December 3, 2025
Despite claims of self defense, a Florida jury found Sakiyna Thompson guilty of first-degree murder.
A New York woman received a life sentence in prison for traveling across the country to get revenge on her ex’s new girlfriend.
Prosecutors allege that Sakiyna Thompson traveled down to South Florida from New York with the intention of killing Kayla Hodgson in July 2022. According to NBC Miami, the 31-year-old woman arrived at Hodgson’s apartment at 5 a.m. to confront her about dating her ex. The issue then escalated as the jealous ex-girlfriend stabbed the 23-year-old unsuspecting woman to death.
Thompson was charged with first-degree murder, for which she was later convicted by a jury this October. A Florida judge then delivered the lifetime sentence to the woman.
Ahead of her sentencing, multiple loved ones of Hodgson spoke about her killing. A cousin referred to Thompson as “wicked” for taking Hodgson’s life, seemingly because the boyfriend moved on.
“What she did was wicked and evil and a person like her, it’s important they never see the light of day again,” said Hodgson’s cousin, Melanie John.
However, Thompson’s defense team previously argued that the ex-girlfriend committed the act in self-defense. They claimed that Hodgson actually struck Thompson first, cutting her stomach while she was pregnant at the time. Thompson stated that she blacked out during the confrontation and did not remember killing the woman. Her team also deemed the fatal stabbing as not premeditated.
Despite this, prosecutors shared that Thompson arrived at the hotel incognito, wearing a hat and a face mask used during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also reportedly used a fake Uber account to get to Hodgson’s place.
However, Hodgson’s family called out Thompson’s story, calling it a “crock of garbage” to evade accountability.
“How about the audacity of you to come up on this stand and waste taxpayer dollars and tell them a crock of garbage to everyone about your blackout reasoning,” said another relative of Hodgson.
After the jury deliberated for one hour on the verdict, they found Thompson guilty of first-degree murder. Now, Hodgson’s family believes that justice has been served on behalf of their slain loved one.
“I feel like I can finally start some type of healing,” said another cousin, Alisha Mitchell. “It will never be the same; we will forever miss her. The way she died, it will never really sit right with us. At least the person responsible is being held accountable.”
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