Hundreds of individuals gathered in a hot church in Haiti’s capital on Tuesday to pay their respects to Judes Montis, a mission director who was tragically murdered by gang members. The atmosphere inside the packed church was filled with sorrow, as cries of grief echoed through the air. Tears flowed down the face of Montis’ wife as she mourned the loss of her husband. (AP video by Pierre Luxama)
Hundreds of individuals gathered in a stifling church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Tuesday to pay their respects to Judes Montis, a mission director who was tragically killed by gang members. The assailants also took the lives of an American couple that had been working alongside Montis.
The early morning service at the crowded church resonated with wails as Montis’ wife, her face streaked with tears, mourned the loss. The service was not only a solemn occasion but also a tribute to the lives of Davy and Natalie Lloyd, a young married couple in their early twenties. Tragically, they were with Montis when a group of gunmen ambushed them on Thursday night. The incident took place as they were leaving a youth group activity hosted at a nearby church.
Montis, 47, is survived by his wife, two children aged 2 and 6, and a brother who was present on the night of the killings.
As the crowd dressed in black and white made its way from the church to the cemetery, one mourner passionately expressed, “We will always remember you and the trail you blazed for others!”
Just days after the tragic deaths of the three individuals in a gang-controlled area in the northern part of Port-au-Prince, a service was held to honor their memory. The area where the incident occurred was where Montis, the local director of Missions in Haiti, a religious organization founded by David and Alicia Lloyd (Davy Lloyd’s parents), worked.
“We are currently going through the most challenging period in our lives,” expressed Missions in Haiti in a recent heartfelt message on Facebook. They also expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of prayers and support they have received.
Esuaue Montis, the 43-year-old Spanish teacher with the mission and brother of Montis, was present at the scene of the shootings, as reported by The Associated Press. He witnessed the arrival of the gunmen and quickly took action by using a truck to block the gate. Montis then led a group of orphans and employees, ensuring their safety by running alongside them.
His phone rang just as he was caught up in the situation, and it was his friend whom he had frantically called earlier.
“One of the gunmen sternly warned Montis that the call he was about to receive would either be a lifesaver or a fatal blow,” he recalled. The instruction was clear – he had to answer the phone.”
Esuaue Montis wasn’t working at the orphanage, as his friend deceitfully informed the men.
According to Montis, the gunman returned the phone to him and then departed.
After leaving the organization’s school, he has not yet returned and is currently seeking to escape from Haiti.
“How am I supposed to carry on with my work at the orphanage without Jude by my side?” Esuaue Montis sobbed. “My brother used to keep a constant eye on me. Whenever I ventured out in the afternoon, he would call and ask, ‘Brother, where are you?'”
Natalie Lloyd, 21, is the daughter of Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker. According to her father’s Facebook post, she received a phone call on Monday from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who reached out to offer his condolences.
Baker wrote that he expressed his profound remorse for the unfortunate incident that occurred to our children and praised their unwavering dedication to their mission and the people of Haiti.
In a recent interview with the AP, Davy Lloyd’s sister, Hannah Cornett, shared the story of their upbringing in Haiti. As children of full-time missionaries, they spent their formative years in the country. Hannah fondly remembers how her brother, Davy, learned to speak Creole before he even learned English.
Growing up alongside the orphans, she shared that her parents are responsible for running an orphanage, school, and church in Haiti.
The Haiti National Police strongly condemned the killings and expressed its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. They also pledged to apprehend the individuals responsible for these tragic incidents.
Arresting Haitian gangs involved in high-profile kidnappings or killings is a rarity due to the chronic lack of resources and staff within the police department. These gangs hold control over at least 80% of Haiti’s capital, and the violence persists as the deployment of a Kenyan police force, backed by the U.N., has been repeatedly postponed.
