Tyler Perry is using his platform hoping that someone will step forward with information regarding the murder of a Black man who was friends with Beyoncé‘s long-time publicist Yvette Noel-Schure.
On June 18, the highly respected public relations pro posted an Instagram slideshow that included pictures and videos of her and Josiah “Jonty” Robinson, who she called her “bonus son,” after learning about his passing. Along with the post was a lengthy caption detailing how they met and special memories shared.
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According to People, the singer-songwriter was not in the closet about his sexuality. Unfortunately, because of his romantic preference, he became another victim of senseless murder driven by hate. The Grenada native’s body was reportedly found on Morne Rouge Beach, also referred to as BBC Beach, the same day Noel-Schure posted, and it’s believed he died from “manual strangulation.”
Since then, she’s been sharing small moments of her grieving process with her followers as she mourns.
To support his friend and potentially get a lead in the case to help police get one step further in Robinson’s investigation, Perry published an Instagram post regarding the 23-year-old along with sad instances at his funeral to share what happened, his sentiments about it, and how the public could be of assistance to Grenadian officers spearheading the case into the “gifted singer’s” unfortunate passing.
“A few days ago I got an extremely heartbreaking phone call from my friend, Yvette Noel-Schure. Through her tears and grief she was telling me that in her home country of Grenada, a young man that was like a son to her was murdered,” the filmmaker wrote. “My soul ached as she shared that he was a young, gifted singer who was murdered because he was gay. My mind immediately went to Mathew Shepard, and all the other victims of racist, homophobic, antisemitic, xenophobic, senseless violence.”
He continued, “This kid was 23, how is this ok? His mother is devastated. This pain is too common — the same pain of Marcia Williams, who I’ve been trying to help to find out what happened to her son Terrance in Collier County, Florida for years now. The pain of not knowing can be crippling. It’s the pain that my sister and I carry not knowing what truly happened to my 25-year-old nephew, who we were told hung himself in prison just 3 years ago. The pain of not knowing is truly gut-wrenching.”
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His long caption captivated the hearts of his 7.4 million followers, who left much love and support in the post’s comment section. He concluded by sharing that he and Noel-Schure are offering a $100,000 cash reward to anyone with clues on what led to Robinson’s death.
“So with that said, Yvette and I are offering a $100,000 dollar reward to anyone who brings forth information that leads to the conviction of the murderer of Josiah ‘Jonty’ Robinson,” he wrote. “Please pray for his mother and Yvette and all of those that loved him, as well as every family who has been impacted by senseless violence. Anyone with any information can call The Criminal Investigation Division at this number. +1-473-440 3921.”
