Life Without Parole for Tamarac Murder of Romantic Rival

A Broward County judge has sentenced 31-year-old Sakiyna Thompson to life in prison without parole for the 2022 killing of 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson, her romantic rival.

Thompson was convicted of first-degree murder in October after jurors deliberated for just one hour. Prosecutors said she flew from New York to South Florida with the intent to kill Hodgson, who had been dating Thompson’s former boyfriend.

According to evidence presented at trial, Thompson arrived at Hodgson’s Tamarac apartment around 5 a.m., disguised in a hat and COVID mask, and used a fake Uber account to conceal her movements. She confronted Hodgson about their relationships with the same man and fatally stabbed her.

During Monday’s sentencing, ten family members and friends delivered emotional victim-impact statements.
“What she did was wicked and evil,” said cousin Melanie John. “A person like her should never see the light of day again.”
Another cousin, Alisha Mitchell, said the verdict allowed the family to “finally start some type of healing,” though the loss will “never sit right.”

The defense argued Thompson acted in self-defense, claiming Hodgson struck her with an object and cut her stomach, and that Thompson was protecting herself and her unborn child. Thompson said she blacked out and had no memory of the killing. Prosecutors countered that her disguise and travel arrangements showed clear premeditation.

As sentencing concluded, one family member criticized Thompson’s testimony, calling her blackout story “a crock of garbage.”