A hairstylist in Florida, USA, was brutally stabbed to death in a luxury apartment parking garage by a knife-wielding man, according to authorities.
Hailey Hosford, 27, had just stepped out of a rental car at the Retreat at Sawgrass Village in Sunrise, Florida, around 1:30 a.m. on May 28 when she noticed a man, later identified as Jackson Sagesse, approaching her with a knife.
Hosford tried to escape by jumping into the rear passenger seat of the vehicle, but Sagesse allegedly ripped the door open, according to an arrest affidavit. A struggle ensued, and security footage showed the suspect making repeated stabbing motions into the car.
Moments later, Hosford’s male friend, who had gone to retrieve items from his apartment, returned and confronted Sagesse. The two men got into a violent altercation before Sagesse stabbed the friend in the throat. The injured man managed to flee and called the police.
Sagesse allegedly tried to drive off in the rental car but was unsuccessful. Surveillance footage showed him searching the area before fleeing the scene on foot.
Police arrived to find Hosford unresponsive in the vehicle, having sustained multiple stab wounds to her neck and throat. She was pronounced dead at 2:01 a.m. Her friend was taken to a hospital with a puncture wound to the throat.
Hosford, who owned her own beauty salon in Fort Lauderdale, was also a yoga instructor and ambassador for a wellness retreat company. Friends remembered her as a vibrant, loving, and strong woman.
“I know she was a fighter. I believe she fought, and I believe she was scared,” said close friend Aubrey Rosebrock. He also shared her final message: “Her very last message to me was, ‘I just wanted to tell you that the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the water is turquoise, and that I love you so much, and that you mean the world to me.’ That was the very last thing she said.”
Employees at the Retreat recognised Sagesse from surveillance footage and directed police to his nearby apartment, which he shared with his mother. He was arrested wearing the same clothes as seen in the video. Investigators found blood smeared on a door and noted two kitchen knives were missing, matching the suspected murder weapon.
During questioning, Sagesse allegedly confessed to the attack, telling officers, “I just killed someone and walked away,” after being read his Miranda rights. He gave inconsistent statements and claimed he was heading to the gym when he noticed the car with its lights on.
He said he intended to call 911 but didn’t have his phone and instead returned to his apartment to grab a kitchen knife for “protection.”
Sagesse is charged with premeditated murder and attempted first-degree murder. He is currently being held without bond at the Broward County Jail.
