Texas Ministry Leader Found Murdered in His Garage
(Photo: Click2Houston Screenshot)The body of Magnus "Mike" Scott Hjalmarson was discovered in his garage in Harris County, Texas on May 3, 2014.
The body of Magnus "Mike" Scott Hjalmarson, 53, was found by a neighbor walking his dog and declared dead at the scene by Emergency Medical Services. The victim was believed to have been setting up for a community garage sale at his apartment complex.
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Neighbors grieved the death of a beloved neighbor who was hailed as someone always eager to help out others and was known in his community as "Minister Mike."
"He was a fantastic guy. He knew no color. You could call him at any time and he would come to your aid," resident Brenda Harley told KPRC.
Deborah Strong who also lives at the apartment complex added that Hjalmarson would have never done anything against someone.
"The devil is walking around in their skin. It's just wrong. Mike never hurt anybody," Strong told KPRC.
Hjalmarson, a former pastor in Flagstaff, Arizona, moved to Texas to be close to his father. In his new home, he was the leader of a CARES ministry, which seeks to build relationships and community within apartment complexes, which the proceeds from Hjalmarson's garage sale were supposed to have funded.
Neighbors reported hearing a "bang" before Hjalmarson's body was found, though they did not believe at the time that it was a gunshot. A witness also said that they had seen a pickup truck driver and Hjalmarson conversing but nothing had seemed out of the ordinary.
Northwood Church assistant pastor Bradley Wyatt, who led the congregation of which Hjalmarson was a part of, described the victim as constantly "looking for opportunities to love and care for others."
The Christian Post reached out to Northwood Church in Spring, Texas, for further comment but did not receive a response by press time.
Investigators are in the process of trying to recover surveillance video from the apartment complex.
