A horrific tragedy has shaken the Las Vegas community as 3-year-old Journei Ross was brutally murdered while in the care of her father’s girlfriend, 41-year-old Marketta Phillips.
The child’s mother, Phalan Whitson, said she had no knowledge of Phillips’ existence—let alone that her daughter had been left in her care.
Journei’s father, Jeremy Ross, had left his daughter with Phillips while he went to work. Upon returning home early in the morning, he discovered Phillips in the kitchen covered in blood, surrounded by knives. Rushing to Journei’s bedroom, he found his daughter unresponsive with multiple stab wounds. She was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Investigators discovered disturbing messages written in blood on the apartment walls, including one that read:
“Everybody who played me is cursed.”
Phillips admitted to the stabbing, stating that she “snapped” in an act of revenge against Jeremy Ross. She was arrested nearby and has been charged with open murder. Phillips is being held without bail, with her next court appearance scheduled for April 1.
The heartbreaking case took an even more emotional turn during a court hearing, where Journei’s grieving father hugged Phalan Whitson and repeatedly apologized for putting their daughter in harm’s way. Whitson, still reeling from the shock, made an impassioned plea to other parents:
“Men, please be aware of who you keep around your children.”
Jeremy Ross described Journei as a loving and nonverbal child on the autism spectrum who communicated through music and sign language. Struggling to come to terms with the gruesome crime, he recounted his final moments before leaving his daughter with Phillips, stating that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Authorities detailed a crime scene filled with chilling evidence, including three sheets of paper with notes written in red marker and multiple weapons found near the victim. One of the notes read, “See what happens when you blink with people’s lives. Now we both have nothing.”
In a gut-wrenching statement, Ross described his anguish, saying, “I wake up, I look for my baby. I’m still looking for my baby.”
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is continuing its investigation. Meanwhile, Journei’s devastated family and community mourn the loss of a young life cut tragically short.
