The Amish sisters who went missing in northern New York for more than 24 hours are in "good health," police said Friday, and were aiding in the search for a suspect. The investigation into who kidnapped the girls from their family's roadside farm stand Wednesday night remains active.
"The girls … have been helpful to us," St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin Wells said at a news conference, adding that the suspect or suspects were believed to still be in the county. Police refused to provide any descriptions of the suspect or suspects Friday.
Wells said about 100 investigators and officers were working on the case, but the girls' Amish background has made for a culturally complicated search in this rural community of Oswegatchie, about 12 miles from the border of Canada. No photos of the girls were released because the Amish don't believe in taking pictures. The two went missing from the farm stand about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday while other family members were milking cows at a nearby barn, officials said. Under circumstances not made public, the girls were then dropped off Thursday night in Richville, about 15 miles away from their home. The girls walked to the nearest home, where the resident recognized them from having shopped at the family's farm stand. He took them home, and police were later called. Wells refused to say whether the girls were physically harmed.
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Editors’ Note: A previous version of this story included the names of the two missing girls. NBC News removed the names following allegations the girls suffered sexual assault. NBC News does not name alleged victims of sexual assault.