Amish healer charged with trafficking, other crimes: Insider case

A Missouri man who called himself the “healer” of the Amish community now faces involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of a 6-month-old boy, adding to a growing list of serious criminal charges that include human trafficking, kidnapping and sodomy.

Sam Shetler Was Charged with involuntary manslaughter He was accused of giving the sick baby ineffective medication instead of directing the family to seek appropriate medical care. The charge comes amid a broader investigation into Schettler’s activities at the rural resort of Boonville, Missouri, where authorities say he exercised abusive control over a disadvantaged community.

Amish healer linked to baby’s death

According to a probable cause affidavit, the manslaughter charge stems from an incident in March 2025 when the parents of a 6-month-old boy brought their son to Schettler after they noticed the child was “blue in the face.” law and crime.

Shetler, known within the Amish community as a “holistic doctor” who runs the Compassion and Truth Retreat Center, allegedly gave the boy a “lavender breathing treatment” on March 6, 2025, before sending him home.

Soon after, the parents discovered the boy was unresponsive and “blue” after putting him down for a nap. The parents were unable to find Shetler, so they called 911 from a neighbor for help. Emergency medical personnel arrived on scene and pronounced the boy dead.

The baby’s autopsy revealed he had multiple viral infections at the time of his death, including RSV and COVID-19, according to police. His official cause of death was listed as “multiviral respiratory infection complicated by pneumonia.”

The medical examiner who conducted the autopsy said the baby could have been saved if treated with traditional medicine.

Sam Shelter was previously arrested on other charges

In March 2026, Schettler was charged with sex crimes and investigators learned of the baby’s death. During the investigation, detectives interviewed a staff member at the Mercy and Truth Retreat Center, who explained that the Amish community viewed Shetler as a “real” doctor or “healer.”

Schettler allegedly told the community that non-Amish doctors “don’t know what they’re doing.”

The employee also told detectives that Schettler directed staff to use an oil diffuser when treating the infant’s breathing problems. Schettler allegedly neglected to check on the baby while he was caring for it because he was “busy taking care of the girl and the horse,” the employee claimed.

Additionally, staff noticed the baby’s condition was “deteriorating,” the staffer said.

As a result of the discovery, Schettler was charged with manslaughter in connection with the baby’s death. He was previously charged with three counts of sex trafficking, four counts of kidnapping and one count each of sodomy and sexual abuse.

Sam Shetler allegedly leads ‘cult-like’ community

Scheitler was arrested in March 2026 and later Authorities describe ‘cult-like’ behavior at a retreat he held in rural Cooper County.

According to reports, Cooper County Sheriff Chris Class said Shetler was arrested on March 25, 2026 after a search warrant was served at Mercy and Truth-Amish and Mennonite Retreat. Kmeez. Prosecutors charged Scheitler with two counts of trafficking in forced labor and one count of sodomy.

In early 2026, at least three witnesses were arrested after telling authorities about their experiences at the ashram, which was allegedly conducted under abusive and controlling conditions.

The retreat center is reportedly for people from the Amish and Mennonite communities who have disabilities or who need counseling or therapy.

According to court documents seen by the outlet, the Sheriff’s Office received numerous reports of “cult-like” behavior at the ashram between 2022 and 2026.

Amish healer accused of abuse, forced labor

Witnesses said they were expected to work the land without pay, while one witness claimed the children would be “rented” to work in the city, with all wages going directly to Scheitler.

Additionally, witnesses said some at the ashram were forced to sleep in the cold or had pepper in their eyes as punishment.

One witness said Schettler oiled the women to “heal” them before sexually abusing them, adding that Schettler allegedly touched them inappropriately during one encounter. The same witness also claimed that one night Shetler gave them pills and they woke up to find someone holding down their legs and arms. However, witnesses said they did not know who held them down.

Court documents also state that Shetler is accused of convincing at least three women that they were possessed by demons and that only his massages could cure them.

“Sam would engage in mental manipulation and mental torture of teenage girls and young women, making them believe that they were ‘possessed by demons’ or ‘evil spirits’ existed in order to ‘control’ them for self-gratification,” a Cooper County deputy wrote in a probable cause statement, according to media reports.

After the allegations came to light, authorities launched a multi-year investigation into the matter and then executed a search warrant at the retreat.

“This retreat was controlled by an individual who used his position in the Amish community to control, coerce and coerce vulnerable individuals in various forms for his own benefit,” the sheriff said in a release.

What’s next for the Sam Shetler case?

Shetler is being held without bail at the Cooper County Jail. He is expected to appear in court on May 13, 2026.

It’s unclear whether Shetler has entered pleas to any of the charges against him or if he has retained an attorney since his arrest. There was no immediate response from the Cooper County Sheriff’s Office. us weeklyRequested comment on the case.

This story was compiled with the help of artificial intelligence tools and edited by journalists.