Palmyra man facing three counts of sexual abuse after allegedly groping two teen female employees

PALMYRA, Mo. — A Palmyra man was taken into custody Wednesday by deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department and charged with three counts of sexual abuse after he allegedly assaulted two women between August 2022 and March 2024.

Douglas H. Voepel, 63, made his first appearance in Marion County Circuit Court on Thursday before Judge John Jackson. A request for a reduction of Voepel’s $50,000 bond was denied, and a bond hearing was set for Oct. 8.

A probable cause statement filed by Det. Ryan Lawzano of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department said he interviewed a victim on June 4 who said Voepel had touched her vagina, breast and buttocks over her clothing approximately 200 times while she worked at Main Street Lanes, a bowling alley owned by Voepel and his wife, Gail, at 715 N. Main in Palmyra. The victim was between 17 and 18 years old when the incidents took place.

The victim said she quit working at the bowling alley in February 2024 after Voepel requested to have sex with her. 

Lawzano interviewed a witness in August 2024 who observed Voepel grabbing and smacking the victim on the butt between 18 to 24 times between November 2023 and February 2024. The witness also observed Voepel grabbing the victim’s breasts.

Lawzano interviewed a second victim who said she worked at Main Street Lanes from October 2023 to May 2024. She described being touched on the butt and breast by Voepel while working. She described Voepel as “purring” at her and offering to drive her to his house. The second victim described Voepel grabbing her by the vagina, over the clothing, and dragging her toward him during a March 2024 incident. The second victim was between 17 and 18 years old when the incidents took place.

Voepel was interviewed on Sept. 25 and admitted to smacking his employees on the butt when they did a good job. However, he denied any further touching. Voepel identified two other juvenile female employees he had touched on the butt while they were working.

Voepel has been charged with three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, a Class C felony, and sexual misconduct in the second degree, a Class C misdemeanor.