Woman gets life in prison without parole in 2022 killing of romantic rival in Tamarac

A woman convicted in the killing of her romantic rival in Tamarac back in 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The sentence was handed down Monday against 31-year-old Sakiyna Thompson.

Thompson had been convicted of first-degree murder in October in the July 2022 killing of 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson.

Prosecutors said Thompson flew to South Florida from New York days before the murder with the intent of killing Hodgson. They said Thompson was jealous that Hodgson was dating Thompson’s ex-boyfriend.

Thompson surprised Hodgson at her Tamarac apartment at 5 a.m., confronted her about the two women dating the same man, and then stabbed her to death, prosecutors said.

During the trial, jurors heard four hours of closing arguments that were centered on whether Thompson planned to kill Hodgson or whether Thompson acted in self-defense.

Defense attorneys insisted Thompson didn’t start the fight and said Hodgson struck Thompson over the head and cut her stomach. They said the killing was unfortunate, but it was only Thompson’s attempts to save her own life and the life of her unborn child.

The state said Thompson tried to conceal her identity that night by coming to the apartment in a hat and a COVID-19 mask, and used a fake Uber account to get there and back to her hotel.