The Caymanas Country Club Estate community is mourning the loss of journalist Barbara Gayle, a beloved resident of the townhouse complex in St Catherine for over 10 years.

Gayle, who was a veteran court reporter at the Jamaica Gleaner, died in tragic circumstances. Her body was discovered at her home on Tuesday morning. Preliminary reports suggest that foul play may be involved.

Details surrounding the incident are still being ascertained, however, it is understood that Gayle’s motor car and phone are reportedly missing.

A forensic investigator on the scene of the crime could not confirm the manner in which Gayle was murdered but said a “more fulsome report will be released to the public in due time”.

READ: Former Gleaner reporter Barbara Gayle found dead at home

Residents described Gayle as the “nicest, sweetest neighbour one could ever hope to have”.

“If Barbara has three mangoes, and she sees three people standing up talking, she will give everybody one. If she get jackfruit or melon, she has to come give you a piece of it, you couldn’t find a nicer sweeter human being,” one resident said.

Another resident said Gayle often offered words of encouragement to other neighbours and was a very active participant in the community’s WhatsApp group.

“Barbara sends everybody in the group a scripture every day and this morning was the first she missed a day. This is so tragic, she was such a ball of energy, always running jokes, always pleasant, she was such a warm person. Some Sundays, I would pick her up and go to church with her. Bwoy, Jamaica, Jamaica, this is not the kind of news I was expecting,” the resident said.

Residents said an unknown man attempted to break into a house in the community a few days ago.

Gayle was last seen talking to a male individual at 3 pm Monday when a neighbour went over her house to give her some ground provisions. Neighbours said Gayle’s motor vehicle was not in her usual parking spot hours later.

The police are reportedly following a number of leads.

Gayle’s career spanned over four decades and she was recently one of five veteran journalists honoured by the Press Association of Jamaica for her tireless work, chronicling cases across parish courts, circuit courts, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and even the Privy Council in the United Kingdom.

In the meantime, there have been an outpouring of tributes to Gayle from her former colleagues.

In a statement shortly after the news, the PAJ said as the nation’s pre-eminent court reporter for The Jamaica Gleaner, Gayle’s unparalleled dedication to court reporting set a standard for beat reporting, earning her the trust and respect of judges, attorneys, prosecutors, and court staff.

“Throughout her illustrious career, Barbara demonstrated a commitment to justice and transparency, meticulously reporting on criminal trials, civil suits, appeals, and landmark decisions. Her integrity and professionalism earned her numerous awards, including the Press Association of Jamaica Community Service Award and the Journalist of the Year award,” the association said.

Justice Carolyn Tie Powell, during the sentencing hearing for former UWI student Matthew Hyde, used the opportunity to express her condolences to the family and colleagues of Gayle.

“It has hit my brothers and sisters in a very deep way,” the judge said. “On some level you cannot even imagine the profession without that name being called.”

Press Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister, Naomi Francis described Gayle as “One of the sweetest, most decent, softest, gentle souls, a journalist and professional, trailbalzing court reporter”, adding that the news of her tragic passing was “unimaginable”.

“The sick creature(s) who did this to you shall have no rest and the the justice system must be decisive and harsh,” Francis said.