A 41-year-old Nevada woman, Marketta Phillips, who was entrusted with the care of her roommate’s 3-year-old daughter, is now facing charges for the child’s murder. Phillips made her initial court appearance in Las Vegas on Thursday, where she was charged with open murder.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a distress call in the early hours of March 26. The call was made by the child’s father, Jeremy Ross, who reported that his daughter had been stabbed by her babysitter, Phillips. According to Robert Price, the Homicide Lieutenant for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Phillips had fled the scene on foot by the time police arrived.
Upon arrival, the police found the little girl, identified as Journei Ross, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Despite the immediate lifesaving measures performed by first responders, Journei was later pronounced dead at the hospital due to the severity of her injuries.
Phillips was later located by the police and taken into custody without any resistance. Price described the incident as isolated, but underscored its tragic and unfortunate nature. The relationship between Ross and Phillips was not explicitly stated by Price, but both Ross and Journei’s mother, Phalan Whitson, were present outside the courtroom during Phillips’ first appearance.
Ross recounted the horrific incident to the media, stating that he had been at work on the night of March 25, leaving Phillips to care for his daughter, a responsibility she had undertaken numerous times before. Upon his return home after 3 a.m., he noticed blood on Phillips’ arms and immediately checked on his daughter.
In a distressing 911 call, Ross can be heard accusing Phillips of killing his child and expressing his disbelief and shock at the sight of his unresponsive daughter. Ross revealed that he had been living with Phillips for a year, expressing his shock at her actions, stating, “I didn’t know she was a crazy case, you know?”
Whitson, who shares custody of Journei with Ross, told reporters that she had never met Phillips prior to seeing her in court. She expressed her disbelief and grief, stating, “This is crazy, she took my baby.”
Phillips is currently detained at the Clark County Detention Center without bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for April 1.