A father whose son was murdered along with his wife while working as missionaries in Haiti has revealed details of the young couple’s final moments.
Davy Lloyd and his wife Natalie Lloyd were killed along with Judes Montis after being attacked by gangs on Thursday in the crisis that hit capital Port-au-Prince.
Davy’s father David set up the mission the three had been working for and has now revealed further details about what happened to them.
The country has descended into chaos after attacks in February, when gunmen took control of police stations and attacked the capital’s airport.
Speak with The Miami HeraldDLloyd said two gangs stormed the mission grounds, with the first making off with goods and the second group killing the three.
He told the newspaper that gang members first entered the mission grounds just as Natalie and Davy were returning from church with some youths.
The couple worked for Missions in Haiti and shared an update on social media about what happened to the couple
Images shared on their social media show the couple helping out at a children’s home
Lloyd, 48, said: “They drove him into the house, tied him up and beat him. Then they ransacked the whole house, everything they wanted, and took my trucks and drove away with them.
After the gang left, colleagues and children untied Davy and he went to his parents’ house to call them.
Along the way, he and Natalie met Montis, the nonprofit’s director, when another group of armed men stormed the property.
Lloyd said what happened next was “massive panic”, with the children at the mission using ladders to climb over walls and escape.
‘I was on the phone with my son when that happened. He said, “Dad, there’s a commotion again. I have to go see what’s going on,” Lloyd said.
The three barricaded themselves inside his parents’ home on the property before gang members entered.
Despite their attempts, Lloyd said the gang members went in and killed all three before setting their bodies on fire.
Lloyd is now tasked with collecting their bodies and having them sent to a morgue, he confirmed.
The three barricaded themselves inside his parents’ home on the property before gang members entered
Members of the Haitian Armed Forces patrol the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, May 11, 2024
A protester reacts as tires burn in the street during a demonstration following the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 12, 2024
He added: “I’m just completely lost, I’m just in total shock. I didn’t worry. I didn’t do anything else. I haven’t eaten. I can’t think.
He and his wife Alicia founded the group Missions in Haiti in 2000 and raised their son in the country.
He added, “Creole is his first language and Haiti has his heart,” recalling how his son left Haiti to attend Bible school in the US. “He told pretty much all the girls there, ‘Don’t even talk to me if you’re not.’ willing to live in Haiti for the rest of your life because that is my home.”
The three were ambushed by armed men from the Terre Nwa/Terre Noire, Lloyd told the newspaper.
The gang is led by Cathel Jones, an ally of the G9 gang federation led by former officer Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier.
Workers who removed their bodies from the home told the Herald that Natalie’s body was not burned and that Davy appeared to have been pulled out before his body was completely charred.
Natalie’s father is Missouri politician Ben Baker, who shared an emotional statement on his social media after hearing of the couple’s death.
He said: ‘My heart is broken into a thousand pieces. I’ve never felt this kind of pain before.
“Most of you know that my daughter and son-in-law, Davy and Natalie Lloyd, are full-time missionaries in Haiti.
The couple allegedly used Starlink internet to call for help and barricaded themselves in a building
Natalie’s father is Missouri politician Ben Baker, seen here with the couple, shared an emotional statement on his social media after hearing of the couple’s death
‘They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to heaven together.”
Baker added: “Please pray for my family, we are in dire need of strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well. I have no other words for now.’
Former President Donald Trump shared a post on his Truth Social page about the couple, saying, “God bless Davy and Natalie. What a tragedy. Haiti is completely out of control. Find the killers NOW!!!’
Missions in Haiti runs a school for 450 children, in addition to two churches and a children’s home in the Bon Repos neighborhood of Port-au-Prince.
Gangs control 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, and the coordinated attacks paralyzed the capital and beyond.
Gangs have torched police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport and stormed Haiti’s two largest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 prisoners.
The airport attack left former Prime Minister Ariel Henry locked out of Haiti as he was on an official trip to Kenya at the time.
He has since resigned and a presidential transition council is looking for a new prime minister for Haiti. It is also charged with selecting a new cabinet and organizing general elections.
Gangs have since targeted previously peaceful communities, leaving thousands homeless.
A police officer sits in his vehicle with a windshield damaged by bullet holes, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, May 11, 2024
Motorists pass a burning barricade during a protest following an escalation of violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 7, 2024
According to the United Nations, more than 2,500 people were killed or injured in Haiti between January and March, an increase of more than 50% compared to the same period last year.
After months of inactivity, the main international airport reopened for the first time earlier this week.
The reopening of Toussaint-Louverture Airport in the capital Port-au-Prince is expected to help alleviate the critical shortage of medicines and other basic supplies as the country’s main seaport remains paralyzed.
Currently, only Sunrise Airways, a local airline, flies in and out of Port-au-Prince. It is expected that US-based airlines will not start this until late May or early June.
The US evacuated hundreds of civilians by helicopter from a hilly neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, as did non-profit groups, as gangs laid siege to parts of the capital.
