Prosecutor gives consent to move ‘cult-like’ leader’s manslaughter, sodomy case to Montgomery County

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Cooper County prosecutor filed a motion on Thursday to give consent for the case of “cult-like” Amish leader to be moved to Montgomery County.  

Sam Shetler, 42, of Boonville, is charged with three counts of trafficking for the purpose of slavery/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 is being held at the Cooper County Jail without bond. Shetler’s attorney filed a motion on May 26 to move the case. The defense requested the case be moved to either Montgomery, Monroe or Shelby counties. A judge has not yet ruled on the motion.

Shetler – who had been described in court documents as a “cult-like” leader of an Amish community --is accused of forcing teenagers to work at the Mercy and Truth-Amish and Mennonite Retreat without pay and rubbing oils on young females to "heal" them, court documents in previous reporting indicate.

Following his March arrest, more victims came forward and accused Shetler of posing as a doctor that gave a “lavender breathing treatment” to a baby who suffered from multiple viruses in 2025, including COVID-19, court documents in previous reporting say. The baby died on March 6, 2025.