A woman serving life without parole for stabbing a romantic rival dozens of times inside a Tamarac apartment has resurfaced online — not in a courtroom, but on a prison pen-pal website describing herself as a creative foodie looking for genuine connections. Sakiyna Thompson, now 32, was convicted of first-degree murder for the July 2022 killing of 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson, and her new profile stands in stark contrast to the brutality prosecutors described at trial.
Thompson flew roughly 1,000 miles from New York to Florida before tracking down Hodgson, according to The Mirror US. Hodgson was the new girlfriend of Thompson's ex, and reports indicate Thompson created a fraudulent Uber account to reach her residence, arriving at the South Florida apartment around 5 a.m. wearing gloves, a COVID-19 mask, and a broad-brimmed hat, per the same outlet. The killing occurred around 3 p.m. on July 13, 2022, when Thompson stabbed Hodgson multiple times inside the Tamarac Village Apartment complex, near Northwest 93rd Avenue and 57th Street, according to CBS News.
Hodgson sustained dozens of stab wounds during the attack. She was found unresponsive, and a 911 call reported her condition before paramedics arrived, CBS News reported.
A Manhunt That Ended in Queens
New York City police arrested Thompson on August 3, 2022, in the Springfield Gardens neighborhood of Queens, three weeks after the murder, CBS News reported. A Broward County arrest warrant had been issued on July 25, 2022, the outlet noted. Thompson is a Jamaican native who had been living in Queens before her flight to Florida and subsequent arrest, according to Caribbean National Weekly.
According to The Mirror US, Thompson was two months pregnant at the time of the stabbing. She claimed she acted in self-defense, saying she feared Hodgson was trying to hurt her unborn baby, and her legal team maintained she did not instigate the altercation, per the outlet. At trial, Thompson testified that Hodgson attacked her first by slashing her stomach with a piece of hookah glass and said she blacked out and did not remember stabbing Hodgson, according to Caribbean National Weekly.
Prosecutors contended Thompson was jealous and insecure and intended to kill Hodgson, The Mirror US reported. Evidence presented at trial showed Hodgson had blocked Thompson on social media before the attack, according to Law & Crime. Prosecutors argued the attack was premeditated, the outlet reported.
Disguises, a Fake Uber Account, and a One-Hour Verdict
Thompson acknowledged disposing of blood-soaked clothing, changing into Hodgson's garments, and tampering with portions of the crime scene, per The Mirror US. Prosecutors presented evidence of Thompson's disguises and a fake Uber account, according to Caribbean National Weekly, and the jury needed only about an hour to reach a guilty verdict on the first-degree murder charge.
Kayla Hodgson's cousin Melanie John said the person responsible should never see the light of day again, per The Mirror US. Another cousin, Alisha Mitchell, said she could begin healing but would always miss Kayla, the outlet reported. On December 1, 2025, a Broward County Circuit Court judge sentenced Thompson to life in prison without parole, Radio Jamaica News reported. At least 10 people addressed the judge, Caribbean National Weekly reported, and relatives described the murder as wicked and evil during the proceeding.
Under Florida Statutes Section 782.04(1)(a), first-degree premeditated murder is classified as a capital felony, according to The Florida Senate. Thompson was found guilty of first-degree murder and later sentenced to life without parole.
From Nail Technician to Prison Pen-Pal Profile
Before her incarceration, Thompson worked as a nail technician and cake maker in New York and is the mother of one, according to The Mirror US. She has now created a profile on Wire of Hope, a platform that allows inmates to contact people outside prison, per the outlet. On the profile, Thompson said she reads, creates crafts, and explores ways to maintain her imagination and creativity, and that she seeks genuine connections, positive energy, personal growth, and a brighter future.
Wire of Hope was co-founded in January 2019 by Sigrid Wade and her friend Élodie, according to Voyage Jacksonville Magazine. The platform describes its mission as connecting incarcerated individuals with volunteer pen pals worldwide, the outlet noted. For Hodgson's family, the upbeat tone of Thompson's new profile sits uneasily beside the courtroom account of a woman who flew across the country, disguised herself, and stabbed a 23-year-old dozens of times.
