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As she gently bathed two of her grandchildren in her yard in Cane River, Bull Bay, St Andrew, Merlene wore a hollow look on her face. She managed a weak smile, but her eyes betrayed deep sorrow and exhaustion.

Just two days earlier, her world had been turned upside down.

Her 50-year-old son, Ralph Edwards, had killed his 25-year-old partner, Kadane Blackstock, and then took his own life. Their four young children aged six, four, two and one have been left orphaned.

Merlene and her daughter Tamaica have vowed to do their best to raise the children.

"We are going to take care of them. Mi love mi grandchildren dem, mi always take care of them but mi never expect anything like this to happen," Merlene said.

As she grapples with the trauma of Friday's incident, Merlene told THE STAR that she never expected such tragedy to visit her family.

According to the police, around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, residents heard chilling screams from the couple's home and called for help. When officers arrived, Edwards was found hanging from a tree behind the house. Inside, Blackstock was discovered in a pool of blood with a wound to her upper body.

Both were taken to the Kingston Public Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Just weeks ago, Kadane presented him with an award at their six-year-old daughter's graduation, recognising his dedication as a father. Edwards, in turn, often praised Blackstock's progress at work.

But their relationship, which began while Blackstock was a 15-year-old schoolgirl, was on the rocks. Things were so bad that she moved out of the house last Wednesday. She returned on Friday to drop off the kids, but never made it out alive.

Merlene recalled that the last time she saw her son was earlier that day. He had complained of a severe headache and was deeply troubled about his crumbling relationship with Blackstock.

"Him say, 'Mi mada, di lady naah change and mi wah live for the children'. Him say she come with police the Wednesday and she took out her things and I told him to leave her make she gwan," Merlene related.

The grieving grandmother said her son told her he would take two of the children and give the other two to Blackstock, but she objected to splitting them up.

"I told him to take them and I will keep them. Him keep on a bawl for him head, and him sister give him $5,000 and tell him to go doctor," she said.

MOTHER'S ENQUIRY

Concerned, Merlene said she called Blackstock to find out what was going on between them.

"She said, 'Merl, fi tell yuh di truth, mi want peace of mind, and when mi come from work a evening time Ralph keep on a nag mi about man. Him take away mi phone and wah fight mi off.'"

"I told her that she should not stay in the relationship and she should take away herself. She told me that she gonna go by the house to drop off the kids to Ralph because she have to work the Saturday morning," she said.

Later that night, Merlene was jolted by a desperate knock at her door. She was told no one could find either Edwards or Blackstock, and the children were left alone in the house.

"Mi a wonder what could have happened to dem because dem wouldn't leave the kids alone. Death never come across mi mind. Afterwards we get a next call say dem find Kadane with her throat cut and Ralph have rope round him neck. Mi bawl out 'Jeesas Christ! Wah mi pickney do? Why him trouble di girl?'"

Edwards and Blackstock had been together since she was just 15. She was a high school student when the relationship began. Merlene said she disapproved of the relationship because of Blackstock's age.

"I told Kadane to leave out Ralph alone because she young," Merlene said.

"Dat time she a go high school, and she bright and intelligent. Him leave him woman and the two a dem did live ina house round a di bush round dere so. A morning time she use to pass and call to mi, and mi never really answer her because mi did upset about the relationship," Merlene said.

Tamaica, Edwards' sister, described the relationship as deeply troubled, despite signs of love.

"Dem love each other, but no one would want to stay in a relationship where they fight and cuss at all time. If dem fight all the time, feelings gonna drift, and Kadane a seh how Ralph fi a lick har and den expect her to turn around and lay with him. She say she didn't want to break up her family but Ralph just nah change," Tamaica said.

She told THE STAR that her brother stuttered, and had a history of abuse.

"My bredda kinda stamma and once he can't bring out his words he would use his hands. We were aware of that. We talk to him about it, because Kadane is not the first female him would hit. Any female that talk to him would tell you that. It just never dawn on mi that he would kill anyone," she added.