By Sasha-Gay Lobban
—Left home for Grand Market, didn’t return
“The last time I saw my daughter alive and bubbly was on Christmas Eve. The next time I saw her, about four days later, she was lifeless,” said a grief stricken mother after her teen daughter was found dead.
Grief has gripped the rural community of Sturge Town, near Brown’s Town, St Ann after 16-year old Tashiek Nugent was found dead at Addison Park in Brown’s Town on December 31, New Year’s Eve. Tashiek was a student at the Brown’s Town High School where she was an active part of the Cadet group. She also attended the New Testament Church of God in Sturge Town where she participated in several church activities when she was much younger.
She was ‘the life of the family’ her family says as she was always upbeat, unique and trendy. She wanted to be a cosmetologist. Family and friends say Tashiek was always friendly, outgoing and got along well with everyone in the community. Her mother, Sonia Nugent says Tashiek was unique. “She love to dress up and do her hair in styles that nobody else wears. She always a tell jokes and she and her sisters and brothers get along well,” Mrs Nugent said. “She used to buy her own hair products, fix unique hairstyles for both her friends and herself and she stood out among her friends because she was like that,” her mother added.
Tashiek is the youngest of five children. Mrs Nugent also recalls that her daughter attended church frequently in her pre-teen years but had stopped going once she became a teen.
DOUBLE TRAGEDY
Mrs Nugent says she is finding it difficult to cope as it is the second child she has lost to a tragic death. Mrs Nugent recalls that she lost her first child, a girl, five years ago in a tragic accident, around the same Christmas period. “I buried my first child on January 2, 2009 after she died in an accident on the North Coast. To lose another is heart wrenching and I don’t know how the family is going to get over this one. We were hardly coping with the loss of my first daughter,” Mrs Nugent says.
Mrs Nugent along with her husband Oscar says Tashiek left home on Christmas Eve to attend the traditional ‘Grand Market’ celebration in Brown’s Town, that attracts thousands of people. They say however that they gave Tashiek strict instructions to return home by 8pm. “The last thing I said to her was to return by 8 pm and do not stay out or do anything that would disobey us,” says Mrs Nugent.
DISOBEDIENCE
Mrs Nugent whose life is rooted in Christian beliefs said she warned her daughter of the dangers of the holiday season but never expected to get the shock of her life, hours before the New Year. “She did not return home as we instructed so we started calling around. We contacted her brother and he said she was staying at a cousin’s house. Up to December 30, we heard she was ok and was to return home later that evening,” Mrs Nugent said as tears filled her eyes. “She never returned and no one knew where she was until we got a call that her body was found,” Mrs Nugent continued.
Tashiek was reportedly staying at the house of some relatives in Brown’s Town after the Grand Market celebration. However her mother said there were no arrangements made to stay at any relative’s house. “I think she disobeyed us because we told her to return home Christmas Eve.” Mrs Nugent says she called Tashiek’s phone several times and left messages with family and friends who had seen her to tell her to return home immediately. Tashiek’s father told the Times that Tashiek decided to stay at a cousin’s house in Brown’s Town and was in contact with her brother. “At no time did she contact us but we knew she was ok,” Mr Nugent said. Her mother who appeared shocked days after news of the death says before Christmas Eve, she had a devotion with Tashiek and spoke with her about “obeying your parents”. “We had a good discussion the day before ‘Grand Market’ because we had a disagreement the week before where she did something rude and I reprimanded her. But everything was good between us. She bought clothes for Grand Market and she got up on Christmas Eve and made breakfast for us,” Mrs Nugent says. “’Be back by 8pm’ was the last thing I said to her,” she said.
SMOTHERED
It is alleged that Tashiek was found dead, with blows to her face and she appeared to have been strangled. However, post mortem revealed that the teen was smothered to death. This means something could have been put over her face –mouth and nostrils — to prevent her breathing. She had a fractured shoulder and several blows to her face.
Mr Nugent, Tashiek’s father says what he saw was tragic and he could not understand who could have hurt his daughter with whom he says he had a great relationship. “We thought she was raped because we saw her body with her shorts pulled, and a little off her waist,” he said. The family was speculating that it was an attempted rape. However, the post mortem revealed that the teen was not raped. They theorized that what started out as an attempt at rape did not materialize and the alleged perpetrator killed her instead.
When the North Coast Times visited the family home, an atmosphere of gloom lingered as Tashiek’s siblings and parents tried to come to grips with her death. “Every time mi mek fi eat, tears run outta mi eyes,” Mr Nugent said. “Is mi last child and mi love her. Mi hurt bad,” he said.
Meanwhile, students and teachers at the Brown’s Town High school have visited the home to offer support to the family. The students especially those who are a part of the Cadet group at the school say Tashiek was well loved and she added ‘life’ to the group. No funeral arrangements have yet been made for Tashiek.
