he was repairing and asked David took look it over. David agreed and followed Ed into the machine shop. Immediately struck by the foul smell of the degreaser as they stepped inside, David asked Ed about the odor. Ed explained that he had been using Gunk to clean the engine. David chastised Ed for failing to properly ventilate the shop and then slowly worked the conversation around to religion once again.
David and Ed spent the entire evening in the shop talking. When the two men finally exited the building, they were both dizzy and physically ill. Nonetheless, David felt that he had made a great deal of progress with Ed, and all doubts of Ed resisting eventual conversion were gone from his mind.
The children were fast asleep as Ed walked in the door.
Katie stared quizzically at Ed and said, You look funny, whats wrong?
Im going to bed; Im dizzy and my head hurts, Ed replied as he made his way to the bedroom.
As dusk turned to dawn, Ed leaped out of bed and shook Katie awake. As Katie came to, she could hear Ed talking to himself in a strange voice.
Ed, what are you doing? she demanded.
Ive had a vision … a vision from God!
What do you mean? Katie asked.
I tried to kill the older leader but he would not die. I couldnt conquer him!
Katie had no idea what Ed was talking about. What leader? she asked.
Bishop Shetler! Ive got to kill the older leader to make room for the new religion. I couldnt do it because he wouldnt die! No matter how hard I tried, I couldnt kill him … the devil wants my soul, hes fighting Jesus for my soul. Ed replied.
After hearing her husband ramble incoherently all morning, Katie arranged another trip to Doc Terrells. By 2:30 that afternoon, Ed was sitting in Doc Terrells office listing his symptoms on a piece of paper, no appetite, forgetful and cant sleep, Ed scrawled on the paper. His treatment resulted in a shoulder rub, right-foot manipulation, and another jar of blackstrap molasses.
Following Eds latest treatment, he showed absolutely no improvement and shocked the entire community the following night. It was church night at Katies parents house. Everyone was present, including Bishop Shetler. That night, without warning, Ed told the entire congregation that an English friend and spiritual advisor had opened his eyes to God and Jesus Christ. Katie was horrified as Ed spoke.
If I leave the Amish church, I can be saved…its the only way…he has shown me passages in the Bible, in the Book of John…that says that faith alone is enough, Ed announced before a shocked and dismayed audience.
Bishop Shetler held his tongue momentarily before replying to Eds charges. I know of these men, he said, referring to Eds spiritual advisor. They are devils soldiers. Speaking to Ed, Bishop Shetler asked, Are you joining with these people?
Why are my own people against me? Ed responded in an annoyed tone.
No one is against you! Katie exclaimed.
Ed, ignoring Katie, announced, Ive had a vision…
Dont tell them about your dream! Katie yelled.
The leader of the new church will conquer the old leader. I tried but I couldnt kill him no matter what I did. I kept trying for the new religion, but couldnt.
Bishop Shetler stood up from his chair as Katie said, He just had a dream…it was just a dream!
No, Ed proclaimed, Its a vision, a prophecy!
That was it, Bishop Shetler could hear no more. He abruptly grabbed his coat and hat and walked out the door. Everyone else took their cue and followed him. Katie stood humiliated and in tears as her worst fears suddenly became reality.
On the morning of March 23, 1992, Ed refused to get out of bed. He was lying on his back spitting at the ceiling, totally ignoring Katie.
Ed, please stop doing that and get up! Katie pleaded.
Ed spat into the air, watched his phlegm hang from the ceiling, and asked, What does that say? What is that saying to me? What is it saying?
Katie was extremely disturbed by this new behavior and immediately summoned Bishop Shetler.
Ed was still lying on his back spitting and talking to himself when Bishop Shetler arrived.
Tell us, Ed, why you are spitting? the bishop enquired.
I think my heart is tearing loose. Its coming off, I can feel it! Ed blurted.
Bishop Shetler immediately sent word to the elders and to Eds family, Ed has been seized by the devil, and that their presence was required at once, to help pray against Satan. As Eds family and the elders entered his room, Ed began flailing about, and had to be restrained.
Maybe we should take him to a doctor, Eds mother offered.
This man is not sick. He has been taken over by Satan. The only thing that can save him is prayer. The bishop explained.
Everyone present was instructed by the bishop to form a circle around Ed and pray for God to drive the devil out of him.
Ed soon sat up in his bed and the prayers stopped. Ed was helped to his feet and taken out to a front room and placed on a cot, where he fell asleep. Hours passed and Bishop Shetler was certain God had defeated Satan and freed Eds soul. Nonetheless, the victory was short lived. Ed awoke abruptly, flung himself onto the floor, and began howling as he ran around the room on all fours.
Those present began to consider the possibility that Ed was in fact insane and decided it was time for Ed to see a medical doctor. A call was placed from an English neighbors house and a local doctor was soon in route. Dr. Craig Caldwell had been known to treat Amish patients and was of a rare breed, a doctor that still made house calls.
How are you doing? the doctor asked.
Check to see if my heart’s still there. I think it jumped to the right side. Ed replied.
The doctor briefly examined Ed with a stethoscope, as Ed began rambling on about the bishop and Jesus Christ. Katie handed Dr. Caldwell a jar of Doc Terrells blackstrap molasses and asked, Would this be helpful? The doctor looked over the jar and read the label under the light of a kerosene lamp. I dont think so, he replied. The doctor then wrote Ed a prescription for tranquilizers. Call me if Ed isnt feeling better, he said as he walked out. Ed crawled into bed a short time later and cried himself to sleep.
The morning of March 24, 1992, started out just as the day before. Ed was once again lying in bed, spitting at the ceiling, and mumbling to himself. Katie had had enough. They obviously could not help Ed on their own. Katie sent Eds brother over to an English neighbor to call 911.
Katie was outside on the steps as the Mill Village Volunteer Fire Departments ambulance pulled up in front of the house. Three volunteers approached Katie carrying a medical bag and ambulance cot. My husband has had a nervous breakdown. Hes in the house. Be careful; hes acting wild. Katie explained.
As the paramedics entered the home, Ed began screaming, Dont kill me! He stood up and ran for the door, however he was quickly tackled by his brothers and restrained. Ed finally stopped fighting and stood up. He looked over at Katie as he made his way to the door and smiled mockingly. Without warning, Katie shocked everyone present by punching Ed in the face so hard that he was knocked off his feet and onto his back. The paramedics stood by in disbelief. When Ed finally stood up, it took seven men to restrain him and strap him to the ambulance cot. Before leaving, the paramedics informed Katie that they were taking Ed to a hospital in Erie and that she should arrange transportation and meet them there. An English neighbor agreed to take Katie and Eds family and they were soon on their way.
The paramedics had radioed in the situation while in route and a doctor and two hospital security guards greeted them at the entrance to Hamot Medical Centers emergency room. Ed appeared to be calm and cooperative as he was brought out of the ambulance. The doctor was disturbed by the restraints holding him to the cot and told the paramedics to remove them and let the patient walk in on his own.
Ed was being led to an examination room as Katie and Eds family arrived. After a brief wait, a doctor led Katie into the examination room with Ed and inquired as to why her husband had been brought to the hospital. Katie explained Eds behavior and recent mental state. She felt that he was having some type of nervous breakdown. The doctor seemed confused by Katies explanation, the patient that sat before him appeared to be perfectly sane.
Could he have been jokingfooling around?
He was not joking, Katie replied.
Perhaps you people overreacted, the doctor said. Putting a man in a mental ward is a big decisionI have other patients, he said. Ill come back soon and give Ed a more thorough examination.
Katie was at a loss for words, Ed had turned on his charm for the doctor and now they probably thought that Katie was the one with problems.
As soon as the doctor left the room, Ed looked directly at Katie with stone cold eyes. What are you trying to do, kill me? Ed growled. You are trying to get rid of meI know whyyou and my brother are against me. I know about you and my brother. Ed said. Katie walked out of the room to get the doctor. She wanted him to see how Ed was acting. When Katie and the doctor returned, Ed was lying on his back spitting at the ceiling and talking to himself. He was no longer playing the innocent victim.
Ed was soon being led down the hall in a wheelchair to the hospitals mental ward. Once they reached Eds temporary home, a white, windowless room, with a plastic covered mattress, Ed began to fight. It took four men to hold him down so that the doctor could give him a tranquilizer shot. Within seconds Ed went limp and the door slammed shut behind him.
On March 25, 1992, Ed was moved to a private room. Drugged up on anti-psychotic and antidepressant medications, doctors considered him no longer violent. That afternoon Katie and Eds family visited with Ed. He appeared to be calm and polite. Katie was beginning to wonder if the English might have actually cured him. He was just like his old self, albeit a little drowsy.
News of Eds hospitalization did not take long to reach David Lindsey. He felt that the Gunk fumes had most likely affected Ed and that the Amish simply overreacted. On March 26, David drove to Erie and visited Ed in the hospital. Ed appeared fine and David felt that his initial Gunk theory was in fact correct after all. David Lindsey took the opportunity to once again fill Eds head with thoughts of religion and the evil bishop.
Less than two weeks after his admission, Ed was released from the hospital on April 3. The Amish do not believe in medical insurance1, hence Ed walked out $8,000 lighter, with prescriptions such as Pamelor and Navane filling his pockets. Outpatient sessions were scheduled with a local psychiatrist and to everyone except Ed, the future was beginning to look brighter.
For the first few weeks after his release from the mental ward, Ed followed up with his outpatient sessions and his doctors experimented with various combinations of medicines. Ed had complained the medicines were draining his energy and leaving him with mouth sores, so his new psychiatrist prescribed Symmetrel and Pestoril in place of them. The new drugs did not seem to change anything and Ed was growing tired of being an English guinea pig. Katie was beginning to have own reservations and was starting to wonder if maybe they should have stuck with Doc Terrell after all.
On April 28, Ed failed to show up at his fourth psychiatrist appointment and stopped taking his prescribed medicine. Despite warnings that he would most likely relapse without his medication, Katie supported her husbands decision. Within days, he slowly began to sink back into depression and psychosis. On numerous occasions, Katie would find him pulling out his hair, Its on fire! hed yell.
As the months wore on, Eds condition rapidly deteriorated. He would often times claim to hear Satans voice in his head. Kill her, Satan would tell him. Kill her to save yourself. Ed rarely slept and would scratch his dry skin until it bled.
In May, Ed told Katie that he had decided to end the torture by shooting himself. Katie had never considered the prospect that Ed might commit suicide, so she gathered up all of Eds hunting rifles and hid them in the buggy shed. Later that night, Ed went berserk; he smashed his fist through a window and climbed out onto the porch roof threatening to jump and kill himself. This, of course, would have been no easy task, considering he was only 10 feet off the ground. Katies parents were coming up the driveway and Ed was in no mood to talk, he jumped off the roof and hit the ground running. Eds father and brother had arrived at the scene and were soon in their buggy chasing Ed down the road. The chase did not last long and Ed passed out just a hundred yards down the road. His father and brother loaded his limp body into the buggy and took him home.
Following Eds latest escapades, he was taken to Doc Terrells for another joint manipulation and jar of blackstrap molasses.
****
1. Amish do not have hospitalization insurance, but they normally band together to help pay medical expenses for anyone of their group who needs financial aid. A designated leader in the Amish community is normally given responsibility for a mutual aid fund.
On May 5, 1992, Ed awoke in frenzy. He smashed out another window and ran around the house like a mad man, chanting religious verses to himself. Katies mother arrived just before noon, and begged her daughter to get Ed some real help. Katie was quickly becoming unglued; she had tried everything and nothing seemed to work. She did not want to send Ed back to Hamot, but she finally relented when her mother suggested another hospital, Jones Memorial Health Center in Jamestown, New York.
By 4 oclock, everyone except Ed knew that an English man was on his way to transport them to the hospital in Jamestown. Eds father knew that it was not going to be easy to get Eds cooperation, so as Ed lay sleeping on a cot, Mr. Gingerich and two of Eds brothers, carefully tied Eds arms and legs together. Ed awoke just as the bindings began to tighten and started screaming like a mad man. Minutes later, the men were dragging a wild, hogtied Amish man out the door and placing him in the English mans van.
It took an hour and a half for them to reach the hospital. Luckily Ed had drifted to sleep a short time after they started out, and was no longer fighting the bindings that held him. As the men exited the van, Ed awoke. He said nothing as the men unloaded him and placed him on the ground next to the van. Katie and Eds father went inside and returned 20 minutes later with two men in white coats. The men were upset that Ed was lying on the ground hogtied and ordered him untied. Eds brothers untied the ropes, helped Ed to his feet and walked him into the hospital.
Once inside, Ed was escorted to an examination room. As they made their way to the room, Ed dropped to the ground and began running around the waiting area on all fours. He knocked over an IV stand, chairs, tables with glass jars, and pans full of utensils, before the men in white coats were able to subdue him. They lifted him onto an examination table and instructed him to calm down. Within minutes Ed was fast asleep and left in the room by himself.
Ed had slept for almost a half-hour before waking suddenly. He jumped off the table and began ripping medical appliances and cabinets off the walls. The commotion alerted the staff, however by the time they got to Ed, the room was littered with glass, loose wires and hospital supplies. Ed was forced onto the examination table and held down as a psychiatrist administered 200 milligrams of the antipsychotic drug Mellaril.
What seems to be the problem? the doctor asked.
Ive got a bad case of liver cancerI saw a light so bright I thought I was in hell. Do you know my brother?
No.
When my brother blew into Katies cunt, I saw an angel fly out of her mouth.
The doctor was at a loss for words after hearing Eds last statement. Ed was given another injection, two milligrams of Ativan, a tranquilizer, and was ushered off into a small padded room.
Ed was denied visitors his first week at the hospital. He was routinely administered Lithium, Cogentin, and Mellaril, and subjected to numerous mental health and group therapy sessions. By the eighth day, he was allowed to see his family, and appeared to be happy as he spoke with them. Nonetheless, everyone was shocked when they learned that he was going to be released in two days. Katie was mystified. She could not believe that the doctors were going to let Ed walk out of the hospital in such a short period of time.
On May 15, 1992, Ed walked out of Jones Memorial Health Center a free man. Once again, he had several prescriptions to fill and new outpatient appointments to attend.
Just four days after his release from the hospital, Ed once again stopped taking his medication and Katie again supported his decision. She felt that the medicine was not helping and that the English hospitals had failed them once again.
In June of 1992, David Lindsey stopped by for another visit with Ed. It had been awhile since he saw his Amish friend and he was anxious to continue discussing religion with him. During the visit, David preached to Ed about redemption and urged him to free himself of the bishop and turn to Jesus for salvation.
Throughout the remainder of the summer, Ed managed to behave himself, although he was obviously depressed in the eyes of those who knew him. Katie dragged Ed to Doc Terrells office on numerous occasions. She had lost all faith in English doctors and felt that Doc was Eds only hope at living a normal life.
Winter seemed to approach quickly for the Gingerich clan and the harsh cold kept them cooped up inside. Eds health had not improved and his refusal to take Doc Terrells blackstrap molasses continued to anger Katie. Eds father felt his son was a ticking time bomb and desperately wanted Ed and Katie to give modern medicine another chance.
On March 16, 1993, following a long talk with his father, Ed agreed to see another English doctor as long as they promised he would not be put back in the hospital. That evening, Eds father arranged a meeting with Eds brothers to discuss what they should do. The name Jacob Troyer was soon brought up by Eds brother Danny. Troyer was a 46-year-old Amish man from Smicksburgh settlement near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and rumored to be a special healer. Eds father was a little reluctant, however after some prodding by his sons, he figured it would not hurt to give it a try.
The following day, March 17, 1993, Katies 29th birthday, an English driver arrived at Eds house to take them on their 100-mile journey to the Smicksburgh settlement. The roads were bad and the trip was a long one. Ed sat in the back with Katie groaning, This disease is very bad.
By the time they arrived at Troyers house, Ed had gotten much worse. They rushed to Troyers door. My husband is sick…this is an emergency, Katie said as Troyer invited them in. As soon as they stepped inside, Ed dropped to his knees and began crawling around on the floor. This is nice, Ed said, as he admired the floor. Troyers young son was making his way upstairs when Ed suddenly ran over to him. Do I look normal? he yelled at the boy. Can you tell there is something wrong with me? The boy ran upstairs, obviously fearful of Eds erratic behavior. Troyer turned to Katie and said, Take this man to a hospital; he needs to be put in a mental ward. I cant help him. Katie begged Troyer to at least look at Ed. Reluctantly the healer agreed and led Ed into his examination room. A short time later, they emerged. Katie was carrying a diagnostic eye card and three bottles of herbs. Ed stood next to the healer as Katie paid him $340.00 for his services. As the group made there way outside towards the car, Troyer looked at Katie and said, Your husband has a mental problem. Take him to a hospital. Im afraid of suicidegoodbye and good luck.
During the ride home, Ed would grab his scalp and exclaim, Oh my God, my brain is boiling over! At one point, Eds brother rubbed Eds feet and he finally drifted off to sleep.
On the morning of March 18, 1993, Ed lay in bed till around 9 oclock. He paid no attention to Katie or the children as he made his way out the front door, and was unaware that Amish families were en route from Ontario, Eastern Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. Noah Stutzman, the headman of the mill, was marrying a local Amish woman later in the day, and Katie had decided not to share the information with her husband due to his mental situation.
Ed had a lot on his mind, and decided to visit his father to see if he could help him make sense out of it. Ed didnt knock as he reached the front door and walked right in his fathers house. Ed pulled up a chair as his dad walked in the room and exclaimed, Katies trying to poison me!
Everybody loves you Ed. His father replied.
Even God hates me! Its my chemicals; they are out of balance, Ed blurted.
Eds father was not sure how to respond, and paused momentarily before speaking, The best thing is to ask God to forgive you, Ed.
God wont because I am possessed by the devil. I can hear the devils voice, a womans voice, not GodsI dont hear God!
You will if you listen for it. Eds father replied.
I am listening, but all I hear is the devil! Ed shouted before leaving.
Upon his arrival back home, Katie informed Ed that an English man was on his way over to take them to see Doc Terrell. To her relief, Ed agreed and they were soon on their way.
Ed was beginning to loathe Doc Terrells techniques and made no effort to hide it as he walked into the examination room.
If you cant cure me, just say so. Ed blurted out as the doctor entered the room.
Im giving you liver pills, Terrell replied. Take the pills.
I dont want liver pillsgive me something stronger for my headaches. I cant go on like this.
Drugs are not the answer, Terrell replied in an impolite tone. No drugs!
With that said, Terrell massaged Eds scalp and ushered him out the door with a bottle of liver pills.
Katie had already planned out the rest of the day; she would take turns with Eds brothers, babysitting Ed off and on throughout the day, so that everyone would have a chance to attend the wedding and reception. Everyone, except Ed, had agreed on the plan. They decided that he wasnt going to be told until the very last minute.
Eds brother Danny had been watching the children while Katie and Ed visited Doc Terrell. As their English driver pulled into Eds brothers driveway, Katie invited him and his girlfriend inside for lunch. As everyone sat down at the dinner table, no one paid any attention to Ed. Nonetheless, as everyone began talking about the wedding, they were suddenly reminded of his presence.
Im coming with you tonight. Ed blurted out.
You cant go, youre too sick. Katie replied.
I have to, Ed said.
Why? Katie asked.
You dont even like these things.
Its the only way I can be saved.
Holding her position, Katie said, No, weve talked about this and you are not goingyou need your sleep.
I know who you are, Ed said. You are the devil.
Silence took over the room and no one spoke for a few minutes. Finally Ed broke the silence; There goes the moonright into the sea. Eds English neighbors were dumb-struck by his erratic behavior and decided to leave.
As their English friends parted, Danny hitched up his wagon, and took everyone back to Eds house. Shortly after arriving back home, Ed decided he wanted to go to bed and announced, I dont want to hurt anybody. I love everybody. Ed then made his way upstairs and went to bed.
After a brief nap, Ed stumbled back into the kitchen. I have to go to the wedding, he yelled. Its the only way I can save my soul. Katie had heard about all she could take from Ed and stood firm.
No, she shouted back at Ed. Youre too sick. You wont even take your medicine.
Because youre trying to poison meI have the devil in me and youre trying to kill the devil! Ed screamed.
Were trying to help you, Danny replied.
Realizing he was fighting a losing battle, Ed walked over to his cot and lay down. Danny had to finish his chores and promised Katie he would return as soon as they were finished.
As the children played on the floor, Katie stood in front of the sink and began to wash the dishes. She was startled suddenly when she turned around and Ed was right there towering over her. Whats wrong? she said. Ed ignored Katies question, took two steps back, and slammed his fist directly into the middle of her face. Katie was instantly knocked to the floor, and her face began bleeding profusely. Still conscious, Katie asked, Why did you do this?
I am the devil! Ed shrieked.
Ed and Katies young daughter, Mary, began crying, and their son, Danny, stood motionless.
Danny, Katie said, go get Uncle Dan; tell him Daddy is sick. Hurry!
Danny quickly ran out the front door, leaving his mother bleeding on the floor at his fathers feet. Mary and Enos, too scared to run, were left behind to witness what was still to come.
Danny ran as fast as he could through the snow to his Uncle Dannys house. He burst in the front door and gasped, Daddy isnt feeing good. The boys uncle did not even bother to question the seriousness of the situation. The fact that his little nephew had run a half-mile through the snow barefoot was enough to suggest that something was terribly wrong. He quickly ran out of the house, grabbed a mare from the barn and, riding her bareback style, was soon galloping down the rode.
When Danny went inside his brothers house, he was nearly overwhelmed with terror. Katie was lying stretched out and motionless on the floor. Ed had her pinned down with his knees, and was madly pounding her face with his fists.
What are you doing? Dan screamed. Get off of her!
Ed stood up and coolly replied, This is what she deserves.
He then lifted up his right foot and stomped it down on Katies face as hard as he could. Blood splattered all over the room and Ed only paused momentarily before dropping back down and resuming the blows to her face. Danny lunged at Ed and knocked him off of Katie. The two men wrestled on the floor briefly before they both jumped up. The look on Eds face told Danny that he would be next if he did not get out of the house. Leaving behind the children, Danny ran out of the house and mounted his mare once again. He quickly rode her to the closest English farm, just minutes away.
As the English man opened his door, he could tell that Dan was in a desperate state of shock. Theres been an accident at my brothers, Dan managed to say. Can I use your telephone? Sensing the seriousness of the situation, the English man led Dan to his phone. Dan dialed 911, and within seconds an operator was on the other end of the line.
What is your emergency? the operator asked.
A murder is being occurredmy brother is killing his wife! Dan replied.
Where is the emergency taking place?
Rockdale Township, the home of Edward D. Gingerich, an Amish house next to the sawmill at the Frisbeetown and Sturgis Road intersection.
Before ending the call, Dan told the operator that he would meet the police at the Sturgis and Frisbeetown intersection.
Following his brief scuffle with Danny, Ed pulled on his work boots, walked back over to Katie, and began crushing his foot down on her head. His two young children looked on in horror. The right side of Katies face had caved in and her brains began to spill out onto the floor. After a few minutes, Ed dropped to his knees and undressed Katies body. Once all of her clothes were removed, he took a steak knife from the kitchen drawer and used it to make a seven-inch incision in her lower abdomen. Through the incision, Ed reached his hand up inside Katies body cavity, and removed her lungs, kidneys, stomach, liver, spleen, bladder, uterus and heart. He stacked all of her organs in a pile next to her body, and stuck the knife into the top of them. Satisfied with his work, Ed washed himself up in the sink, threw his Bible into the fireplace, and told the children to put on their coats on. Im taking you to Granddads, he said, then Im coming back to burn down the house.
Following Dan Gingerichs 911 call, officers of the Pennsylvania State Polices Meadville barracks (some 20 minutes away), and members of the Mill Village Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched. Paramedics were told to wait at the intersection and not to enter Eds house until the state police arrived. As the sun began to set, and paramedics desperately waited, Ed Gingerich was spotted walking down the road towards them. He was carrying a little girl and leading a small boy by the hand. As Ed approached, one of the paramedics spoke up. Where are you heading?
Im going to my dads house, Ed replied.
Where is your wife? the medic inquired.
You wouldnt understand. Ed said.
Since Ed was no longer in his house, the paramedics decided that one of them would follow Ed, while the others went up to his house.
The paramedics were immediately struck by the somber odor of death as they stepped inside Eds house. Upon entering the kitchen, they stood speechless. Katies nude body was sprawled out on the floor, one-fourth of her face was gone and her organs were lying in a pile next to her corpse. There was nothing they could do. Katie Gingerich was dead.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Robert Rowles was the first officer to arrive at the intersection. As Dan explained to the officer what had happened, Ed walked over and spoke up. Im the bad man youre looking for. He said. Trooper Rowles took Ed by the arm and placed him into the backseat of his patrol car. After the officer called in for backup, he asked Ed to step out of the car and remove his boots and coat. As Ed took off his coat, a bloody chunk of flesh fell out of his sleeve and landed at the officers feet. Get back into the car! the officer commanded.
Within an hour of Katies murder, homicide detectives, crime scene investigators and members of the media were swarming all over the Brownhill settlement.
Nearly all of the Amish families and visitors were still at the wedding reception and were unaware of the events unfolding around them. After giving his statement to investigators, Eds brother walked slowly to the home where the reception was being held. As he walked inside, it became apparent that something tragic had happened. Can I have your attention? Dan announced. Ed Gingerich just killed Katie. He killed his wife.
Following the crime scene investigation, detectives began interviewing Ed back at state police headquarters. After being read his Miranda rights, Ed signed a waiver form Lord Willing. This initial session was unrecorded and afterwards Ed was driven to Cambridge Springs and arraigned. By one oclock in the morning, the men were back in the interrogation room and a tape recorder was placed in front of Ed. The recorder was turned on and one of the investigators began speaking, Ed, do you know what a tape recorder is?
where Ed Gingerich was questioned
(David Lohr)
Uh-huh, Ed replied.
I explained to you and I read you that form that says you have the right to remain silent, and whatnot. You remember that? Do you understand?
Ed stared at the investigator momentarily before shaking his head no.
You do not? the investigator asked.
You understand that stuff you say can be held against youabout what went on today. Do you understand that?
How do you mean? Well, things that you say could be held against you in a court of law. You understand that?
Yeah, and religion, Ed responded.
law and religion. And you have the right to an attorney. You understand what an attorney is?
Yeah. so you understand that?
Yeah, but in our religion we will not have done that. Ed said.
We have to go by the law and the law says I have to tell you this. Do you understand?
No.
You have the right to an attorney; you understand that?
Yeah. What Im thinking, my mind is confused, Im going to tell you that right now, but the reason we dont use the number, the Social Security numberbecause of the beat, the beats somewhere, the computerin fact, we feel we can track our minds. Ed was obviously confused and was having a hard time focusing his mind as the interrogation continued.
Ok, but lets get back on track and back on track is that you understand what I have explained to you on that piece of paper.
Yeah.
I explained that you do not have to talk to me if you dont want toand you understand that?
Yeah.
OkI want to try and understand thisexactly what happened, why you killed Katie
for some reason, I think we could still save her, Ed said.
No, we cannot save her. Katie is dead and you know Katie is dead. The investigator replied.
Yeah, I know. Why did I kill her? I felt it was a gain.
A gain for who?
A gain for us people, Ed replied.
All the people?
Yeah, not just my religion.
Why? Because, if I can get back on track, it will come yet.
Maybe you can explain to me why you felt that you had to remove Katies brain and work your way from the brain down. Explain that to me.
You know how we, the human being were made?
Yes, the investigator replied. From the top down.
Thats right. I had it in my mind that if I worked from the top down Ed paused and then said, Im so lost, I dont know what to say.
The remainder of the interrogation lasted for approximately an hour, during which Ed tried his best to describe the murder and his problems prior to the murder. Most of his statements were bizarre and incomprehensible. Regardless of how it turned out, the investigators were happy and considered the case closed. Ed was taken to the Crawford County Jail around two in the morning and placed in a holding cell.
Following an autopsy, Katies remains were delivered to Eds fathers house. Normally an Amish wake is held at the deceaseds residence, however due to the circumstances surrounding Katies death, it was decided that her wake would be held at Eds fathers house.
While the men saw to the digging of Katies grave, her mother and sisters took it upon themselves to wash and prepare Katies body. Rather than dress her in her wedding gown, Katies body was wrapped in black linen and placed in a pine coffin. The coffin was then bridged across two chairs for the eventual viewing the following day.
As preparations for Katies funeral were taking place, Ed was moved from the jail to a state mental hospital in North Warren, Pennsylvania, for a psychiatric evaluation. During the move, Ed suspected that the officers were taking him to the woods to shoot him, and argued with them briefly before finally agreeing to cooperate.
Just 41 hours after Katies death, Amish mourners from Ontario, eastern Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Indiana, began to arrive at the elder Gingerichs farm. Over 200 friends and family members gathered to offer their condolences and pay their respects.
The sermon at Eds fathers, led by Bishop Shetler, lasted for approximately 45 minutes. There were no flowers. The tone was hopeful, yet full of admonition for the living. There was no eulogy and respect for Katie, not praise, was expressed. Following the sermon, Katies casket was loaded into an Amish buggy and transported to the Grabhof (Amish cemetery), down the road from the Gingerich farm. After her coffin was lowered into the ground by felt straps, a hymn was spoken but not sung, prior to filling in the burial hole by hand. In the end, fresh dirt and a simple tombstone1 marked her grave.
Following the burial, everyone gathered back at the elder Gingerichs farm for a funeral dinner. That evening, at the request of Danny Gingerich, Katie and Eds families gathered in the living room at Eds house. The horror which Danny had witnessed was eating him up inside and he had to get it off his chest. As everyone gathered around, Danny recounted the events that had transpired in the house just days earlier. Danny felt terrible about leaving Katie and the children behind to seek help and he wanted everyone to understand why. Danny told those in attendance that just prior to running out of the house, he saw a figure next to Ed, which terrified him.
What did you see? someone asked.
He was standing right next to Ed, Danny replied. In the flesh. I saw himSatan. The devil himself, standing right there next to Ed. He came out of Ed and stood there. I was scared. I ran for my life.
Following Dannys statement, no one spoke and everyone remained quite for a long period before finally leaving Eds house.
****
1 In death as in life, the Amish are all considered equal and all tombstones resemble one another.
Even though insanity defenses have a very low success rate in the United States, Eds attorneys were busy laying the groundwork for such a defense. In establishing why Ed was insane, the attorneys considered two possibilities: Eds psychosis was a result of Amish inbreeding, or his brain had been damaged by prolonged exposure to toxic Gunk fumes. Regardless of the cause, proving it would be a job in its self.
On October 2, 1993, Eds attorneys, at a routine pretrial discovery hearing, announced to the court that they were planning on using the insanity defense. This news was no surprise to the prosecution, and they were all ready busy looking for their own experts to counter the claim.
In January, Dr. Lawson F. Bernstein Jr., a professor of psychiatry from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, was hired by the defense. Following his review of Eds confession and a one-on-one interview with the defendant, Dr. Bernstein determined that, … (Ed) lacked the mental capacity to appreciate the nature of his act and therefore could not discern right from wrong. Dr. Bernsteins words were just what the defense team wanted to hear.
As the defense team worked to build their insanity defense, the prosecution was busy seeking experts of its own, to debunk the plea. In February, the prosecution sent the psychiatric reports to Dr. Phillip J. Resnick, professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The result however, was not good. In a March letter to the prosecution, Dr. Resnick wrote the following:
It is my opinion that the authors of the reports had a reasonable basis for concluding that Mr. Gingerich was severely ill and did not know the wrongfulness of killing his wife at the time of the homicide.
This was the last thing the prosecution wanted to hear from a prospective witnesses.
With the trial date approaching, the prosecution offered the defense a plea bargain; they would accept a plea of mentally ill, but guilty of murder in the third degree, in exchange for a sentence of ten years. Ed would then be eligible for parole after serving just five years behind bars. Nonetheless, the defense felt that the prosecution would loose their case at trial, and declined the offer.
The defense however, was unaware that a monkey wrench was about to be thrown into their plans. Eds attorneys had taken it for granted that his family would be willing to stand behind him and testify on his behalf, and the prosecution had done the same in thinking that they would have willing witnesses to use against Ed. However, the Amish community treated both the defense and prosecution with hostility, and every member refused to testify unless subpoenaed by the court. Ed, it quickly became apparent, had been shunned.
(David Lohr)
On the morning of March 24, 1994, at the Crawford County Courthouse in Meadville, Pennsylvania, the trial of Edward D. Gingerich began. Whether anyone at the time realized it or not, this was a precedent-setting event and would mark the first Amish murder trial in United States judicial history, and probably the world.
Head prosecutor Douglas Ferguson opened with a brief address consisting of the events leading up to Katies death and Eds ultimate arrest. He stressed to the jury that Ed was not legally insane at the time of the murder and should not be excused for his actions.
Donald E. Lewis, appointed by the court to represent Ed, was one of the most successful criminal defense attorneys in the region, and wasted little time getting directly to the point as he took the lectern.
We are about to hear testimony that will stay with us forever. I am honored to be able to represent Edward Gingerich, to protect his rights during this traumatic time in his life. Together we will search for the truth because that is what a trial is about, a search for the truth.
Lewis went on to describe Eds exposure to the Gunk fumes and his lengthy mental illness. Following Lewiss opening speech, the court declared a 10-minute recess so the prosecution could prepare.
As the jury filed back into the courtroom, they were greeted by the Commonwealths first exhibit, a childlike drawing depicting Katies corpse produced specially for the jury. The prosecution had made a dire misjudgment in keeping the crime scene photos from the jury. While the intent was to spare the jury the brutality of the act, the drawing dehumanized the victim and trivialized her death.
The prosecutions first witness was Dr. Karl E. Williams, a forensic pathologist from Elwood City, Pennsylvania. Even though Dr. Williams had not performed Katies autopsy, he was called to testify to the reports. The doctor who performed the actual autopsy, Dr. Takeshi Imajo, had since left the county to work in another state. The fact that the prosecution did not bother to bring in Dr. Imajo was yet another disturbing blunder. This error, in combination with the child-like drawing, suggested that the prosecution placed little importance on their evidence.
Following Dr. Williamss explanation of the autopsy report, Doc Terrell, wearing a blue suit, five-gallon Stetson hat, and cowboy boots, was called to the stand and questioned about the day of Katies murder.
Did you treat him on that occasion? (the day of Katies murder). Ferguson asked.
Yes, I adjusted the patients head.
How did you do that?
I manipulated the scalp.
Did Ed Gingerich appear different that day?
No. Terrell replied.
He was acting normal?
Yes.
You saw no signs of mental illness?
No.
I have no further questions.
It was Lewiss turn to cross-examine the witness. How long have you been treating the defendant?
Several years, Terrell replied.
you were treating him for emotional problems?
Yes.
And what was your diagnosis?
He had a virus in his brain, the doctor answered.
Are you a psychiatrist?
No.
Are you an MD?
No.
Are you a psychologist?
No.
Then why were you treating Ed for depression?
Because he complained about it, Terrell stated.
Because he complained about it?
Yes.
You were treating Ed for emotional problems?
Yes.
I have no further questions, your Honor.
While Doc Terrell did little to help the prosecution, they were certain that their next witness would turn things around in their favor.
Katies mother, Emma Shetler, subpoenaed by the court, was the next to testify on behalf of the prosecution. Ed began to cry as she made her way to the stand.
How did the defendant and his wife, the victim, get along? Ferguson asked.
I dont know how to answer that, Emma replied.
When was the last time you saw the defendant before Katies death?
He was putting up ice.
At your house?
Yes.
Did you notice anything unusual about him?
No.
Ferguson asked a few more questions and then turned Emma over to Lewis, who declined to cross-examine.
Danny Gingerich was the next witness called by the prosecution. During Dannys testimony, he chronicled the events that took place the day of Katies death and was asked to read the statement he had given to the state police on the night of Katies murder. On cross-examination, the defense questioned Dan about his brothers mental problems and their trip to Jacob Troyers, the healers, home.
Following Danny Gingerichs testimony, the prosecution called an English sawmill customer to testify to Eds state of mind and two Pennsylvania State Police troopers, to recount the events following Eds ultimate arrest and confession. With their testimony complete, prosecutor Ferguson announced that the Commonwealth had rested its case. Don Lewis could not believe what he was hearing; the prosecution did not bother to produce one psychiatrist to testify to Eds sanity, a toxicologist to debunk the Gunk theory, or any of the Mill Village paramedics to describe the horrid crime scene. The jury was left with very little knowledge of who Katie Gingerich was, or how she had suffered.
The basis for Eds defense relied heavily on proving that he was in a severe mental state while committing his crime. To do this, Don Lewis relied upon testimony from Dr. Bernstein and Dr. John J. Spikes, a toxicologist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Spikess testified that the Gunk fumes had caused organic brain syndrome, a condition, which existed at the time of Katies murder. Douglas Fergusons cross-examination of Dr. Spike was about as comprehensive as the case he had earlier presented.
Have you ever spoken to the defendant? Ferguson asked.
No, Dr. Spikes replied.
Did you question anybody who saw the defendant on the day of the killing?
No.
Then everything you know about the defendant has come from Attorney Lewis?
Yes.
Do you know if the defendant used other products besides Gunk to clean engines?
No.
Do some furniture-polishing products contain petroleum distillates?
Yes. All things are toxic, some more than others.
Are skin rashes always a symptom?
No, but frequently. The organs remain affected after the petroleum distillates have passed through the system.
I have no further questions. Ferguson announced.
By the end of the defenses case, they had put fourteen witnesses before the jury– twice as many as the prosecution.
Don Lewis was first to present closing arguments. Facing the jury, defense attorney Lewis began, One who has been responsible all his life doesnt do something like this. The prosecutors say that Ed Gingerich knew what he was doing when he killed his wife, Katie. They ask you to believe that this Amish man had killed his wife because she told him he couldnt go to a wedding. There is one issue in this case: What was the defendants mental condition at the time of Katie Gingerichs Death? What was in his mind? What was his intent? In closing, Lewis pointed out the lack of professional testimony by the prosecution and the apparent weakness of the case they presented.
If I said something you didnt like, prosecuting attorney Douglas Ferguson began, please hold it against me, not the witnesses. Ferguson told the jury that while Ed may have been mentally ill at the time of his wifes death, insanity is something totally different. He then concluded with, Katie Gingerichs death was no accident; it was murder.
Following closing arguments, the judge explained the differences between degrees of murder and explained the legal definition of insanity. The jury was then released for deliberations.
The jury deliberated for hours before informing the court they had reached a decision. The judge asked the jury if they had reached a verdict. We have, Your Honor, the jury foreman replied as he handed over the verdict slip. The judge read the slip and handed it back over to the jury foreman. Ed was then asked to rise and face the jury.
In the case of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania versus Edward D. Gingerich on the charge of criminal homicide, how do you find? the judge asked the jury.
We find the defendant, Edward D. Gingerich, guilty of involuntary manslaughter but mentally ill, the foreman stated to the court.
after sentencing
After the verdict was read, the judge set the sentencing for May 2, 1994, and adjourned the court.
Outside the courthouse, a reporter asked Don Lewis how he felt about the verdict. He replied, Except for my ego, this is the best possible verdictit hit me like no other verdict Ive ever hadEd doesnt understand our justice system. He is relieved the trial is over. It was stressful for him.
To the Amish community, Eds verdict was an insult. Unbeknown to Ed and his defense team, Bishop Rudy Shetler immediately drafted a petition that read:
About Ed Gingerich We like Ed Gingerich, but absolutely dont trust him and are seriously <sic> afraid of him because of what he did. We want him to stay in Warren County mental ward, (for good).
Sixty signatures ended up on the petition, including that of Eds own father.
The sentencing hearing for Edward Gingerich was held on May 2, 1994. Following the presentation of a psychiatric evaluation, the prosecution shocked everyone present by handing Bishop Shetlers petition to the judge. The defense had presumed the hearing would be routine and were not prepared for Eds own people to take a strong stance against him.
Upon reviewing the information presented to him, and listening to statements from both sides, the judge asked Ed if he had anything to say on his behalf. Ed stood up and said, All I can say is, Im sorry to all the community that this has happened. He then returned to his seat.
Following Eds brief statement to the court, he was sentenced to a minimum term of two and one-half years and a maximum of five years with credit for time served since his May 19, 1993 incarceration. Hence, Ed would be eligible for parole by late 1995. While the defense team was upset with the verdict, they also knew that it could have been much worse.
A week after Eds sentencing, on May 9, 1994, Katies father got up from dinner, told everyone that he wished he could see his daughter, and went to bed. He never woke up. A few days later, he was buried next to Katie.
In November of 1994, Ed claimed to have a visit from God, and was granted forgiveness for his crimes. Ed wrote about his experience soon after it occurred. “It makes me feel like singing and to shoot (sic) for joy,” he wrote. “I do not shout because of my surroundings, but I do sing something I have not felt like or done in the last perilous few years.”
Edward Gingerich was denied his first bid for parole in Dec. 1995, however on March 19, 1998, at the age of 34, and having served his full sentence, he was released from the State Correctional Institution in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania.
Not welcome back in Brownhill, Ed moved to Harmony Haven, in Evart, Mich., a community for troubled Amish. He remains there as of this writing and works in a local machine shop. Eds parents continue to care for his children.
While many have claimed that Ed is not a threat as long as he takes his medication, he has already succeeded in scaring members of his new community. It has been reported by those close to him that he has had several relapses since his release and has displayed his old personality on those occasions.
Only time will tell if Edward Gingerich will ultimately win the battle within him, or revert back to murderous madness.
Books/Journals
Crimson Stain The Shocking True Story Of Ed Gingerich, by Jim Fisher; May 2000, Berkley True Crime; ISBN: 0425174336
The Riddle of Amish Culture – Center Books in Anabaptist Studies, by Donald B. Kraybill; October 2001, Johns Hopkins Univ Pr; ISBN: 080186772X
On the Backroad to Heaven – Old Order Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish, and Brethren, by Donald B. Kraybill; April 2001, Johns Hopkins Univ Pr; ISBN: 0801865654
Newspapers
Erie Daily Times – Erie, Pennsylvania
The Herald Sharon, Pennsylvania
Post Gazette Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Associated Press
Internet
Pennsylvania Amish Country
http://www.amishnews.com
Individuals
Pennsylvania Department of Rehabilitation and Correction; Pennsylvania State Police; The Citys of Erie and Crawford Counties; Erie Public Library; and author Jim Fisher.