A 23-year-old woman from Akron, Ohio, has been convicted of murdering her mother after the latter discovered that her daughter had been expelled from college. Sydney Powell was found guilty of murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence in the violent death of her mother, Brenda Powell, a 50-year-old healthcare worker, as per the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office.
In a shocking revelation, the Prosecutor’s Office stated that in March 2020, Sydney attacked her mother with an iron skillet, hitting her on the head, and then proceeded to stab her nearly 30 times in the neck. The incident occurred in the family’s Scudder Drive home, where police found Brenda with severe injuries. Both mother and daughter were rushed to the hospital, where Brenda later succumbed to her injuries.
Sydney, a former student at Mount Union University, was visibly distraught in the Summit County Common Pleas courtroom when the jury delivered the guilty verdict. The prosecution revealed that the attack took place while Brenda was on a call with officials from Sydney’s school.
The defense team argued that Sydney was suffering from schizophrenia and had experienced a psychotic break at the time of the murder, making her not accountable for her actions. James Reardon, one of the defense experts, stated that Sydney considered her mother her best friend and had a mental breakdown when she killed her.
However, Sylvia O’Bradovich, a psychologist hired by the prosecution, disagreed with the defense’s diagnosis. She argued that Sydney did not meet the legal definition of insanity at the time of the crime, despite acknowledging that Sydney had mental health issues, including borderline personality traits, malingering, and an anxiety disorder.
Sydney’s father, Steven Powell, and maternal grandmother, Betsy Brown, had pleaded with the prosecutors to avoid a trial. However, the prosecution insisted on a jury decision. Assistant Prosecutor Brian Stano argued that Sydney’s actions were deliberate and intended to hide her expulsion from college.
The defense attorney, Donald Malarcik, declined to comment after the verdict. Sydney’s sentencing is set for September 28. She faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 15 years, plus additional time for the evidence tampering conviction.