Inset: Kayla Hodgson (GoFundMe). Background: Sakiyna Thompson during her sentencing hearing for killing Hodgson (Law&Crime).
A woman from New York will spend her life in prison for traveling to Florida and brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend’s new partner. The tragic incident involved the woman stabbing her victim multiple times and then claiming self-defense in court.
Sakiyna Thompson, aged 31, was found guilty in October for the murder of 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson. On Monday, a judge handed down a life sentence to Thompson. According to authorities from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Thompson committed the murder at Hodgson’s apartment in Tamarac on July 13, 2022.
Hodgson’s family, donning T-shirts with “Justice For Kayla” and her picture printed on the back, shared their memories of the victim in court. They described her as a “fashionista” with a warm personality, always ready to lend a hand to those in need.
Among the family members, Hodgson’s cousin directed strong words towards Thompson, questioning her right to invade Kayla’s home and commit such a heinous act. “What makes you think you can violate someone’s right to life and then continue living as if nothing happened?” the cousin asked, further criticizing Thompson for wasting taxpayer money by claiming she blacked out during the crime.
The case revealed disturbing details about Thompson’s actions leading up to the murder, including stalking Hodgson’s Instagram and searching her ex-boyfriend’s phone for proof of their relationship. Throughout the trial, the family noted that Thompson refused to accept responsibility for her actions.
The suspect stalked Hodgson’s Instagram page and searched her ex-lover’s phone looking for evidence of a relationship. During the legal process, Thompson never took responsibility for killing Hodgson, according to the victim’s family.
“You sat here and you stared at me and my family, my aunt, and our eyes taunting us for three long years showing absolutely not one drop of remorse for what she’s done,” Hodgson’s cousin said. “In fact, your stares showed an expression of, ‘So what? Yeah, I did it and I’d do it again.’”
Thompson was jealous of Hodgson, the victim’s family said.
“Tell me what you thought every time you searched, ‘1PrincessKay’ on Instagram, seeing a beautiful girl with a banging body [and] vibrant personality, the complete, total opposite from what you see when you stand in front of the mirror,” the cousin said. “That killed you so much, you wanted to damage her face. That’s why you did what you did.”
The judge called Thompson’s crime “heinous” because she “tracked down, showed up and killed” the victim.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Thompson took the stand in her own defense.
According to a courtroom report from local NBC affiliate WTVJ, Thompson claimed she traveled from the Empire State to the Sunshine State to have a “woman-to-woman” chat with Hodgson.
Thompson conceded the fact that she killed Hodgson, but reportedly told jurors she did so in self-defense.
“You didn’t kill her because she was fighting you?” a prosecutor asked.
“No,” Thompson responded. “I killed her because she took the glass from the hookah and slashed me across the stomach.”
The suspect, who was pregnant at the time, said she then blacked out and the next thing she remembered was holding the murder weapon and seeing Hodgson dead on the floor in a pool of blood. Hodgson suffered dozens of stab wounds, prosecutors reportedly said.
Thompson then allegedly changed into a set of the victim’s clothes and tried to clean up the scene before fleeing.
“I was walking in the blood,” she reportedly said.
She said she never called 911 because she was afraid and traveled back to New York. Authorities arrested her on Aug. 3, 2022, and extradited her back to Florida on a charge of first-degree murder.
Hodgson’s family set up a GoFundMe account after her death.
“Kayla meant so much to so many people — she was an amazing daughter, a very loved and adored big sister, niece, granddaughter and cousin, whose bond was like no other,” the fundraiser read. “Everyone loved her tremendously and she was a friend to all.”
