Clothes still hang on the line behind the spot where Norma Richards' house once stood in the lane at 31 St John's Road, Spanish Town. Richards and two relatives were killed in a fire that destroyed the wooden house about 12:30 am yesterday. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

JODEX Ferron would have turned 11 at the end of this month, and she was really looking forward to her birthday. She would have enjoyed it too, since her family planned to surprise her with the one thing on her wish list - her very own cellphone.

But the little girl, described as loving and jovial, will never get to rip open the package to see her present. She will never get to jump and squeal with excitement, and she will never get to call her father whenever she feels like it.

The Grade 5 St John's Primary student and two of her relatives were killed in a fire in a lane at 31 St John's Road, Spanish Town, early yesterday morning, leaving her friends and family hurt and in shock.

This was the way Zipporah Garrick was holding her cheek the last time she saw cousin Cynthia Johnson alive around 5:00 Friday evening. (Photos: Joseph Wellington)

The hurt is even more palpable as the fire that claimed Jodex, her 63-year-old grandmother Cynthia Johnson and another relative, 65-year-old Norma Richards, is believed to have been set by arsonists. The police say residents reported hearing explosions that sounded like gunshots coming from the direction of the occupants' house around 12:30 am, shortly after which they saw flames.

"We are investigating murder, and we are probing several leads but at the moment we have no motive," Constabulary Communication Network liaison officer for St Catherine north told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Howard Ferron grieves the loss of his daughter, 10-year-old Jodex Ferron and his mother, 63-year-old Cynthia Johnson who, along with 65-year-old Norma Richards, died in a fire early Saturday morning.

Family members, however, allege that it was an act of reprisal, because it has been said that the son of 65- year-old Norma Richards, was involved in the shooting of another man last week. The police say they could not confirm that incident.

The reality of the incident is especially hard on Jodex' father, Howard, who lost his wife two years ago and who has now lost both his mother and his only daughter at the same time.
"She was everything to me because she look like and act like har mother so much. Nuff time all when mi feel bad bout mi wife death, mi just look on har and si how she grow," he told the Sunday Observer.

"Mi feel really awful because har mother was buried on Mother's Day, and last week at church, she (Jodex) cried so much...I'm devastated. I feel the same way like when my wife died but my Christian belief gives me strength," he said.

A s****re Patrick Douglas, Mr Ferron's brother, had difficulty finding the words to express his grief: "It's so pressuring I can hardly explain," he managed.

When the Sunday Observer visited their home yesterday, the
Ferron boys spoke of the last time they saw their sister.
"The last time mi see har was yesterday. Mi memba when she bathe and put on har clothes and mi ask har weh she ah go an she sey she ah go dung ah har grandmother," said 13-year-old Sheldon.

"Mi tell har fi hurry up and come back before daddy come home, but she neva come back. She sleep down there and that's why she dead," he said.

"Mi feel bad down inside cause mi love har," added Howard, 14. "All yesterday wi did ah play wid har and when him (Sheldon) lick har mi tell him nuffi lick har because if mommy did deh here him couldn't lick har."

Family friend, Pearlita Chapelton also had fond memories of Jodex. "You don't have to see her to feel the hug," Chapelton said. "Anywhere you are, she comes and hugs you. She was just a nice, sweet little girl.

"I am the one who takes care of them since their mother died and she (Jodex) always writes me letters to say she loves me and thanks for all that I do for them," she added.

Jodex' death brings the total number of children to have been killed here since the start of the year to almost 40, according to police statistics. Twenty-four of those have been murdered, nine were as a result of motor vehicle crashes and six were due to fires.

Ferron, Richards and Johnson were among six persons who were slain between Friday night and Saturday, bringing the murder toll since January 1 to 673.