The daughter and son-in-law of Ben Baker, a Republican state representative from Neosho, Missouri, have been killed in Haiti.
In a Facebook post early Friday, Baker wrote, "My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I’ve never felt this kind of pain."
He said his daughter and her husband, Natalie and Davy Lloyd were full time missionaries in Haiti.
"They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed," he said in the post.
KSMU has not been able to independently confirm how the couple died, but the New York Times reports the Lloyds and the director of Missions in Haiti, Inc., Jude Montis, were killed by gangs.
Davy Lloyd's parents, David and Alicia Lloyd, started Missions in Haiti, Inc. in 2000. According to the organization's website, their work is focused on children in Haiti.
"Although the entire nation is steeped in poverty, the children suffer the worst. Thousands are malnourished, uneducated, and headed for hopeless lives apart from Christ," the website states.
The Lloyds also posted on the site, "Our son, Davy, just recently got married to Natalie Lloyd (Baker). We are excited to have them join us in Haiti!"
Baker and his wife, Naomi, are parents to four daughters.
Haiti has been in chaos since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse three years ago, and violent gangs have taken over the capital, Port-au-Prince. On Thursday, NPR reported that "a multi-national force is being sent to Haiti to restore the government to power, but their success is not assured."
Supporters of the Baker family and the mission work in Haiti including U.S. evangelist Franklin Graham and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey shared their sympathy Friday morning and urged the public to pray for Baker and his family as they grieve.
"We honor the memory of this couple from Missouri," Bailey wrote on social media.
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