Tommy Powell, a 55-year-old man, confessed to the murder of his girlfriend, Amberly Harris, to first responders who arrived at his residence. Powell, who had been living with Harris’ body for several days, had previously taken out an insurance policy in her name. In August, he was found guilty of Harris’ murder, and last month, he received a life sentence for his crime.
Recently, body camera footage from Powell’s arrest on December 15, 2022, was released by the Law&Crime Network. The footage reveals Powell’s immediate admission of guilt when questioned about Harris’ whereabouts. When asked by a detective if Harris was present in his Independence, Kentucky apartment, Powell responded, “No. She passed away. I shot her.”
The body camera footage also shows officers discovering Harris’ body in a back room of the apartment. Powell confessed to the officers that he had killed Harris three days earlier. The footage also shows a third officer handcuffing Powell, who seemed to anticipate his arrest, responding to the officer’s warning of reading him his rights with “Miranda Rights.”
Powell later revealed to first responders that he had “lost control” during a dispute with Harris and had killed her using a “20-gauge” shotgun. The murder weapon was later found in the residence by investigators.
First responders were initially called to the residence for a well-being check after Harris’ employer reported her absence for several days. The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators also discovered that Powell had taken out a $20,000 accidental death and dismemberment insurance policy from Eagle Financial Services in Harris’ name the month before her murder, with Powell listed as the beneficiary.