USA missionary murdered in Haiti

A missionary from Tennessee was killed Saturday night in Haiti by gunmen who emerged after her vehicle was intentionally blocked, according to Estes Church of Christ officials and witness accounts.

A team on a medical mission from Estes Church of Christ in Henderson had joined Edwards on Friday, but less than 24 hours after the team arrived, they were sent home, escorted by police to keep them safe.

Elders from the Estes Church said Edwards was a “light” to many and dedicated her life to bringing hope to the hopeless.

Two boys who were traveling with her were able to escape and ran for help, said Solley, who is director of global Education Development with Healing Hands worldwide. Solley said. “A 4-year-old boy was taken. We haven’t heard a word about him yet”.

Haitian National Police spokesman Frantz Lerebours said it was not immediately clear if the child was one of the roughly 20 youngsters who received foster care at the children’s home that she ran in Port-au-Prince. The authorities in Haiti are investigating.

A 55-year-old American missionary was ambushed and killed by gunmen while driving in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Saturday.

“It’s probably been a few weeks since our last communication”, Robertson said. Still, the remaining missionaries in Haiti have been pulled out, and there is no known schedule for their return.

Blackwelder is a minister at Estes and said missionary work comes with a risk.

“Haiti is a violent place, and we’ve never had anything like this happen”, Robertson told USA Today. “It is our intention to honor her memory by continuing the battle against Satan in Haiti and pressing on in the work of God’s Kingdom”, it added.

“We offer our condolences to her family and loved ones on their loss”, Bondy said in a statement.

He said: ‘Investigators are working to find the killers and the kidnapped child’.

Tuesday, the people who knew the Henderson woman were calling her one of the kindest people they knew.

“I can’t imagine doing it without Roberta”, she said.

But her job in Haiti has finished now and even if she was asked she would not hesitate with her answer.