Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker said Friday that his “heart is broken in a thousand pieces” after his daughter and son-in-law were taken hostage then later killed by a gang in Haiti.
Natalie and Davy Lloyd were among a group of missionaries who were ambushed as they left a church on Thursday, the nonprofit Missions in Haiti Inc. wrote on Facebook.
A gang of “3 trucks full of guys” whisked the group away, the nonprofit, which is run by Davy’s parents, David and Alicia Lloyd, wrote in a frantic Facebook post calling for “urgent prayers.”
“Davy was taken to the house tied up and beat. The gang then took our trucks and loaded everything up they wanted and left. Another gang came after to see what was going on and if they could help, so they say. No one understood what they were doing, not sure what took place but one was shot and killed and now this gang went into full attack mode.”
Davy and Natalie tried to use an internet connection to call Davy’s parents, the nonprofit’s post continued. “So they are holed up in there, the gangs has shot all the windows out of the house and continue to shoot,” the post added. “Their lives are in danger. I have been trying all my contacts to get a police armored car there to evacuate them out to safety but can’t get anyone to do. I also am trying to negotiate with the gang so how much $ to stand down and let them leave and get to safety. PLEASE PRAY- Going to be a long night. The phones have all died I can’t get a hold of anybody for the past several hours now to know what was going on.”
However, a follow-up post three hours later said, “Davy and Natalie and Jude were shot and killed by the gang about 9 o’clock this evening.”
Baker wrote on Facebook that he had “never felt this kind of pain.”
Violence has reached fever pitch in Haiti in the weeks since a new prime minister was announced last month, and kidnappings of missionaries and other foreigners are extremely common.
But just two weeks ago, Missions in Haiti said they felt the situation was stabilizing as the U.S. military sent personnel and equipment, and a Kenya-led international force was slated to arrive later in May.
“It may be the worst is behind us now and better days ahead,” the group wrote on Facebook. “We are believing this is the case and Haiti is coming out of this dark time.”
Five days ago, the group said things had calmed down even further. “Gang activity still happening with looting and destruction, but much less then before,” they wrote. “…For the past 2 weeks we have watched US military planes fly over several times a day. They are flying in equipment and supplies for the international force that is coming. It is reported the first 200 troops from Kenya are to land this week. Some gangs are realizing their rule is about to come to an end. 3 gang guys that come to the bakery for bread a couple times a week, I asked them what their plans are. They said ‘run to the Dominican Republic when the fighting starts.’”
