Will wife of accused Missouri boarding school abuser testify against him? AG offers deal

The Missouri Attorney General has offered a plea deal to Stephanie Householder, co-owner of the now-closed Circle of Hope Girls Ranch, to testify against her husband in their upcoming abuse trial.

Boyd and Stephanie Householder are scheduled for a Cedar County jury trial in late November that is expected to last three weeks. Boyd, 74, and Stephanie, 58, were charged in 2021 with nearly 100 felony child abuse counts. They have pleaded not guilty.

Online court records show that defense attorney Adam Woody, who represents both Stephanie and Boyd Householder, has yet to respond to the plea offer.

“On August 4, 2023, the State conveyed a written offer to defense counsel for Stephanie Householder, in exchange for testimony against co-defendant Boyd Householder,” the AG’s office said in a motion filed earlier this month. “Most of Stephanie Householder’s charges stem from her either acting in concert with co-defendant Boyd Householder, or allowing co-defendant Boyd Householder to have continued contact with the victims …”

The AG’s office has twice before filed motions to disqualify Woody. Prosecutors argued it would be a conflict for him to represent both Householders, saying “joint representation would prevent any potential of meaningful plea negotiations.” Those requests were both denied.

“Defense counsel cannot advise either client in a fair and reasonable manner since their interests are directly adverse to one another,” the most recent motion said. “Now that an offer has been made to one co-defendant, this dual representation creates an actual conflict.”

The Householders responded to the motion to disqualify Woody, saying that he should be able to represent them both.

“The same attorney may represent co-defendants in criminal matters in Missouri,” their response said. “... Conflicts of interests may not be manufactured by opponents to prevent defendants from exercising their right to choose their own counsel, and trial courts should be aware of this.

“Here, the State has not created any conflict of interest that cannot be properly waived, if any.”

On Monday, Stephanie Householder filed a document waiving any conflict of interest issue pertaining to Woody.

She and her husband were arrested in March 2021 for conduct that allegedly occurred at the Cedar County school near Humansville in southwest Missouri. Boyd Householder faces 78 felony charges, including six counts of second-degree statutory rape, nine counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, six counts of sexual contact with a student and 55 counts of abuse or neglect of a child. He also is charged with one count of second-degree child molestation, a misdemeanor.

The charges allege that Boyd Householder slammed girls’ heads or bodies against walls, slapped or struck them with his hands, a belt or other objects, shoved one girl’s face into horse manure and poured hot sauce down a girl’s throat.

Stephanie Householder is charged with 21 felonies, including 11 counts of abuse or neglect of a child and 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

The two were held without bond until July 2021, when David R. Munton, presiding judge of the 28th Judicial Circuit, unexpectedly set a $10,000 bond after Boyd Householder said he had COVID-19. At that time, Stephanie Householder said she had a serious blood clot in her foot that if not properly treated could result in amputation.

Munton placed restrictions on them that included wearing ankle monitors.

In recent filings both Householders asked the court to remove the monitors. Both said they’ve had no violations since being released from jail on July 23, 2021, and that the GPS monitors are “not in furtherance of the safety of the community or of the alleged crime victims” and are too costly.

“They are paying nearly $700/month for the monitors, an unnecessary expense that has now exceeded its necessity,” their motions said.

Boyd Householder further said that his health is “slowly failing” and he “is now on two tanks of oxygen per day.”

“He is no risk of flight nor is he a danger,” said the motion filed Aug. 23. “He cannot travel without his oxygen tanks and has difficulty moving around.”

Stephanie Householder also told the court she “has a host of medical issues herself that she takes prescribed medication for.” The motion also said she is “the primary caretaker for her ill husband, who requires oxygen daily to survive.

“He would not be able to take care of himself without her, eliminating any risk of flight she poses. She has shown the Court that she is no threat to violate her conditions of release.”

A court docket entry on Tuesday showed that the court granted Boyd Householder’s request to remove the GPS monitor but denied the same request from Stephanie Householder.

The Householders opened Circle of Hope in 2006. They closed it in August 2020 shortly after about two dozen girls were removed amid an investigation into abuse allegations. In a Sept. 12, 2020, interview with The Star, the Householders denied the allegations against them and accused their estranged daughter of wanting to do anything to shut them down.

About two dozen former students have filed civil lawsuits in state and federal court since late 2020 alleging physical and sexual abuse. Former students said in those suits they were subjected to extreme physical and psychological abuse. They said they were routinely assaulted, manhandled by being thrown against walls and to the ground and hit and slapped. Others described painful restraints and some said if they didn’t finish their meals they were forced to eat until they vomited.