MN - Beau Shroyer, Wife of Detroit Lakes missionary killed in Angola arrested in connection to his death

[Kittybunny]

However, they all seemed to hate it there. It seeps out of everything they evidently said about it. Often that happens when folks are unwilling to hang out with the culture. They end up in expat islands and get nasty about the locals. In this case, the seething was slathered over with superficial (IMO) commitment to the "calling".

RSBM. I admittedly didn’t read every article but read a few, took a spin through her Instagram and based on that and the pics and comments, I did not all get the vibe that they all hated it there, realizing of course that social media is highly curated - can you point me towards what I might have missed that they said?

This is a baffling case! I’m vaguely remembering a case in South Africa where a family that had moved there was having a tough time - in that one the mom killed the children though and had a well-documented history of mental illness. That’s certainly a possibility.

Another is an affair.

 

[Cryptic]

Also, where they're living seems to be a missionary compound in a city. They are not in some kind of isolated village in an unprotected home. This is likely to be gated and guarded.

Missionary compound? Thats very possible, especially if the organization has a long term presence in the country.

But.... Compounds can be pretty common in some African countries.

They can range in size from palatial to entry level wealthy to solidly middle class to.... lower middle class families- though their compounds feature extended relatives all living together.

I would say very, very likely on the gate as the whole purpose of a compound is security. Just as there are different levels of compounds, compound gates can range from symbolic and made out of scrap wood to gates that can withstand riots.

Guards? That is a good thought. The NGOs that I once worked with had security guards at their office compounds. I dont know believe they had them at their residences though (too many employees and too scattered to guard easily- though they were pretty concentrated in safe areas). But.... guards at missionary residences are clearly possible.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I just want clarity why how when where this wife is responsible for this death

 

[sunspun]

I just want clarity why how when where this wife is responsible for this death

I know, it seems like such an unlikely thing to happen... makes me worry that she might be being framed for the murder or something like that. I don't know who would do that, but maybe someone who had reason to cover up their own involvement, or I think even more likely, someone who would benefit from gaining the family's assets. Get him out of the way by killing him and then to make sure she doesn't stand in their way by framing her for his murder. I don't know if they would have even had valuable assets of their own that officials or agencies would stand to gain upon his death and her removal. Another motive might be to somehow protect the reputation or safeguard their standing in local, national or even international realms. If he were really killed by someone local or some official or government actor, for example.

 

[Cryptic]

I also wonder if there was any local animosity towards the family, given that the apparently-large property they lived and worked on was given to them by the Angolan government.

Maybe. At the same time, the term "compound" can have a very different meaning in Africa than it can have in say, the United States.

US compounds can call to mind high walls, real gates, ubber large homes surrounded by lawns, garages and lots of creature comforts, guest homes etc. And... some African compounds are every bit as "compoundy" as the US impression above.

But... compound residences can be pretty common in Africa and include middle class- and even lower middle class owners. Of course, as one moves down the income ladder, the number of extended family residents in the compound goes up, creature comforts decline and size goes down. Gates? Always present. But... they can be scrap wood with lower end compounds.

In short, "compound" does not always equate to "palatial" in Africa. Rather it could likely just mean "middle class African".

As for jealousy over the provided compound... it is possible. But....

A dazzling variety of special arrangements and inside tracks are common in Africa. Thus, provided living quarters for missionaries due to a governmental interest of some sort is well with in the cultural norm. Then, factor in that not all compounds in Africa are large....

 

[airportwoman]

I’m vaguely remembering a case in South Africa where a family that had moved there was having a tough time - in that one the mom killed the children though and had a well-documented history of mental illness. That’s certainly a possibility.

Another is an affair.

Are you thinking about this one? In this case, the family had just emigrated from South Africa to New Zealand, and NZ was where she killed the children. I don't think their relocation was in any way religiously motivated.

GUILTY Thread 'New Zealand - Dr. Lauren Dickason, 40, charged w/killing her 3 young daughters, Timaru, 16 Sep 2021'

Sep 17, 2021

Timaru tragedy: Three sisters killed, South African family's New Zealand adventure turns to tragedy - NZ Herald

Can't see a thread about this awful tragedy... the family had just emigrated to NZ from South Africa 'for a better life' they'd just completed their two week stay in a quarantine hotel.
2 year old twins Karla and Maya and 6 year old Liane were found dead when their Dad returned from work. Both parents are doctors.

• lalalemon
• Replies: 608
• Forum: On-Trial

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[vls12345]

Since the articles mentioned numerous instances of break-ins and attempted thefts, I wonder if there was something like that happening, things escalated, and he was shot in the crossfire (either accidentally or on purpose)? Just musing.

 

[starlightstarbright]

Since the articles mentioned numerous instances of break-ins and attempted thefts, I wonder if there was something like that happening, things escalated, and he was shot in the crossfire (either accidentally or on purpose)? Just musing.

Or mistakenly? MOO

 

[LittleSeaTree]

Missionary compound? Thats very possible, especially if the organization has a long term presence in the country.

But.... Compounds can be pretty common in some African countries.

They can range in size from palatial to entry level wealthy to solidly middle class to.... lower middle class families- though their compounds feature extended relatives all living together.

I would say very, very likely on the gate as the whole purpose of a compound is security. Just as there are different levels of compounds, compound gates can range from symbolic and made out of scrap wood to gates that can withstand riots.

Guards? That is a good thought. The NGOs that I once worked with had security guards at their office compounds. I dont know believe they had them at their residences though (too many employees and too scattered to guard easily- though they were pretty concentrated in safe areas). But.... guards at missionary residences are clearly possible.

Especially re: guards and just an idea of how poor these people were, I used to be flight crew for what was known as The Houston Express…a few different airlines over the last few decades have operated these flights. They fly Americans, mostly in the oil industry to and from Angola. Many would work 3 weeks ‘on’, then 3 weeks off, so fly back and forth very often. The majority were oil rig workers.

Our transport to and from the hotel was a usual looking shuttle, but we had 2 (very!) armed guards with us at all times that just stood at the door. We weren’t allowed to leave our hotel at all. Luanda then was something like 90% poor and 10% rich. This succeeded their civil war.

The people on the streets would literally sell anything they could get their hands on - one of my most distinct memories was a guy walking along the vehicles trying to sell an old, kinda beat up standing metal coat rack.

During one stay my room looked out over a few low buildings. On the rooftop of a 4 story building, I saw 3 children with what turned out to be an empty plastic bucket. They ‘played’ with it for a couple of hours. Initially, I kept waiting to see what could have been inside of it. Nothing. There was literally not even water in it. It was their toy!

Just my .02 on how impoverished it is there (not that anyone doubted!)

 

[RickshawFan]

RSBM. I admittedly didn’t read every article but read a few, took a spin through her Instagram and based on that and the pics and comments, I did not all get the vibe that they all hated it there, realizing of course that social media is highly curated - can you point me towards what I might have missed that they said?

This is a baffling case! I’m vaguely remembering a case in South Africa where a family that had moved there was having a tough time - in that one the mom killed the children though and had a well-documented history of mental illness. That’s certainly a possibility.

Another is an affair.

I found the SM posts very saccharine, glossy. They reminded me of Jennifer Hart and her wife's post. She was the woman who drove her family off a cliff. She posted about her lovely family, and photographed them being lovely. In reality, they were starving and none of it was true.
I also read between the lines on the articles.
Being helpless at a German airport—and mentioning they had no way to communicate with Germans—seems like a step in the direction of "this family is going to find it very difficult in a foreign environment". Unresourceful. FWIW most Germans speak English. It's a required subject in school, and if your plane gets delayed, you flag down an airline employee or go to the ticket counter to get it handled. No need for German. Par for the course.
IMO DV or an affair. Garden variety except for the Angola angle.
It could have been a gun, a knife, or, I'm thinking, a machete. They are more common elsewhere than in the US.

 

[RickshawFan]

Since the articles mentioned numerous instances of break-ins and attempted thefts, I wonder if there was something like that happening, things escalated, and he was shot in the crossfire (either accidentally or on purpose)? Just musing.

I believe they lived in a different town at that point. At any rate, I didn't appreciate how much negative details were emphasized, and nothing positive. And they seemed to be all in a wad about oranges being stolen from the yard next door. Petty, in the scheme of things, and understandable given the poverty there.
In the US, things get stolen from sheer entitlement on a regular basis. That's why we have drugstores closing, and Target has an elaborate spying system. No telling how many items in Amazon are stolen: I get very suspicious at some of the packaging.
My understanding is that the family lived in a mission compound in a big city. That would be segregated and guarded, presumably along with other American mission families in an enclave.
I'm thinking the other families know the scoop. There tends to be a lot of gossip in compounds like that.

 

[RickshawFan]

Especially re: guards and just an idea of how poor these people were, I used to be flight crew for what was known as The Houston Express…a few different airlines over the last few decades have operated these flights. They fly Americans, mostly in the oil industry to and from Angola. Many would work 3 weeks ‘on’, then 3 weeks off, so fly back and forth very often. The majority were oil rig workers.

Our transport to and from the hotel was a usual looking shuttle, but we had 2 (very!) armed guards with us at all times that just stood at the door. We weren’t allowed to leave our hotel at all. Luanda then was something like 90% poor and 10% rich. This succeeded their civil war.

The people on the streets would literally sell anything they could get their hands on - one of my most distinct memories was a guy walking along the vehicles trying to sell an old, kinda beat up standing metal coat rack.

During one stay my room looked out over a few low buildings. On the rooftop of a 4 story building, I saw 3 children with what turned out to be an empty plastic bucket. They ‘played’ with it for a couple of hours. Initially, I kept waiting to see what could have been inside of it. Nothing. There was literally not even water in it. It was their toy!

Just my .02 on how impoverished it is there (not that anyone doubted!)

Wow, that must have been so interesting.
Yes. This was my experience in the last developing country I visited. Same, same. I looked over and saw kids playing cricket on a rooftop. There were kids in "football fields" kicking around something that wasn't a ball.

 

[LittleSeaTree]

Especially re: guards and just an idea of how poor these people were, I used to be flight crew for what was known as The Houston Express…a few different airlines over the last few decades have operated these flights. They fly Americans, mostly in the oil industry to and from Angola. Many would work 3 weeks ‘on’, then 3 weeks off, so fly back and forth very often. The majority were oil rig workers.

Our transport to and from the hotel was a usual looking shuttle, but we had 2 (very!) armed guards with us at all times that just stood at the door. We weren’t allowed to leave our hotel at all. Luanda then was something like 90% poor and 10% rich. This succeeded their civil war.

The people on the streets would literally sell anything they could get their hands on - one of my most distinct memories was a guy walking along the vehicles trying to sell an old, kinda beat up standing metal coat rack.

During one stay my room looked out over a few low buildings. On the rooftop of a 4 story building, I saw 3 children with what turned out to be an empty plastic bucket. They ‘played’ with it for a couple of hours. Initially, I kept waiting to see what could have been inside of it. Nothing. There was literally not even water in it. It was their toy!

Just my .02 on how impoverished it is there

I found the SM posts very saccharine, glossy. They reminded me of Jennifer Hart and her wife's post. She was the woman who drove her family off a cliff. She posted about her lovely family, and photographed them being lovely. In reality, they were starving and none of it was true.
I also read between the lines on the articles.
Being helpless at a German airport—and mentioning they had no way to communicate with Germans—seems like a step in the direction of "this family is going to find it very difficult in a foreign environment". Unresourceful. FWIW most Germans speak English. It's a required subject in school, and if your plane gets delayed, you flag down an airline employee or go to the ticket counter to get it handled. No need for German. Par for the course.
IMO DV or an affair. Garden variety except for the Angola angle.
It could have been a gun, a knife, or, I'm thinking, a machete. They are more common elsewhere than in the US.

I found the SM posts very saccharine, glossy. They reminded me of Jennifer Hart and her wife's post. She was the woman who drove her family off a cliff. She posted about her lovely family, and photographed them being lovely. In reality, they were starving and none of it was true.
I also read between the lines on the articles.
Being helpless at a German airport—and mentioning they had no way to communicate with Germans—seems like a step in the direction of "this family is going to find it very difficult in a foreign environment". Unresourceful. FWIW most Germans speak English. It's a required subject in school, and if your plane gets delayed, you flag down an airline employee or go to the ticket counter to get it handled. No need for German. Par for the course.
IMO DV or an affair. Garden variety except for the Angola angle.
It could have been a gun, a knife, or, I'm thinking, a machete. They are more common elsewhere than in the

Wow, that must have been so interesting.
Yes. This was my experience in the last developing country I visited. Same, same. I looked over and saw kids playing cricket on a rooftop. There were kids in "football fields" kicking around something that wasn't a ball. I walked around town, though. If I ran into a hitch, I'd head into a shop, and the owner would shoo the culprits away. Mostly, I needed the help of shop owners to help me go across the street, which would be about 10 abreast in bicycle rickshaws and motorized 3-wheelers, just in one direction. Eventually, I learned to just step into the street and hope for the best. I really enjoyed that country, but I was the only American I knew who liked it there. The others holed up and didn't get to know any locals.

Ahhh, good for you! Seriously, there are always ‘helpers’ …find the helpers, as Mr Rogers would say. That’s a very lame and pathetic excuse, huh? The Harts…that was absolutely sickening and haunting. OT, but which came first, that visit or your user name? (Being silly)

 

[RickshawFan]

Missionary compound? Thats very possible, especially if the organization has a long term presence in the country.

But.... Compounds can be pretty common in some African countries.

They can range in size from palatial to entry level wealthy to solidly middle class to.... lower middle class families- though their compounds feature extended relatives all living together.

I would say very, very likely on the gate as the whole purpose of a compound is security. Just as there are different levels of compounds, compound gates can range from symbolic and made out of scrap wood to gates that can withstand riots.

Guards? That is a good thought. The NGOs that I once worked with had security guards at their office compounds. I dont know believe they had them at their residences though (too many employees and too scattered to guard easily- though they were pretty concentrated in safe areas). But.... guards at missionary residences are clearly possible.

My experience in developing countries is that expats and well-to-do always have guards. One country I was in, the guard was so afraid of the dark, that he hired a guard to guard him. LOL.
Missionaries in Angola very likely have servants to wash, clean, cook, do childcare.

 

[RickshawFan]

I know, it seems like such an unlikely thing to happen... makes me worry that she might be being framed for the murder or something like that. I don't know who would do that, but maybe someone who had reason to cover up their own involvement, or I think even more likely, someone who would benefit from gaining the family's assets. Get him out of the way by killing him and then to make sure she doesn't stand in their way by framing her for his murder. I don't know if they would have even had valuable assets of their own that officials or agencies would stand to gain upon his death and her removal. Another motive might be to somehow protect the reputation or safeguard their standing in local, national or even international realms. If he were really killed by someone local or some official or government actor, for example.

Total speculation, but this has nothing to do with locals. Simple and obvious, not a framing. IMO. The wife was arrested after a week's investigation. The embassy keeps a watch on this kind of thing. If she was improperly charged, I believe we'd know about it, and there'd be a lot of protestations. But, there's radio silence from everyone. Nothing from other missionaries. No statement from the embassy saying something like, "we're working on it". I find that very unusual.

Americans aren't going to get arrested on a whim. I mean, what would be the point? It's not a good look, and there's very little incentive for a developing country to antagonize the US. So, I figure the charges have merit.

Remember the dentist who shot his wife while on safari? And a lowly staff member at the embassy was doing his routine checking and figured something smelled a big one? Yes, the embassy keeps tabs on Americans. They are there to facilitate, if necessary, and in that case, like this one, there was a death.

 

[RickshawFan]

Ahhh, good for you! Seriously, there are always ‘helpers’ …find the helpers, as Mr Rogers would say. That’s a very lame and pathetic excuse, huh? The Harts…that was absolutely sickening and haunting. OT, but which came first, that visit or your user name? (Being silly)

You aren't being silly. I love riding in rickshaws. The bicycle kind.

 

[RickshawFan]

Beau and Jackie Shroyer and their 5 kids were from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and moved to Angola a few years ago to work full-time as missionaries. He was found murdered last month, and in the meantime, she has been arrested! Of course, I have no idea how the legal system works in Angola, or if it does, or if she will be extradited to the States. People who know them are completely shocked by this.

Wife of Detroit Lakes missionary killed in Africa arrested in connection with his death

Lakes Area Vineyard Church Lead Pastor Troy Easton said Beau and Jackie Shroyer's five children are “well cared for” and that the church will continue to work along SIM USA and SIM Angola.

www.dl-online.com

Wife arrested in connection with missionary husband's murder in Angola

A Minnesota woman has been arrested in Angola on suspicion of murdering her husband, a missionary serving in the African nation, according to their church Authorities have taken Jackie Shroyer into

www.christianpost.com

There won't be extradition. Angola is a sovereign country, and the crime was committed on their soil. If she's convicted, I suppose the US could request her back, but consider the case of Ghislaine Maxwell. IMO she assumed the UK would ask for her back, so she could finish her jail sentence there (and likely get out a lot sooner). AFAIK Ghislaine is still sitting in a Florida prison.
IMO folks are often shocked by crimes committed in families they thought they knew well. DV, for instance, can be such a hidden thing.
Some examples where a crime is committed in a foreign country, and that country has jurisdiction:
—Amanda Knox
—Van der Sloot (Dutch citizen) in A Peruvian prison for a murder there
—a heap of Americans in SE Asian prisons for drug crimes

I neglected to mention, for the good of the order, diplomats and their dependents can’t be charged or arrested for crimes while they’re assigned to countries. When they’re in their home countries, they’re treated like everyone else. But the missionaries aren’t diplomats; they're private citizens, with generally no special status.

 

[Cryptic]

Since the articles mentioned numerous instances of break-ins and attempted thefts, I wonder if there was something like that happening, things escalated, and he was shot in the crossfire (either accidentally or on purpose)? Just musing.

I like that musing- and it matches many US murders:

- Perpetrator is armed with a left over weapon from Angola's multisided, 20 year long civil war and is "cruising" for anything worth stealing.
- His primary intention is theft, but he is willing to commit murder if somebody attempts to prevent the theft.

- Maybe, as with some US criminals, his selection of the victim is partially based on personal animosity of some sort. Or, perhaps he is like most US criminals- simply equates the relatively nice compound with having "stuff worth stealing".

- The victim, perhaps thinking that the perpetrator is local youth on another fruit stealing mission for spending money, confronts the perpetrator. He is then shot and killed?



-

 

[RickshawFan]

I like that musing- and it matches many US murders:

- Perpetrator is armed with a left over weapon from Angola's multisided, 20 year long civil war and is "cruising" for anything worth stealing.
- His primary intention is theft, but he is willing to commit murder if somebody attempts to prevent the theft.

- Maybe, as with some US criminals, his selection of the victim is partially based on personal animosity of some sort. Or, perhaps he is like most US criminals- simply equates the relatively nice compound with having "stuff worth stealing".

- The victim, perhaps thinking that the perpetrator is local youth on another fruit stealing mission for spending money, confronts the perpetrator. He is then shot and killed?



-

But the missionary wife is the accused, not an Angolan. It might be a whole lot more convenient for the Angolan government if it WAS a local.

 

[airportwoman]

My experience in developing countries is that expats and well-to-do always have guards. One country I was in, the guard was so afraid of the dark, that he hired a guard to guard him. LOL.
Missionaries in Angola very likely have servants to wash, clean, cook, do childcare.

Dr. Kent Brantly, the first American missionary to be brought back with Ebola during the 2014 outbreak, and his wife wrote a very good (and non-preachy) book about a year later. Both had experience working in 3rd world countries (and in fact met in that environment) and they had a housekeeper - a widow with a young son. The kids all played together, and these people became a part of their family. Last I heard, they were working in Zambia, and the kids are now teenagers.

I just might see if my library still has it, and read it again.

Amazon.com