Tenia Campbell, a 28-year-old New York resident, has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the tragic and heartbreaking act of smothering her twin 2-year-old daughters, Jasmine and Jaida Campbell, to death.
The sentencing took place on Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, in a Suffolk County courtroom.
Campbell had previously pleaded guilty on December 13, 2023, to two counts of murder in the first degree for the killings.
The incident unfolded on June 27, 2019, when Campbell’s mother called 911, reporting that Campbell was driving in the family van and threatening to kill her children.
The disturbing call revealed Campbell’s intentions, expressing sorrow and a desire to end her own life along with her daughters.
Law enforcement launched a large-scale search for Campbell and her daughters between Medford and Montauk. An East Hampton Police Officer eventually spotted the van a few miles west of Montauk Point.
Upon inspection, the officer discovered Jasmine and Jaida dead in their car seats, while Campbell was found outside the van.
Campbell stated that she had killed the children with her bare hands and planned to find the ocean and walk into it to be with her babies in heaven.
Campbell, described as having a “very long history” of mental illness, had displayed irrational and angry behavior leading up to the tragic incident, as noted by the victims’ grandmother.
Campbell’s sentencing comes as a result of her admission to the fatal smothering of her twin toddlers. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney remarked on the tragedy, stating:
“These two young lives were cut short by the one person who was supposed to love and protect them. Although the 20-year sentence here resolves this sad case, it will not bring back these girls.”
