JAMAICA – For more than five decades Barbara Gayle reported matters — some of them the most gruesome murders — from the island’s courts. On Monday afternoon, in a cruel twist of irony, the veteran journalist became a victim of murder, plunging the nation into shock at what has been described as a senseless and brutal act.

Gayle’s murder was made even more painful for her family, as her cousin, Michael Daubon, told the Jamaica Observer that her son, who lives overseas, was marking his birthday on Tuesday, the day her body was found with stab wounds inside her house in the gated community of Caymanas Country Club Estate, Phase One, in St Catherine. “I still think I am dreaming. I wasn’t thinking something like this would happen in a gated community. This is the last place I would expect anything like this to happen to her,” Daubon said. “She is well loved by everybody around here. She has some great neighbours. Sunday was the last time I spoke to her and she prayed for me and everything. I told her if she needed anything just call me and I would take care of it,” he added. “She is not even around to celebrate her son’s birthday today. For him to get a sad news like this on his birthday is wicked, wicked,” said Daubon.

“I feel it was somebody she knows who did this to her. It doesn’t make sense to me. It nuh add up. I am still trying to put the pieces together,” he said, adding that he tried calling Gayle about 9:40 am on Tuesday. “For somebody to come and take her life it doesn’t sit well with me. I am just hoping that cameras will show something,” he said. Daubon’s reference was to camera footage obtained from the late journalist’s house that showed her sitting on her veranda and speaking with someone Monday afternoon. In the clip, Gayle is heard offering to place a phone call to a woman apparently known to her and the person with whom she was speaking. (Jamaicaobserver)

Photo: Donna Bennett holds her head in disbelief outside the house of her best friend, veteran journalist Barbara Gayle.