Jackie Shroyer, the 44-year-old wife of late Minnesota missionary Beau Shroyer, who is alleged to have been the mastermind behind a murder-for-hire plot that led to his death in Lubango, Angola, last October, has been formally charged.
Troy M. Easton, lead pastor of the Lakes Area Vineyard Church in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, made the disclosure in a statement Monday. The congregation is where the couple were members before moving to Lubango to do missionary work under the auspices of SIM USA, a longtime global missionary organization.
“I made the commitment that I would update you on any news regarding the investigation around Beau Shroyer’s death. It saddens me immensely to have to share with you that we were notified that Jackie has been formally charged as a co-author in the murder of her husband,” Easton said.
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“As a result of formal charges, it is our understanding that she will remain in custody and tried before a judge. The court date has not yet been set but will likely occur within the next 6 months.”
Manuel Halaiwa, a spokesperson for Angola’s Criminal Investigation Service, previously alleged that Jackie Shroyer was the mastermind behind the plot with three men to kill her husband. Investigators also allege that Jackie Shroyer was involved in a romantic relationship with one of the men, Bernardino Elias, 24, who worked as a security guard for her family. The two other men have been identified as Isalino Kayoo, 23, and Gelson Ramos, 22.
“There are strong suspicions here of a possibly romantic relationship in relation to the person who ordered the case and her accomplice, the citizen who was initially a guard through a private security company, but who, after ending his contract with this company, was welcomed because he seemed to be a good person very close to the couple and was hired with another salary to serve the couple,” Halaiwa said.
Beau Shroyer, 44, was found fatally stabbed inside his vehicle on Oct. 25 in a thicket in the Palanca commune on the outskirts of the municipality of Humpata in the province of Huíla.
Investigators say the missionary’s widow first asked her alleged lover to kill her late husband, and he hired the two other men with a promise to pay $50,000 for the murder.
Jackie Shroyer allegedly paid $400 to set the stage for her husband’s murder in a place where he was known to give her driving lessons. The murder was set up to look like a robbery and the guard reportedly paid the other two men $9,000.
A GoFundMe campaign that was set up to raise $15,000 to repatriate the missionary’s body and support the couple’s five children was achieved last year. Easton said the children were still being cared for by close family and urged continued prayers for the family.
“Beau and Jackie’s children will continue to be cared for by close family with support from both SIM and Lakes Area Vineyard Church. In light of the ongoing judicial process, we will not be able to comment any further at this time. I’m so very sorry,” Easton said. “Please continue to cling to the Lord and His unchanging character, nature and love and continue to pray for truth to be clear, for justice to be served and for God’s kingdom to come and will to be done.”
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