On March 3, 2020, Sydney Powell, then 19, killed her mother Brenda Powell at their family home in Akron, Ohio, after she found out that her daughter had been suspended from university. Powell used a steak knife and other kitchen utensils to attack Brenda, resulting in life-threatening injuries. When police arrived on the scene they attempted to save Brenda by taking her hospital, but she died due to her injuries.
Powell was found guilty of murder in September 2023 and was sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole after 15 years. She attempted to plead not guilty due to insanity, however this was unsuccessful.
What Happened to Sydney Powell in Akron, Ohio?
Sydney Powell is a young woman from the city of Akron, Ohio, where she lived with her family, which included her mother Brenda, her dad Steven, and her brother Andrew. On March 3, 2020, Powell killed her mother in a fit of rage when Brenda found out her daughter had been suspended from the University of Mount Union.
NBC News reported that Brenda was on the phone with school officials when she was attacked by Powell, stabbing her with a steak knife and hitting her repeatedly with a cast-iron skillet. When the phone cut off, the officials began to get worried about the situation. At trial, Associate Dean of Students Michell Gaffney testified. “The phone cut off at some point after, I would say, somewhere in the neighborhood of six or seven of those thudding, those sort of thud sounds, and the screaming had continued.”
When Gaffney asked if the voice on the other end was still Brenda, she said the reply was: “The voice on the other end said, ‘Yes, this is Brenda. Yes, this is Brenda,'” Gaffney recalled. However, Gaffney didn’t believe this.
“It was not Brenda. I was sure it was Sydney. Both Dean [of Students John] Frazier and I looked at each other and sort of shook our heads at each other and said that’s not Brenda. He then said, ‘Sydney, I think this is you, this is not Brenda.’ The phone went dead.”
When police arrived on the scene, they found Brenda with life-threatening wounds, and they transported her to Cleveland Clinic Akron General, where she later died. At trial, Powell was found guilty of murder, assault, and tampering with evidence and she was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
Sydney Powell | Image via MIKE CARDEW / USA TODAY NETWORK
Why did Sydney Powell kill her mother, Brenda Powell?
Sydney Powell killed her mother Brenda on March 3, 2020, as she found out that her daughter had been suspended from the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio due to poor grades.
Another factor at play was the mental health of Powell. The Akron Beacon Journal reported that a psychologist had concluded that Powell had a psychotic episode before she murdered her mother. Powell attempted to use insanity as a defense during the trial, however, this was not successful.
Was Sydney Powell found guilty?
In September 2023, Sydney Powell was found guilty of murder, assault, and tampering with evidence and she was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
Her father, Steven Powell, said in a letter to the Summit County Court of Common Pleas that a life sentence isn’t what Brenda Powell would have wanted for their daughter.
“Through our 24 years of marriage that we all know was cut short in March of 2020, to this day, I can confirm with a 100% degree of certainty that this is not, what people are saying, is justice for Brenda Powell,” Steven Powell wrote, adding “I believe that since there can never be true justice in this case, Sydney’s mental health should be our main priority.”
