A 14-year-old schoolboy was found hanging in his home late Friday night and his relatives believe that his father’s sudden disappearance two weeks ago is the reason for his decision to end his life.
Dead is Mattis Pierre, a student of the Kingston Secondary School and resident of Lot 11 D’Urban Street Lodge. He was found hanging from a window around 10 pm. A post mortem examination will be performed on his remains some time this week.
When Stabroek News visited the home, his grandmother Junita was still in shock. She said that the boy’s father, Mark, had been missing for nineteen days and only recently a brother went to the area in the Mazaruni where he had last been seen but that he had come back empty handed.
The woman said that Pierre may have overheard the uncle saying that he could not find him and this may have upset the youth since he had been very close to his father.
She said that since her son’s disappearance, she had not been well as she would cry often and had been unable to sleep at night.
According to Junita, she was sleeping on a chair at the front of the house when she heard two knocking sounds coming from a bedroom at the back. Upon investigating, she said, she found the door locked and several persons had to help to break it down.
“When we get inside he was already dead… Like he tie the hammock rope on the window grill and wrap it around his neck,” the woman said, with tears welling up in her eyes.
Junita told Stabroek News that it was not strange for Pierre to go into the back room, as all of his clothes were there so that was where he changed.
She recounted that during the day, the lad had been his usual self and had even gone outside on the road to see the fireworks that were on display during the launching of Carifesta at the National Stadium.
“He is a good boy and I really love him… I can’t believe that he did this to me,” she said adding that she was the one he had grown up with.
Relatives noticed a slight change in Pierre over the last few days but thought nothing much of it.
Junita said that he would come and hug her and tell her, “Granny, Granny don’t cry.” She said that she had thought at the time he was speaking about his father, whom she was crying a lot for but now realized that he was sending her a message.
Another relative said that suddenly he was loving to everyone around him and was always cleaning the house.
His grandmother said he had no school related problems or problems with anyone.
She said that he had been very excited about returning to school and had been looking forward to going shopping for his school things.
“This thing shock me heart,” she said.
Pierre also leaves behind his mother Kim Robertson and two siblings.
