Leader of amish community looks to family during court proceedings
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
EDITOR’S NOTE: AI was used in background research of this article.
The leader of an Amish community who was accused of sexual abuse and forced labor at a rural retreat asked a Cooper County judge to get in contact with his family during a status hearing on Tuesday.
Sam Shetler, 42, faces two counts of trafficking for forced labor and one count of sodomy after a years-long investigation of Mercy and Truth-Amish and Mennonite Retreat in the 11000 block of Hidden Valley Court found signs of sexual abuse and labor allegations.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Shetler told Judge Keith Bail that he wants to speak with his family and church before hiring an attorney. Shetler also waived the public defender application until he can speak to his community. Shetler appeared via video feed.
“I would prefer to first talk to my family, my church, because I’m honestly not sure if my church approves of that,” Shetler said. “So if I’m allowed to, I would like to first communicate with family and my church, make sure I’m not doing something against the church.”
The investigation, which spanned from 2022 to 2026, involved interviews with at least three witnesses who spoke to deputies in early 2026. These witnesses, many of whom stayed at the retreat when they were teenagers, described being forced to work on the property without receiving pay.
One witness reported that Shetler touched them inappropriately during a session intended to “heal” prior sexual abuse. The same witness alleged that after taking pills provided by Shetler, they woke up during the night to find an unidentified person holding their arms and legs down.
Cooper County Sheriff Chris Class described the facility as being under the absolute authority of its leader and that Shetler took advantage of his position in the Amish community to control and profit from vulnerable people.
Shetler is being held in the Cooper County jail with a $100,000 bond. His next appearance is set for April 7 at 10:30 a.m. in the Cooper County Courthouse.