A woman who fatally stabbed her girlfriend during an argument in their Daytona Beach apartment as their relationship deteriorated was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison.
Jasmine Baker, 25, was adjudicated guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of Kristen C. Phillips, 23, Feb. 28, 2024.
Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols sentenced Baker during a hearing at the S. James Foxman Justice Center in Daytona Beach.
Sentencing guidelines called for a minimum sentence of 20.5 years. Baker had faced up to life in prison. She received credit for 399 days’ time served in the Volusia County Branch Jail.
She had pleaded no contest in an open plea, meaning no agreement was reached with prosecutors on the possibility penalty.
Daytona Beach couple’s argument escalates throughout the day
Daytona Beach Police Detective Collin Howell testified during the sentencing that Baker said the two had been together “unofficially for several months” and recently moved in together.
Once they started living together, their relationship deteriorated. On the day of the murder, the two had been arguing about text messages, according to a previous News-Journal story.
But Baker said she had been in an escalating argument with Phillips throughout the day.
Baker also said she wanted Phillips to move out.
Daytona Beach Police were called earlier that day
Howell said Baker first called police about 1:35 p.m. on Feb. 28 to say the two had been in a disturbance and she wanted Phillips removed from the apartment. Howell said in the phone call you could hear “somebody in the background, presumably the victim, pleading with Ms. Baker.”
He said police went to the apartment and found Phillips who told them there had not been any “physical altercation” just a “verbal altercation.” But Baker was not there.
Howell said several hours later, Baker called police again asking for advice on how she could remove Phillips from the apartment. Howell said police gave her advice on evicting Phillips, and Baker became upset and hung up.
Baker called again later asking for police to meet them at a house. Police tried to call her after that but there was no answer.
Police subsequently met Baker at the Wawa at 1000 Mason Ave.
In response to questions from Assistant State Attorney Kevin Sullivan, Howell said that Baker had only one visible injury, a laceration to one of her thumbs.
Howell then went to the apartment, which was in disarray. He said police found Phillips laying face down on a bloody carpet. There was also blood splatter on a wall along with bloody handprints.
A window with a sliced screen was 6 or 7 feet away.
Baker told police that during an argument she got a knife to slice a screen so she could jump out of the apartment. Howell said that Baker told police that at that point Phillips put her hand on Baker’s back “presumably to push her out of the window.”
Baker claims she only cut Phillips once
Baker told Howell she turned around and sliced Phillips once in the neck, he said.
However, police said Phillips suffered seven to eight knife wounds.
“There’s far more than just the one slice as Ms. Baker previously described,” Howell said.
Phillips had “sharp force injuries” to her head, face, neck and torso.
Police then questioned Baker about the inconsistency.
“Ms. Baker still indicated that she believed she only cut the victim one time and that she blacked out immediately after, so she was not sure exactly how many times she cut the victim,” Howell said.
One of Baker’s attorneys, Assistant Public Defender Jessica L. Roberts, called a mental health expert to the stand who testified that Baker was depressed and had low self-esteem.
A number of Baker’s family members attended the hearing and stood up at one point when Roberts asked them to identify themselves. They also submitted letters in support of Baker.
Phillips’ family members also submitted a letter to the court writing about their grief at the murder of their loved one.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach woman sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing girlfriend during argument
Reporting by Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
