Sam Shetler, 42, the leader of a “cult-like” Amish Community and a self-proclaimed “healer,” was arrested in Boonville, Missouri, after a multi-year investigation spanning from 2022 to 2026.
The arrest warrant was issued on March 25, 2026. Shetler was subsequently detained on multiple horrifying charges, including one stemming from the demise of a six-month-old baby after receiving treatment from him.
He is held in the Cooper County Jail with a $100,000 bond.
“Sorry to see the bond is so low, but at least now he can be put in jail!” one user said about the situation.
Sam Shetler has been charged with kidnapping, manslaughter, and other horrific charges
Image credits: Cooper County Sheriff’s Office
Shetler was initially charged with two counts of trafficking for forced labor and one count of first-degree s*domy/attempted s*domy charges.
Shetler appeared in court on March 31, 2026, and told Judge Keith Bail at the Cooper County Courthouse that he wanted to speak with his family and church before hiring an attorney.
He had also waived the public defender application, saying he was not sure if his church would approve of that.
Image credits: Praswin Prakashan/unsplash (not an actual photo)
In April 2026, he was charged with a third count of trafficking for forced labor, one count of first-degree s*x ab*se, four counts of kidnapping, and one count of first-degree involuntary manslaughter in connection to the infant’s passing.
Shetler pleaded not guilty to the new charges. His $100,000 bond was revoked in court.
He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 13.
According to a press release by the Cooper County Sheriff’s Office, Shetler was in charge of Mercy and Truth-Amish and Mennonite Retreat, where the alleged crimes took place.
Located at the 11000 block of Hidden Valley Court, the establishment allegedly served as a refuge for the “morally or mentally disabled and or in need of counseling or therapy services.”
The release, penned by Sheriff Chris Class, revealed that Shetler “took advantage of his position in the Amish Community to control, manipulate, coerce, and force vulnerable people for his own profit in different forms.”
Image credits: Kia Sari/unsplash (not an actual photo)
The statement also disclosed that the authorities made the arrest after interviewing “dozens of witnesses and victims” who pointed fingers at Shetler, accusing him of forced unpaid labor, physical harm, and violation of minors.
The Sheriff’s Office had reason to believe that more witnesses and victims were involved.
Sam Shetler performed “holistic” treatment on a baby who possibly had COVID-19
Image credits: komunews
A bond memo filed on April 20, 2026, revealed that the new charges were imposed after five more victims came forward because they “felt comfortable reporting” after the arrest, as Shetler “would no longer be able to exert his power and control” over them.
The same day, a new probable cause statement was filed, accusing Shetler of being responsible for the demise of a baby.
As per the affidavit, on March 6, 2025, a couple brought in their six-month-old son to Shetler for treatment after noticing the baby was “turning blue.” The child had been sick since March 2.
Shetler allegedly performed a “lavender breathing treatment” on the boy and sent him home.
Image credits: komunews
The parents later found the infant unresponsive and “blue in color” when they tried to wake him from a nap. They could not get in touch with Shetler and reached out to a neighbor who wasn’t Amish.
The neighbor called 911, and help arrived shortly. The medical personnel determined at the scene that the baby was already deceased.
Police said that the autopsy of the baby boy revealed that he had several viral infections, including RSV and COVID-19. His cause of demise was listed as “pneumonia complicating polyviral respiratory infection.”
According to the medical examiner, the baby may have been saved if he had received traditional medical treatment.
Image credits: komunews
While Shetler was being investigated for the initial allegations, the authorities spoke to a former employee of his retreat, who told the detectives that Shetler instructed the staff to treat the baby’s breathing problem with “oil diffuser.” He had also promised the baby’s parents he would check on the baby, but neglected to do so as he was “too busy with the girls and the horses.”
The employee added that Shetler declared himself an “actual” doctor and led the community to believe that non-Amish doctors practicing modern medicine “do not know what they are doing.”
Sam Shetler was already under investigation for taking advantage of unpaid laborers and juveniles
Image credits: Google Maps
Between 2022 and 2026, the Cooper County Sheriff’s Office received numerous complaints about “cult-like behavior” from Shetler towards the retreat’s employees and residents.
He was accused of displaying “suspicious, ab*sive, s*xual, and neglectful” attitude, according to a probable cause statement by a witness obtained by Komu.
The statement also noted that the individual and other young men and underage boys were forced to work at Shetler’s private businesses and farms, and were not paid for their labor. A majority of them were not receiving any therapy from the accused.
Image credits: Randy Fath/unsplash (not an actual photo)
Another witness stated that they worked to train Shetler’s horses and were often “leased out” to “English” people for work, adding that the money they paid went to Shetler and he got no share of it.
The Amish community commonly refers to anyone non-Amish as “English.”
Other witnesses claimed that punishment for disobeying Shetler, doing labor for him, or not taking pills distributed by him as medicine would have repercussions.
They were allegedly made to sleep in the attic in winter, sitting in the “icehouse,” getting chained up, force-fed pills, being “spanked,” and being forced into the “safe room,” along with verbal humiliation.
One statement described Shetler violating a minor when she was staying at the retreat. The girl was 13-14 years old at the time.
“Sam would mentally manipulate and mentally t*rture juvenile females, and young women into believing they were ‘demon possessed’ or that ‘evil spirits’ were present in order to ‘control’ them in exchange for self-gratification,” the statement said.
“This is why you stay away from cults.” The internet was shocked over Amish “healer” Sam Shetler’s alleged crimes
