LEXINGTON, Mo. | A father and his four middle-aged sons shuffled across a Lafayette County courtroom floor this morning to hear charges read against them — a string of incestuous outrages allegedly committed decades ago against children of their family.
Three of the brothers appeared near tears as they moved shackled in their jail garb. Each was escorted by an individual law officer, who stood behind them during the preliminary arraignment.
The charges appear to pull the covers off a family’s dark secrets, as the men listened to 14 charges ranging from forcible sodomy and rape to use of a child in a sexual performance.
Meanwhile, the digging in a rural corner of Lafayette County was to continue today as authorities look for evidence of sex crimes against the children, bottled memories and possibly bodies.
Lafayette County Sheriff Kerrick Alumbaugh Wednesday indicated more charges could be filed later. “Indications are that an individual or individuals were killed,” the sheriff said, declining to comment further other than to say there could be “numerous locations.” Sniffer dogs were seen on the small rural property south of Bates City Wednesday.
Burrell Edward Mohler Sr., 77, of Independence, is alleged to have presided over the abuses that occurred from 1988 to 1995. His four sons, Burrell Edward Mohler Jr., 53, also of Independence; Jared Leroy Mohler, 48, of Columbia; Roland Neil Mohler, 47, of Bates City; and David A. Mohler, 52, of Iowa, also were involved.
All five were being held in the Lafayette County jail on cash bonds ranging from $30,000 to $75,000.
In front of Associate Circuit Judge John Frerking, the handcuffed father asked the sheriff to turn up his hearing aid and to reach into his pocket for his glasses. Frerking then recounted the charges against them and set their bond amount. The next court date was set for Tuesday.
Only one family member was present in the court, Merrill Clark of Lenexa. The first cousin of the senior Mohler said they hadn’t had much contact, but he learned of the case sitting at home when the story came over the television Wednesday night.
“My mouth dropped,” he said.
The men were arrested Tuesday in coordinated raids, based on allegations of a young woman, who said her relatives had molested and had sex with her and other children, sometimes as part of “marriage” rituals, beginning two decades ago. Now 26, she said the abuse had begun when she was five and had ended only after she was forced to have an abortion at age 11.
Court documents indicated her once suppressed memories were supported by other members of the family who apparently were also victims.
She and others had written of their torment and buried the notes in glass jars on the property, she claimed, which led to the machinery lifting top soil on parts of the property being searched for such documentary evidence..
The burying of bad memories was the adults’ idea, said Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Collin Stosberg.
“That was what they were told. Write these memories down, put them in a jar and bury it and the memories would go away. It was a way for them to cope.”
Three of the men were lay ministers in the Community of Christ, church spokeswoman Linda L. Booth confirmed.. “The church takes seriously the allegations that have been made and suspended the priesthood licenses of three lay ministers: Burrell Mohler Sr., David Mohler and Jared Mohler,” the church said in a statement.
Booth, the church spokeswoman, said none of the Mohlers served in leadership roles in the congregations they attended “nor did they serve as volunteer youth workers, teach children or youth church school, or work with children or youth.” But she also said one of the men, whom she refused to identify, had been registered to work with children but that license has been terminated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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