Newsmaker: Murder of veteran journalist Barbara Gayle stuns nation

This week's featured development as Newsmaker of the Week is the brutal murder of Barbara Gayle, the veteran court reporter from the Gleaner Company.

The latest update in the barbaric murder provided by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) was that the main suspect was apprehended by the police on Wednesday in the Grange Lane area of St Catherine just a day after Gayle’s body was found at her home in the gated community of Caymanas Country Club Estate in the parish.

It was the same day that the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) and who it called a philanthropic supporter offered a $6 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) involved in the grisly killing.

The development rattled the local media fraternity, as not many journalists have been killed here in recent times.

Members of the legal community was also visibly shaken and shocked by the crime, given their interactions with Gayle over the years.

Senior Superintendent Christopher Phillips, head of Police Area 5 network, told members of the media on Tuesday afternoon that Gayle appeared to have died from multiple stab wounds.

Her Mercedes Benz motor vehicle and her cell phone were missing, but by Wednesday the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) reported that the motorcar was found in bushes along the Dyke Road in Portmore, St Catherine.

Barbara Gayle's Mercedes Benz motorcar that was found abandoned in bushes off the Dyke Road in Portmore, St Catherine on Wednesday, a day after she was found murdered at her home in Caymanas Country Club Estate in the parish.

Said Phillips relative to Gayle's murder: "She was last seen sometime after 3(pm)  yesterday (Monday) having a conversation with an unknown gentleman.

"Sometime after 10am (Tuesday) , residents who are used to her routine (of) coming out in the mornings to check on them and to call to them, they never saw that usual activity, and so some residents went to check on her, where the lifeless body was discovered," Phillips revealed.

Doorbell camera footage that went viral on social media captured Gayle sitting on her front porch and conversing with a man. She also could be heard sharing a Bible scripture with him. In another aspect of the video, Gayle offered him water to drink.

Up to the weekend, the police have not disclosed a motive for killing.

A slew of tributes were issued for the journalist, whose killing came as a shock because she was widely regarded as a humble Christian woman. She was said to be aged 77 years.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness 

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in extending his condolences to Gayle's immediate family, her friends and her colleagues at The Gleaner, described her as a stalwart of Jamaican journalism.

"Even in retirement, her passion for the profession continued with her regular contributions to The Gleaner. Her dedication and contributions to journalism have undoubtedly left an indelible mark on Jamaica's media landscape", Holness said.

Gayle dedicated over four decades of her life to journalism and became one of the nation’s most respected and accomplished court reporters, he noted.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, in reflecting on Gayle’s immense contribution to journalism, described her passing as a personal loss.

Delroy Chuck

“I am deeply disappointed and saddened to learn of Barbara’s death. I’ve known her for over 40 years,” Chuck shared.

“She reported on many of the trial cases I handled from the mid-1980s into the 1990s. In recent decades, she brought numerous problems, concerns and weaknesses in the court system to my attention and urged their correction," he said in a statement.

The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) also paid tribute to Gayle, with Nekeisha Burchell, the party’s Spokesperson for Information and Public Communication, highlighting Gayle’s indelible mark on the field of journalism.

“Barbara Gayle embodied courage, excellence and service in her work. Her tireless reporting gave voice to justice and transparency in our courts,” Burchell stated.

“Her decades-long career as The Gleaner’s leading court reporter set an unmatched standard for professionalism, integrity and courage. Her work illuminated some of the most critical legal matters in our history, earning her the respect of the courts, legal minds and the public she served so diligently," Burchell further said.

Gayle covered cases spanning the Privy Council in the United Kingdom, the Jamaican Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, parish courts, and circuit courts.

She was a multi-award-winning journalist, copping the PAJ 1997 Community Service Award, Journalist of the Year and regional awards from the Caribbean Association of Media Workers. She was also recently recognised by the PAJ for her longstanding contributions to journalism.

For its part, the PAJ expressed shock and outrage at the news of Gayle's death, particularly the brutal nature of her killing.

In a media release on Tuesday, the PAJ hailed her as a "trailblazing journalist who dedicated her life to chronicling the complexities of Jamaica's justice system."

It added that, "We urge the authorities to conduct a thorough and swift investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death, and to bring the perpetrators to justice."

The PAJ said Gayle's unparalleled dedication to the court beat set a standard for beat reporting, earning her the trust and respect of judges, attorneys, prosecutors and court staff.

Many attorneys and other legal professionals paid homage to Gayle.

The Jamaica Bar Association said Gayle will be fondly remembered by all members of the legal fraternity, including attorneys, judges and court staff.

Attorney Peter Champagnie, who is the chairman of the disciplinary committee of the General Legal Council (GLC), said Gayle was "exceptionally skilled at her craft".

Continuing, he said: "Beyond this, she was a true friend. My condolences to her immediate family and her wider family within the field of journalism. There will never be another like her."

Peter Champagnie

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn remembered Gayle as a committed Christian who was dedicated to her craft.

"She (Gayle) was unobtrusive as she went around the courts, but was blessed with great observation and listening capabilities, keen intellectual acuity, very discerning, and she was able to get the trust of many critical stakeholders in the legal profession as she articulated and explained complex legal issues in her stories," Llewellyn stated in her tribute.

"Barbara loved her God, shared her quotations of scripture by WhatsApp with many of us every morning. She loved her craft, and was witty, brilliant, but kind and humble to the end.

Paula Llewellyn

"She was simply the best, and I will miss her friendship, and (I ) extend my condolences to her family," added the island's top prosecutor.

Meanwhile, social media users also reacted with outrage at the news of the killing of the senior citizen, while urging the police to move swiftly in bringing her killer(s) to justice.

"Barbara (Gayle) was so soft spoken and humble. How could someone kill a woman like this? I hope her perpetrators are brought to face justice," a woman on Facebook said.

"It's hard to believe that Jamaica, where everyone used to love and care for each other, has gotten to be so rotten, corrupted and evil! How did it get to this point?" another woman asked.

A woman theorised that, "This is a gated community so the security guard should know exactly what happened, unless the individual is someone who drives her (Gayle's) car all the time, so (maybe that's why) the security guard did not bother to question the person; that’s just my two cents."

Another woman, in reacting to the viral doorbell camera footage of Gayle conversing with a man who the police believe to be the main suspect, spoke about the kindness of Gayle.

"She (Gayle) was so kind to him (the man in the video). She even give him a small change in his hand and give him a few bible verse. My God, what a heart him have," the woman lamented.

Asked another: "Now tell me if this is not reason to consider the death penalty? When will Government consider it?

"Sit and talk with the person knowing well your intentions not good. Smh," she said.

A man wrote that, "This killing evil and cruel; a nice, nice lady I know from my teen years, and look how they do Miss Barbara (Gayle)! The death penalty must be brought back for these cold killers man!"