BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JENNIFER JULIUS of Cayon, who never got over the stabbing death of her 14-year-old son Beejay Dore, sadly passed away on Monday, May 30.
A celebration of life service for Julius was held yesterday (June 9) at the Cayon Seventh Day Adventist Church where several tributes were made in her memory by Eliza Warren, Class of ’84; Diamond Security; and the Adventist Church Choir with which she sang.
Former parliamentarian Cedric Liburd spoke of the hardworking person Julius was and said that her son’s death had brought a rough period in her life.
“Many times she would be at the cemetery with a doll in her hand grieving over her son,” he said.
SKNVibes spoke with several persons who shared their memories of Julius, and all of them claimed that she took her son’s death very hard.
Julius’ choir director Clyde Richardson said it was easy to see that she was grieving for her son, as the pain showed.
“She always had a teddy bear with her and would bring it to church,” he said.
And yet he described her as a cheerful and soft-spoken woman who had often travelled with the church choir to various islands to sing.
“She really loved to sing,” her mother Mary Julius said with a sad smile.
She said her daughter was born and raised in Cayon, but had moved to Basseterre for a short while and before returning.
Mary described Julius as a hardworking and dedicated woman.
She said the death of her grandson was very hard for her daughter, who was asleep at the time of the incident.
“Beejay was on the computer talking to one of his friends, his mom was sleeping. When his older brother Tijay came home, he wanted to use the computer and Beejay left and went to the park,” she said.
Mary said after Beejay was stabbed, he ran home and his brother saw him with lots of blood on his clothes and enquired what happened to him.
“Beejay died in Tijay’s arms and he rested him on the ground. It was a big shock for his mother and everyone…she never got over his death,” said Mary.
She said that after his death, her daughter would regularly visit Beejay’s grave with a teddy bear that she took everywhere she went.
Mary added that Julius had hosted numerous family gathering in honour of her dead son.
“We never told her anything about the teddy bear, it was how she grieved. So, we waited until the time came when she would stop having it with her. And one day she did,” Mary said.
Mary stated that after Beejay’s death, her daughter had attended a number of counselling sessions and indicated that she did not care to pursue a case against the child accused of killing her son.
“He was already dead and she felt that it wouldn’t bring him back. She didn’t want to further with anything,” Mary explained.
According to family members, the 46-year-old was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer and she had travelled to New York for treatment where her daughter Jetie and son Tijay were residing.
“She was supposed to go on another trip, but things turned for the worst with her and she was unable to travel.
“We’re all trying to cope with her death. I know her children would miss her the most. Thankfully, she received a lot of help from the church and also from neighbours and family members,” Mary said.
It was said a cloud of gloom was hovering over the Federation with the news of the stabbing death of 14-year-old Beejay Dore.
What was even a bigger shock, was the fact that a 10-year-old was charged with his murder.
SKNVibes reported on April 7, 2009 that the victim, who resided at Warner Street in Cayon, and the accused were at Maynard’s Park when a dispute occurred over a ball. It was alleged that the accused went to his grandmother’s home, returned to the Park with a knife and stabbed Beejay in his neck.
Beejay was also the son of Bertie Dore of the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire Service.
