Communities move on after Amish girls' abduction
HEUVELTON, N.Y. (AP) - On the surface, not much has changed in two small rural communities that were thrust into the national spotlight nearly six months ago when two Amish sisters were abducted from a roadside vegetable stand they were tending.
Folks in Hermon still catch up with neighbors at the Skunks Nest bar, grab groceries at Woody's Market and head to the post office on Main Street.
In Heuvelton, Amish continue to sell their quilts, baskets and furniture at Pickens General Store, known for its delivery of fresh cheese curd each Thursday. The fire hall remains a hub of activity, where locals meet for dinners, craft shows and other gatherings.
But life never will be as tranquil as it was in these two St. Lawrence County communities, where most people know each other and many keep their doors unlocked.
"Stuff happens everywhere, but it hurts more in a small town than in a big city because you know everybody. At least you think you do," resident Shaun T. Ferrick said during a stop Thursday at Woody's Market for an afternoon snack.
Since their safe return to their Heuvelton home Aug. 14, the two Amish sisters, now 13 and 7, seem to be doing well, their 21-year-old brother tells the Watertown Daily Times (http://bit.ly/1BpWtgx ).
In September, the girls returned to the one-room schoolhouse they attend with other Amish children. They attend Sunday church services and have gone back to the rhythm of daily family life.
While life may be returning to normal for the Amish girls, the same can't be said for the Hermon couple accused of abducting the girls on the evening of Aug. 13.
Stephen M. Howells II, 39, and his girlfriend, Nicole F. Vaisey, 25, are in custody awaiting a March 23 trial in federal court. They're accused of sexually exploiting six girls, including the Amish sisters. Court documents also accuse the couple of possessing child pornography.
They also face two counts each of first-degree kidnapping in St. Lawrence County Court for allegedly luring the girls into their car with a puppy and driving them to their Hermon home about 15 miles away. The next night, the girls were driven home by Jeffrey M. and Pamela L. Stinson, a Bigelow couple who found them at their front door cold, scared and hungry.
The ramshackle house, barn and trailer where Howells and Vaisey lived and allegedly committed the crimes, are now gone.
Howells's home went up in a blaze Nov. 23 after next-door neighbors Jamie P. Matthews, 43, and his wife, Kimberly A., 41, got permission from the FBI and officials from the state Department of Environmental Conservation to hold a controlled burn.
The Matthewses borrowed $10,000 from their retirement fund to buy the property from Howells's older brother.
Without fanfare and with little notice, the Hermon Fire Department showed up early that Sunday morning, and Mrs. Matthews threw the flare that ignited the blaze.
"I'm not normally a vengeful person, but I have to admit, I was glad I got to do that," she said.
The couple said they hope that destroying the home will help their family and community continue to heal.
Hermon Mayor Cathy L. Race said that although the crimes may have damaged the community's image, removal of the house has helped community members move on.
"If you drove by there on a Saturday or Sunday, you would see people stopped out front, just looking," Mrs. Race said. "I think they did a great thing getting rid of it. It was an eyesore."
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Information from: Watertown Daily Times, http://www.watertowndailytimes.com