A 23-year-old Ohio woman has been convicted of a horrifying crime in which she killed her mother by brutally beating her with an iron skillet and repeatedly stabbing her, all because her mother had discovered that the young woman had been expelled from college.
Sydney Powell, hailing from Akron, was found guilty of murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence in the tragic demise of Brenda Powell, a dedicated healthcare worker aged 50, as confirmed by the Summit County Prosecutor's Office.
The office stated, "In March of 2020, Powell struck Brenda Powell in the head with an iron skillet, then stabbed her nearly 30 times in the neck."
Powell, who had previously been a student at Mount Union University, broke down in tears inside the Summit County Common Pleas courtroom upon hearing the jury's verdict, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
On March 3, 2020, police discovered Brenda inside her Scudder Drive home with severe injuries. Both mother and daughter were rushed to a hospital, where Brenda tragically passed away. Prosecutors revealed that Powell attacked her mother, who was on the phone with her college officials, during the violent incident.
Throughout the trial, the defense argued that Sydney suffered from schizophrenia, asserting that she should not be held accountable for her mother's murder. James Reardon, one of three defense experts who diagnosed Sydney, claimed that she had a psychotic break at the time of the crime, despite considering her mother her closest confidant. However, Sylvia O'Bradovich, a psychologist hired by prosecutors, disagreed with this diagnosis and asserted that Sydney did not meet the legal criteria for insanity at the time of the crime.
O'Bradovich acknowledged Sydney's mental health issues, including borderline personality traits, malingering, and an anxiety disorder, as reported by the Beacon Journal.
Both Steven Powell, Sydney's father, and Brenda's husband, and maternal grandmother Betsy Brown had expressed their desire for prosecutors to reach a resolution without going to trial. However, the prosecution opted to have a jury decide the case.
Assistant Prosecutor Brian Stano emphasized Sydney's deliberate and purposeful actions during the attack, stating, "Just the knife, just in the neck multiple times? That is purposeful. That is trying to end someone."
Following the verdict, defense attorney Donald Malarcik declined to provide any comments.
Powell's sentencing is scheduled for September 28, and she could face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment with possible parole after 15 years, in addition to additional time for the tampering with evidence conviction.
