Ida A. Gingerich Stutzman was 26 and pregnant when she died in a barn fire on her family’s property in Dalton, Wayne County, Ohio, in July 1977. Born July 4, 1951, she belonged to the Swartzentruber Amish and was married to Eli E. Stutzman; the couple had a young son, Danny. Eli said the fire began just after midnight and that Ida awakened him, worried about saving milking equipment before seeking help from neighbors. A neighbor later helped carry Ida’s body from the milk house. Eli told others she had collapsed from a heart condition, but her physician denied any known heart issues.

The coroner ruled her death natural and no criminal inquiry was opened at the time. Interest in the case resurfaced after Eli left the Amish in 1979 and later became the focus of multiple criminal investigations; he was later convicted of illegally disposing of Danny’s body and of murdering a roommate, served time in prison, and died by suicide in 2007. Family members and others have long believed Ida was murdered, and letters and documents provided to author Gregg Olsen prompted renewed calls to reconsider the cause of death.