Jealous Woman Travels to Florida to Murder Ex's New Lover, Sentenced to Life

The Discovery of Kayla Hodgson

• 911 was called on July 13th, 2022, in Tarmac, Florida, after 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson was found unresponsive in her second-floor apartment.
• 💔 Kayla was discovered by her boyfriend, Ravelto Robinson, who stated he had been trying to reach her all morning and found the door unlocked.
• 🩸 First responders found a gruesome scene with blood throughout the apartment, and Kayla was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigation and Suspect Identification

• 🔍 Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and a neighbor's doorbell camera, which captured a woman arriving at Kayla's apartment around 5:00 a.m. wearing a hat and gloves.
• 🎭 The suspect, later identified as Sakiyna Thompson, attempted to disguise herself, clean the crime scene, and fled the apartment wearing Kayla's clothes.
• ✈️ Thompson, from New York, had traveled to Florida with the intent to confront Kayla, whom she believed was involved with her ex-boyfriend, Ravelto Robinson.

Trial and Defense Arguments

• ⚖️ Thompson was arrested in New York and extradited to Florida, charged with first-degree murder.
• 🗣️ The defense admitted Thompson killed Kayla but argued it was an act of self-defense during a confrontation that escalated.
• ❌ Prosecutors countered that Thompson's actions, including using a fake Uber, attempting to clean the scene, and changing into the victim's clothes, undermined the self-defense claim.

Sentencing and Family Impact

• 🎤 During the trial, Thompson testified, claiming she blacked out and did not remember the murder.
• 🚫 A Broward County jury convicted Thompson of first-degree murder, rejecting her defense.
• 😭 Kayla's family delivered emotional victim impact statements, describing her as a bright, caring, and loyal person, and expressing their pain over her loss and the killer's lack of remorse.
• ⛓️ The judge sentenced Sakiyna Thompson to life in prison without parole, noting the heinous nature of the crime and the DNA evidence found under the victim's fingernails.
• ⚖️ Thompson was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, with restitution ordered for court costs.