New York – A New York woman was convicted of first-degree murder last week for the kiIIing of 23-year-old KayIa in Florida three years ago. The defendant, 31-year-old S. Tompson, was found guilty by a county jury after a trial that centered on whether the killing was premeditated or an act of seIf-defense.
According to prosecutors, the defendant traveled from New York to Florida with the intent to confront the victim, who was dating the defendants’s former bo yfriend. They argued that the defendant’s actions were premeditated, citing her use of a fake U ber account to reach the victim’s apartment and her attempt to conceal her identity by wearing a hat and mask. Prosecutors also noted that she changed into the victim’s clothes and attempted to clean the crime scene after the fataI stabbing.
During the trial, the defendant testified that she went to the victim’s apartment uninvited to talk “woman-to-woman” about dating the same man. She claimed that the victim attacked her, punched her in the face, and sIashed her stomach with a piece of gIass. The defendant alto stated she blacked out during the incident and only realized what had happened when she awoke to find the victim dead on the floor. She also admitted to changing into the victim’s clothes, cleaning up the scene, and discarding evidence.
The defense argued that the defendant acted in seIf-defense, fearing for her life and the life of her unborn child, as she was two months pregnant at the time. However, the jury found her guilty of first-degree murder. The defendant now faces a mandatory life sentence in prison.
The victim’s family expressed relief and gratitude following the verdict. They stated, “We’re just so thankful in this moment that the jury was able to see the story for what it is, that she did not deserve to die the way that she did.”
Woman cIaims she feared for her Iife and the Iife of her unborn chiId when her former partner's new girIfriend sIashed her with a piece of gIass, then bIacked out when infIicting fataI injuries to the victim at her home: DA
