Jude Montis, the local director of Missions in Haiti Inc., and Davy and Natalie Lloyd, a young missionary couple from the U.S., were attacked and fatally shot by gang members in Lizon, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Natalie Lloyd is the daughter of a Republican state representative in Missouri. The missionary work focused on helping the children of Haiti through various initiatives such as the House of Compassion, Good Hope Boys' Home, a church, a bakery, and a school. The couple and Montis sought refuge in a house connected to the mission, but the gang members fired upon the house. The bodies of Davy and Natalie Lloyd were safely transported to the U.S. Embassy, while Montis left behind two children. However, according to a recent report, the bodies of Natalie and Davy Lloyd were burnt after they were killed by the gang members. The incident occurred amidst months of extreme violence in Haiti, and the gang also looted the house before murdering the missionaries [031ac0b8] [387dbd47].
In response to the tragic incident, the children and staff of Missions in Haiti have been relocated to a safer location. Efforts are underway to retrieve the bodies of the victims and transport them to the United States. The families of the victims are requesting prayers during this difficult time [031ac0b8].
In a separate incident, Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, a white couple from West Virginia, have been accused of child neglect after allegedly forcing their adopted black children to work as 'slaves' and locking them in a barn. They pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including human trafficking of a minor child, use of a minor child in forced labor, and child neglect creating substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death. The couple were first arrested in October 2023 after a wellness check led to the discovery of two of the couple's five adopted children living in inhumane conditions at a property in Sissonville. Their bail has been set at $500,000 each, and a trial date has been set for 9 September [05f53dbb] [e90f3f5f].