Her Ex's New Girlfriend Blocked Her on Social Media — Then She Flew to Fla. to Murder Her in Jealous Rage By Christina Coulter

A New York woman flew to Florida to confront her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend — a woman who had blocked her on social media — and a jury has now found her guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the violent attack in 2022.

Per court records, on Oct. 15, a Broward County jury found Sakiyna Thompson, 31, guilty of murdering Kayla Hodgson, the 23-year-old woman she viewed as a romantic rival — ending a case that rattled families in both New York and South Florida.

Thompson traveled from New York to South Florida days before the killing after learning Hodgson was dating her former boyfriend and had blocked her online, according to NBC 6 South Florida, Local 10 News and a Broward Sheriff’s Office press release.

She used a fake Uber account to reach Hodgson’s complex around 5 a.m. on July 13, 2022, per the outlets, and surveillance video shows a woman in a wide-brimmed hat, COVID-19 mask and gloves at the door.

Jurors were shown graphic bodycam footage and autopsy photos illustrating the brutality of the attack, according to NBC 6. The outlet reported that Thompson’s disguise and early-morning arrival were central to the argument that the killing was planned rather than impulsive.

Investigators tied Thompson to the crime through flight records, cellphone data and items recovered from the apartment, per NBC 6, Local 10 News and CBS Miami.

She was arrested in New York on Aug. 3, 2022, and extradited to Florida to face the murder charge, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Thompson later testified that she “blacked out” during the confrontation and acted to protect herself and her unborn child, NBC 6 reported. Closing arguments centered on premeditation versus self-defense, per the outlet.

“Being violated in your own home, in the sanctity of your own home, is a scary thing,” Assistant State Prosecutor Tonya Johnson told jurors during closing arguments, per NBC 6. “What’s even scarier is being attacked, being brutally murdered in your own home, and that person getting away with it.”

After the trial concluded, Hodgson’s relatives told the outlet they were grateful the jury “was able to see the story for what it is — that Kayla did not deserve to die the way that she did.” Her mother, Kerry Hodgson, said the outcome brought the family “some peace, knowing justice has been served.”