The wife of a Minnesota pastor has been convicted of masterminding his violent murder in a bid to be with her lover while on a mission in Angola.

Jackie Shroyer, aged 44, was found guilty of her involvement in the October 2024 murder of her husband, Beau Shroyer, also 44, after embarking on an affair with one of their bodyguards.

On Wednesday, she received a 24-year prison sentence in Angola, with the presiding judge noting her role in seeking out hitmen and selecting a location for the murder. Additionally, she was ordered to pay a fine of approximately $11,000.

In 2021, Beau relocated with Jackie and their children to Angola for missionary duties, only to be brutally stabbed to death the following year after being drawn to an isolated area.

Jackie faced charges for allegedly hiring three men, offering them around $50,000 to carry out the murder—a revelation that sent shockwaves through their community in Detroit Lakes.

Shroyer’s Lakes Area Vineyard Church in the small Minnesota town said in a statement after Jackie’s conviction this week that it was ‘shocking and extremely difficult to comprehend.’ 

Troy Easton, lead pastor of the church, said members of the community should respect the conviction in the African nation, where Jackie is expected to serve her sentence in an Angolan detention facility. 

‘It’s important for you to know that this verdict follows a very thorough investigation and trial process that was monitored closely, conducted fairly, and carried out with integrity,’ Easton wrote. 

‘While I am grateful for the clarity and closure this brings, I am also deeply grieved, knowing how much pain and confusion this news carries for so many, especially for Beau and Jackie’s children and family.’ 

Jackie Shroyer, 44, was found guilty of taking out a hit on her husband Beau Shroyer, 44, (seen with their five children in Angola) in October 2024 after starting an affair with one of their bodyguards 

Jackie hired hitmen Bernadino Elias, 24, (left) who she was allegedly having an affair with, as well as Isalino Kayoo (right), and Gelson Ramos to carry out the murder 

Shroyer’s children are living in the United States and have been cared for by family since their father’s murder, according to the Star Tribune. 

Jackie was arrested days after Beau was found stabbed to death. Investigators soon discovered she had been having an affair with one of the hit men, Bernadino Elias. 

Elias, 24, also worked at the family’s compound as a security guard. 

Jackie was said to have been upset about the family preparing to leave Angola when Beau’s mission ended and hatched a plot to kill him. 

Police said at the time that Beau was lured to a remote area by three men by pretending they were having car issues before he was stabbed to death.

Detectives reportedly recovered an American-made knife that had been gifted to Elias at the crime scene.

On Wednesday, Elias and co-conspirators Isalino Kayoo, 23, and Gelson Ramos, were also sentenced to between 21 and 22 years respectively for aggravated homicide and money laundering. 

All of the men have criminal histories that include armed robbery and kidnapping, according to Angola’s Criminal Investigation Service. 

Jackie, 44, was sentenced to 24 years in an Angolan prison on Wednesday, as a judge said she had sought out hitmen and scouted an area for her husband to be killed

Jackie, pictured with Beau, had been having an affair with their security guard 

Officials said the men lured Beau to a remote area, where they fatally stabbed him on October 25 2024

Beau had previously worked as a police officer, joining the Detroit Lakes Police Department in 2013, before becoming a real estate agent, according to the Detroit Lakes Tribune.

He eventually changed careers again to become a pastor, and in 2021, he and his wife, Jackie, became missionaries. 

They became one of the first families to move to Angola after pandemic lockdowns eased.

Beau would share updates about his missionary work on social media.