Lokisha’s Mother: ‘You have destroyed my life’

With the recent decision by the Privy Council to commute convicted murderer Daniel Dick “Compay” Trimmingham’s death sentence to life imprisonment, mother of slain pannist Lokisha Nanton is keeping hope that her daughter’s murderer will not be spared the hangman’s noose.{{more}}

In an exclusive interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, July 22, Franceta Nanton was adamant that she wants Patrick Lovelace to be hanged for murdering her 12-year-old daughter back in July 2, 2002. “I would like to see this man hang, but it seems like they not hanging people anymore…this is a wicked man and he deserves to die,” Nanton declared.

Lovlace was, for the second time, on Wednesday July 15, 2009, convicted of Lokisha’s murder. He had been found guilty in 2005, but won an appeal, and the matter had to be re-tried.

Lokisha had been walking home in the company of fellow teenager Romona Caruth when Lovelace brutally raped her and then used her blouse to hang her from a mango tree at Sion Hill. Lokisha was found dead the next morning. Caruth was the star witness for the prosecution in the murder case.

The bereaved mother of four said that what happened to her third child is not easy to digest and she does not foresee any time in the near future when she will get over the hurt that has been caused by her daughter’s killer. “You have destroyed my life…I find it very hard to trust people now because of you,” Nanton mourned.

On both occasions when the matter was called up for hearing at the High Court, Nanton always left after giving testimony, because it was too difficult to be in the same room as Lovelace and hear the brutal manner in which her daughter’s life was viciously snatched from her.

Nanton mentioned that her life got back on track somewhat in 2005 when Lovelace was first found guilty, but that feeling was short-lived when she learned that he was to be re-tried.

“When the first case was done, I thought well, this was it, so I started to move on with my life,” she noted.

Nanton said one of the most painful things she has had to do was the day she took the witness stand to give testimony in the trial two weeks ago. “When the DPP asked me ‘Where is Lokeisha now?’ and I told him she was dead, I just felt like screaming in the courtroom,” she recalled.

As she spoke to Searchlight, Nanton twiddled her thumbs and stared at the distant ocean as memories of her daughter came flooding back. She disclosed that she sometimes goes through her daughter’s old report cards and pictures, but mentioned it is hard to do so because of the pain her bleeding heart endures. “The only thing about Lokisha is that she was a bit stubborn, but otherwise she used to be a great help to me,” the mother recalled. Nanton said at times, she has even called other persons by her daughter’s name.

Sadly, most of her pleasant memories are eclipsed by the visual image of her daughter hanging naked from the mango tree. “That is the (memory) I really can’t handle at all, and it makes me even cry at times,” she said.

Lokeisha would have turned 20 on August 19, but the only celebration that will be taking place, is a visit her grave with flowers.

Forgiveness is totally out of the question for Nanton as she said it is hard to forgive someone who committed such a brutal act. “I would never find it in my heart to forgive him…I know the Bible says you must forgive and forget, but I just can’t forgive this guy at all,” she said softly.

When asked if she would like the opportunity to ask Lovelace, “Why?” Nanton said “No”, as she cannot stand to be in the same room with him for fear she might do something erratic. Until Lovelace’s fate is sealed, Nanton says that she has to continue to rely on God’s help and try to patch the shattered pieces of her life.

Lovelace will be sentenced in October this year pending a Social Inquiry and Psychiatric report. His lawyer, Bayliss Frederick has already signaled his intention to appeal the matter.