Mercedez Layne’s sister pays tribute to beloved sibling in social media post

Trinidad and Tobago: The death of twelve-year-old Mercedez Layne has sparked outrage across Trinidad and Tobago with family members, school officials and the wider community paying tribute to her. Mercedez’s sister, Shereeka Layne spoke out and expressed her grief in an emotional TikTok post. 

She described Layne as a loving, funny, and beautiful soul, whose life was cut short far too soon."They took you from us" she exclaimed. She wrote, “I love you so much babygirl,” while pouring her heart out and wished if there was anything that she could have done to keep her sister alive.

Furthermore, the deceased’s sister mentioned that she is struggling to process circumstances and come terms with the loss of a beloved sibling, but she is trying to remain strong for the sake of her mother and other siblings during this dark time. Additionally, she also talked about the close bond that she shared with her sister. 

In her tribute, she also expressed that she believed that justice would eventually be served. She stated that even though her sister did not deserve what happened, “God don’t sleep.” She closed her sorrowful message with a farewell asking Mecedez to watch over her family and promised that they would meet again one day.

Many social media users also offered condolences and messages of support to the grieving family on this tributary post of Layne’s sister. 

Following this, the St. Francis Erin R.C. The school, where Layne studied, also expressed grief and paid a heartfelt tribute to Mercedez. They described her as a cherished member of the school and stated that her memories will always stay in the hearts of fellow students, teachers, and the wider community. 

A statement was published on the school’s Facebook page on Tuesday, in which the school’s administrators expressed sorrow and paid tribute to the loss of their cherished pupil. They also talked about the positive impact that she had on everyone around her throughout all the years that she spent at the institution.

Notably, Mercedez entered St. Francis Erin R.C. School as an Infant One student and then grew into an eager and active young girl, and liked to participate in school activities. She was also a supportive friend, according to the school. Adding to this, the school also revealed a more about Mercedez’s personality and stated that even though she was naturally shy, but her smile encouraged many and because of such a warm personality that she possessed made her a beloved figure among her peers and teachers. "Mercedez was a blessing in our midst," the statement noted. 

Police have arrested a twenty-six year old man of Dickie Trace, Beach Road Palo Seco, who is identified as the driver of the PH car in which Mercedez entered to reach her mother’s house. The car was located by the officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit under a tree at the suspect's house, hours before the child’s body was discovered. An autopsy conducted on Monday, later revealed that the child was beaten to death and suffered blunt force injuries to the head and face. The investigation is still ongoing and the suspect remains in police custody.