A Putnam County woman has been sentenced to 50 years in state prison for fatally stabbing her boyfriend in 2022. Tykidra Lanijah Leonard received the sentence Thursday after previously entering a no-contest plea to second-degree murder with a weapon.
The case began in the early morning of May 20, 2022, when Palatka police officers were called to a home on South 14th Street. They found Leonard kneeling over her boyfriend, who had been stabbed. He later died at the hospital.
Leonard first told detectives she believed her boyfriend was an intruder and struck him with a kitchen knife when he walked through the door. That account unraveled when investigators reviewed surveillance video showing the pair going in and out of the home together about half an hour before police arrived.
During a second interview, Leonard said the two had been arguing and she stabbed him after he grabbed her by the neck. The evidence didn’t match that claim either. According to the medical examiner, the victim suffered two stab wounds, one to the chest and one to the back, along with scratches on his back and a bite mark on his forearm. Officers noted no significant injuries on Leonard during her initial interview.
State Attorney R.J. Larizza said the case shows how quickly domestic violence can escalate. He added that Leonard’s remarks at sentencing showed she still refused to take responsibility for her actions.
The investigation was handled by the Palatka Police Department. Assistant State Attorney Mark Johnson prosecuted the case, and Judge Alicia Washington handed down the sentence.
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