Kemesha Wright, the slain mother of the Clarendon massacre was awarded her practical nursing certification posthumously during the funeral service for her and her 4 children at the Stuart Hall Auditorium at Clarendon College.  

Wright, 31,  who was attending Distinction College up to the time of her death, and her children, fifteen-year-old Kimanda, 11-year-old Shara-Lee, Rafaella, age 5 and 23-month-old Keshawn were brutally killed at their home in Cocoa Piece.

The certificate was presented to Wright’s mother, Gwendolyn McKnight by president of Distinction College, Orintha Parker, who said Wright was a hardworking student. 

The institution’s communications officer, Fredgreen  Simpson said Wright was scheduled to take her graduation photos on June 21, the same day she and her children were killed. She was also set to sit a final exam on June 24.

Simpson also said the certification was the key to Wright pursuing her dreams of working overseas- a dream she had long harboured.

With despondence and a sense of regret, Robert Morgan, Member of Parliament for Clarendon North Central recounted a series of WhatsApp messages shared between him and the slain mother. Morgan, addressing mourning and the funeral service, shared that Wright had reached out to him on more than one occasion, requesting his assistance in attaining employment overseas. 

The last conversation, he said, ended prematurely, as he was in a cabinet meeting. That reason was disclosed to Wright, whom he said replied, “Take as much time as you need, sir…as long as you have me in mind.” 

“I have no more time with Kemesha, and that’s what hurts so much. You think you have another day, another minute, another hour with somebody you know,” Morgan bemoaned. 

The family’s cousin confessed to the throat-slashing murders.

-Olivia Brown

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