The family of murder victim Shannon Whyte says her blood is in the hands of the Minister of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds, the judicial system's hands and the government..

In a passionate interview with Newsday on Saturday, Anna Lisa Pierre, the grandmother and guardian of Whyte's nine-year-old daughter, described her relationship with Whyte as that of a mother-daughter.

Pieere could be heard fighting back tears as she spoke fondly of Whyte, who was found dead in a barrel with a gunshot wound to the head at the home of a close male relative on July 1, 2021.

She said Whyte's daughter is doing okay but has moments when she appears troubled by her mother's death, especially on Mother's Day and her birthday, which is just one day after her mother's.

"She’s really into cricket, and we are getting her back into dance classes; she loves to dance."

Pierre said the family has not received any updates from the police in a long time but is still praying an arrest will be made.

"Shannon was a darling. She was like my adopted daughter. She was a light. I mean, she had a little hot mouth, but she was a very loving person. She loved her family, friends, the outdoors and boat rides. She spent a lot of time with her daughter: they were extremely close."

Speaking about the police investigation, Pierre said she understands Whyte's case isn’t unique and called for more to be done to protect women. She believes stiffer penalties would help deter criminals.

"More should have been done in terms of bringing Shannon Whyte's murderer to justice. I rest that squarely on the shoulders of Minister Hinds, he is the head of the security apparatus in TT."

Pierre refuted claims that Whyte’s death was a suicide.

"For other families going through what we are going through, I put the victims' blood in the hands of those in power."

However, Pierre said she does not blame the police.

"There is only so much the police can do. They arrest, charge, and bring people before the court. It's up to the system to follow through."

She believes her family will one day get justice and she said the last person Whyte spoke to was her daughter.

"The day Shannon was murdered, she called my mother around 11.16 am to talk to her daughter. We tried calling her back right after and could not get in touch with her. My mother kept trying until about 12.30, but there was no answer.

"Looking back, I believe Shannon was killed around that time because she never answered or returned the call. Her daughter may have been the last person Shannon spoke to, and she told her to let her grandmother wash and loosen out her hair."

Pierre described the moment she learned about Whyte's death as a nightmare and expressed her frustration with the lack of action from the authorities.

"I want people to wake up. Nobody cares about us. We ought to look out for one another. We have to stop the politics. Persons in high places have their private security, but we have to wait. Protect yourself and your family at all costs, by any legal means necessary. Let