A Missouri man who positioned himself as a “healer” within the Amish community now faces involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the death of a 6-month-old boy — adding to a growing list of serious criminal allegations that include trafficking, kidnapping and sodomy.
Sam Shetler was charged with involuntary manslaughter after he was accused of giving a sick infant ineffective medicine instead of directing the family to seek proper medical care. The charge emerged during a broader investigation into Shetler’s activities at a rural retreat in Booneville, Missouri, where authorities say he exerted abusive control over a vulnerable community.
Amish Healer Linked to a Baby’s Death
The manslaughter charge stems from an incident in March 2025, when the parents of a 6-month-old boy brought their son to Shetler after they noticed the child was “turning blue,” according to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law & Crime.
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Shetler, who was known as a “holistic doctor” within the Amish community and ran the Mercy and Truth Retreat, allegedly performed a “lavender breathing treatment” on the boy on March 6, 2025, before sending him home.
Soon after, the parents found the boy unresponsive and “blue in color” after they put him down for a nap. The parents were unable to find Shetler, so they went to a neighbor to call 911 for help. Emergency medical personnel then reported to the scene, where they pronounced the boy dead.
The baby’s autopsy revealed that he had several viral infections that included RSV and COVID-19 when he died, according to police. His official cause of death was listed as “pneumonia complicating polyviral respiratory infection.”
The medical examiner who performed the autopsy said that the baby could have possibly been saved if he had received traditional medical treatment.
Sam Shelter Was Previously Arrested on Other Charges
Investigators learned about the baby’s death after Shetler was charged with sex crimes in March 2026. During that investigation, detectives spoke to someone who worked for the Mercy and Truth Retreat, and the employee explained that the Amish community viewed Shetler as an “actual” doctor or “healer.”
Shetler allegedly told the community that non-Amish medical doctors “do not know what they are doing.”
The employee also told detectives that Shetler instructed staff to use an oil diffuser while treating the baby for breathing issues. Shetler allegedly neglected to check on the baby while he was in his care because he was “too busy with the girls and the horses,” the employee claimed.
Additionally, the staff member said that the employees noticed the baby’s condition was “declining.”
In light of the discovery, Shetler was charged with involuntary 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 Led ‘Cult-Like’ Community
Shetler’s March 2026 arrest took place after authorities described “cult-like” behavior at the retreat he led in rural Cooper County.
Cooper County Sheriff Chris Class said that Shetler was arrested on March 25, 2026, after a search warrant was issued at the Mercy and Truth-Amish and Mennonite Retreat, according to KMIZ. Prosecutors filed charges of two counts of trafficking for forced labor and one count of sodomy against Shetler.
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The arrest came after at least three witnesses spoke to authorities in early 2026 about their experiences at the retreat, which was described as being run under abusive and controlling conditions.
The retreat was reportedly marketed to people from the Amish and Mennonite communities who are disabled or were in need of counseling or therapy.
The sheriff’s office received numerous tips between 2022 to 2026 regarding “cult-like” behavior at the retreat, according to court documents viewed by the outlet.
Amish Healer’s Allegations of Abuse and Forced Labor
Witnesses said they were expected to work on property without pay, while one witness claimed that children would be “leased out” for work in town with all of the pay going directly to Shetler.
Additionally, witnesses said that some people at the retreat were forced to sleep in the cold or had pepper put in their eyes as a form of punishment.
One witness claimed that Shetler rubbed oil on them in order to “heal” them before sexual abuse, adding that Shetler allegedly touched them inappropriately during one encounter. The same witness also claimed that Shetler gave them pills one night before they woke up to someone holding their legs and arms down. However, the witness said that they didn’t know who was holding them down.
Court documents also state that Shetler has been accused of making at least three women believe they were possessed by demons and that they could only be healed by his massages.
“Sam would mentally manipulate and mentally torture 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,” a Cooper County deputy wrote in a probable cause statement, per the outlet.
After the allegations came to light, authorities launched a multi-year investigation into the matter before they conducted a search warrant on the property of the retreat.
“The retreat was under the control of one individual who took advantage of his position in the Amish Community to control, coerce, and force vulnerable people for his own profit in different forms,” the sheriff said in a news release.
What’s Next in Sam Shetler’s Case?
Shetler is being held at the Cooper County Jail without bond. He is next scheduled to appear in court on May 13, 2026.
It is not currently clear if Shetler has entered a plea regarding any of his charges or if he has retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Cooper County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.