The wife of a Minnesota missionary tragically killed in Angola has been arrested by Angolan authorities in connection with the missionary’s death.
Beau Shroyer, 44, of Detroit Lakes was killed Oct. 25 by an “act of violence” while serving in Lubango, Angola, as reported by The Roys Report (TRR).
Jackie Shroyer, Beau’s wife, has been taken into custody by Angola police, according to a statement released by Lakes Area Vineyard Church on Friday.
Angolan police have not released details on how Shroyer was killed.
“Today, our grief and sadness has deepened immeasurably as we’ve learned that his wife, Jackie Shroyer, has been arrested in connection with (Beau Shroyer’s) death,” said Vineyard Lead Pastor Troy M. Easton in the statement.
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“I’m so sorry and simply do not have words to express my disbelief and sorrow about this news,” Easton said. “What I can tell you is that the Shroyer children are well cared for, and we will work alongside SIM USA and SIM Angola to ensure that continues to be the case.”
Beau Shroyer, a former Detroit Lakes Police Department officer and real estate agent, and his wife, Jackie Shroyer served as missionaries in Lubango, Angola, for SIM USA, an international, interdenominational Evangelical Christian mission organization since 2021. The couple have five children.
“This is unimaginable, and yet it is very real. As a community we must cry out to the Lord for his grace, mercy, and comforting presence for the Shroyer children and family,” Easton continued. “We must honor God and love each other by how we communicate about this, and we must continue to stand together, asking God to do in and through all of this what only He can.”
In an interview with an online newspaper InForum in 2020, Beau Shroyer described his African home as a “remote bush village” and “one that doesn’t have a lot in the way of amenities,” including “no mail service, electricity, no sewer or water systems.”
Jackie Shroyer described the missionary journey as “going back in time,” and said the focus is “teaching the region’s youngest residents about Christianity and God’s love.”
Sheila Stogsdill is a freelance print journalist and digital reporter, primarily covering crime issues for KSN/KODE.
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10 Responses
There’s a very strong likelihood ahe is being scapegoated. Its not unusual at all. It’s happened before. Pray that the truth will prevail.
These concerns are more than reasonable – please pray for truth to prevail 🙏🏼
I can’t help but wonder if she is being set up as a scapegoat to avoid an international incident? Easier to blame her, an American, in another American’s death than to arrest an Angolian citizen. Just a thought.
The Angolan police may not have the slightest idea who did this and are just looking to close the case.
The most important thing the US media must do is ride this story. Dig in and make sure the absolute truth is forced out of Angolia. This situation smells strongly of the corruption within that country.
I don’t believe she did it. I have never heard of a missionary killing her husband. Imagine what she’s going through as a woman in a foreign country if someone else murdered her husband and she’s being blamed for it…
What you are describing is not typical of missionary life. Of course in every living situation there are abusive homes, missionaries not excluded. But I grew up as one of five children in a missionary family, living in a primitive environment but a home full of love.
We had contact with dozens, hundreds of missionary families in my growing years into my teens – If there was abuse it was hidden as it is anywhere else.
Our missions organization as well as sending churches were very supportive.
Vineyard Lead Pastor Troy M. Easton said, “We must honor God and love each other by how we communicate about this, and we must continue to stand together, asking God to do in and through all of this what only He can.” Using speculation to fill in the blanks between facts is fine if you are an investigator assigned to the case. For the rest of us, it’s better to pray for everyone involved and that the truth be revealed, then wait for more facts.
Whatever arises in this story, I think it’s appropriate first and foremost to pray for their children, family and friends and of course, all Angolans affected.
Secondly, Janice, thank-you for raising an important point. It relates to the point the Holy Spirit in me cries out to make.
I am living in a country with little Christian heritage and it’s impossible for anyone to understand it before arriving. The spiritual atmosphere is so heavy. Christians here complain of having intrusive thoughts they never experienced before and they see such hard and hostile attitudes the extent of which they had no idea existed.
The spiritual realm is real and Christians must be “on” with their full “armour” (Ephesians 6) 24/7. I wept when I saw one “missionary couple” discuss Netflix and movie reviews on their carefully-curated social media before arriving here. That’s like a soldier discussing fashion before going out to battle…
The South African police (just two countries away) think that most murders are committed by family members, because those are the only murders where they can catch the culprit. The idea of neighbours, dismissed workers and strangers committing murders is foreign to them, because they never catch those. This fake statistic causes family members to be treated as a quick win for investigation, even when the evidence does not exist.