Authorities say they are the investigating the overnight murder of a minister in his Bradenton home.

Around 1 a.m., a friend found 57-year-old Anthony Shinholster unresponsive and suffering from "an obvious traumatic injury," according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

The friend called 911, and deputies and emergency personnel responded to Shinholster's home on the 3100 block of 61st Avenue E. Deputies secured the residence, and Shinholster was pronounced dead at 1:12 a.m.

Shinholster was a minister at Gethsemane Baptist Church at 501 9th Avenue W in Bradenton, the church confirmed.

Shinholster's younger sister, Neci Shinholster can't believe that she will never see him again.

"He was a wonderful person, he was the backbone of our family," Neci said. "He was the one that we knew we could always call and count on if something came up."

Neci said she saw Shinholster just a few hours before their mother's 80th birthday party.

"I have to assume it was robbery," Neci said. "Obviously we would like to have justice. We would like to have closure. We are all just in a state of shock right now."

No other information has been released.