A New York woman faces a life sentence after embarking on a journey to Florida, where she brutally stabbed her ex-boyfriend’s new partner multiple times, later attempting to claim self-defense during her testimony.

In October, 31-year-old Sakiyna Thompson was found guilty of murdering 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson. This past Monday, the court handed down a life sentence. According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Thompson committed the murder on July 13, 2022, at Hodgson’s apartment in Tamarac. For more details, visit their official statement.

During the sentencing, Hodgson’s relatives, adorned in “Justice For Kayla” shirts that featured her image, shared heartfelt memories with the judge, describing her as a “fashionista” with a generous spirit who was always ready to lend a hand.

Expressing deep anger and disbelief, her cousin questioned Thompson’s actions.

“What gave you the right to invade her home and commit such an atrocity?” Hodgson’s cousin asked furiously. “What makes you believe you can rob someone of their life and continue as if nothing occurred? And the nerve you had to stand here, wasting taxpayer money, spinning tales about [you blacking out]?”

The suspect stalked Hodgson’s Instagram page and searched her ex-lover’s phone looking for evidence of a relationship. During the legal process, Thompson never took responsibility for killing Hodgson, according to the victim’s family.

“You sat here and you stared at me and my family, my aunt, and our eyes taunting us for three long years showing absolutely not one drop of remorse for what she’s done,” Hodgson’s cousin said. “In fact, your stares showed an expression of, ‘So what? Yeah, I did it and I’d do it again.’”

Thompson was jealous of Hodgson, the victim’s family said.

“Tell me what you thought every time you searched, ‘1PrincessKay’ on Instagram, seeing a beautiful girl with a banging body [and] vibrant personality, the complete, total opposite from what you see when you stand in front of the mirror,” the cousin said. “That killed you so much, you wanted to damage her face. That’s why you did what you did.”

The judge called Thompson’s crime “heinous” because she “tracked down, showed up and killed” the victim.

As Law&Crime previously reported, Thompson took the stand in her own defense.

According to a courtroom report from local NBC affiliate WTVJ, Thompson claimed she traveled from the Empire State to the Sunshine State to have a “woman-to-woman” chat with Hodgson.

Thompson conceded the fact that she killed Hodgson, but reportedly told jurors she did so in self-defense.

“You didn’t kill her because she was fighting you?” a prosecutor asked.

“No,” Thompson responded. “I killed her because she took the glass from the hookah and slashed me across the stomach.”

The suspect, who was pregnant at the time, said she then blacked out and the next thing she remembered was holding the murder weapon and seeing Hodgson dead on the floor in a pool of blood. Hodgson suffered dozens of stab wounds, prosecutors reportedly said.

Thompson then allegedly changed into a set of the victim’s clothes and tried to clean up the scene before fleeing.

“I was walking in the blood,” she reportedly said.

She said she never called 911 because she was afraid and traveled back to New York. Authorities arrested her on Aug. 3, 2022, and extradited her back to Florida on a charge of first-degree murder.

Hodgson’s family set up a GoFundMe account after her death.

“Kayla meant so much to so many people — she was an amazing daughter, a very loved and adored big sister, niece, granddaughter and cousin, whose bond was like no other,” the fundraiser read. “Everyone loved her tremendously and she was a friend to all.”