Haitian community radio director Willard Vancol found dead nearly 3 weeks after abduction

Miami, September 10, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Haitian authorities to swiftly and comprehensively conduct an investigation into the murder of Haitian community radio host Joseph Willard Vancol whose remains were found Wednesday nearly three weeks after he was abducted by armed men in Gressier, a community west of the capital controlled by armed gangs, according to local media outlets citing his employer.

Vancol was the director of Ti Boukan FM and served as the coordinator of the Institute of Technology and Animation (ITECA) training center. The journalist disappeared following a gang attack on the radio station’s training center in Petit Boukan, on August 20, 2026, ITECA said in a statement.

“The abduction and brutal killing of Joseph Willard Vancol is a horrifying reminder of the deadly violence and impunity confronting journalists and community media workers in Haiti,” said José Zamora, CPJ’s regional director for the Americas. “Haitian authorities must conduct a swift and credible investigation, bring Vancol’s killers to justice, and take concrete steps to protect journalists from escalating gang violence.”

An ITECA team, accompanied by police, found his decapitated remains in a wooded area within the institution’s property, according to the media reports. ITECA described Vancol as a “dedicated activist and collaborator” highlighting his commitment to serving the community. Vancol’s body was taken to a morgue in Léogâne, the nearest city, for a post-mortem autopsy.

Gressier has been heavily impacted by the 103 Zombies gang belonging to the Viv Ansanm coalition that has terrorized the country for the last two years, including repeated attacks against the local police station.

Following Vancol’s disappearance, several local civil society groups called on the authorities to investigate his murder. More than 20 people were killed and several hundred others displaced during a series of gang attacks carried out between August 17 and 21 in various parts of Gressier, according to local media reports.