Marketta Phillips, Las Vegas babysitter stabs Jeremy Ross’ 3 year old daughter, Journei Ross after breaking her heart. Child’s mother, Phalan Whitson, who shared custody with toddler, said she had never seen or met killer babysitter before.
A Nevada babysitter made her first court appearance on Thursday, a day after Las Vegas police say she stabbed to death a 3-year-old toddler while the child’s father was at work.
Marketta Phillips, 41, appeared at a Las Vegas courtroom on open murder charge in the stabbing death of 3 year old girl, Journei Ross. Appearing for less than 45 seconds, she was read her rights and told she was being held without bail before her next court appearance. She did not enter a plea.
The court appearance came less than one day after the child’s father, Jeremy Ross, who was previously ‘involved’ with the babysitter alleges trusting Phillips with the well being of his daughter while he was at work.
Journei Ross stabbed at more than 10 times
At approximately 3:36 a.m. on Wednesday, police responded to a 911 call from Ross, with the father saying his 3-year-old daughter had been stabbed by the babysitter and was not breathing.
Robert Price, the Homicide Lieutenant for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, stated during a Wednesday press conference that when officers arrived at the scene they located a ‘female juvenile suffering from apparent stab wounds inside of an apartment.’
Authorities attempted to save the child’s life, with the girl transported to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead, Lieutenant Price said.
Police said Journei had suffered at least 10 stab wounds on the torso, legs, and neck and losing volumes of blood.
Notice of the tragedy came after the father returned home to find Phillips, who he described ‘as his roommate’ and with whom he had an ‘on-again-off-again’ relationship with, sitting on the kitchen floor surrounded by knives and covered in blood, according to 8 News Now.
Las Vegas babysitter, Marietta Phillips snapped
When the parent walked into the bedroom, he found his 3 year old daughter unresponsive and immediately began chest compressions.
Written on the wall, Phillips allegedly had written a six-word phrase in blood: ‘Everybody who played me is cursed.’
Phillips told detectives she had ‘snapped’ and stabbed Journei ‘more than once’ to ‘get back at’ Ross, the local outlet reported.
Ross frantically called 911, telling the dispatcher: ‘My baby isn’t breathing anymore. A crazy girl cut my baby up. My baby just bled all over the f**king bed.’
It’s at this moment that Phillips allegedly fled the residence prior to first respondents arriving.
Phillips was located near the scene by officers and taken into custody where she was charged with open murder with a deadly weapon.
Phalan Whitson, Journei’s mother, speaking to reporters after appearing at Phillips’ Thursday morning arraignment, said ‘I didn’t know this woman. Today was literally the first day I’ve ever seen this woman in my life. This is crazy, she took my baby.’
Marketta Phillips prior criminal record
‘I woke up this morning, and I was really hoping this was a dream,’ Whitson added. ‘I was really hoping it was me [instead].’
Phalan said her daughter was ‘very bright’ and loved to sing: ‘she could light up a room wherever she was at.’
‘I deserve justice,’ the mother said.
Jeremy Ross, Journei’s father, shared custody with Phalan. He says Marketta Phillips had been living with him for a year and watched Journei ‘numerous times’ in the past.
He had picked up Journei from Phalan on Monday.
‘I didn’t know she was a crazy case, you know?’ Jeremy said of his ‘on and off’ again girlfriend outside the courtroom.
‘She didn’t deserve none of this,’ Ross said of his slain 3 year old daughter.
KTNV reported Phillips previously being charged for ‘engaging in lewd conduct in a public place’ from 2021.
Court records show she was ‘admonished with a warning,’ and the case dismissed.
Phillips is being held at Clark County Detention Center without bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for April 1.
