What we know about the young missionaries and religious leader killed in Haiti

Dánica Coto and Jim Salter, Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The bodies of a young missionary mates from nan U.S. who were attacked and fatally changeable by pack members successful Haiti are expected to beryllium transported to Missouri this week, a spokesperson for nan families said Sunday.

Thursday’s killings of Davy and Natalie Lloyd, and Jude Montis, nan section head of a ngo group, Missions successful Haiti Inc., happened successful nan organization of Lizon successful bluish Port-au-Prince. They were leaving a younker group activity astatine a church, a family personnel told The Associated Press.

Natalie Lloyd is nan girl of Missouri authorities Rep. Ben Baker.

Speaking connected behalf of nan Lloyd and Baker families successful a Facebook station connected Baker’s page, Cassidy Anderson said Sunday that carrier had been secured for a Thursday presence of nan bodies successful Missouri. But Anderson added that “security is going to beryllium very difficult.”

Haiti’s superior has been crumbling nether nan relentless battle of convulsive gangs that power 80% of Port-au-Prince, while authorities await nan presence of a constabulary unit from Kenya arsenic portion of a U.N.-backed deployment aimed astatine quelling pack unit successful nan troubled Caribbean country.

Here are immoderate things to cognize astir nan missionary work, which focused connected helping nan children of Haiti, and nan deadly pack attack.

Working successful Haiti

Missions successful Haiti’s website says its extremity is “to spot nan Gospel of Christ make a quality successful nan lives of Haiti’s young people.”

Davy Lloyd’s parents, David and Alicia Lloyd, of Oklahoma, started nan statement successful 2000 seeking to attraction connected nan children of Haiti. David and Alicia Lloyd are full-time missionaries successful nan country.

“Although nan full federation is steeped successful poverty, nan children suffer nan worst,” they wrote connected nan website. “Thousands are malnourished, uneducated, and headed for hopeless lives isolated from Christ.”

Hannah Cornett, Davy’s sister, told AP that they grew up successful Haiti. Davy went to nan U.S. to be a Bible assemblage and joined Natalie successful June 2022. After nan wedding, nan mates wasted small clip moving to Haiti to do humanitarian work.

Cornett said Montis, a Haitian, worked astatine Missions successful Haiti for 20 years.

The organization’s efforts see House of Compassion, which provides lodging for 36 children — 18 boys and 18 girls, its website says. “All are destined to enactment astatine House of Compassion until they person vanished schoolhouse and are fresh to beryllium connected their own.”

Good Hope Boys’ Home provides a location for 22 boys, according to nan website. The statement besides built a church, a bakery and a schoolhouse pinch much than 240 students.

The attack

A Facebook posting connected nan Missions successful Haiti page stated that Davy Lloyd, 23, and Natalie Lloyd, 21, on pinch immoderate children, were leaving a religion erstwhile pack members successful 3 trucks ambushed them.

Davy Lloyd later called his family to show them that pack members deed him connected nan caput pinch nan tube of a gun, forced him upstairs, stole their belongings and near him tied up, Cornett said.

As group were helping to untie Davy Lloyd, different group of equipped gunmen showed up, Cornett said.

“No 1 understood what they were doing, not judge what took spot but 1 was changeable and killed and now this pack went into afloat onslaught mode,” Missions successful Haiti’s posting said.

The mates and Montis fled to a location connected to nan mission.

“They tried to return screen successful there, but nan pack changeable up nan house,” Cornett said.

Grieving families

Cornett said Montis near down 2 children, ages 2 and 6.

Montis’ family could not beryllium reached for remark Friday, and Missions successful Haiti did not respond to an AP petition for comment.

Missions successful Haiti said successful a Facebook station connected Saturday that they were “facing nan astir difficult clip of our life.”

“The embassy is moving connected getting each nan insubstantial activity done successful bid for them to beryllium flown to nan states and galore much down nan scenes to make hap much quickly and safely,” nan station said, adding that nan children and unit of Missions successful Haiti person been relocated to a safer location.

Baker, Natalie Lloyd’s begetter and a Republican authorities typical successful Missouri, said Friday connected Facebook that nan couple’s bodies were safely transported to nan U.S. Embassy. Throughout nan weekend, Baker’s Facebook page provided updates connected nan efforts to put for carrier to Missouri.

On Sunday, Anderson wrote connected nan families’ behalf that plans firmed up and carrier had been secured.

Baker wrote connected Facebook successful nan early hours connected Friday that his bosom was surgery “in a 1000 pieces.”

“I’ve ne'er felt this benignant of pain,” he said. “Most of you cognize my girl and son-in-law Davy and Natalie Lloyd are afloat clip missionaries successful Haiti. They were attacked by gangs this evening and were some killed. They went to Heaven together. Please believe for my family we desperately request strength. And please believe for nan Lloyd family arsenic well. I person nary different words for now.”

The families besides received condolences from erstwhile President Donald Trump, who said connected Saturday astatine nan Libertarian National Convention successful Washington, D.C., and called it a “very, very sad moment.”

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Associated Press writer Summer Ballentine successful Columbia, Missouri, contributed.