Students mourn the death of Palm Desert High School teacher

As students remember Ms. Jill Grant, they remember her contagious happiness.

“She never really had a frown on her face,” Cameron Moulton, one of Ms. Grant’s former students, said.

“Very bubbly. Never really had a bad day,” Nick Donahue, one of Ms. Grant’s former students, said.

Grant taught Cameron Moulton algebra six years ago, his freshman year of high school.

“Very generous with her time. There were plenty of times we would see her with kids on her lunch break in her room. Tutoring or lecturing on things they had trouble with,” Moulton said.

“She taught me a lot actually. She actually turned me toward math I didn’t like it before,” Donahue said.

“She worked hard. It was always, when you do a test, you have results next day. She was up all night grading them,” Moulton said.

Students started a memorial at the front of Palm Desert High School in remembrance of Ms. Grant.

“Its been really heart-wrenching. But I know her spirit continues to help everybody and when you think of her, if you had her as a teacher, knew her as a person, when you think of her, it’s good memories because she was a saint,” Moulton said.

Moulton’s shock continued as he realized who police have as a suspect. Indio Police arrested Grant’s live in boyfriend, Michael John Franco, on the suspicion of murder. Cameron saw a picture of Franco on the news, and recognized the face.

“He came one time to the school during the year and she introduced him and was just talking about things. He came to drops something off or pick something up. Met him at that point. It’s scary because you think you know someone and judge their character and think they’re good people,” Moulton said.

Franco is being held on $5 million bail.