Published on: 28 May 2024
DOHI Staff
Davy (23) and Natalie Lloyd (21), a young missionary couple, serving with Oklahoma-based nonprofit Missions in Haiti, along with Haitian director Jude Montis (45), were attacked and killed at their mission’s base in Lizon, north of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince.
On May 24th, Missions in Haiti asked for urgent prayer on their Facebook page as the tragic events began to unfold:
“This evening when Davy, Natalie and the kids were coming out of youth group at the church, they were ambushed by a gang of 3 trucks full of guys. Davy was taken to the house, tied-up and beaten. The gang then took our trucks and loaded everything up that 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 gang member was shot and killed and now this second gang went into full attack mode.”
David Lloyd, Davy’s father and founder of the mission group, told reporters that he was speaking to his son on the phone as gang members broke into the compound. He stated that Davy, Natalie, and Jude hid themselves in a house as the base was looted. It is believed that a second gang eventually arrived, and a gunfight ensued.
Mr. Lloyd stated that gang members “shot that place up until they got the door busted down and shot [Davy, Natalie, and Jude] and set Davy and Jude on fire.”
This is not the first time Missions in Haiti has faced similar violence at the hands of gang members. In 2005, Davy Lloyd and his siblings were kidnapped. They were rescued within 24 hours.
Missouri state Representative Ben Baker, father of Natalie, wrote on his Facebook page, “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 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.”
In July 2023, American missionary nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her young daughter were kidnapped from the El Roi Haiti ministry base in Port-au-Prince. They were released after 13 days unharmed.
It is estimated that roughly 150-200 gangs are currently active in Haiti. Each gang is comprised of anywhere from just a handful to several thousand men. Within the gang-ruled communities, there are no schools, no churches, and no jobs available. Life has become hopeless for the Haitian people, especially for the young. Let us keep Haiti in prayer!
