Mourning Melissa - Silvera’s matron of honour laments that she married her killer

Bob Marley's ' No Woman, No Cry' drifted through Emancipation Park yesterday, as persons clad in black stood with clenched fists, trembling lips, and tear-streaked faces, demanding an end to violence against women, and justice for Melissa Silvera.

In the midst of the grief stood Tamara Morgan, the godmother to Silvera's sons and matron of honour at her wedding. She said her emotions have been on a roller coaster since she once marched in front of Melissa on her wedding day, and years later marched behind her coffin in the same church in which she said her vows to her killer.

"I feel somewhat guilty because I was her matron of honour so I feel like I signed over someone to this," she said, sighing heavily while on the brink of tears.

Silvera was found dead at her home in Stony Hill, St Andrew, on November 10, 2023. It was initially believed that she had passed peacefully in her sleep. However, three weeks later, an autopsy revealed three bullet fragments in her body. Her husband, Jolyan Silvera, a former member of parliament, was arrested days after her funeral in January 2024. Earlier this year, he confessed to killing Silvera, however, that confession came with a plea of manslaughter on the grounds of provocation.

But yesterday, family members, friends, and supporters stood firm, with placards high above their heads. The messages were bold. One read 'Provocation is no justification', while another declared, 'Provocation? Oh please. Justice for Melissa'.

Morgan told THE STAR that the death of her longtime friend has been a hard one to process. She reflected on one occasion when she questioned Jolyan's character.

"Early in the relationship there was a questioning that took place. As friends, there are things you share and one account she shared something about a situation that came up between both of them that made me question him. We spoke about it and [felt] assured it was fine. We forgave and moved on," she said.

And so she said the death shocked her, making her now more sceptical of "the slightest red flag".

"I know forgiveness is a part of our life and the Lord tells us to do it, but I find that I have become more unacceptable for the least of things because if I have known, maybe..." she said as her voice trailed off.

Instead, Morgan chose to remember the good qualities about her friend.

"Mel was fun. She didn't think small, [she was] very ambitious, she had a business idea. She was in the midst of executing a major one. Anything she is planning is always major," Morgan said.

As the sentencing approaches on Friday, Morgan said that the most troublesome part of the case for her is the manslaughter plea.

"The morning when I saw the plea, I was wondering if it was a mistake. I didn't know you can plea manslaughter when you kill somebody. I really thought it was a print error and it really had me in shock," she said shaking her head in disbelief.

"For him to actually confess that he did it, because all along there was no confession - the acceptance of it is another thing," she continued. However, she reasoned that if the plea was not accepted and a trial was necessary, Melissa's children - who reportedly found their mother in her bedroom - would have had to testify. She opined that this would have been tough on their mental health.

Though she managed to keep back the tears to talk with THE STAR, when she stood in front of the park to give her tribute, the tears escaped down her cheeks and her voice cracked after every sentence. Morgan spoke of the memories of planning Melissa's wedding,

"Eight years ago I shared with you walking down the aisle of the St Andrew Parish Church as your matron of honour of one of the happiest days of your lives, your wedding, and today I am here once again in an effort to console. I sat here telling myself it is not your funeral and it's just a regular service. My breathing techniques failed me, the tears that flow are the most painful I felt, " she said as she broke down uncontrollably.

But as protester called for justice for Silvera, and listing other women who died in Jamaica, Morgan opined that the guilty plea should not stop the courts from giving her killer "the full term whatever it is that he deserves".