“I Lost My Grandson, But She’s Still My Daughter”: Jayden-Lee’s Grandfather Breaks His Silence

As Tiffany Meek stays behind bars, her father Michael Lucas speaks about grief, guilt and why he won’t abandon her

In the ongoing case that has shaken South Africa, the voice of a grandfather has now entered the room.

Michael Linton Lucas, father of Tiffany Meek and grandfather of eleven-year-old Jayden-Lee, has shared his heartbreak for the first time since Tiffany was arrested for her son’s murder. Speaking during a live TikTok broadcast, Lucas opened up about his pain, regrets, and the backlash his family has endured since the tragedy.

Meek is facing multiple charges, including murder, crimen injuria, defeating the ends of justice, and attempting to obstruct justice. Her recent bail application was denied in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court, with the court citing her as a flight risk and a potential target for community hostility if released.

A father’s offer, rejected

Lucas had offered his home in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal, as a potential bail address for his daughter, an act, he says, made out of desperation and love.

“I didn’t find the time to tell my landlord or neighbours. It was all happening so fast,” he explained. “But in this country, anyone who gets bail returns to their home. You don’t need to tell society.”

The court, however, appeared unmoved. Lucas claimed the State used the uncertainty around his offer to strengthen their argument that Meek could flee. He says his landlord lives next door, and their agreement was online, yet when he offered to send proof over WhatsApp, the call was abruptly ended.

“He just said ‘no thanks’ and hung up,” Lucas said.

“It’s painful. But I can’t throw her away.”

Despite the allegations, Lucas made it clear he won’t abandon his daughter.

“I felt pain for Jayden when I heard of his passing. And if my daughter is found guilty, it’s going to hurt like a ton of bricks,” he said. “But she’s still my daughter. I can’t throw her away.”

He acknowledged their bond appeared close, often captured in family photos and videos. But the emotional toll has left him “numb.” Lucas says he travelled for Jayden’s funeral and returned to KwaZulu-Natal the following day, overwhelmed by grief and anxiety.

“She hasn’t been found guilty. I’m not saying she couldn’t do it or did. But I’m also her father. I have to live with this too.”

From a criminal past to public judgement

In a moment of vulnerability, Lucas shared his own history, a criminal conviction from years ago, where he served 12 years for a nightclub shooting in Johannesburg.

“I know how the justice system works,” he said. “People can say ‘like father, like daughter,’ but that’s unfair. Let’s look at her life, her circumstances.”

Now, Lucas says he spends his time speaking to youth about personal growth and forgiveness, a path he’d begun long before this case took over headlines.

“I used to carry bitterness. But God showed me that every person you hate was once a baby too. They didn’t just land on the street.”

“Society has already crucified her.”

Lucas says the hardest part is not just what’s happening in court, but how the public has reacted online.

“The comments are brutal. Society has already crucified her,” he said. “I haven’t said anything until now. This is the first time I’m speaking live.”

He called for a more compassionate public approach, even as justice takes its course.

“Let’s say she’s guilty. She gets life. What then? What do we do with her as a human being?”

A family scarred, and still searching for answers

Lucas’ last conversation with Jayden-Lee was on New Year’s Day 2024, just after midnight. He remembers golden moments when Jayden was a baby, living in Durban with his father, Levi, in Lucas’s home. He also recalled the death of Tiffany’s first child, a devastating moment that left a mark on their family.

“I buried her first baby. I carried the little coffin,” he said softly. “Whether Tiffany goes to jail or not, I will visit her. Because no matter what, she’s still my daughter.”

In a case that continues to grip the nation, Lucas’ testimony reminds us that behind the court dates and charges lie layers of loss, confusion, and human pain, ones that no judgement can easily untangle.

Also read: Tiffany Meek to Appeal No-Bail Ruling as South Africa Demands Justice for Jayden-Lee

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Source: IOL

Featured Image: The South African