Testimony of Natasha Michaud -
The killing Cassey Auguste

What happens to Haitians that work all their life in America, and, after twenty-four years of hard, hard work to make ends meet; to take care of their family, are still not able to live a comfortable life? Because they are overwhelm with bills and responsibilities. Most of them are working hard labor and are being paid minimum wage, their bills are over and above what they are making.

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My mother, after 24 years of hard, hard work in America - who saw she was not making any progress - decided to move back to her country that she loves and always wanted to live in and started a little family business.

After being there for about two years, her young son, Cassey Auguste, decided to join his mother in fulfilling her dreams.

On March 3, 2004, at 11:30am, Cassey Auguste, my brother, was seating in front of his mother's family business, SHOKESHA, in Pont Sound, L'artibonite. Cassey Auguste was seating there, him and his friend who was about the same age - 20 years old. When four vehicles with tinted windows pulled up and called them - approaching the boys with machine guns. My brother automatically put his hands up and said "I am an American. I have nothing to do with politics."

His father saw what was going on, ran inside to get Cassey's passport and showed it to the man. By that time my brother was shot about once or twice. In this process my mother is screaming and telling them "please don't kill him. You can take what ever you want please. Please don't kill him. And his father was trying to show the passport to one of the man. But that did not stop them.

Both boys were killed in cold blood in front of my mother and father. The man had something like a gun that shoot out water and cleaned the blood.The bodies were taking to Gonaives where they were dump, and was unable to be located for about twelve hours. Thanks to this man, a neighbor, who followed the tinted cars - of which we were told that he has some kind of power that would help him find the boys and he did.

The men in the car threw the bodies over the mountain and ravines one at a time apart, distant from each other. The neighbor following saw this. When we finally located them, the bodies were in very bad condition. We were unable to have a normal burial for fear of the attention and accusation against these men with guns and also for security purposed. The boys was just laid to rest with no funeral. We feared that these people may find out about the funeral and do some more damage to our lives.

My family - mother and father, are back in America continuing to live a life of fear and grief. In fear that these man may come back and finish what they started. My mother is afraid to go back to Haiti and resume her family business for fear of the rebels, who said we used to serve Lavalas at our business, coming back to kill and terrorize more members of our family and our close friends and neighbors.

Natasha Michaud
Dated, April 29, 2004