Community remembers Mount Vernon educator killed in domestic violence tragedy
Family, friends and community members gathered Saturday to remember Lisa Grier not for the way she died, but for how she lived — as an educator, a woman of faith and someone full of joy and compassion.
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Family and friends and gathered in the Bronx to honor the life of Lisa Grier, a Mount Vernon woman who police say was killed in a violent attack inside her home last month.
Loved ones described Grier as a kind and caring person who's impact reached far beyond her classroom.
“She has a kind spirit and a giving heart. A gentle soul,” said friend Marie Taylor.
Grier, an educator who worked as a teacher’s assistant in New York City, was remembered as a “beacon of light” and a “guardian angel” by those closest to her.
Police say the 33-year-old was attacked and killed inside her East Fourth Street apartment on March 22. Authorities charged 28-year-old Joveair Brice, identified as her longtime boyfriend, in connection with her death, along with other crimes that day, including a carjacking.
Friends say they had recently noticed a change in Grier’s normally upbeat personality.
“One day, she wasn’t herself,” said friend Venus LeGrand. “I knew that she was going through something.”
Her death is now drawing renewed attention to domestic violence in Westchester County. Data shows Mount Vernon has historically reported some of the highest numbers of domestic violence incidents in the county.
At the state level, lawmakers are considering legislation that would require police to conduct lethality assessments in domestic violence cases to determine whether victims face an immediate risk. The bill has passed the state Senate but has not yet become law.
For those who knew her best, the focus remains on Grier’s legacy.
“She was so soft-spoken and so beautiful and so brilliant,” said Denise Benjerman, the mother of one of Grier’s students. “The way she treated my daughter was just so beautiful.”
