A suspect has been apprehended in Haiti in relation to the brutal shooting deaths of a Missouri state representative’s daughter and son-in-law, as well as the director of a missionary organization they were affiliated with. The Haitian National Police announced the arrest of 52-year-old Bénicé Célestin this week, following the deadly attack on May 23 at the Missions in Haiti Inc. campus in northern Port-au-Prince.
Missouri State Representative Ben Baker confirmed the arrest in connection with the murders of his daughter, Natalie Baker Lloyd, 21, and her husband, Davy Lloyd, 23. The couple was killed alongside Jude Montis, the director of Missions in Haiti Inc., in a shooting spree allegedly carried out by gang members.
Local authorities reported that Célestin used Davy Lloyd’s phone SIM card the day after the murders. However, Célestin has denied any involvement in the attack, according to a police video. The video also suggested that the investigation is still ongoing.
Missions in Haiti Inc. was operated by Davy Lloyd’s parents. His father, David Lloyd, expressed that he was not informed about the circumstances surrounding the arrest. Natalie and Davy Lloyd were full-time missionaries in Haiti and were due to celebrate their second wedding anniversary in June.
David Lloyd recalled the night of the attack when his son informed him that gangs had breached the mission gates and looted the compound. The victims took shelter in the Lloyds’ house, but the gang members broke in and shot all three. David Lloyd estimated that about 100 gang members participated in the ambush.
The mission compound has been closed since the murders, marking the first time in 26 years that the operation has not been running. The children from the mission have been relocated to a safer community. David Lloyd expressed his concern about the increasing gang violence in the area and the country’s overall state of despair.
Between January and May, over 3,200 killings were reported across Haiti, with gang violence leaving more than half a million people homeless, according to the United Nations. The violence escalated in February when gangs launched coordinated attacks on major government infrastructure, raided police stations, and opened fire at the main international airport. Gunmen also stormed into Haiti’s two largest prisons and freed thousands of inmates.