‘Cult-like’ Amish leader now charged with manslaughter in baby’s death, more sex crimes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The leader of a “cult-like” Amish community who was charged with felonies last month is now charged with manslaughter in the 2025 death of an infant.

Sam Shetler, 42, of Boonville, is now charged in Cooper County with three counts of trafficking for forced labor, a count of first-degree sodomy, first-degree sex abuse, four counts of kidnapping and one count of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. He was originally arrested and charged last month. The additional charges were filed on Monday. He is still being held at the Cooper County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

A bond memo filed on Monday says five more victims came forward because they “felt comfortable reporting now that” Shetler is in custody “and would no longer be able to exert his power and control over them or the community.”

A new probable cause statement that was filed on Monday says that a 6-month-old boy was found unresponsive on March 6, 2025. Resuscitation efforts by Cooper County EMS were not successful.

A deputy learned from the youth’s parents that the child had been sick since March 2, 2025,  and was having breathing issues and had “turned blue.” The parents brought the baby to Shetler, who allegedly identified as a “holistic doctor.”

Shetler allegedly gave a “lavender breathing treatment” that the parents gave to the baby, but the baby was not responsive on March 6, 2025. A biology virus report indicated the baby had multiple viruses, including COVID-19.

Several people in that Amish community allegedly believed that Shetler was a doctor or “healer” and that he had told them “English medical doctors do not know what they are doing,” court documents allege.

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