A babysitter has been charged with fatally stabbing a 3-year-old girl in Las Vegas while her father was at work.

On Wednesday, March 26, at approximately 3:36 a.m. local time, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police (LVMPD) responded to a stabbing incident in the 4200 block of Channel 10 Drive, according to a police statement.

“Arriving officers located a female juvenile suffering from apparent stab wounds inside an apartment. Officers provided life-saving measures until medical personnel arrived. The juvenile was transported to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased,” the statement added.

Authorities identified the suspect as 41-year-old Marketta Phillips, who was located near the scene and taken into custody.

The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner identified the victim as 3-year-old Journei Ross, stating that the cause of death was multiple stab wounds.

“Through the course of the investigation, homicide detectives learned Phillips was babysitting the victim while the father was at work,” the police release continued. “At some point, Phillips stabbed the victim and then fled the area when the father arrived home.”

Phillips was booked into the Clark County Detention Center for Open Murder with a Deadly Weapon. She made her first court appearance on Thursday, March 27.

According to an arrest report, the victim’s father found Phillips “covered in blood, surrounded by multiple knives on the kitchen floor” when he returned home from work.

The report also stated that the father had an on-and-off relationship with Phillips, who claimed she had been living at the apartment for the past year.

Police discovered three sheets of paper at the scene with messages written in red marker, reading: “See what happens when you [mess] with people’s lives,” and “Now we both have nothing,” as reported by KVVU.


Recounting the tragic night, Ross told WTNV that he had been at work on March 25 while Phillips watched his daughter, something she had done “numerous times” before. When he arrived home after 3 a.m., he noticed Phillips had blood on her arms and immediately checked on his daughter.

In a harrowing 911 call obtained by CBS affiliate KLAS, Ross can be heard crying, “You killed my [expletive] child!” and “My baby is not breathing. My baby just bled all over the goddamn bed. What the f**k did you do?”

Ross told KTNV that he had been living with Phillips for a year, stating, “I didn’t know she was a crazy case, you know?”

Journei’s mother, Whitson, who shared custody with Ross, said she had never met Phillips before seeing her in court on Thursday, March 27.

“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,” Whitson