Edward Gingerich (Page 2 of 2)

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God Hates Ed

On the morning of March 18, 1993, Ed laid in bed till around 9 o'clock. 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 in 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 didn't knock as he reached the front door and walked right in his father's house. Ed pulled up a chair as his dad walked in the room and exclaimed, "Katie's trying to poison me!"

"Everybody loves you Ed." His father replied.

"Even God hates me! It's my chemicals; they are out of balance," Ed blurted.

Ed's father was not sure how to respond, and paused momentarily before speaking, "The best thing is to ask God to forgive you, Ed.

"God won't because I am possessed by the devil. I can hear the devil's voice, a woman's voice, not God's...I don't hear God!"

"You will if you listen for it." Ed's 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 Terrell's techniques and made no effort to hide it as he walked into the examination room.

"If you can't cure me, just say so." Ed blurted out as the doctor entered the room.

"I'm giving you liver pills," Terrell replied. "Take the pills."

"I don't want liver pills...give me something stronger for my headaches. I can't go on like this."

"Drugs are not the answer," Terrell replied in an impolite tone. "No drugs!"

With that said, Terrell massaged Ed's 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 Ed's 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 wasn't going to be told until the very last minute.

Ed's brother Danny had been watching the children while Katie and Ed visited Doc Terrell. As their English driver pulled into Ed's brother's 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.

"I'm coming with you tonight." Ed blurted out.

"You can't go, you're too sick." Katie replied.

"I have to," Ed said.

"Why?" Katie asked.

"You don't even like these things."

"It's the only way I can be saved."

Holding her position, Katie said, "No, we've talked about this and you are not going...you 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 moon-right into the sea." Ed's English neighbors were astounded struck by his erratic behavior and decided to leave.

As their English friends parted, Danny hitched up his wagon, and took everyone back to Ed's house. Shortly after arriving back home, Ed decided he wanted to go to bed and announced, "I don't want to hurt anybody. I love everybody." Ed then made his way upstairs and went to bed.

Brutal Madness

After a brief nap, Ed stumbled back into the kitchen. "I have to go to the wedding," he yelled. "It's 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. "You're too sick. You won't even take your medicine.

"Because you're trying to poison me...I have the devil in me and you're trying to kill the devil!" Ed screamed.

"We're 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. "What's wrong?" she said. Ed ignored Katie's 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 Katie's 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 father's 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 Danny's house. He burst in the front door and gasped, "Daddy isn't feeing good." The boy's 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 was soon galloping down the rode with her bareback style.

When Danny went inside his brother's 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 Katie's 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 Ed's 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. "There's been an accident at my brother's," 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 occurred...my 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.

Murder weapon
(POLICE)

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 Katie's 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 Katie's 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 Katie's 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. "I'm taking you to Granddad's," he said, "then I'm coming back to burn down the house."

Following Dan Gingerich's 911 call, officers of the Pennsylvania State Police's 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 Ed's 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?"

"I'm going to my dad's house," Ed replied.

"Where is your wife?" the medic inquired.

"You wouldn't 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 Ed's house. Upon entering the kitchen, they stood speechless. Katie's 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.

Crawford County Sheriff's vehicle
(David Lohr)

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. "I'm the bad man you're 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 officer's feet. "Get back into the car!" the officer commanded.

English Laws

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 o'clock 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?"

"Uh-huh,"Ed replied.

Pennsylvania State Police Headquarters where Ed Gingerich was questioned
(David Lohr)

"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 you-about 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 I'm thinking, my mind is confused, I'm going to tell you that right now, but the reason we don't use the number, the Social Security number...because of the beat, the beats somewhere, the computer...in 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 let's 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 don't want to...and you understand that?"

"Yeah."

"Ok...I want to try and understand this...exactly 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 Katie's 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."

"That's right. I had it in my mind that if I worked from the top down..." Ed paused and then said, "I'm so lost, I don't 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.

Meadville jail building
(David Lohr)

Following an autopsy, Katie's remains were delivered to Ed's father's house. Normally an Amish wake is held at the deceased's residence, however due to the circumstances surrounding Katie's death, it was decided that her wake would be held at Ed's father's house.

While the men saw to the digging of Katie's grave, her mother and sisters took it upon themselves to wash and prepare Katie's body. Rather than dress her in her wedding gown, Katie's 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 Katie's 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 Katie's death, Amish mourners from Ontario, eastern Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Indiana, began to arrive at the elder Gingerich's farm. Over 200 friends and family members gathered to offer their condolences and pay their respects.

The sermon at Ed's father's, 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, Katie's 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 Gingerich's farm for a funeral dinner. That evening, at the request of Danny Gingerich, Katie and Ed's families gathered in the living room at Ed's 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 him...Satan. 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 Danny's statement, no one spoke and everyone remained quite for a long period before finally leaving Ed's house.

****

In death as in life, the Amish are all considered equal and all tombstones resemble one another.

Insanity Defense

Even though insanity defenses have a very low success rate in the United States, Ed's attorneys were busy laying the groundwork for such a defense. In establishing why Ed was insane, the attorneys considered two possibilities: Ed's 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, Ed's 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 Ed's 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. Bernstein's words were just what the defense team wanted to hear.

Dr. Phillip Resnick

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. Ed's 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.

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.

Crawford County Courthouse
(David Lohr)

Defense attorney,
Donald Lewis

Head prosecutor Douglas Ferguson opened with a brief address consisting of the events leading up to Katie's death and Ed's 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 Ed's exposure to the Gunk fumes and his lengthy mental illness. Following Lewis's 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 Commonwealth's first exhibit, a childlike drawing depicting Katie's 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 prosecution's first witness was Dr. Karl E. Williams, a forensic pathologist from Elwood City, Pennsylvania. Even though Dr. Williams had not performed Katie's 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. Williams's 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 Katie's murder.

"Did you treat him on that occasion? (the day of Katie's murder)." Ferguson asked.

"Yes, I adjusted the patient's 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 Lewis's 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.

Final Stages

Katie's 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 don't know how to answer that," Emma replied.

"When was the last time you saw the defendant before Katie's 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 Danny's testimony, he chronicled the events that took place the day of Katie's death and was asked to read the statement he had given to the state police on the night of Katie's murder. On cross-examination, the defense questioned Dan about his brother's mental problems and their trip to Jacob Troyer's, the healers, home.

Following Danny Gingerich's testimony, the prosecution called an English sawmill customer to testify to Ed's state of mind and two Pennsylvania State Police troopers, to recount the events following Ed's 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 Ed's 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 Ed's 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. Spikes's testified that the Gunk fumes had caused "organic brain syndrome," a condition, which existed at the time of Katie's murder. Douglas Ferguson's 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 defense's case, they had put fourteen witnesses before the jury-- twice as many as the prosecution.

English Justice

Don Lewis was first to present closing arguments. Facing the jury, defense attorney Lewis began, "One who has been responsible all his life doesn't 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 couldn't go to a wedding. There is one issue in this case: What was the defendant's mental condition at the time of Katie Gingerich's 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 didn't 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 wife's death, insanity is something totally different. He then concluded with, "Katie Gingerich's 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.

Ed Gingerich 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 verdict...it hit me like no other verdict I've ever had...Ed doesn't understand our justice system. He is relieved the trial is over. It was stressful for him."

To the Amish community, Ed's 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 don't trust him and are seriously 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 Ed's 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 Shetler's petition to the judge. The defense had presumed the hearing would be routine and were not prepared for Ed's 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, I'm sorry to all the community that this has happened." He then returned to his seat.

Following Ed's 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 Ed's sentencing, on May 9, 1994, Katie's 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. Ed's 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.

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Bibliography

^{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}

^{Religious Tolerance}

^{The Amish & The Plain People}

^{News Library}

^{Erie Times News}

^Individuals

^{Pennsylvania Department of Rehabilitation and Correction}

^{Pennsylvania State Police}

^{The City's of Erie and Crawford Counties}

^{Erie Public Library}

^{Author Jim Fisher}

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