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Jamaican Prime Minister Visits Slain Missionary's Widow

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Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness personally visited with Teri Nichols, the widow of slain missionary Harold Nichols, as well the Rev. John Heater, executive director of TEAMS for Medical Missions.

He offered his condolences for the murders of Nichols, 48, and fellow missionary Randy Hentzel, 53, and assurred that an investigation would bring justice.

Holness told them and a crowd gathered at the mission's house that "the entire Jamaica is mourning and I stand here on their behalf to express their deep sympathies."

The Jamaica Observer reports that authorities have questioned several suspects in connection with the murder of Nichols and Hentzel. An autopsy revealed that Hentzel died of a gunshot wound and that Nichols had a gunshot and chop wound.

Both Hentzel and Nichols worked for TEAMS for Medical Missions as full-time missionaries. Their bodies were discovered over the weekend along a rural road where they were traveling on motorbikes.

Authorities say one of the men was found with his hands bound and both were severely beaten. The two were traveling to check on the foundation of a house that a short-term missions team planned to construct next week.

On Tuesday, Heater told CBN News he is satisfied the authorities are doing all they can to investigate the missionaries' deaths. He traveled to Jamaica Monday to assist in the investigation.

"The police are doing an excellent job," he told CBN News. "The government is very involved and everyone wants answers. Hopefully, there will be a break in the investigation before too long."

Ray Shive, former director of TEAMS, said the two were aware of ongoing violence in the country but had no reason to be especially fearful for their safety.

Shive said that Nichols was highly regarded and loved by the Jamaicans.

When there were riots "he would walk out in the middle and calm the people," he said.

Nichols and his wife worked with TEAMS in Jamaica for 12 years, overseeing a children's ministry and working with short-term missions teams to build homes for the poor.

Hentzel and his family served for six years in Jamaica as missionaries with TEAMS. He created and organized a Bible institute to train pastors in the teaching of the Scriptures.

Duane Wendling, an administrative assistant for TEAMS, said a memorial service will be held for Randy Hentzel Monday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Grace Church, 4200 E. 25th St., in Des Moines, Iowa.

Donations for the families of Nichols and Hentzel can be made at the TEAMS website or at the website of Hentzel's home church.

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About The Author

Heather
Sells

Heather Sells covers wide-ranging stories for CBN News that include religious liberty, ministry trends, immigration, and education. She’s known for telling personal stories that capture the issues of the day, from the border sheriff who rescues migrants in the desert to the parents struggling with a child that identifies as transgender. In the last year, she has reported on immigration at the Texas border, from Washington, D.C., in advance of the Dobbs abortion case, at crisis pregnancy centers in Massachusetts, and on sexual abuse reform at the annual Southern Baptist meeting in Anaheim