Amish Retreat Leader in Missouri Faces Charges in Baby’s Death, Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping

An Amish man in Missouri faces multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter, kidnapping, sexual abuse and trafficking, after authorities accused him of a range of abuses at a retreat he ran. Sam Shetler, 42, was arrested in March following a multi-year investigation into his Mercy and Truth-Amish and Mennonite Retreat in Cooper County, Missouri, the Cooper County Sheriff’s Office said.

In a statement, the sheriff’s office said the retreat “was under the control of one individual who took advantage of his position in the Amish Community to control, manipulate, coerce, and force vulnerable people for his own profit in different forms.” Protecting the vulnerable is the duty at the center of this case (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Shetler was initially charged with two counts of trafficking and one count of sodomy, and his bond was set at $100,000. On April 21, his bond was revoked and additional charges were filed, including four counts of kidnapping, one count of sexual abuse, one count of involuntary manslaughter and another count of trafficking, according to KRCG.

According to a probable cause statement, Shetler claimed to have medical expertise as a holistic doctor. The involuntary manslaughter charge stems from an incident in which he allegedly recommended a breathing treatment using lavender oil in a diffuser for a 6-month-old baby who had been sick for several days. The parents reportedly put the baby down for a nap and followed Shetler’s instructions. About an hour later, they found the child blue and unresponsive. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy, according to the reports, found that the child had multiple viruses and died of pneumonia.

The probable cause statement also describes an allegation by one woman, who told investigators that Shetler threatened her to keep her at the retreat after he allegedly had unwanted sexual contact with her. She further alleged that he threatened to kidnap her.

Three other women who stayed at the retreat said they saw Shetler pull out a young boy’s teeth. Court documents also allege that he forced male victims to work at his private businesses and forced his victims to take up to 80 pills a day.

Shetler has pleaded not guilty to all charges. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 13.

Source: Read the original report