Here is what we know four years after Jovenel Moise’s assassination

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Four years after a deadly raid claimed the life of President Jovenel Moïse in his Pèlerin home, justice remains elusive in Haiti. While U.S. prosecutors have secured six convictions in connection to the killing, Haiti has yet to hold a single trial and dozens of key suspects remain at large.s.

“Four years after the assassination of Jovenel Moïse, the Haitian justice system is still unable to determine the whereabouts of the president’s phone,” said Windy Phèle, a criminal law and forensic science specialist.

Despite the investigation process being largely opaque, the case currently sits before Haiti’s Court of Appeal, which must decide whether to uphold or modify the investigative order issued by Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire in February 2024. Voltaire, the fifth Haitian prosecutor assigned to the case, indicted 51 individuals—including prominent political and security figures—yet no trial date has been set. 

Recent hearings have included testimonies from the 17 detained Colombian mercenaries, lead suspect Joseph Félix Badio, and former Prime Minister Claude Joseph. The court is now expected to summon more high-profile individuals, including former First Lady Martine Moïse, former National Palace Security Unit (USGPN) chief and fugitive Dimitri Hérard and former police director Léon Charles—further delaying proceedings. 

While there is no clear information about Hérard’s whereabouts, the former first lady, who lives in the U.S., has refused to return to Haiti for hearings, citing safety concerns. As for Charles, he has been out of public view since resigning from the Haitian National Police (PNH) last year after being indicted in the presidential assassination.  

Since 2021, five investigative judges have cycled through the case, each stepping down due to threats, health issues, a lack of resources, or being dismissed outright. That instability has resulted in long stretches where no judge was assigned, contributing to the prolonged delays.

“No judge has access to the surveillance server from the presidential residence, as the PNH authorities handed the device over to the Americans. It’s sad,” Phèle lamented.

Compounding the crisis is Haiti’s worsening insecurity, which has disrupted judicial operations and allowed key suspects to remain at large or evade questioning. Hérard escaped during a gang-led prison break earlier this year. Judge Wendelle Coq Thélot, who was also indicted as one of the key suspects,  died before she could be deposed. 

Meanwhile, U.S. authorities have charged 11 individuals in connection with the killing and have already convicted and sentenced six of them after they pleaded guilty. Of those six, five—including Haitian-Chilean businessman Rodolphe Jaar, ex-Haitian Senator John Joël Joseph, retired Colombian army officer Germán Alejandro Rivera García, Haitian-American and former DEA informant Joseph Vincenta and former Colombian soldier Mario Antonio Palacios—have been sentenced to life in prison, while one, American Frederick Bergmann, received nine years for illegally exporting tactical gear to Haiti.

The remaining five suspects—director of the Miami-based security firm CTU, Antonio Intriago; financier from South Florida-based company Worldwide Capital Lending Group, Walter Veintemilla; Haitian-American James Solages; Haitian-American pastor and physician, Christian Emmanuel Sanon; and Colombian-American former agent, Arcangel Pretel Ortiz—are scheduled to stand trial in March 2026. The trial, initially set for September this year, was postponed because of the large amount of evidence submitted by the U.S. government to the defense.

Here’s a breakdown of key developments in the ongoing effort to bring justice in the Moïse case in the past fours, both in Haiti and the U.S.:

No trial yet in Haiti, despite 51 indictments

Although Judge Voltaire issued numerous indictments in February 2024, naming prominent figures like former First Lady Martine Moïse, former Prime Minister Claude Joseph and former police chief Léon Charles—no trial date has been scheduled. The case now rests with the Court of Appeal after several defendants challenged Voltaire’s ruling.

Five Haitian judges have withdrawn from the case

Between July 7 and mid-September, more than 40 suspects were arrested and detained in connection to President Moïse’s murder, including Haitian law enforcement officials and 18 former Colombian soldiers. Since then, five judges—including notably Bed-Ford Claude who issued a travel ban against then Prime Minister Ariel Henry, named just two days before the killing, on Sept. 14 for his suspected involvement —have either stepped down, dismissed or refused the case, citing threats, poor security or lack of resources. At times, the case sat idle for months, highlighting Haiti’s fragile judicial system.

Key suspects are still missing or in hiding

Several individuals indicted in the case, such as former presidential security chief Dimitri Hérard and others, remain at large. Hérard escaped from the National Penitentiary during a gang-led attack in February 2024. Another key suspect and fugitive, Judge Wendelle Coq Thélot, died before she could be heard.

U.S. courts have already convicted six

In sharp contrast to Haiti’s stalled case, U.S. federal courts have convicted six men:

• Rodolphe Jaar, Haitian Chilean businessman, sentenced to life in prison.
• John Joël Joseph, former Haitian senator, sentenced to life.
• Germán Rivera, Colombian ex-soldier, sentenced to life.
• Joseph Vincent, Haitian American ex-Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) informant, sentenced to life.
• Mario Palacios, Colombian ex-military, sentenced to life.
• Frederick Bergmann, U.S. citizen, sentenced to 9 years.                                                                                                                                                    

Their charges range from providing logistics and weapons to directly participating in the plot.

Five more await U.S. trials, now postponed to March 2026                                                                                  

The U.S. trial for five additional defendants—including CTU Security’s Antonio Intriago and financier Walter Veintemilla—was postponed from September 2025 to March 2026 due to the extensive evidence submitted.

Haiti’s investigation has lacked critical evidence

According to legal experts like Windy Phèle, Haitian authorities have yet to retrieve Moïse’s phone or gain access to the surveillance server from his residence. The device was reportedly handed over to U.S. authorities, further limiting Haiti’s ability to investigate independently.

Insecurity and refusal to appear are ongoing issues

Ongoing violence in Port-au-Prince has disrupted court operations. Some key figures—including the slain president’s widow Martine Moïse—have refused to return to Haiti for hearings, citing saty concerns and stalling the case even further.

Timeline of major events

2021: Initial arrests, but no trial. Several Haitian judges refuse the case over security concerns.

2022: U.S. indicts suspects arrested or transferred from multiple countries while Haiti’s judicial process remains stagnant.

2023: U.S. courts sentence Jaar, Joseph and Rivera. Haiti sees the arrest of Badio, main suspect in the president’s slaying.

2024: U.S. courts sentence Vincent, Palacios and Bergmann. Judge Voltaire indicts 51 suspects. Hérard escapes prison. Still no trial.                                                                                                                                  

2025: Court of Appeal hears challenges. U.S. trial moved from September 2025 to March 2026.

International spotlight remains on Haiti’s failures

Colombian President Gustavo Petro publicly apologized to Haiti for the involvement of Colombian nationals. Legal analysts, human rights groups and diaspora organizations continue to pressure Haitian officials to act decisively.

Yet, justice remains elusive as the nation waits.

Four years on, Moïse’s killing remains an unresolved puzzle in Haiti. As the U.S. legal system advances, the Haitian public continues to wait—amid deepening insecurity and political instability—for justice to be served.

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