4/23/07 — An Amish man convicted 13 years ago for the killing of his wife was back in court Sunday night.

This time, however, he is charged with concealing the whereabouts of his daughter, 17-year-old Mary Gingerich.

Edward Gingerich was arraigned Sunday night before District Magisterial Judge Amy Nichols on charges of interference with the concealment of the whereabouts of a child.

Charges stem from an incident, which started Wednesday night when he allegedly coerced his daughter to leave her grandparents’ home with him. Her grandparents reported the teen missing and police have been searching for her since then.

Mary has lived with her grandparents since her father killed his wife, Katie, in 1993 and was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, but mentally ill, in 1994.

He served five years and one day for that charge and had been living out of state until his recent return to the Rockdale Township area.

Gingerich was brought to Titusville by authorities after his daughter, Mary, was found Sunday in McKean County about two hours away from the Amish community in Crawford County where she lives. Both Mary and her father were located by members of the Kane-based state police.

At his arraignment, Gingerich was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit concealment of the whereabouts of a child; concealment of the whereabouts of a child and interfering with the custody of children.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Mary has been raised by her grandparents, Dan and Mary Gingerich for the past 14 years, following Ed’s trial. An aunt, Clara Gingerich, told police in the affidavit that she and Mary were riding in a horse-drawn buggy on Frisbeetown Road, near Ed’s brother, Atlee’s residence. Clara said Ed’s brother Dan jumped onto the buggy, took the reins and drove the buggy down to Atlee’s residence.

As the buggy approached the barn, Mary’s brother, Eno, grabbed the horses and led the buggy into the barn where Ed, Atlee and Joe Gingerich were waiting. Clara said all three men spoke to Mary and coerced her to accompany Ed to an unknown location. Clara said that Mary was told that if she did not go with her father, the police would be called and she would be forced to go with him. Clara said Mary agreed to leave with her father in a car after the three men had made that request of her.

Dan and Mary Gingerich told police that they did not want Mary around her father or his brothers, out of fear they would try to make her leave the church.

Court papers state that the grandparents had been granted a custody order which said Ed was to immediately return Mary to them and have no further contact with her pending court proceedings.

During his arraignment, Gingerich told Nicols that he was still the legal guardian of Mary. When Nicols said the Commonwealth and state police may have changed Mary’s custody, Gingerich asked, “Can they do that without me being aware of it?”

Nicols said the matter would be brought up at the preliminary hearing. In response to questions asked by Nicols, Gingerich said he currently lived on Hogback Road where he rents a house with two of his sons. He said he works at a sawmill owned by his brother, Johnny. Gingerich also told Nicols Mary was the only child he has under the age of 18.

Gingerich told Nicols he was currently under behavioral health care and was seeing a therapist in Meadville. Edward Gingerich killed his wife, Katie, who is Mary’s mother, in 1993. Gingerich told authorities at the time that he killed Katie with a kitchen knife to exorcise the devil and because she had planned to attend a wedding without him. Gingerich’s lawyer at that time, Don Lewis, said that his client had stopped taking his medication for mental illness before the killing took place.

Gingerich was told to have no contact with his daughter and no negative contact with his parents.

A preliminary hearing has been tentatively scheduled for May 1 at the office of Saegertown Area Magisterial Judge Lincoln Zilhaver.

Gingerich was committed to the county jail at Saegertown in lieu of $100,000 bond.

The three charges are all felonies of the third degree and carry a possible sentence of up to seven years and $15,000 fine on each charge.