Shortly after midnight on June 30 2018, gun shots pierced the summer air in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood. By the time the police arrived on the scene, two young men were dead. One of them was 27-year-old Jeffrey Montaque.
So far this year, nearly three dozen people have been murdered in Boston. In the wake of each tragedy, the public is often told the victim’s name, age, sex, and race. But it’s not long before the people who die blur together and become a grim statistic.
We spoke to Jeff’s family and friends to learn more about his life and how his community is coping in the wake of his death.
Jeff is remembered as thoughtful and funny, honest and even-keeled. His relatives describe his death as the hardest thing they’ve ever experienced.
The circumstances of Jeff’s murder are still under investigation. His family says frustratingly few details are available. The Boston Police have released the name of a 20-year-old suspect, but no arrests have been made.
Below are memories of Jeff's life and legacy, recounted by his loved ones.
Listen to Part 1 of this story here:
Listen to Part 2 of this story here:
***
The Broken Coffee Table
“The one time he did something that would get him into trouble, he confessed right away.
He was bouncing a basketball in the house and we had a glass coffee table. It bounced right on the coffee table and the coffee table shattered into pieces. And he was so worried about how our mom was going to react. She was out at the time and he was so anxious about her coming home and seeing her glass coffee table in pieces.
Instead of, like, hiding, which is probably what I would have done, as soon as he saw that she was coming home he went right to the door and said: ‘Mommy, I'm so sorry I broke the coffee table. I'm so sorry.’ You know, that's who he was.”
- Ashley Simmons, Jeff’s sister
***
The First Swear Word
“I looked up to him my whole life.
I remember teaching him our first swear and I used to say, ‘Just say it. Just say it.’ It was the F-word. And he was like, “No, I don’t want to say that.’ And I was like, ‘Just say it. Just say it.’ ”
- Eric Montaque, Jeff’s brother
***
Following Jeff’s Footsteps
“We were all homeless at one point and we didn't know what to do. Jeff was always that person creating a footstep for us.
He went to Bridge Over Troubled Waters and they were able to help him find shelter and I did the same thing. I was able to get myself out of the situation just by following my brother's footsteps.
He never wore his obstacles on his sleeve or anything.”
- Derek Montaque, Jeff’s brother
***
Midnight Maintenance
“When he lived with me and he was doing maintenance of the building, he would be on call. So, at three o'clock in the morning when your fire alarm went off or the toilet flowed, we jumped into the car and off we would go.
And then we'd get home, get back into bed and, lo and behold, the phone would go off and we’d come running again.”
- Bill Berggren, Jeff’s former boyfriend
***
Learning The News
“I was getting ready to go to the beach with my partner and my daughter. We were getting ready to head out the door, packing up stuff, and I get a call from my mom. The picture that comes up when my mom calls is my mom and Jeff – hugging. That's the picture that comes up.
And my mom called and said that Jeff was shot and killed. And I said: What?! What?! She had to repeat it three times. And then I just lost it. I lost it. I just lost it. And I just screamed: 'No! No! No! No! No!'
My neighbors heard me. They were concerned. They were like, ‘Ashley, what happened?’ All I could say is, 'No, no, no, no.”
- Ashley Simmons, Jeff’s sister
***
Everything I Do
“Everything I do, I just think of Jeff. That's why I'm even a maintenance technician now. That's what he did. I use his tools. I carry his I.D. with me — every day — because I just think Jeff would be doing this right now if he were still here.”
- Derek Montaque, Jeff’s brother
***
One Of The Last Things He Told Me
“I have a daughter — she's 4 — and one of the last things he ever told me was: I want you to get on your feet so you can have a place for your daughter to come to. So, I just keep that in mind every day.”
- Eric Montaque, Jeff’s brother
***
It’s Going To Be Okay
“I had a crazy dream a couple of nights ago. It took place in a church. Jeff was sitting in the front row, just looking straight. Meanwhile, everybody that knew him – we were all running around the church like crazy, just running around the church as if we’re all searching for something that we lost.
And I stopped to look at him. I didn't really say anything. I didn't call him. I didn't go up to him. I just stopped. He's in the front row – he knows that it's going to be okay. He's just waiting for us to know that he’s okay.”
- Derek Montaque, Jeff’s brother
