The spouse of a U.S. missionary who was brutally murdered in Africa last fall has been officially indicted as a co-conspirator in the crime, according to a statement from their church. Beau Shroyer, a 44-year-old from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, was discovered fatally stabbed in a vehicle on October 25 during a missionary journey to Angola with his wife and their five children. His wife, Jackie Shroyer, has now been formally indicted, as revealed by the Lakes Area Vineyard Church in a recent update.
The church’s lead pastor, Troy M. Easton, expressed his deep sorrow over the news. “It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that we have been notified of Jackie’s formal indictment as a co-conspirator in her husband’s murder,” he wrote. The pastor also informed the congregation that Jackie will remain in custody until her court hearing, which is expected to take place within the next six months.
Beau, a former police officer in Detroit Lakes, and his family relocated to Angola in 2021 to serve as missionaries for the organization SIM. Pastor Easton assured the congregation that the couple’s five children will continue to receive care from close family members, with support from both SIM and the Lakes Area Vineyard Church.
Angolan law enforcement had previously labeled Jackie as the “mastermind” behind her husband’s murder when she was apprehended in November of the previous year. Her alleged co-conspirators, 24-year-old Bernardino Isaac Elias and 23-year-old Isalino Musselenga Kayoo, were arrested shortly after. A third suspect, 22-year-old Gelson Guerreiro Ramos, was reported as a fugitive and wanted in connection with the murder. His current custody status is unknown.
Local authorities have suggested that Jackie was involved in an extramarital affair with Elias, who worked as a security guard at their residence. They believe she did not wish to return to the U.S. when her husband’s mission was nearing its conclusion. On the day of the murder, it is alleged that the suspects rented a car, feigned a breakdown, and Jackie lured her husband to a secluded spot in the woods. Elias is believed to have offered Kayoo $50,000 to commit the murder.
The Shroyer family had previously shared with the Detroit Lakes Tribune about their move to Angola, describing their new home as a “remote bush village” without electricity. Jackie had expressed their intention to teach the local residents about Christianity and God’s love.