The story of Tonica Jenkins, a 23-year-old woman from East Cleveland, is explored in the latest episode of Snapped, airing on Oxygen True Crime on 1 September 2024. Jenkins had a history of legal troubles, including larceny, forgery, and federal drug charges. However, it was her involvement in a plot to murder and her conviction on multiple charges, including attempted aggravated murder, that landed her in prison for an extended period.
The episode examines the details of Jenkins’ life and her criminal activities. It reveals that Jenkins forged transcripts and submitted fake teacher recommendations to gain admission to Yale’s graduate programme in biological and biomedical sciences. She was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to repay financial aid totalling more than $16,000.
But Jenkins’ crimes went beyond forgery and fraud. She was also convicted of six additional charges, including attempted aggravated murder, kidnapping, conspiracy, and felonious assault. Jenkins and her cousin, Kyle Martin, conspired to murder an individual named Lantham, intending to burn the body and use the forged records for identification. This plot earned Jenkins a 20-year prison sentence, to be served consecutively with her existing 24-year sentence on federal drug charges.
The episode also touches on another incident, where Jenkins and her mother, Tonica Clement Jenkins, were arrested in Tampa, Florida, in 2000, for attempting to purchase 22 pounds of cocaine from undercover agents.
Snapped: Tonica Jenkins airs Thursday, 1 September 2024, on Oxygen True Crime.
