St. Croix Says Final Goodbye To Lyana And Sons In Heart-Rending Homegoing

ST. CROIX — At first glance, the scene at the Bethel Seventh Day Adventist Church in Williams Delight appeared par for the course as funerals go, with family, friends and well-wishers making their way to the pews waiting for the service to begin.

But everything changed when three hearses of the Divine Funeral Home, escorted by police, brought the bodies of Lyana Serieux, along with her two sons, Jordan and Jeremiah Serieux to the church and carried them to the front of the altar. Instantly, the gravity of the moment rushed back the forefront of attendees’ minds, and the sadness and pain that has swept Ms. Serieux’s family became audible as they began mourning with loud, painful screams of grief.

Ms. Serieux was 24 years old when she was brutally murdered during the last weekend of July. Her body was found in the cistern of an abandoned building behind Mutual Homes in Grove. Her sons, ages 5 and 10, were also killed and disposed of on the south shore near the Ha’Penny Beach area. The sad occurrence has been described as the worst crime to ever occur in the U.S. Virgin Islands, especially since two innocent children with their entire lives ahead of them were taken. Their mother was described as a determined young woman who graduated from college with a bachelors of arts in psychology and a minor in political science, and was projected to start her master’s degree in psychology this fall. She did all this even after having a child at very young age, beating the odds.

Hosted by Maxine Hart along with Malik Stridiron, community activists who were heavily involved in assisting Ms. Serieux’s family from the onset of the tragedy, the funeral was marked by unfiltered grief as those close to Ms. Serieux and her boys delivered words of tribute.

Serieux family funeral attendees.

“She was my little sister, and I cared for her so much,” managed Kesha Serieux, Lyana’s older sister, after describing Ms. Serieux as persistent, loving, adventurous, inventive and compassionate. “I looked forward to seeing her so much. We would always do something together, especially with our kids,” Kesha cried as she was consoled by another family member.

In her eulogy, Ms. Serieux was said to be a motivator to her seven sisters, reminding them of the importance of school and encouraing them to stay the course. “She loved us and always wanted us to succeed,” reads a quote in the eulogy attributed to Kesha.

“I would say that she was one of the strongest women that I knew,” noted a young woman, who said she first met Ms. Serieux at the Carambola Beach Resort and Spa during a training, where Ms. Serieux was her trainer. From that time on the two became very good friends, with Ms. Serieux positively impacting the young woman’s life in more ways than one. Ms. Serieux, she said, encouraged her to pursue higher education, and also served as a confidant. “She was just so passionate about education; that’s all she loved. Every time I called Lyana, she’s studying,” she said.

The weight of the tragedy compelled the presence of local dignitaries, with Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter, Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett, Senator Alicia Hansen and others, attending the funeral.

Because the community was so emotionally attached to the incident, the family of Ms. Serieux requested that The Consortium livestream the funeral, so those who couldn’t physically attend could at least partake online. The comments, over 1,700, poured in, with most expressing their condolences to the family, while others called for justice.

Coffins of Lyana Serieux and sons.

“To the family of Lyana and her two sons, may God grant you strength that can move mountains. Remember and embrace all the wonderful memories and lives they have touched,” said Jacqueline Carr.

“Who is so heartless to kill a child, two young children at that. This is so sad. Dear God give the family strength to get through this,” said Zonelle Ashleyy Richardson.

“This is the saddest sight ever. Please people, if you know anything, please say something. This crime cannot be one of the many unsolved murders in St Croix,” said Imagene Mallory.

The service’s message, delivered by pastor Danny Philip, spoke of heaven as being a better place, where the worries of the world are nonexistent. At one point, Mr. Philip looked out to Mr. Potter and said, “Mr. lieutenant governor, in that paradise, there will be no need for the V.I.P.D.” Mr. Philip encouraged funeral attendees to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts, deeming the Christian savior as the path to eternal life.

Divine Funeral Home hearses leave Bethel Adventist Church following funeral service

As the service came to a close, the coffins were carried to the hearses, making their way to the Kingshill Cemetery, where the family of three were laid to rest.

What happened during that fateful weekend when Ms. Serieux and her sons were murdered, the V.I.P.D. is still trying to determine. But the tragedy shook the Virgin Islands to its core, all while uniting its residents to show compassion to a family during a pivotal time.