Bodies of two US missionaries killed in Haiti last week returned to US
The bodies of two U.S. missionaries gunned down and killed last week in Haiti have been returned to the U.S., the State Department confirmed Thursday.
Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said the bodies of Davy and Natalie Lloyd were repatriated and are now in the United States.
"I'm not going to get into the deliberations beyond that. I would just echo what you heard the department say over the weekend, which is that we extend our deepest condolences to the families of these two American citizens," Patel said in a statement.
On May 23, the Lloyds were shot and killed by gang members who control most of the island, police in Haiti said.
According to the nonprofit Missions In Haiti, Davy, Natalie and several children were at a youth group gathering at church May 23 when "they were ambushed by a gang of 3 trucks full of guys."
"Davy was taken to the house tied up and beat. The gang then took our trucks and loaded everything up they wanted and left," Missions In Haiti said in a social media post.
Natalie's father, Missouri State Rep. Ben Baker, confirmed the attack in a Facebook post.
"My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I’ve never felt this kind of pain," Baker wrote. "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."
Missions In Haiti is a nonprofit Christian ministry founded by David and Alicia Lloyd that has operated in the Caribbean nation since 2000, according to the group's website. The couple's son, Davy, and his wife, Natalie Lloyd (Baker), joined the mission after they were married in June 2022, according to Natalie's Instagram account.
"On behalf of the president, our ambassador in Haiti has been in touch with the families. The department has been in touch with the families. And we know that they are experiencing unimaginable grief. I can also add that today was when those repatriations happened in line with the families' wishes. And so our officials in Port-au-Prince work with the families to make arrangements for those transports back to the United States," Patel wrote.
Haiti's main international airport in Port-au-Prince reopened for the first time since March on Monday, though the seaport remains closed. Gangs control 80% of the capital, according to The Associated Press.
The U.S. government has evacuated hundreds of citizens by helicopter who fled the violence, along with nonprofit groups operating in the capital.
Former President Trump weighed in on the tragedy, posting "God bless Davy and Natalie" on Truth Social.
"Such a tragedy. Haiti is totally out of control. Find the killers NOW!!!" Trump wrote.
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