DELROY Wilson buried his former common-law wife, his 11 year-old daughter and seven-year-old stepdaughter yesterday in three creamy white caskets, borne by spanking new Cadillacs.

Three weeks earlier he had stood in his yard, hands on his head, and wept not only for their brutal and vicious murder, but because he had not a cent to give them a decent burial.

The caskets, bearing the remains of Doreen James, 33, and her daughters Tenisha Wilson, 11, and Shakira Malcolm, seven, lay before the church altar during the spirited two-hour memorial service during which a lively one-man brass band provided music to the small crowd of mourners. After the national outpouring of anger and condemnation for the brutality of the murders, it was mostly family members and schoolmates of the girls who turned out to help Wilson bear his grief.

Wilson, his head bowed, sat in the Faith Chapel United Pentecostal Church in Renfield Avenue, Kingston 20, and silently thanked the good Samaritan who undertook the cost of the funeral. He never could have done it on his security guard wage.

The three were among seven people viciously killed in a midnight massacre in 100 Lane off Red Hills Road on January 3, when up to 30 gunmen invaded the community. When they left, seven were dead, two houses, including James’ were burnt, families scarred and an entire community was left in shock and fear. Shakira had been hiding under the bed when the murderers pulled her out and shot her repeatedly. Her mom went down still praying aloud.

It appeared that not too many of James’, neighbours were there to stand with Wilson yesterday.

In a comforting message from the pulpit, Bishop M D Kelly never once mentioned the circumstances of the deaths, but told the bereaved family that their loved ones would live again. He said James was saved in the arms of Jesus when she was baptised in the church and would live again when Jesus comes to claim the righteous.

Tributes to the two children were rendered in song by students of Swallowfield All-Age and St Richards Primary schools where they attended.

Shakira who attended St Richard’s Primary was remembered by her class teacher and fellow students as happy, carefree and friendly. Tenisha’s weeping teacher said the girl had proved herself to be one of the best students in her class and that she possessed the zest to achieve academic excellence.

Simone Sinclair, a friend of Doreen, eulogised her as an industrious and hard-working house-keeper and mother “who had a masters degree in caring for her children”. “She was a Christian with a genuine heart, living a life for the Lord,” she said

Yesterday Wilson extended his gratitude to the president and chief executive officer of Island Life Insurance Company, Michael Fraser for underwriting the cost of the funeral, having read his appeal for help in the Observer.

“Mr Fraser read the article and, in a quick response, he financed all the undertaker’s cost,” Wilson said. “I am more than happy for what he has done, because without that help I could not do this.”