Bridgeport Primary reels from murder of teacher, daughter

Shock, sadness, and in some instances anger gripped the Bridgeport Primary School on Friday as staff and students mourned the slaying of grade five teacher Tara Pinnock and her 14-year-old daughter Talia Wright.

Pinnock, who has been teaching at the Portmore, St Catherine-based institution for the past two years, was remembered as a warm, dedicated educator whose impact on her students and colleagues was unmistakable.

The 29-year-old did not report to work on Wednesday and failed to answer calls from both the principal and her grade supervisor – an absence that immediately raised alarm due to her reliability and consistent communication.

When she also did not turn up for work on Thursday, checks revealed the bloody scene at their Spanish Town, St Catherine, home.

A devastated grade five supervisor, Claudia Seivwright, struggled to hold back tears on Friday as she reflected on her relationship with Pinnock, whom she had known for five years and worked closely with for two.

“It’s a hard one,” she said. “Miss Pinnock is one of those persons who cares about her students. She has that rapport with them where she could get them to settle down and get work done, and she is not one who would beat them,” Seivwright explained, adding that both students and colleagues deeply felt Pinnock’s love.

“She was very important to us, and listening to the teachers in her grade, you know she was loved.”

ATTRIBUTES

Seivwright noted that Pinnock was always thoughtful and professional in her communication.

“Miss Pinnock was one of those persons who, when she is not coming in or she was going to be late, she would send me a message, saying, ‘Miss, I am going to be late’,” she recalled.

That is why Wednesday’s silence felt immediately ominous.

“When I did not get that from her, there were concerns and I kept calling her phone and it went straight to voice mail.”

Knowing Pinnock’s character, Seivwright said her intuition told her something was wrong.

The most emotional moment of Friday’s gathering came when students from Pinnock’s class were given space to express their grief through art, poetry, and short writings, guided by counsellors from the Ministry of Education.

Their drawings and verses reflected overwhelming sadness, love, anger, and a deep sense of loss. One young student courageously stood to read her message aloud, accompanied by a sketch of Pinnock wearing a blue outfit.

“Ms Pinnock, you were the nicest teacher at Bridgeport Primary School. Ms Pinnock, your personality is remembered as the kindest teacher ... Surely, she will be with us always. Love you, Ms Pinnock,” she read, prompting tears across the room.

Principal Lyndon Edwards, overwhelmed with emotion, struggled to speak. After a long pause, he managed only: “I am weak in the knees. [I] can’t believe this has happened to one of my staff.”

Meanwhile, the police are asking Brandon Maine, a taxi operator identified as a person of interest in the case, to report to investigators.

ruddy.mathison@gleanerjm.com