A New York woman accused of traveling to Florida to kill her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend took the stand in her own defense Monday, admitting she stabbed the woman to death but insisting she acted in self-defense.
She Says She Just Wanted To Talk
Sakiyna Thompson, 31, is on trial in Broward County for the July 2022 killing of 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson at Hodgson’s apartment in Tamarac, Florida. Prosecutors say Thompson made the more than 1,200-mile trip from New York to confront her romantic rival, but Thompson told jurors she only intended to have what she described as a “woman-to-woman conversation.” “I didn’t go there to kill her,” Thompson testified, according to local NBC affiliate WTVJ. “I went there to talk.”
Prosecutors Don’t Believe She Acted In Self Defense
Thompson admitted she killed Hodgson but claimed the violence erupted when Hodgson attacked her first. “She took the glass from the hookah and slashed me across the stomach,” Thompson said. “I blacked out after that.” When she came to, Thompson said, Hodgson was dead on the floor, lying in a pool of blood. “I was walking in the blood,” she told the court. According to prosecutors, Hodgson was stabbed dozens of times — a level of violence that, they argue, shows rage, not self-defense. They said Thompson’s actions after the killing also reveal intent: she allegedly changed into Hodgson’s clothes, tried to clean up the apartment, and fled the state instead of calling for help.
Thompson Fled The State After Killing Hodgson
Traffic drives over the James E. Widener Memorial Bridge that spans Black Creek, on Route 386/Scottsville-Chili Road Monday, March 31, 2025. The bridge is one of several across Monroe County and the Rochester region that are in need of replacing according to national data from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory and a report released by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli in July 2024.
Thompson, who was pregnant at the time, said she panicked and left because she was terrified. She returned to New York, where she was arrested weeks later on August 3, 2022. She was then extradited back to Florida and charged with first-degree murder. During cross-examination, prosecutors pressed Thompson on her claim that she acted in self-defense. “You didn’t kill her because she was fighting you?” one asked. “No,” Thompson replied. “I killed her because she took the glass and slashed me.”
Was The Murder Premeditated?
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The case has drawn widespread attention, in part because of the brutality of the attack and the strange mix of premeditation and panic alleged by both sides. Prosecutors say Thompson’s trip from New York to Florida was planned and deliberate; the defense argues that whatever her intent, the confrontation turned fatal only after she was attacked.
A Bright Light Gone Too Soon
Hodgson’s family, who have attended parts of the trial, have described her as a bright and compassionate young woman whose life was just beginning. After her death, relatives created a GoFundMe page to cover funeral costs and celebrate her memory. “Kayla meant so much to so many people,” the family wrote. “She was an amazing daughter, sister, niece, and friend. Everyone loved her tremendously.” Closing arguments in the case are expected Tuesday. The jury will then decide whether Thompson acted in self-defense — or whether the trip to Florida was part of a calculated plan that ended in murder.
