- Sydney Powell was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of killing her mother.
- She killed her mother, Brenda Powell, who learned her daughter had been suspended from college.
A grieving family in Ohio is pleading with a judge to reconsider the life sentence handed down to Sydney Powell on September 28 after the 23-year-old was convicted of killing her mother.
Her father, Steven Powell, said in a September letter to the Summit County Court of Common Pleas reviewed by Insider that a life sentence isn't what his wife, Brenda Powell, would have wanted for their daughter — despite the violent circumstances surrounding her death.
"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 in a letter imploring Ohio judge Kelly McLaughlin to consider a lenient sentence for his daughter, adding "I believe that since there can never be true justice in this case, Sydney's mental health should be our main priority."
Other members of the Powell family echoed Steven Powell's sentiment in character letters in support of his daughter, as did multiple community members who knew the family, and a doctor who worked alongside Brenda Powell, who was a child life specialist at Akron Children's Hospital.
Sydney Powell pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the March 2020 killing. The then 19-year-old, who has since been diagnosed with schizophrenia, repeatedly stabbed her mother with a steak knife and beat her with an iron skillet after Brenda Powell had discovered her daughter had been suspended from the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, due to her poor academic performance, NBC News reported.
A murder overheard
School officials were on the phone with Brenda Powell discussing Sydney Powell's academic performance when the attack began, NBC reported. The officials called police when they heard screaming on the other end of the line.
"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," Associate Dean of Students Michelle Gaffney testified, per NBC.
After repeatedly calling back, a voice eventually answered, claiming to be Brenda Powell — but the university officials weren't convinced.
"The voice on the other end said, 'Yes, this is Brenda. Yes, this is Brenda,'" Gaffney recalled. "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."
Police who arrived at the scene found Sydney Powell in the driveway of her family home, with her eyes rolled back and clawing at the asphalt, The Akron Beacon Journal reported. Sydney Powell's attorney described her as "in a catatonic state — not responding to audio stimuli," the outlet reported.
A guilty verdict, despite a diagnosis
While Sydney Powell maintains she remembers only flashes of the day she killed her mother and was hearing voices and having delusions at the time of the murder, per the Akron Beacon Journal, a jury in September found her guilty, despite her insanity plea.
She was also found guilty of assault and tampering with evidence. Sydney Powell will be eligible for parole after serving 15 years of her sentence and, if released, will serve at least two years of supervised release.
In his letter to the judge, Steven Powell said his daughter's mental health has improved dramatically after receiving treatment and medication in the three years since her mother's killing. He urged the judge to consider sending her to a mental health facility rather than the Ohio State Reformatory for Women in Marysville, where she has begun serving her sentence.
"This wasn't justice," an attorney for Sydney Powell, Don Malarcik, said after her sentencing, per the Akron Beacon Journal.
She plans to appeal her sentence. Stephen Grachanin, the attorney assigned to handle her appeal, did not immediately respond to Insider's comment request.