The 18-year-old Beetham woman who is accused of fatally stabbing a 16-year-old in the neck surrendered to police yesterday. The teenager surrendered to Beyond The Tape hosts Insp Roger Alexander and Marlan Hopkinson around 3 pm yesterday at Express House, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain.
The woman is wanted in connection with the killing of Jernice Francis who was killed on August 12. According to police reports, officers of the St Barb’s Police Post responded to a report of a stabbing at Bowen Trace, Snake Valley, around 9 pm Wednesday. Witnesses said Francis and her friend were walking along the road when the attacker said something to them.
They reportedly responded and continued walking. Suddenly, witnesses said, the attacker rushed Francis and stabbed her in the neck. Francis began screaming as her friend rushed to her assistance, telling her attacker she had attacked the wrong person. Francis was later taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where she died while undergoing treatment.
Residents said Francis had just returned from Macqueripe with her friend and was getting her belongings together to return to her Second Caledonia, Morvant, home when she was killed. Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday Francis parents—Ricardo Francis and Lisa Barrow—said they were both happy to hear that the teen surrendered.
The father said his family had “flashes” of his daughter and would become saddened by her death, mere two weeks after her 16th birthday. He said despite that his family was “holding up well” and at the time was meeting with a social worker. “I put everything in God’s hands and I know she would have given up herself. I just hope justice will be served and we just praying for this young lady to come and know Jesus as Lord and saviour.
“I pray and ask my children let us come and pray to find that strength to forgive her because it is very hard because it now coming to that understanding that Jernice not coming back,” Barrow said. Francis, who was supposed to enter Fourth Form at the opening of the school term in September, was buried last Saturday following a ceremony at the Church on the Rock Open Bible Church, Lady Young Road, Morvant.