ROYAL HAVEN FOUNDERS ARRESTED
(June 7, 2000) Steve Gage and Karen Lee-Gage, Founders
of Royal Haven, Sisters, Oregon, a residential home for
at-risk girls from throughout the country, were arrested Friday
afternoon on a warrant for their arrest issued after
deliberations of a Grand Jury. Karen Lee-Gage was arrested
at their home in Sisters, and Steve Gage turned himself in to
the authorities shortly thereafter at the county jail after
receiving a phone call from Karen.
The arrests were based on 45 or 52 felony counts based on
allegations from 7, 8, 10, or 11 ex-residents (depending on
which newspaper you read), including several counts each of
rape, sexual abuse, and criminal mistreatment.
At the arraignment Monday afternoon, Karen Lee-Gage's bail
was reduced to $25,000 from $50,000, which was posted and
she was released. Steve Gage's bail remained at $1 million
and he remains in custody.
Steve Gage is scheduled to enter a plea on the charges on
June 26th, and Karen Lee-Gage is scheduled to enter a plea
on July 10th.
The Gages suddenly closed Royal Haven last December. The
reason they gave was to facilitate their adopting a two-year-
old that the state was concerned about being in an
environment consisting of at-risk girls. Shortly afterward, the
first allegations against Steve Gage surfaced, the child was
removed from the home, and Detective Tom Kipp launched
the investigation which resulted in the indictments against the
Gages. The investigation consisted of contacting perhaps a
majority of the parents who had ever placed their children at
Royal Haven. The Gage's two young children have been in the
care of two adult graduates of the program that are trying to
help out, and friends.
News stories on the incident can be found by the Oregonian at
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/oregonian/
00/06/nw_31abuse06.frame, and the Sisters Nugget News at
http://www.nuggetnews.com.