What was the
worst day of your life?
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Well, stay tuned to see my guest
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whose story you
will never forget...
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It's one of tragedy and triumph.
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My name is Yvonne
Lewis and you're watching
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Urban Report...
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Hello and welcome
to Urban Report...
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Today you're
going to hear a story
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that is
horrific... yet hopeful...
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My guest is Joan Brown Lewellyn
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Welcome to Urban Report Joan...
Thank you for having me Yvonne,
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It's so good to have you here...
your story is so powerful...
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Tell us a bit
about your background...
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Who is Joan? My name is Joan...
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I am a God-fearing person...
I am the last of 7 children
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my mother had 7 of
us... and she taught us
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how to pray...
how to trust God...
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I was a paralegal
formally but now I'm doing
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the work of God...
that He has saved me
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for a purpose... and that's
what I'm trying to fulfill
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Amen... so tell us about...
first of all... tell us about
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your former
husband... who was he?
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Wayne Lewellyn was the
2nd child for his mother
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and he was a
police officer in Jamaica
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couple of
police... father of 3...
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plus my daughter being 4th and
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he was a quiet person
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but jovial at times...
but he was good at times...
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it's surprising to see what...
the devil has taken him over
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and did to him...
Tell us what happened
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on that day...
lead us up to that day
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and then tell us what
happened. Okay, we were married
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for 13 years and you know
in marriage you have good times
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and bad times...
and so we started having
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marital problems...
How far into the marriage
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did you begin to
have marital problems?
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We were married for
13 years and about...
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in the 6th year...
is when the problem
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really started...
he got very controlling
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obsessive and there
were times when we just
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couldn't see eye to eye...
So Joan, you guys were married
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for 6 years and before
that he was... all good...
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everything was pretty much fine?
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Yes, everything
was okay so far...
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but there were times
when he would just...
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get very controlling...
and angry of anything
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and wanted me to be
separated from my family...
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because I'm a very
family-oriented person...
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we were going that way...
and when I started noticing that
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you know, I
started to tell him that
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I don't really like the idea
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of being
estranged from my family...
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so we started having
problems from there...
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So, did he have any
kind of history of drug use
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or alcohol or
anything like that?
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No, No... he's not a
person who who smokes...
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he's not a person who drinks,
he used to attend church...
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so it's quite
surprising to see what he really
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ended up doing... Whoa,
okay, so he was starting
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to get controlling and
he was starting to pull you
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or try to pull you
away from your family...
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to isolate
you... Yes... he did...
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Okay... what else happened?
And he joined the police force
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and from then... I
noticed the change...
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he would stalk me... he
would stalk my daughter...
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Now, were you
together at this point?
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You said he would
stalk you, were you...
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We were together,
yes, we were together...
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if I go to work...
I would see him parked
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at my workplace... or
he would just... show up.
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Was he concerned about
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infidelity...
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was he accusing
you of infidelity?
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No...
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because there weren't
times when I could do anything
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I was just from home
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to church to work...
so there wasn't any time
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he didn't want me to
keep friends either...
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And so, he went from being
... a quiet... humble person
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quiet, humble
person to Mr. Stalker...
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Yes...
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Okay... continue...
tell us what happened...
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And in 2010... the
problems began where I used to
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to live in Ocho
Rios, Jamaica... and he was
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a police officer there
so, he wanted to go back home
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to Mandeville to
build a family home there
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so I said, "Okay...
let us try that out. "
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We moved back to
Mandeville, Jamaica...
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in 2010 of April... and
in, say, maybe September
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I noticed... it
just got worse...
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and I just started praying...
because there were times
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when I just know how to
pray, that was my mother's
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therapy
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She said, "When you're in
doubt, when you have problems,
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just continue to pray,
and ask God to lead and direct
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your path... and
that was what I did...
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I started earnest
fasting and prayer...
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So you noticed... after
this move back to his home
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right, because that was his home
Ocho Rios was his home or...
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Mandeville...
Mandeville, Jamaica
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Mandeville... so you
noticed after the move back
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he just became... even worse
more controlling, more stalking,
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more all of those behaviors
were exacerbated... I guess
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after the move so and
the policeman piece...
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that had to be... kind of scary
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because who could you go to
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because he's a policeman...
He's a police officer...
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and what he did... he
always searched my things,
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my handbag, my dresser
drawers, my daughter's bags,
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everything, the
phone, everything...
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and being a police officer
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he always told me
that it makes no sense
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if I complain about anything
to any other police officer
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because what police does
is... they protect their own...
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so there was nobody
for me to complain to...
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You had no one to turn
to... Just my family and God...
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Yes, yes... And my
mother taught me that...
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she taught the family...
trust God in everything you do,
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you just leave
everything to Him...
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there was a time when
he would call my workplace,
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discuss my family business
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with my co-worker...
he would call my friends
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to find out... "Did
Joan talk today... "
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if they said, "Yes"
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"So what did you talk about?"
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he would call my
daughter's friends
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and do the same thing,
he would visit her school...
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He would go to her school?
Yes he would go to her school.
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And do what? and tell
her to sit in her chair
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there was one morning
when she went to school,
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and her friend told her,
"Jay... " they call her Jay Jay
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she was Georgeanne and she said,
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"Your father was just here"
so she said, "Daddy was here?"
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and they said, "Yeah, he
was sitting in your chair... "
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and she said, "Why?"
and her friend told her
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"This is not the
first time he did it... "
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So he would just
come to her school
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and he wouldn't
even have to see her...
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he'd come and
sit in her chair...
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That was what she was
told... Okay... so tell us...
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There were times when
I sat at my workplace...
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and you know you just go
to the window and look out...
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there was the van... it
was not like I was a person
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who kept family... I
mean... a lot of friends...
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I didn't have time for that...
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because I knew he didn't like it
so I didn't bother to do it...
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You know what Joan...
this is so important...
00:08:36.72\00:08:38.90
because there are so many women
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who are
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in a similar situation
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and they feel so trapped...
and they don't know what to do
00:08:45.11\00:08:49.72
and so this is
one of the reasons why
00:08:49.75\00:08:51.52
we are telling your
story... because, your story...
00:08:51.55\00:08:55.90
while it is... just horrible...
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it is still indicative
of what's going on out there
00:08:59.34\00:09:04.90
that so many women
are experiencing...
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Yes it is... So tell
us about the ultimate
00:09:08.38\00:09:11.32
day... what
happened? The ultimate day...
00:09:11.36\00:09:14.23
that's a day I will never
forget this happened on the
00:09:14.27\00:09:18.72
7th of April 2011 and as I said
we were having public problems
00:09:18.75\00:09:24.94
and in January of 2011, I
remember one Saturday morning
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we got up to... I said
we were going to church
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got up... went into the kitchen
looking after a little breakfast
00:09:32.09\00:09:35.51
and he came into the
kitchen and we started to argue
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and it went to the point where
he got so loud and boisterous
00:09:41.13\00:09:49.70
that I sat on the veranda...
I said that I wasn't going
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to church... so I
sat on the veranda...
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and I noticed...
he went into the room
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he took out the
wedding album, he took out the
00:09:58.84\00:10:02.71
marriage certificate, he
took out the wedding pictures
00:10:02.75\00:10:05.76
and he went outside... and
he just started burning them
00:10:05.80\00:10:08.78
and I said, "Why
are you doing this?"
00:10:08.82\00:10:13.09
he turned to me and he
said, "The marriage is over...
00:10:13.13\00:10:15.81
you can call your family
and tell them to come for you
00:10:15.85\00:10:18.50
because there is nothing
in the marriage for me... "
00:10:18.54\00:10:21.62
so I said, "Okay, I'll
do that" Well, you see...
00:10:21.65\00:10:24.70
now what were you
feeling at that point...
00:10:24.74\00:10:27.26
were you feeling...
kind of a sense of relief
00:10:27.29\00:10:29.65
that he's going to back
out from this marriage...
00:10:29.68\00:10:31.97
it's a nightmare for you...
Yes, because that was something
00:10:32.01\00:10:35.02
that I prayed for...
because he wasn't physically
00:10:35.06\00:10:38.82
abusive to me... he
did not physically abuse me
00:10:38.85\00:10:42.54
until that fateful day...
but he was psychologically,
00:10:42.58\00:10:45.86
mentally and
emotionally abusive...
00:10:45.90\00:10:48.59
and I think...
that is even worse...
00:10:48.63\00:10:51.29
Yes... that is even worse...
00:10:51.33\00:10:54.37
it just wears you
down... It does...
00:10:54.41\00:10:57.11
It wears you down...
you feel beaten down...
00:10:57.14\00:10:59.75
and after a while you wonder
about where you're going to go
00:10:59.79\00:11:03.65
what are you
going to do... yeah...
00:11:03.68\00:11:05.10
Yes... so after that
incident, I moved back home...
00:11:05.13\00:11:10.91
and I remember... I started
earnest praying and fasting...
00:11:10.95\00:11:14.70
and I said, "God, please use me
as an instrument of your peace"
00:11:14.74\00:11:20.86
I said, "Use my life
as an example to others...
00:11:20.90\00:11:24.15
that others might see
your glory through me... "
00:11:24.18\00:11:28.12
you know, and I
remember, my favorite Scripture
00:11:28.15\00:11:32.04
in the Bible is 1
Corinthians 4 verse 10...
00:11:32.08\00:11:36.27
Bless me oh Lord
and enlarge my territory
00:11:36.30\00:11:39.87
and I went into
earnest fasting and prayer
00:11:39.91\00:11:43.41
with that particular prayer
First Chronicles you mean...
00:11:43.44\00:11:47.01
First Chronicles
four verse ten Right...
00:11:47.04\00:11:50.49
and I remember...
my mother started...
00:11:50.53\00:11:53.98
we just went into
earnest fasting and prayer...
00:11:54.02\00:11:56.74
and sometimes we ask God to do
certain things in our lives...
00:11:56.77\00:11:59.98
we don't know how...
we don't know when...
00:12:00.01\00:12:03.05
and we don't know in what
way... He's going to do that...
00:12:03.09\00:12:06.17
and I remember...
I had my dream job...
00:12:06.20\00:12:09.82
in Jamaica... and I
started working on the
00:12:09.86\00:12:14.06
5th of April 2011...
and on the 7th of April
00:12:14.09\00:12:17.89
I got up that
morning... got dressed...
00:12:17.93\00:12:21.66
I was about to go
to work... when I heard
00:12:21.69\00:12:25.36
a barrage of gun shots
A barrage of gun shots...
00:12:25.39\00:12:29.48
gun shots...
yes... And this was in...
00:12:29.51\00:12:32.07
you're in your home
now... In my home...
00:12:32.11\00:12:34.59
Now, did you live
alone... whom did you live with?
00:12:34.63\00:12:36.93
I lived with my
mother... I moved back home...
00:12:36.97\00:12:39.24
after he said, you
know, "It's over... "
00:12:39.28\00:12:41.96
we went on for a month at
the matrimonial home and then
00:12:42.00\00:12:45.86
and then... I went to
work on the first of March...
00:12:45.90\00:12:49.52
and my co-worker told me about
what he called him and told him
00:12:49.56\00:12:52.96
and I said that I could not
work in that environment anymore
00:12:52.99\00:12:56.14
and so I moved back
home to my mother...
00:12:56.17\00:12:58.17
What did he call
and tell him... Joan?
00:12:58.21\00:13:00.14
he called and told him
about my personal business
00:13:00.18\00:13:02.86
my life on the
whole... you know... things...
00:13:02.90\00:13:07.94
I don't even want to
remember... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:13:07.97\00:13:10.26
things so horrific... you know,
00:13:10.30\00:13:13.51
personal stuff that is
between a husband and a wife...
00:13:13.55\00:13:16.64
should not be discussed with
outsiders... that's my belief...
00:13:16.67\00:13:20.68
Absolutely... absolutely...
00:13:20.71\00:13:22.17
and when my
co-worker could tell me...
00:13:22.21\00:13:24.40
personal details... I
said, "I think that was it"
00:13:24.44\00:13:28.34
you know... so as I...
going back to the story...
00:13:28.38\00:13:32.25
I got up that morning
00:13:32.28\00:13:33.50
and I was going to work...
I heard a barrage of gunshots
00:13:33.53\00:13:38.44
so I went... out to
the back of the house...
00:13:38.48\00:13:41.32
and I saw my brother...
lying on the ground...
00:13:41.35\00:13:44.16
and then I looked down...
00:13:44.19\00:13:45.67
I saw my father
lying in the washroom...
00:13:45.70\00:13:48.84
and I said... what was going on?
00:13:48.88\00:13:51.00
and so I head back
into the living room
00:13:51.03\00:13:53.61
where I met my
husband and my daughter...
00:13:53.65\00:13:56.16
Okay, just give me one
second, you saw your father and
00:13:56.20\00:14:00.01
your brother lying
down... were they dead?
00:14:00.05\00:14:02.73
My brother was dead,
and my father was dead...
00:14:02.77\00:14:05.42
My brother got shot in his neck
00:14:05.45\00:14:09.76
and the blood was
just spewing out...
00:14:09.80\00:14:12.68
and then my father... I
saw the blood on the groin
00:14:12.72\00:14:15.84
and my father
lying on the ground
00:14:15.88\00:14:17.21
so I was wondering
what was happening...
00:14:17.25\00:14:19.83
and then when I went
back into the living room
00:14:19.87\00:14:22.18
I saw my daughter
and my husband standing
00:14:22.22\00:14:25.61
with a gun in his
hand... and then...
00:14:25.64\00:14:28.77
my daughter started
wrestling with him...
00:14:28.81\00:14:31.90
I said, "Daddy
what are you doing...
00:14:31.94\00:14:33.99
why are you
shooting up everybody?"
00:14:34.02\00:14:36.00
and he said to my daughter,
"Because I love you guys... "
00:14:36.04\00:14:39.79
then he turned... and he
hit my daughter in her face...
00:14:39.83\00:14:43.64
with the gun... and then
he fired 3 shots after me...
00:14:43.68\00:14:47.42
I got shot in my neck right
here so I fell on the ground...
00:14:47.46\00:14:52.32
and then... he
went after my daughter
00:14:52.35\00:14:54.98
and my mother who was
praying at her bedside...
00:14:55.02\00:14:58.68
she got shot... in her head
00:14:58.72\00:15:00.87
and in her stomach...
00:15:00.91\00:15:02.46
my daughter got
shot in her stomach...
00:15:02.49\00:15:05.47
I was lying on the ground...
then after he came back
00:15:05.51\00:15:10.43
lifted me up... to
check if I was dead...
00:15:10.47\00:15:13.94
but I realized
what was happening
00:15:13.98\00:15:15.85
so, I played dead...
that time the blood was just
00:15:15.88\00:15:19.29
spewing from my
neck... but I played dead
00:15:19.32\00:15:21.63
so that was what
saved me that morning...
00:15:21.67\00:15:23.94
I had a girlfriend in the house,
00:15:23.98\00:15:26.58
and I told her...
before the incident happened,
00:15:26.62\00:15:28.93
I told her to run... when I
saw him in the living room...
00:15:28.97\00:15:32.64
I said, "Run and hide... "
she ran and hid in my bedroom
00:15:32.68\00:15:36.32
in the closet... and
so after he shot my mother
00:15:36.36\00:15:39.14
and my daughter...
four people lying dead...
00:15:39.18\00:15:41.93
he came back and lifted me up
just to check if I was dead...
00:15:41.97\00:15:45.28
and then he put
me down and said,
00:15:45.31\00:15:47.85
"Joan, remember I love
you" and stepped out...
00:15:47.88\00:15:50.38
Whew... Joan I
mean... I... this is truly
00:15:50.42\00:15:58.46
one of the worst stories
I've ever heard in my life
00:15:58.50\00:16:01.57
that day... you
lost your mother,
00:16:01.61\00:16:04.82
your father, your brother,
00:16:04.85\00:16:07.87
My only child...
00:16:07.90\00:16:09.40
and your only
child... to this maniac...
00:16:09.44\00:16:14.09
Yes... What...
thank God you had the
00:16:14.13\00:16:18.75
presence of mind... to pretend
00:16:18.79\00:16:20.11
as though you were
dead... because you really
00:16:20.14\00:16:21.89
would have been also... I
would have been dead... yes...
00:16:21.93\00:16:24.39
So he runs out...
you're left there bleeding
00:16:24.42\00:16:30.01
Yes... He runs
out... what does he do?
00:16:30.04\00:16:33.38
He went... and he went to
another family member's home
00:16:33.42\00:16:37.38
and he called her out...
but she didn't come out...
00:16:37.41\00:16:41.34
so he just shot
himself on the veranda...
00:16:41.38\00:16:44.05
but... he did not die on the
scene... he died at the hospital
00:16:44.08\00:16:48.78
because after he shot me...
there was a neighbor who came by
00:16:48.81\00:16:53.48
who saved my
life... because he came by
00:16:53.51\00:16:57.58
and the back door was open
but the front door was closed...
00:16:57.62\00:17:02.34
so he called out and he
said, "Is anybody there?"
00:17:02.38\00:17:05.36
because everybody could
hear the barrage of bullets
00:17:05.40\00:17:08.35
because after he shot
up the whole family...
00:17:08.39\00:17:10.09
he went through the house...
and he sprayed the house
00:17:10.12\00:17:14.03
with bullets again...
because my brother from Japan
00:17:14.07\00:17:17.95
was supposed to be
home the Wednesday night...
00:17:17.98\00:17:20.09
but he didn't come home...
he canceled his flight...
00:17:20.12\00:17:25.00
and my sister... I
have another sister...
00:17:25.04\00:17:26.78
who was
supposed to be at home...
00:17:26.82\00:17:28.57
but she stayed at
another friend that night...
00:17:28.61\00:17:31.64
so, I think everybody
would have died that day...
00:17:31.67\00:17:36.68
Oh! that is so horrific...
And my neighbor came by
00:17:36.72\00:17:41.03
and said... he called out
and he said, "Is anybody there?"
00:17:41.06\00:17:44.47
and I said,
"Yes, I'm in here... "
00:17:44.50\00:17:45.87
because when I got the shots
00:17:45.91\00:17:47.48
I just remember,
"God, I ask you to intervene
00:17:47.51\00:17:52.45
at this time... " so I called...
00:17:52.48\00:17:54.96
my friend was there... I
asked her to call my friend...
00:17:55.00\00:17:59.26
another
police-officer friend of mine...
00:17:59.30\00:18:02.07
I told her to call
my sister in America...
00:18:02.10\00:18:04.59
I told her to call
my sister in Jamaica...
00:18:04.62\00:18:07.04
and up until now... I've
not lost the consciousness
00:18:07.08\00:18:10.67
when I went to the
hospital... I bled right out...
00:18:10.70\00:18:13.59
there was not a drop of
blood left in my body...
00:18:13.62\00:18:16.43
I went blind that morning...
but I just kept telling everyone
00:18:16.47\00:18:22.12
"Don't cry for me...
please just pray for me... "
00:18:22.16\00:18:25.13
because I knew that my God
was going to see me through...
00:18:25.17\00:18:28.46
Wow... Joan... I
went through... the valley
00:18:28.50\00:18:31.75
of the shadow of death... Yes...
00:18:31.78\00:18:33.87
but my God was with
me... Yes... yes you did...
00:18:33.90\00:18:38.21
you did... and so
and he wasn't dead...
00:18:38.25\00:18:41.53
he was at the
hospital... was he conscious?
00:18:41.56\00:18:45.55
I'm not sure because
I was in another room
00:18:45.58\00:18:49.50
when they took him there...
I was told that he was not dead
00:18:49.54\00:18:54.29
We have a
picture of your injury...
00:18:54.32\00:18:59.06
so he shot you... and
we'll put that picture up now...
00:18:59.10\00:19:04.10
of the injury... He
shot me in my neck here...
00:19:04.14\00:19:07.46
it went down... at
the side of my neck...
00:19:07.50\00:19:11.01
broke my
clavicle... went back up...
00:19:11.05\00:19:15.19
came across my
neck it shaved the
00:19:15.23\00:19:19.31
the C5, C6 and C7
vertebrae... and it came out
00:19:19.34\00:19:25.20
on the right side of my shoulder
00:19:25.23\00:19:26.75
I don't know how I am alive
00:19:26.79\00:19:29.40
but I thank God
for being alive...
00:19:29.44\00:19:30.99
Amen... Because as I said,
00:19:31.03\00:19:33.11
I bled right out that morning...
00:19:33.14\00:19:34.88
nothing was left in my body...
00:19:34.92\00:19:37.51
I went totally
blind but thank God
00:19:37.55\00:19:39.78
even though I lost all the blood
00:19:39.82\00:19:41.99
I did not lose consciousness
and it was the hand of God
00:19:42.02\00:19:45.31
on my life... Amen... amen...
00:19:45.35\00:19:47.52
We also have a
picture of your family members
00:19:47.56\00:19:51.11
that lost their
lives... that day...
00:19:51.14\00:19:53.19
and it was your mother, your...
00:19:53.23\00:19:57.03
my beautiful mother,
Rachel, she was 79...
00:19:57.06\00:19:59.75
and funny... she gets
up every morning at five
00:19:59.78\00:20:02.28
and prayed for her children...
00:20:02.31\00:20:03.39
so I think that it was
just her prayer that kept me...
00:20:03.42\00:20:05.65
she died at her
bedside... praying...
00:20:05.69\00:20:08.21
she had her Bible and
her Quarterly beside her...
00:20:08.25\00:20:11.09
when he killed
her... My! and your dad...
00:20:11.12\00:20:16.72
was your dad surprised...
your dad and your brother
00:20:16.76\00:20:20.20
were they
surprised by him, you think?
00:20:20.23\00:20:22.25
Yes, because they
didn't know what happened...
00:20:22.28\00:20:24.33
they didn't know what he'd been
00:20:24.37\00:20:25.61
because he left his
home... early the morning
00:20:25.64\00:20:29.24
or during the
night... went and he came...
00:20:29.27\00:20:31.78
he passed 3 parishes...
in total, it would have been
00:20:31.82\00:20:36.74
maybe a 3-hour
drive... from where he left from
00:20:36.78\00:20:40.74
to where he
came... to do his act...
00:20:40.78\00:20:43.03
So, he wasn't even near you...
he was 3 hours away from you...
00:20:43.07\00:20:50.51
Yes... He drove the three...
00:20:50.55\00:20:53.23
he had the presence of
mind... to drive the 3 hours
00:20:53.26\00:20:57.01
and then... to just come
in and spray everybody...
00:20:57.04\00:21:00.76
Everybody... My, my, my, my...
00:21:00.79\00:21:04.31
what a demonic
00:21:04.35\00:21:05.56
presence...
It's a demonic act...
00:21:05.60\00:21:07.33
it's a horrific
act... when I looked at him
00:21:07.37\00:21:10.23
that morning... I don't
know what I looked at...
00:21:10.26\00:21:11.97
because... when I
looked in his eyes...
00:21:12.00\00:21:15.35
I wasn't looking
at him... Yeah...
00:21:15.38\00:21:19.87
I see a different person...
I saw the demon... as man...
00:21:19.90\00:21:23.32
Yes... yes.. yes..
00:21:23.36\00:21:24.49
because I think
if you love somebody
00:21:24.52\00:21:27.20
or you love something...
you cherish that thing...
00:21:27.23\00:21:29.75
you don't harm it... Oh yeah...
00:21:29.79\00:21:32.62
obviously he had no
clue of what love was...
00:21:32.66\00:21:36.15
but obviously he was so
deranged by this point...
00:21:36.19\00:21:39.28
you know... if you can come
in and just kill everybody...
00:21:39.31\00:21:43.24
or kill anybody... you
have some major, major,
00:21:43.27\00:21:47.26
demonic kinds of
issues going on...
00:21:47.30\00:21:50.22
and he, obviously,
needed some help...
00:21:50.26\00:21:53.23
he needed spiritual help,
00:21:53.26\00:21:55.42
he needed mental
help, he was just gone...
00:21:55.46\00:21:58.60
So how did you...
what happened after that...
00:21:58.63\00:22:01.55
you're in the
hospital, you went blind...
00:22:01.58\00:22:04.46
how did you begin to recover...
00:22:04.50\00:22:07.64
how long did it take?
I remember that morning
00:22:07.67\00:22:10.93
when I got shot... I
wasn't blind for long...
00:22:10.96\00:22:14.15
I was blind for maybe
about 3 hours or an hour about
00:22:14.19\00:22:18.80
and then I was transferred
00:22:18.84\00:22:20.33
to another hospital
00:22:20.37\00:22:21.51
in Kingston... which
is... about a 3-hour drive
00:22:21.55\00:22:24.43
from where I was...
3- to 4-hour drive...
00:22:24.47\00:22:26.78
when I went to the
other hospital in Kingston...
00:22:26.82\00:22:30.70
the doctor there saw
me... and then he told me,
00:22:30.74\00:22:35.03
my sister that...
"that's how she is going to
00:22:35.06\00:22:39.28
remain for the rest of her
life, she won't do anything
00:22:39.32\00:22:41.72
for herself... ever again... "
00:22:41.75\00:22:44.43
because that's all I
could do... was move my eyes...
00:22:44.46\00:22:47.18
and I looked at him, you know,
I looked at him that morning
00:22:47.21\00:22:51.47
I said, "Doctor, you ain't
God" I said, "You can't tell me
00:22:51.50\00:22:55.73
what I can... or I
can't do... " I said,
00:22:55.76\00:22:59.01
"I'm going to walk
again... by the grace of God...
00:22:59.04\00:23:01.86
I'm going to walk again...
and I'm going to come back here
00:23:01.89\00:23:04.48
and I'm going to
run a marathon... "
00:23:04.51\00:23:05.80
Wow... You know...
00:23:05.84\00:23:07.94
and my sister in Atlanta,
00:23:07.97\00:23:10.26
came down...
00:23:10.30\00:23:12.32
she's the first
of the 7 children...
00:23:12.36\00:23:14.87
she came down...
and when she saw me...
00:23:14.91\00:23:17.36
she came down two
days after the incident...
00:23:17.39\00:23:19.44
and when she saw me... I
gave her the most beautiful
00:23:19.47\00:23:22.70
smile ever...
because when she came down
00:23:22.73\00:23:25.83
she did not know
what to expect...
00:23:25.86\00:23:28.25
Yes... you know... and she said,
00:23:28.28\00:23:30.60
"Joan, I don't know
what to say or do... "
00:23:30.64\00:23:32.95
I said, "Sis, just pray and
leave everything... to God... "
00:23:32.98\00:23:37.91
She lives in Atlanta...
she works at Northside Hospital
00:23:37.95\00:23:42.41
and she is now... the
matriarch of the family
00:23:42.45\00:23:46.94
because my mother is
gone... but she was replaced
00:23:46.98\00:23:51.44
by my sister...
Wow... so you're living with
00:23:51.48\00:23:55.78
your sister now... correct...
Yes, I'm living with her now...
00:23:55.82\00:23:59.26
and she called
her supervisor here
00:23:59.30\00:24:03.21
and she told her supervisor
exactly what happened...
00:24:03.25\00:24:06.68
and she went into
action... That is just...
00:24:06.71\00:24:11.58
it's
mind-boggling... Yes... it is...
00:24:11.61\00:24:14.66
Praise God... praise
God for His healing power
00:24:14.69\00:24:20.18
for His power of
restoration, you know...
00:24:20.22\00:24:23.98
where are you now? tell
us what you're doing now...
00:24:24.02\00:24:26.64
Right now... I can
see... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:24:26.68\00:24:30.11
because I was on
oxygen for a month...
00:24:30.15\00:24:33.47
I did not do
00:24:33.51\00:24:36.92
any form of surgery
00:24:36.95\00:24:39.05
to remove the bullet fragments,
00:24:39.09\00:24:40.51
I still have more than 20
bullet fragments in my body...
00:24:40.54\00:24:43.44
because the type of bullet
that was used to shoot me...
00:24:43.47\00:24:46.45
to shoot me... it
was... they call it
00:24:46.48\00:24:51.19
the hollow-point bullet...
on impact... it explodes...
00:24:51.22\00:24:55.47
in the body... so
that when it hit my body...
00:24:55.50\00:24:59.47
and broke my
clavicle... it exploded...
00:24:59.50\00:25:03.03
so even though they removed
the bullet... from my body,
00:25:03.06\00:25:07.37
there in Jamaica... I
still have bullet fragments
00:25:07.40\00:25:10.76
so right now... I'm
doing intense therapy
00:25:10.79\00:25:15.14
at Shepherd Spinal
Center... in Atlanta, Georgia...
00:25:15.17\00:25:18.85
I'm able to sit up in my
chair, to clap my hands...
00:25:18.89\00:25:22.53
to feed myself.. to sing...
00:25:22.57\00:25:25.99
and I know... there's a
lot more there to be done...
00:25:26.02\00:25:28.64
but, I really want
to do the surgery...
00:25:28.67\00:25:32.17
to remove the bullet
fragments. Praise the Lord...
00:25:32.21\00:25:35.32
I have found a doctor
who is willing to do it...
00:25:35.36\00:25:37.86
but I don't really
have the money to do it...
00:25:37.90\00:25:40.37
but... I know...
I'm trusting God...
00:25:40.40\00:25:42.08
that he has opened the
door and I'm going to walk
00:25:42.12\00:25:45.43
through that
door... Amen... amen...
00:25:45.46\00:25:48.18
Tell us... we only have
a couple of minutes left...
00:25:48.21\00:25:50.99
and your story has
just been so amazing...
00:25:51.03\00:25:53.19
Tell us what God
is using you to do...
00:25:53.23\00:25:55.33
how have you turned the
situation into something
00:25:55.36\00:25:58.38
that makes a
difference for others?
00:25:58.42\00:26:00.33
I will say... for a purpose...
and that's my belief...
00:26:00.36\00:26:04.47
I want to help others...
to know that there's a God
00:26:04.51\00:26:08.29
no matter what... there is a God
00:26:08.33\00:26:11.15
in whom you should
trust... in Him at all times...
00:26:11.19\00:26:13.76
because even though I
go through this tragedy...
00:26:13.80\00:26:16.57
I would like to tell
myself that I am Job's relation
00:26:16.61\00:26:20.21
you know, I want to save
others I want to show others
00:26:20.24\00:26:23.81
that even through tragedy...
00:26:23.85\00:26:25.86
trust God to do
the work for you...
00:26:25.90\00:26:28.46
and I want to
help young ladies...
00:26:28.50\00:26:31.01
to be aware of
domestic abuse, you know,
00:26:31.05\00:26:34.34
I want to help them
to let them know that
00:26:34.38\00:26:37.26
God is able to do
anything for you...
00:26:37.30\00:26:40.11
just trust Him... I
want to teach them more...
00:26:40.14\00:26:42.87
it's not only physical abuse...
00:26:42.91\00:26:45.75
that you get
domestic violence from
00:26:45.79\00:26:49.20
you get it from emotional abuse
as well as spiritual abuse...
00:26:49.24\00:26:53.31
and I want to
educate others on that...
00:26:53.34\00:26:55.00
That is great... so
you're very involved
00:26:55.04\00:26:59.33
in your Church's
Disabilities Program...
00:26:59.36\00:27:02.58
Tell us a bit
about that real quick...
00:27:02.62\00:27:05.92
I want to teach
others that even though
00:27:05.95\00:27:09.19
we might be in a wheelchair...
disabled in some way...
00:27:09.22\00:27:13.94
we still have
our voice... Yes...
00:27:13.97\00:27:16.52
you know we
still have our voice...
00:27:16.55\00:27:18.77
Yes... A lot of persons look at
00:27:18.81\00:27:20.95
disability as being... unable
to move your physical body
00:27:20.99\00:27:24.33
but you have different
types of disabilities...
00:27:24.37\00:27:29.60
Yes... You have
speech troubles...
00:27:29.64\00:27:31.95
and I want to educate
others on the different types
00:27:31.99\00:27:34.62
of disabilities...
Well, you have certainly
00:27:34.65\00:27:36.92
educated us and we
thank you so very much
00:27:36.95\00:27:39.33
for sharing your story...
we pray that the viewers
00:27:39.37\00:27:42.48
will be blessed by it...
and that they will be able
00:27:42.52\00:27:45.60
to have some hope themselves...
00:27:45.64\00:27:47.14
Thank you so much for
joining us on Urban Report
00:27:47.18\00:27:49.59
Thank you for having me...
00:27:49.62\00:27:50.98
Our God is an
awesome God isn't he?
00:27:51.02\00:27:53.64
He's given Joan the gift
of life and a sense of purpose
00:27:53.68\00:27:56.80
and destiny... Thank
you for joining us...
00:27:56.84\00:27:59.08
Join us next time... It
just wouldn't be the same...
00:27:59.12\00:28:01.16
without you...
00:28:01.20\00:28:02.70