By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-27 21:36:32 | Updated at 2025-04-03 06:56:10
6 days ago
A Nevada babysitter has been arrested for committing the most unspeakable act of cruelty, allegedly stabbing a three-year-old toddler to death, police say.
Police officers responded to the Villa Del Sol apartment complex in Las Vegas Wednesday morning, where they tragically discovered three-year-old Journei Ross suffering from multiple stab wounds, resulting in her death, according to 3 News.
Marketta Phillips, 41, was apprehended shortly after the discovery and booked into Clark County Detention Center on charges of murder with a deadly weapon, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
'She didn't deserve this,' Jeremy Ross, Journei's father, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 'She was defenseless. She deserved to live.'
At around 3.30am early Wednesday morning, Jeremy returned home from work and noticed Marketta acting 'out of it,' according to the outlet.
It wasn't until he entered another room that he discovered bloody knives with his daughter lying on the bed, realizing something horrific had happened.
Jeremy frantically called 911 while giving CPR and chest compressions, informing dispatchers that his daughter had been stabbed by her babysitter in the 4200 block of Channel 10 Drive.
When authorities arrived to the scene, they found Jeremy inside the apartment along with baby Journei, who was suffering from several stab wounds. Marketta, Jeremy said, ran away from the home on foot.
Marketta Phillips, 41 (PICTURED), was taken into custody after allegedly stabbing Journei Ross to death, a three-year-old girl she was babysitting inside a home in the Villa Del Sol apartment complex in Las Vegas, Nevada
Journei Ross, 3 (PICTURED), was discovered on a bed in the apartment complex at around 3.30am Wednesday morning, suffering from multiple stab wounds
Jeremy Ross, Journei's father, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he returned back to his apartment from work to Marketta acting 'out of it' before he discovered his daughter and bloody knives in another room (PICTURED: Villa Del Sol apartment complex)
Journei was rushed to Sunrise Hospital after officers attempted to administer medical aid at the scene, where she was later pronounced dead while in the hospital's care.
Police began canvassing the area around the apartment complex and soon found Marketta, who was taken into custody without incident, according to Metro Homicide Lt. Robert Price.
Phalan Whitson, Journei's mother who shared custody with Jeremy, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that her daughter, whom she had last seen Monday morning, was 'on the spectrum' and non-verbal.
However, Phalan explained, their three-year-old daughter communicated through music and sign language.
'Why is this world so evil?' Phalan told the outlet. 'She needs to be put away.'
Though the relationship between Marketta and the family was initially unclear, Jeremy explained how he had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with her.
'She watched Journei numerous times,' Jeremy told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 'I didn't know she was a crazy nut case.'
This isn't the first time Marketta has had an incident inside the home. Just last week, officers responded to a mental health crisis at the same unit, FOX 5 Vegas reported.
Jeremy frantically called 911 while giving CPR and chest compressions, informing dispatchers that his daughter had been stabbed by her babysitter and that she ran away on foot (PICTURED: Journei)
Several neighbors told reporters that they had heard commotion that morning, specifically yelling and arguing coming from a terrace area between the apartment complex buildings
Police began canvassing the area around the apartment complex and soon found Marketta, who was taken into custody without incident, according to Homicide Lt. Robert Price (PICTURED)
The recent visit resulted in Marketta being placed on a 'Legal 2000,' or a 72-hour involuntary mental health crisis hold utilized for those determined to be a danger to themselves or others.
Despite the troubling incident, Marketta was still left to care for the child the following week.
She made her first court appearance on Thursday morning, where Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum ordered Marketta to be held without bail, citing probable cause for the arrest, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Neighbors were left in complete shock upon learning what had happened, struggling to understand how such a tragedy could unfold right under their own noses.
'It's very sad for a child to endure that,' neighbor Anthony Dominguez told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 'This should never happen to a child.'
As they reflected on the events from that morning, a few recalled strange things they had witnessed - things they deemed unimportant at the time.
Dominguez, a neighbor who was walking his dog around the complex at around 9am, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he heard commotion early that morning.
Specifically, he heard a man and a woman loudly screaming and clearly arguing, a noise his dog had first alerted him to.
Dominguez explained that the area can be noisy at times, and since he was tired, he didn't give much thought to the nearby argument at first.
Though the relationship between Marketta and the family was initially unclear, Jeremy (PICTURED) explained how he had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with her
Just last week, officers responded to a mental health crisis at the same unit where they placed Marketta on a 'Legal 2000,' or a 72-hour involuntary mental health crisis hold utilized for those determined to be a danger to themselves or others
On Wednesday, Clark County Sheriff Sheriff Kevin McMahill was asked about the brutal killing, in which he responded that his officers described Jeremy coming home to 'a babysitter covered in blood' (PICTURED: Jeremy and Journei)
'After a while, I started feeling this bad energy,' he told the outlet.
Jessica Flores, from a neighboring building, was heartbroken as she watched investigators enter unit 79 and cordon off the home with bright yellow police tape.
She explained that she woke up to the sound of a dog barking loudly from another apartment.
Similar to Dominguez, Flores told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she too had heard a man and a woman yelling between the apartments, particularly in the terrace area.
'It's shocking,' she told the outlet, noting how she had not known the people who lived in the apartment.
'At first, I thought it was just a domestic dispute that would blow over,' she added. 'I never imagined something like this.'
On Wednesday, Clark County Sheriff Sheriff Kevin McMahill was asked about the brutal killing, in which he responded that his officers described Jeremy coming home to 'a babysitter covered in blood,' the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
'Talk about a horrendous scene,' he said.
Journei was rushed to Sunrise Hospital after officers attempted to administer medical aid at the scene, where she was later pronounced dead while in the hospital's care
Journei's mother told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that her daughter communicated through music and sign language, as she was 'on the spectrum' and non-verbal
Marketta made her first court appearance on Thursday morning, where Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum ordered Marketta to be held without bail, citing probable cause for the arrest as an investigation into the killing remains ongoing
Lt. Price told reporters that Marketta is the sole suspect in the horrific murder.
According to Price, it appeared the suspect also lived in the home, though that detail remains unconfirmed.
An investigation into the senseless killing is still ongoing.
'There's no threat to the public,' Price said. 'This is an isolated incident. It's just a very tragic and unfortunate incident.'
