For her family, it's an unspeakable tragedy, one that they may never recover from. But it's also wounded her teacher at Buttonwood Bay Nazarene who's devastated in her own way. Today shared stories of the kind compassionate student that will be greatly missed in her class.

Melanie Bryant, Taught Mercedes Campos in Std 1
"Actually, I got the news on a Saturday morning, i think it was one of the other teachers that taught her in infant 1. She had forwarded a Facebook message to me and I was getting ready to prepare breakfast and when I started to read the message my heart just sank, you know because that was the last thing that I thought that I was gonna work with up to in the morning you know. One of my students in a tragic accident like that, you know. It was very sad and when I called the teacher I asked is this for real. And she said yes and I said you spoiled my whole day but it was just not news that you would want to hear about one of your students."

Cherisse Halsall:
"Now, because of the pandemic and the whole virtual classroom aspect you were really the last teacher to be face to face with Mercedes, tell us what she was like as a student."

Melanie Bryant, Taught Mercedes Campos in Std 1
"Right, I taught her in infant 2 and I moved up with the class in Standard 1, and when we were online she was always ready and willing to answer the questions. They were doing Zoom and so they were very excited, all the students were on and their faces were showing and you know you can see the excitement in all of their faces."

"When they were in Standard one and they came back to class the January you know she was the same way, willing and she had this little, a cousin I think it was that they always come to school together and she would always take care of him whenever he is eating because we used to eat inside they weren't allowed to go outside and so they eat at their tables and they were only allowed to take off their masks when they were eating and so this little boy would always forget to."

"Put back the mask on when they go to throw away the trash from eating, and she says: Ellie Miss Bryant said to keep your mask on, you know, so she was always attentive in that kind of way. Very humble little girl, sweet. Sweet little girl and willing to do whatever she has to do."

Cherisse Halsall:
"What's your message for the family as they mourn her?"

Melanie Bryant, Taught Mercedes Campos in Std 1
"You are never ready to hear that someone passed away in whatever means you know, whether they were sick by accident you know in her case, you know, but my hope and I continue to hold on to this is that children are a blessing from the lord and the bible says you know to bring the children onto him and so being that she was very young and she was at the age where she understood about the lord because every day we would pray and we would sing little songs together it gives me hope to know that even though she's not here with us she is in a better place."

Mercedes's alleged killer Elias Reynoso was granted bail in the sum of $10,000 plus two sureties of $5,000 - vine though he's a Guatemalan. Reynoso must also surrender all his travel documents to the Clerk of Court.