(MO)
WKRC-TV, CBS-12 [Cincinnati OH]
May 5, 2026
By Local 12 News
An Amish man in Missouri is facing a slew of charges after being accused in a baby’s death, as well as other of allegations, including sexual abuse, kidnapping and even pulling out a young boy’s teeth.
Sam Shetler, 42, was arrested in March after a multi-year investigation into his Mercy and Truth-Amish and Mennonite Retreat in Cooper County, Missouri, 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,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Shetler was initially charged with two counts of trafficking and one count of sodomy, with his bond set at $100,000. But on April 21, his bond was revoked and more charges were filed against him, including four counts of kidnapping, one count of sexual abuse and one count of involuntary manslaughter, as well as another count of trafficking, reports KRCG.
According to a probable cause statement, Shetler claimed to have medical expertise as a holistic doctor, and his involuntary manslaughter charge stems from an incident in which he allegedly provided a breathing treatment of 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 on using the oil. But, about an hour later, they found their child blue and unresponsive. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy revealed the child had multiple viruses and died from pneumonia.
In another incident, one woman told investigators that Shetler threatened her in order to keep her at the retreat after he allegedly had unwanted sexual contact with her. He also threatened to kidnap her, according to the probable cause statement.
Three other women who stayed at the retreat also claimed they saw Shetler pull out a young boy’s teeth. Court documents allege he also 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.