Some Idaho missionaries jailed in Haiti say they are afraid for their lives and insist they are not guilty of child kidnapping, as a Haitian court has charged.
In a note scribbled on a scrap of paper and handed to an NBC News producer through the bars of a jail cell Saturday, the missionaries say, "we fear for our lives here in Haiti. There is corruption and extortion."
The letter, at times written in incomplete sentences, suggests that members of the group have turned on leader Laura Silsby: “Laura want to control. We believe lying. We're afraid. We had nothing to do with any documents and have been lied to."
NBC News correspondent Kerry Sanders reports that jail guards allowed him and a producer to go up to the jail cell and interview the group Saturday, as long as he did not have a camera. It was during this interview that one of the missionaries slipped the note to the producer through the cell bars.
It is not clear who wrote the note, but it includes the names of eight of the missionaries. The names of Silsby and her close aid Charisa Coulter are missing. Silsby organized the trip to Haiti and initially told government officials there that she had permission, if not the necessary legal documents, to adopt 33 children in the wake of last month’s earthquake.
Silsby’s sister Kim Barton, a Boise resident, said, “I don't know what to say,” when asked to comment about the contents of the letter.
NBC News quotes a member of another Idaho family as saying that they have known about the group’s division for some time.
Last week, as she and the others were being led to a courthouse to answer to charges of child kidnapping and criminal association, Silsby said she was putting her trust in God and that “everything is going well.”
But the jailhouse note paints a very different view.
It goes on to say: “Please, you must listen. We have no way to call. Court will not let us have a say with anything about truth for us. We only came as volunteers. We had nothing to do with any documents and have been lied to."
The ten missionaries, who have been separated - the women in one jail, the men in another - will be back in court Monday.
In another development, the Times of London reports in Sunday editions that former president Bill Clinton is negotiating a deal to free nine of the missionaries. Presumably, Silsby is not included in the proposed deal.
On the homefront
Central Valley Baptist Church, where several of the missionaries regularly worship, held Sunday services as scheduled.
Several worshippers told KTVB they were asked by the church not to talk with the media.
Guest Pastor Randy Martindale released this statement on Sunday: "I want the world to know our church loves and prays for all 10. I've been as low as a man can be this week."
The owner of Other Mothers in Boise, Val Batteen, said he's known Laura Silsby for several months.
Before Silsby left for Haiti, he was working with her to provide supplies for the orphanage.
"She wanted to open an orphanage in the Dominican Republic and help orphans there in Haiti," Batteen said.
From their first meeting nine months ago, Batteen has known about Laura Silsby's goal to open an orphanage in Haiti.
"She showed us pictures of orphans there and started talking about what her vision would be to save and help these children," said Batteen.
Batteen then joined in on the efforts.
"We were excited to be a part of it, he said. “We even helped out by giving her things to take on her trips.”
They helped gather things like small stuffed animals, diapers, baby formula and clothes.
"She had a real zeal for it, and real heartfelt, and we felt she was very sincere about it, and (it) made us anxious to help her out," Batteen said.
Just as the earthquake expedited Silsby's orphanage plan, the earthquake ramped up Batteen's efforts as well.
"It was at that point when we decided to put a couple of (donation) barrels in the store," said Batteen.
Batteen even talked with Silsby about the adoption paperwork -- paperwork now in question.
"After the earthquake, yeah, she had mentioned (the paperwork), and as far as what we knew it sounded like the process had been secured and authorizations made, and she was planning on doing that," said Batteen.
But when the 10 Americans were arrested, Batteen said he was surprised and shocked.
When he heard of the possibility of nine of the ten being released and a division among the group, he had this to say: "The buck has to stop somewhere. If nine of them can come home and she has to stay…let's have them release the nine, and then Laura can defend herself in court there. No, we're happy if the nine can come home. We'd be excited about that. And we just hope and pray for the best for Laura also."
Batteen said he also met Charisa Coulter, the co-founder of New Life Children's Refuge with Silsby.
