It’s been three months since Iowa and Louisa County authorities took 88 children into protective custody at a faith-based substance abuse recovery camp near Columbus Junction.
Louisa County Attorney Adam Parsons said this week that no arrests and no charges have been filed against leaders or ministers of the camp, called Shekinah Glory Camp.
On Thursday, June 12, and Friday, June 13, the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Health Human Services, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Columbus Junction Police Department, conducted a child protective custody operation and executed search warrants at 10431 Q Ave., Columbus Junction, the location of the camp, and at 1101 Fifth Ave., which is in Fredonia but has a Columbus Junction address.
The Fifth Avenue address was the location of Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation, which operated the camp.
The operation stemmed from information and reports of child abuse and endangerment, according to a June 16 press release from the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office. The same release said 88 children were taken into protective custody and were returned to their parents over the ensuing days.
Parsons said the following state local and state agencies are investigating the camp: the Louisa County Sheriff’s Department; Iowa’s Division of Criminal Investigation; the Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing; the Department of Child and Family Services; and the Department of Heath and Human Resources.
Parsons, as he has said in previous months, declined to say whether he expected charges to be filed in the case. He said making any comment “would be premature” and has repeatedly noted that with the number of agencies investigating the camp, any resolution would take time.
“There are the number of children involved and a number of agencies involved in the investigation,” Parsons said in August. “It is taking a very long time to get the investigation completed.”
In July, Sgt. Kary Conger of the Louisa County Sheriff’s Department said the investigation included Iowa’s Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI.
According to Parsons’ latest statement, the FBI is not involved in the investigation at this time.
The operation brought national attention, and drew coverage from the New York Post and the Washington Post.
In the days after the children were removed from the camp, a volunteer who worked at the camp and lived at the camp site for a year denied the allegations and said the reports stemmed from one camper, who had been free to leave. The volunteer did not reveal his name and declined to comment further at the direction of an attorney, but did say the campers were between 14 and 18 years old and that most attended the camp in their recovery from substance abuse.
In late June, Alex Murphy, director of communications for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, declined to provide details on the status or timeline of the case, citing the ongoing investigation.
During a June 17 interview, Louisa County Sheriff Brandon Marquardt said he expected individuals will be arrested in connection with the case. In a June 24 follow-up interview, Marquardt declined to comment further on the status of the arrests or investigation.
Lee Enterprises’ Nina Baker and David Hotle contributed to this story.
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