A grieving mother, heartbroken family members, friends, and colleagues drowned in sorrow—this was the scene at Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Hyde Park, Boston, where over a hundred people gathered to pay their final respects to Mellissa Janvier Pablo.
Born on September 20, 1992, Mellissa was tragically shot and killed by her husband, Luckenson King Pablo, on December 6, 2024.
Overcome with grief, many of Mellissa’s loved ones fainted during the funeral service and had to be assisted multiple times.
One by one, speakers shared heartfelt testimonies about Mellissa, describing her as a respectful and kindhearted person who was always ready to help others.
At the time of her death, Mellissa, 32, was the manager of a Starbucks store at Logan International Airport in Boston. She had been married to Luckenson King Pablo for over 10 years.
Unable to endure her husband’s violent behavior any longer, Mellissa had filed several complaints with the Chelsea Police Department, where she lived. She was preparing to leave the state of Massachusetts to escape the abuse, but her husband robbed her of that chance, lamented her mother, Glénique Balan. Glénique traveled from the Dominican Republic to attend the funeral of her only daughter, whom she described as “the greatest hope of her family.”
Several representatives from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office attended the ceremony, as did Mellissa’s colleagues from Starbucks.
Meanwhile, the alleged perpetrator, Luckenson King Pablo, is scheduled to appear in Chelsea District Court on February 7 for his trial in the murder of Mellissa Janvier.
