Haitian officials announced the arrest of a suspect this week in connection to the killings of a U.S. missionary couple and the head of a nonprofit organization.
On Thursday, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Haiti’s National Police shared a video on social media showing the arrest of a 52-year-old suspect in connection with the murders of U.S. missionaries, Davy Lloyd and his wife, Natalie Lloyd, as well as the director of the Missions in Haiti Inc. organization, Jude Montis.
Haiti’s National Police said that the suspect, who was not identified, made phone calls related to the crime shortly after it was committed. In the video, the suspect denies any role in the killings, and it’s unclear whether the man has been formally charged or if he has legal representation.
In May, Missouri State Representative Ben Baker announced on social media that his daughter, Natalie, and her husband were fatally shot in Haiti while volunteering in a missionary.
AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph, File/AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph, File
Baker blamed the killings on “gang violence” and said, “My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I’ve never felt this kind of pain. Most of you know my daughter and son-in-law Davy and Natalie Lloyd are full time missionaries in Haiti.”
“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,” Baker added in a social media post in May.
On Thursday, Davy’s father, David Lloyd, spoke with the AP and said that he was not aware of any further information surrounding the arrest of the suspect.
“They loved the Haitian people and were dedicated to that country,” Lloyd said of of the two missionaries.
David Lloyd recounted how his son called him on the night of the attack, saying gangs had forced them to open the mission’s gates and looted the compound. The call ended abruptly. Lloyd said his son and others were fired upon before the gang stormed the home and killed them. David Lloyd also told the AP that his son’s home in Haiti was set on fire and roughly 100 gang members were involved in the incident.
“There are too many gangs in the area,” he told the AP. “The country as a whole seems hopeless.”
Former President Donald Trump also responded to the killings in May, writing on his Truth Social media platform: “God bless Davy and Natalie. Such a tragedy. Haiti is totally out of control. Find the killers NOW!!!”