Former minister, prison chaplain killed by man he was trying to help
A 59-year-old retired Air Force veteran and former minister, known for his charitable work, was found dead months after his disappearance. The suspect, a man the minister had been assisting, has been arrested and charged with murder in Maryland.
Shawn Hall of Hagerstown, Maryland, was last seen in late May and reported missing shortly after, WUSA9 reported. His car was found abandoned in Prince George’s County, and his phone was traced back to a trucking business on Old Marlboro Pike in Upper Marlboro, where he and the suspect were supposedly starting a company.
Hall’s skeletal remains were discovered near the same location last week. The suspect, 57-year-old Boisey Neal of Glen Burnie, whom Hall had met while working as a prison chaplain, was arrested the same day and charged with first- and second-degree murder, among other related charges, according to multiple reports.
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“Through various investigative techniques, Neal was identified as the suspect. He was located and arrested on August 23,” Hagerstown Police Department said in a statement.
“Shawn had a heart of gold. He helped the homeless in the community. He was always taking in people, getting them back on their feet,” Shaun Porter, a longtime friend and neighbor of Hall, was quoted as saying.
Porter believes Neal was conning Hall. “Basically, he was using Shawn to start a business that probably never would go anywhere,” he said.
According to court documents, Neal’s phone was also traced back to the trucking business on the night Hall disappeared. Text messages from Neal to his girlfriend that night included statements like, “He tried to tell on me before I caught him,” and “I am a very bad man.”
An autopsy is being conducted to determine the exact cause of death, Daily Voice said.
Hall’s son, Wes Hall, expressed his family’s grief and gratitude for the police work. “Our family is devastated by the loss, but are grateful to have answers and some hope of justice,” he was quoted as saying.
Neal is being held by the Department of Corrections after a court commissioner ordered that he be held without bail. The motive for the murder remains under investigation.
At the time of his disappearance, Hall may have traveled from Washington County to Upper Marlboro. The Hagerstown Police Department had contacted the Prince George’s County Police Department for assistance in tracking down Hall.
