Las Vegas babysitter accused of stabbing child found incompetent

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A babysitter accused of stabbing a three-year-old girl to death has been found incompetent to stand trial.

Last March, police say Jeremy Ross called 911 saying the babysitter, later identified as Marketta Phillips, stabbed his daughter, Journei.

Ross told police that Phillips was his on-and-off again girlfriend and was looking after Journei while he was at work. When he got home, he said he found Phillips with blood on her hands and Journei was unresponsive in the bedroom.

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An arrest report states Phillips ran away from the scene but was found and arrested a short time later. She was taken to the hospital to receive medical treatment and told detectives that she "snapped" and confessed to stabbing Journei more than once with a knife to "get back at him".

Court records show that Phillips' competency has been questioned more than once. According to her court docket, she was found not competent to stand trial last July. However, on March 6, the court reversed that decision and found Phillips was well enough to stand trial.

That decision was brought up again on Friday where the decision was once again reversed. Phillips was found incompetent and will taken to a medical facility to receive treatment until medical experts tell the court she is able to stand trial.

Due to this ruling, no future court dates have been scheduled, as of Friday night.

As for Journei's family, it's hard waiting for justice.

"It's just quietness. You're used to waking up, hearing a child play, laugh or a child wake you up. [Now], it's just more of you don't hear nothing and it hurts. The normalcy is not really normal," Ross said. "A lot of people forgive and forget. I can't do both. It's too much that ... what I've seen and what I went through. It's an eye for an eye and judgment day is coming soon for her. Justice is going to be served one way or another."

He added he thinks Phillips is able to take consequences for her actions.

"I know she has the mental capacity to pull through and at least go to trial," Ross said. "She's strong enough to go ahead and go to trial."

Even though it's been over a year since Journei's death, Ross said he's still numb and works through his loss day by day.

"It just hurts. It's overwhelming in my heart and I'm still numb," Ross said. "Sometimes I'll be in shock and the next thing you know, it just hit you out of nowhere. I try my best to keep going."