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PORT-AU-PRINCE/WASHINGTON, May 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Married American missionaries who were serving full-time in Haiti were killed on May 23, family members confirmed. The couple, who were attacked by gangs, included the daughter of a Missouri state representative.
David (Davy) Lloyd III and his wife Natalie, who is the daughter of Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker, were fatally shot along with a third person after being ambushed by a local gang in Haiti. The couple worked for Missions in Haiti Inc., a missionary organization operated by Lloyd’s parents.
The third victim was Jude Montis, who was the country’s director of Missions In Haiti Inc.
The organization, which was established in 2000, shared the news of the couple’s death on Facebook, writing, “Davy and Natalie and Jude were shot and killed by the gang about 9 o’clock this evening. We all are devastated.”
The slayings occurred as the capital crumbles under the relentless assault of violent gangs that control 80% of Port-au-Prince while authorities await the arrival of a police force from Kenya as part of a U.N.-backed deployment aimed at quelling gang violence in the troubled Caribbean country.
Another earlier post from Missions in Haiti detailed the ambush that claimed the lives of the young couple who were recently married in 2022. “This evening when Davy, Natalie and the kids were coming out of Youth at the church they were ambushed by a gang of 3 trucks full of guys. Davy was taken to the house tied up and beat,” the post read.
Rep. Baker posted the tragic news in an emotional Facebook post. “My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I’ve never felt this kind of pain,” he wrote.
“They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to Heaven together. Please pray for my family we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well. I have no other words for now,” the post continued.
Following the news of their deaths, a national security spokesperson for the White House addressed the shooting in Haiti in a statement. “We are aware of the reports of the deaths of U.S. citizens in Haiti. Our hearts go out to the families of those killed as they experience unimaginable grief,” the spokesperson said.
“The security situation in Haiti cannot wait. That is why yesterday, President Biden reiterated our commitment to support the expedited the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to bolster the Haitian National Police’s capabilities to protect civilians, restore the rule of law, and pave the way to democratic governance,” the spokesperson continued noting the dangerous current situation in Haiti and stressing the safety of civilians. — NNN-AGENCIES
