Latest news with #Shroyer
International Business Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- International Business Times
How Did Rick Hurst Die? 'Dukes of Hazzard' Actor Dies Suddenly and Unexpectedly Aged 79 Days Before Planned Fan Event
Rick Hurst, best known for his role in the original "The Dukes of Hazzard" series during the late 1970s and early 1980s, has died at the age of 79. His wife, Candace Kaniecki, confirmed the news to TMZ on Thursday. She revealed that the beloved television actor died suddenly earlier on Thursday. No official cause of death has been given. Hurst shot to fame for his role as Deputy Cletus Hogg on "The Dukes of Hazzard", where he played the cousin of the show's main antagonist, Boss Hogg. His death comes just a few months after one of the show's stars, John Schneider, slammed Warner Bros. and so-called "woke" critics. Sudden and Unexpected Death Schneider voiced his frustration after the show was pulled from several television lineups and the production of merchandise featuring the series' famous car, the General Lee, was halted due to backlash over the show's frequent use of Confederate symbols and its ties to a pro-slavery legacy. Hurst died just a week before he was set to appear at a fan gathering hosted by Cooter's Place—a Dukes of Hazzard-themed museum and store located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee—on Thursday, July 3, according to the venue's website. However, on Thursday morning, the museum shared a message on its Facebook page saying the event would be postponed, citing Hurst's unexpected inability to attend, as reported by TMZ. That original post now appears to have been removed, and the Nashville branch of Cooter's Place has since posted a short tribute in Hurst's memory. Hurst joined "The Dukes of Hazzard" in its debut season in early 1979, initially appearing as a recurring character for the first two seasons. He played Deputy Cletus Hogg, a supporting role to Sonny Shroyer's Deputy Enos Strate. When Shroyer left the series to star in his own short-lived spinoff, Enos, his role was reduced to guest appearances in season three, and he was entirely absent in season four. From Supporting Role to Main Cast As a result, Hurst was promoted to the main cast during that time to fill the void left by Shroyer. In 1982, Shroyer returned as a main cast member for the show's fifth season, leading to Hurst being moved back to a guest role. He did not appear in the final two seasons of the series. However, both actors returned to reprise their roles in the 1997 TV film "The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!" and again in the 2000 follow-up, "The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood." In the first season of "The Dukes of Hazzard", Hurst's character was primarily as a sidekick to his cousin, Boss Hogg. It wasn't until the second season that Cletus was officially made a deputy. After his role was downgraded in The Dukes of Hazzard, Hurst moved on to the sitcom "Amanda's", which starred Bea Arthur. The show was an American adaptation of the British classic "Fawlty Towers", originally created by John Cleese and Connie Booth. "Amanda's" marked Arthur's return to television five years after the end of Maude, and it served as a transitional project before her time on The Golden Girls. The series was short-lived, canceled after just 10 episodes aired, although three additional episodes that had been filmed were later broadcast in reruns. Hurst portrayed the quirky chef, Earl Nash. Throughout his career, Hurst often played police officers or detectives on shows like "The Doris Day Show", "Sanford and Son", "The Partridge Family", "Get Christie Love!," and "The Blue Knight."
Otago Daily Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Skating into a southern feud
Mark Shroyer has stumbled into the middle of a rivalry he is only beginning to understand. The 29-year-old American has signed with the Dunedin Thunder and arrived in the country on Saturday. The powerful defenceman has been playing professionally in France for four years, but he will call Dunedin home for the remainder of the New Zealand Ice Hockey League. He has had a couple of skates on the ice with his new team-mates, between checking out the city's beaches with his girlfriend, Charline Maehr. They are an outdoorsy couple and plan to do some hiking while they are here. Shroyer is keen to do some fishing as well. But tonight he will be fishing for a win. His first assignment with the Thunder is as tough as it gets. They are hosting the Stampede, their Queenstown-based provincial rivals, in back-to-back games this weekend. The Stampede have set the benchmark in the league for the past decade and are an Otago team worth celebrating. They are a finalist for the team of the year for the Otago Sports Awards. That must grate on Dunedin's ice hockey fans. Enter Shroyer. He had a solid college career at Castleton University and went on to play three seasons in France for Morzine-Avoriaz and a season for Tours. Shroyer has a reputation as a reliable defender who likes to get forward and attack. "A lot of people so far have mentioned the rivalry," Shroyer said. "I think I'm going to understand a lot more about what the rivalry means in a couple of days. "But I'm excited that my first game will have a lot of meaning for our town here and that I can show that it means a lot to me and that I'm all-in for Dunedin." Shroyer played against Thunder player Cole Beckstead while in France, and that connection brought about the opportunity to come to Dunedin to play for the Thunder. "I've always wanted to travel to this part of the world. I've always been fascinated and wanted to see it." He also heard ice hockey was a growing sport in New Zealand and he wanted to be part of that. "I just thought it would be really cool to come and help do that." He is doing some coaching while here. "If I can help this team win some hockey games and bring some more fans to the club — that is really my biggest goal. "Outside of that, it is about me and my girlfriend enjoying our time here and just really diving into the culture in New Zealand. "We are really just starting to peel back how much this place has to offer and are actually pretty blown away by what it has to offer." The Stampede (12 points) lead the competition standings from the Thunder (9), West Auckland Admirals (9), Botany Swarm (6) and Canterbury Red Devils (0).
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
U.S. woman charged with murdering husband while on Christian mission to Angola
A Minnesota woman has been charged with the murder of her husband in the southern African nation of Angola last year while the couple and their five children were there on a Christian missionary trip, their church has confirmed. Beau Shroyer, 44, from Detroit Lakes, was found dead in a vehicle in Thienjo, a town in southern Angola, in October. His wife, Jackie Shroyer, was arrested in connection with the death in November and is accused of forming a murder-for-hire plot. The family's church, the Lakes Area Vineyard Church, confirmed Monday that she has now been charged as a "co-author" in her husband's murder. "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," lead pastor Troy M. Eason said in a statement on the church's website. In a previous statement after her arrest, Easton said: "I'm so sorry and simply do not have words to express my disbelief and sorrow about this news." Shroyer will remain in custody in Angola and is scheduled to face trial in the next six months, according to a statement from SIM USA, the organization that arranged the mission to Angola. SIM USA said in November that Shroyer was represented by an Angolan attorney and two American attorneys. Both the FBI and State Department were aware of the case, SIM USA said. Bernadino Isaac Elisa, 24, who worked as a security guard for the couple, was also named as a suspect and arrested in November, along with Isalino Musselenga Kayoo, 23, also known as "Vin Diesel," whom police said was the "mastermind" behind the killing. A fourth suspect, Gelson Guerreiro Ramos, 22, was on the run, the Angolan Press Agency reported, The couple's children, who range in age from 9 to 17, are back in the U.S. and are being cared for by SIM USA and the Lakes Vineyard church. In November, the Angolan Criminal Investigation Service told the Angolan Press Agency that Shroyer was suspected to be behind the crime and that a payment of $50,000 was promised to the accomplices for carrying out the murder. Manual Halaiwa, spokesperson for investigation service, told the agency that there were "strong suspicions of a romantic relationship between the person who ordered the crime and her accomplice, the guard at the couple's residence." He also told the agency that police were investigating Jackie Shroyer not wanting to leave Angola at the end of her husband's mission as a possible motive. A knife brought from the U.S. was found at the scene and was allegedly used in the murder, Halaiwa said, along with 2.5 million kwanzas (equivalent to about $5,000). Beau Shroyer's body was found on Oct. 25 in Thienjo among his belongings, with his "distraught" wife also at the scene, police said. Investigators released an image of a blood-stained car to the Angolan Press Agency. NBC News contacted the Criminal Investigation Service but had not received a response by the time of publication. Beau Shroyer worked as a student resource officer for the Detroit Lakes Police Department, which prompted students to call him "Officer Nice Guy," according to an obituary shared by a local funeral home. "He became committed to finding ways that he, alongside his family, could serve the Lord by providing love, inspiration, and kindness as well as life's necessities to the children and families in Africa," the obituary said. Jackie Shroyer posted extensively about the family's life in Angola on her Instagram account, including most recently just four days before the alleged murder took place. This article was originally published on
NBC News
26-02-2025
- NBC News
U.S. woman charged with murdering husband while on Christian mission to Angola
A Minnesota woman has been charged with the murder of her husband in the southern African nation of Angola last year while the couple and their five children were there on a Christian missionary trip, their church has confirmed. Beau Shroyer, 44, from Detroit Lakes, was found dead in a vehicle in Thienjo, a town in southern Angola, in October. His wife, Jackie Shroyer, was arrested in connection with the death in November and is accused of forming a murder-for-hire plot. The family's church, the Lakes Area Vineyard Church, confirmed Monday that she has now been charged as a "co-author" in her husband's murder. "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," lead pastor Troy M. Eason said in a statement on the church's website. In a previous statement after her arrest, Easton said: "I'm so sorry and simply do not have words to express my disbelief and sorrow about this news." Shroyer will remain in custody in Angola and is scheduled to face trial in the next six months, according to a statement from SIM USA, the organization that arranged the mission to Angola. SIM USA said in November that Shroyer was represented by an Angolan attorney and two American attorneys. Both the FBI and State Department were aware of the case, SIM USA said. Bernadino Isaac Elisa, 24, who worked as a security guard for the couple, was also named as a suspect and arrested in November, along with Isalino Musselenga Kayoo, 23, also known as "Vin Diesel," whom police said was the "mastermind" behind the killing. A fourth suspect, Gelson Guerreiro Ramos, 22, was on the run, the Angolan Press Agency reported, The couple's children, who range in age from 9 to 17, are back in the U.S. and are being cared for by SIM USA and the Lakes Vineyard church. In November, the Angolan Criminal Investigation Service told the Angolan Press Agency that Shroyer was suspected to be behind the crime and that a payment of $50,000 was promised to the accomplices for carrying out the murder. Manual Halaiwa, spokesperson for investigation service, told the agency that there were "strong suspicions of a romantic relationship between the person who ordered the crime and her accomplice, the guard at the couple's residence." He also told the agency that police were investigating Jackie Shroyer not wanting to leave Angola at the end of her husband's mission as a possible motive. A knife brought from the U.S. was found at the scene and was allegedly used in the murder, Halaiwa said, along with 2.5 million kwanzas (equivalent to about $5,000). Beau Shroyer's body was found on Oct. 25 in Thienjo among his belongings, with his "distraught" wife also at the scene, police said. Investigators released an image of a blood-stained car to the Angolan Press Agency. NBC News contacted the Criminal Investigation Service but had not received a response by the time of publication. Beau Shroyer worked as a student resource officer for the Detroit Lakes Police Department, which prompted students to call him "Officer Nice Guy," according to an obituary shared by a local funeral home. "He became committed to finding ways that he, alongside his family, could serve the Lord by providing love, inspiration, and kindness as well as life's necessities to the children and families in Africa," the obituary said. Jackie Shroyer posted extensively about the family's life in Angola on her Instagram account, including most recently just four days before the alleged murder took place.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Wife now charged in Angola missionary's murder, church says
The Brief Church officials say the wife of a Minnesota missionary is officially facing charges in his killing. Beau Shroyer was killed while serving his church in Angola. According to reports, authorities suspect his wife conspired with a bodyguard to arrange his murder. DETROIT LAKES, Minn. (FOX 9) - The wife of a missionary from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, is now facing charges connected to her husband's killing in Africa, his church says. The backstory Beau Shroyer, the former pastor of The Lakes Area Vineyard Church in Detroit Lakes, was killed on Oct. 25, 2024. Shroyer was living in the southern African nation doing missionary work with his wife and five children when he was murdered. Shroyer was working in Africa with SIM USA. A week after his killing, the church announced his wife had been arrested in connection with the "violent, criminal attack." Dig deeper According to the New York Post, Angolan police alleged a guard hired by the family stabbed Shroyer to death. The report states police arrested his wife Jackie for arranging the killing along with two other individuals. Angolan police told the Post they suspect Jackie was having an affair with a new bodyguard hired by the family. The bodyguard in turn hired two other men to help with the killing, police said. Police say it appears the bodyguard feigned a car emergency and then attacked Beau Shroyer when he arrived to help, with investigators claiming the knife used to stab Shroyer to death was purchased by his wife. However, back in November, Jackie had not been officially charged. What's new In a statement, the Detroit Lakes church said Jackie Shroyer had recently been charged in connection with the murder. The statement reads: "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… 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." The church says the Shroyer's five children are being cared for by close family, with support from SIM USA and the church. What's next FOX 9 has sent an inquiry to Angolan authorities hoping to get an update on the status of the case. The church adds that Jackie Shroyer is expected to face trial in Angola at some point in the next six months.
