Man charged in manslaughter, child sex crime case denied bond again

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man described as a “cult-like” Amish leader who is accused of manslaughter and sex abuse was denied bond again.

Sam Shetler, 43, 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. Shetler’s attorney filed a motion on May 26 to move the case. It was filed in Montgomrey County on Aug. 11.

The judge denied him bond again on Wednesday, Sept. 9. A case review is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16.

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.