Kisjonne Campbell of Brooklyn sentenced in fatal stabbing of Michaelle Jaccis of West Babylon, DA says

A Brooklyn man was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for fatally stabbing a woman outside her West Babylon home on New Year's Day in 2022, prosecutors said Wednesday. 

Kisjonne Campbell, 25, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty in May to second-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Michaelle Jaccis. The two were acquaintances. 

"There is absolutely no justification for this defendant’s violent actions," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. “The brutal manner in which he chose to attack and kill Ms. Jaccis deserves an equally brutal sentence in prison." 

Campbell's attorney, Christopher Brocato of Central Islip, said of his client: "He accepted responsibility for what he did. The victim's twin brother and younger brother were eyewitnesses to this and he wanted to spare them from having to come to court to testify. I think this is a fair disposition for a very terrible crime." 

Brocato said his client was a line chef at a chain restaurant at the time of the killing. Jaccis was a college student. "It appeared she had a bright future before her," said Brocato. 

Sometime after 2 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2022, Campbell, wearing a black jacket and clothing and a ski mask, knocked on the door of Jaccis' home, according to a news release from the district attorney's office citing the police investigation and the defendant's own statements when he pleaded guilty. Her fraternal twin brother and 15-year-old brother were there and the latter opened the door. 

"The teen, who had never seen Campbell before, said that when he opened the door, Campbell asked him if he had a phone number to a cab company," prosecutors said in the news release. "The victim’s brother then looked up a number for a cab company and gave it to Campbell, who then left." 

After Jaccis' brother told her what happened, she went for a short ride in the family vehicle, prosecutors said.

But after she returned, she was "violently attacked by Campbell in front of her house," prosecutors said. 

Her brothers rushed to the door when they heard her screaming and saw Campbell "furiously stabbing their sister," prosecutors said.

"The brothers ran inside and called 911, but by the time they went back outside, Campbell was gone," prosecutors said. "Police spotted Campbell, who matched the description given by the brothers during the 911 call, jogging down a nearby block."

He was taken into custody within seven minutes of the first 911 call, prosecutors said. 

Hours later, police recovered a knife with a broken tip in the bushes of the house next door to the crime scene, prosecutors said, and Jaccis' autopsy revealed that the tip of a sharp metal object was recovered from her skull.

Police also recovered a ski mask with Campbell's DNA, prosecutors said. 

 In a two-hour videotaped police interview, Campbell told detectives he had a relationship with Jaccis and that he took a cab from the shelter where he was staying to Jaccis' home that day and admitted that he punched her in the face, prosecutors said. 

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.