Haiti Missionaries: US Missionary Charisa Coulter Released

by Sudha Krishna | March 8, 2010 at 02:48 pm

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Haiti Missionaries: Charis Coulter Released, Laura Silisby to Follow?

US Haiti Missionary Charisa Coulter has been released by Haitian authorities. Charisa Coulter was one of two missionaries from the United States accused of kidnapping 33 Haitian children after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti in January.

Idaho Missionaries in Haiti

Charis Coulter was among 10 Americans who were arrested by Haitian authorities,

...they were among 10 Americans stopped by Haitian authorities on January 29 as they tried to cross the Haiti-Dominican Republic border with 33 children. Authorities said the group didn't have proper legal documentation.

The 10 Americans, many of whom belong to a Baptist church in Idaho, have said they were trying to help the children get to a safe place after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake flattened cities and towns in Haiti.

Coulter declined comment as she traveled to the airport for her return trip to the USA. Charisa Coulter leaves behind the groups leader Laura Silisby who remains in custody while the other American missionaries were released earlier while Coulter was released Monday.

Defense attorney Louis Ricardo Chachoute said she was released because there was no evidence to support the charges of kidnapping and criminal association. He predicted Laura Silsby, the leader of the Idaho-based missionary group, would be released soon as well.

"There are no prosecution witnesses to substantiate anything," Chachoute said.

The Idaho based missionaries say they were simply trying to help the children of Haiti, though it was revealed that a number of the children they rescued had parents living in Haiti.