Missionary’s Wife Accused Of Plotting His Murder With Family Security Guard

LOADING

Dive deep into true crime cases and follow the latest headlines with HuffPost's Suspicious Circumstances newsletter. Sign up here .

Beau and Jackie Shroyer felt they had found answers in their Christian faith. After becoming active church members as young adults, they said they were pulled in their early 40s to make a big move from rural Minnesota, where they lived with their five children.

They sold their 8-acre property in 2021 and traveled to Angola to spread the word of Jesus as missionaries. For the next three years, the couple would share the family's adventures in Africa on social media, with recent posts about working on an agricultural plot and supporting vocational training.

It abruptly came to a halt on Oct. 25, when Beau Shroyer was fatally stabbed inside a car, according to the state-owned Angola Press Agency , citing Angolan police. His belongings were still inside when police arrived, and authorities noted his wife appeared "distraught," the outlet reported.

But two weeks later, investigators would point their finger at Jackie Shroyer as the "mastermind" of her husband's killing in a press conference reported by local news outlets . Manuel Halaiwa, a spokesperson for Angola's Criminal Investigation Service (SIC), reportedly said detectives suspected that Jackie Shroyer, 44, and the family's bodyguard, 24-year-old Bernardino Isaac Elias, were romantically involved.

The two have now been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to kill Beau Shroyer. One man who was allegedly hired to carry out the killing has also been arrested, while another reportedly remains on the run.

The developments shocked people who had known the couple, including leaders of their former church and SIM USA, the mission organization they'd worked under.

"SIM remains committed to supporting the ongoing pursuit of justice for Beau and has taken steps to ensure that Jackie has appropriate legal representation," the organization said in a statement.

It's unclear if Jackie Shroyer has a lawyer yet, and SIM didn't immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment.

But the couple detailed in their own words how they took their family from Minnesota to Angola — and local police described how they believed it went wrong.

The couple met in college, when they both were part of a "party crowd," they said in a 2021 video posted by Lakes Area Television . They eventually got married, but each felt as if something was missing from their relationship.

"I mean, we weren't even really living as a married couple," Jackie Shroyer said. "We loved each other, certainly, but we were individuals. We were still just having fun doing whatever we wanted."

She said she began going to church again around the time of her first pregnancy. She didn't yet have a deep relationship with God, but the couple hoped to surround their growing family with people they believed were good.

In the early years of their marriage, Beau Shroyer was a police officer, but he hung up his badge and became a real estate agent.

"All those years working on the night shift as a police officer had me miss out on WAY too many moments like this," he said in a 2018 Facebook post with a picture of him reading to his two daughters.

The couple became more involved with church through Sunday school and youth groups. In the Lakes Area Television video titled "Why I Believe in Jesus," Jackie Shroyer said she had previously felt an emptiness until faith became the foundation of their marriage. It led them to Angola.

"We just want to make him known so much that actually we now are in the process of leaving the Detroit Lakes area, leaving, actually, the USA. We're heading to Angola, Africa, because we heard kids there don't even get to know Jesus, and there's nobody there to tell them about Jesus," she said in the 2021 video.

"These kids are living and dying without ever knowing that he exists, and there's no one there to tell him. So we were like, 'We'll do it, God.' We don't care what it costs. We need to make you known," she continued.

The Shroyers sold their home in Callaway, Minnesota, for about $300,000 in October 2021, according to a real estate listing.

For the next three years, the couple shared their missionary work and family life on social media, posting photos of the groceries in their kitchen or the teenage shoeshiners they'd led in a Bible study class. But in the days leading up to the killing, police said they fought about whether to leave Angola, according to the Angola Press Agency.

Authorities said that Jackie Shroyer lured her husband to a secluded area in Humpata under the pretext of a manual transmission driving lesson, Ver Angola reported . But she had allegedly instructed Elias to hire two men he knew, Isalino Kayôo, 23, and Gelson Ramos, 22, to kill her husband, promising them $50,000, the Angola Press Agency reported.

The men rented a car and drove to the scene, where they pretended to break down, according to the outlet. Police reportedly said Kayôo and Ramos proceeded to kill Beau Shroyer while his wife went into the woods to urinate.

A knife from the United States was seized during the investigation and is believed to be the murder weapon, according to the outlet. Police reportedly said the knife had previously belonged to Beau Shroyer, but he had given it to Elias.

Beau Shroyer's violent death was met with shock and disbelief in the U.S. SIM USA, the North Carolina-based Christian organization sponsoring the Shroyers' mission, said they were "shocked and devastated" to learn of Jackie Shroyer's arrest. The group added it would not comment further out of respect for those grieving and the ongoing investigation.

"SIM is grateful to Angolan law enforcement for their diligence in investigating this matter and encourages patience and respect for all involved as the legal process unfolds," their statement said.

Troy M. Easton, the lead pastor at Lakes Area Vineyard, where the Shroyers worshiped, said he was "heartbroken and in shock" about the news surrounding Beau Shroyer's death.

"Today, our grief and sadness has deepened immeasurably as we've learned that his wife, Jackie Shroyer, has been arrested in connection with his death," Easton said. "I'm so sorry and simply do not have words to express my disbelief and sorrow about this news."

We Need Your Support

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.

"Beau's passing has left an unimaginable void in the hearts of his family and friends where he was a source of inspiration and support," the page said . "The circumstances surrounding his passing remain unclear, and his family is working tirelessly to seek answers and justice."