A deadly love triangle spanning the East Coast ended in a life sentence Monday for a New York woman who traveled to Florida to kill her ex-boyfriend’s new partner.
Sakiyna Thompson, 31, learned her fate in a Broward County courtroom just months after a jury convicted her of first-degree murder. Prosecutors say Thompson drove from New York to Tamarac in July 2022 to confront 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson.
While Thompson claimed on the stand that she only intended to have a “woman-to-woman” conversation, the encounter ended with Hodgson being stabbed dozens of times inside her own apartment.
During the trial, Thompson testified that she acted in self-defense, claiming she “blacked out” after Hodgson slashed her with a piece of broken hookah glass. She told jurors she only “woke up” when she was already holding the weapon over the victim’s body.
READ: Florida Woman Out On Bond For Attempted Murder Uses Ankle Monitor Cord To Strangle Nurse
The judge, however, rejected that narrative, labeling the crime “heinous” because Thompson explicitly tracked down the victim. Evidence showed Thompson had stalked Hodgson’s Instagram and searched her ex’s phone to confirm the relationship before making the trip south. After the attack, Thompson changed into the victim’s clothes to escape, fleeing back to New York, where she was later arrested.
Monday’s sentencing featured emotional impact statements from Hodgson’s family, who wore shirts reading “Justice For Kayla.” The victim’s cousin tore into Thompson for her lack of remorse and perceived envy.
“Tell me what you thought every time you searched… seeing a beautiful girl with a banging body [and] vibrant personality,” the cousin told the court. “That killed you so much, you wanted to damage her face. That’s why you did what you did.”
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