A 24-year-old woman in Ohio, Sydney Powell, who was serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of her mother, may receive a new trial after an appellate court overturned her conviction. Powell had been convicted of fatally attacking her mother, Brenda Powell, with a cast iron skillet and then stabbing her nearly 30 times. The crime occurred after Powell, a college student, was suspended from her university and feared her mother would discover the suspension.
The Ninth Judicial District Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge, Kelly McLaughlin, had made an error by preventing Powell from presenting an expert witness to counter the testimony of the State’s expert regarding Powell’s mental state at the time of the crime. The appellate court determined that Powell had the right to present rebuttal testimony, especially after the State’s expert, Dr. Silvia O’Bradovich, criticized the defense’s experts.
At trial, Powell pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming that she was in the midst of a psychotic break when she murdered her mother. Her defense team presented the testimony of three expert witnesses, all of whom testified that Powell was unable to reason or engage in conscious thought during the attack. These experts described Powell as being “completely totally out of her mind” and “untethered from the world as we all know it.” In contrast, the prosecution’s expert, Dr. O’Bradovich, argued that Powell was sane at the time of the crime and critiqued the methodologies used by the defense’s experts. The trial judge, however, denied Powell’s motion to call a rebuttal witness to counter Dr. O’Bradovich’s testimony, citing the extensive expert testimony already presented.
The appellate court found this decision to be a mistake, noting that Powell was entitled to rebut Dr. O’Bradovich’s critique, especially since the State’s expert did not include the critique in her initial report and the defense had limited opportunity to cross-examine her. The court emphasized that Powell had an “unconditional right” to present rebuttal testimony and that the trial judge’s refusal to allow this violated her rights. As a result, the court ordered that Powell’s conviction be overturned and that she be granted a new trial.
The murder of Brenda Powell occurred after Powell’s college suspension. At the time of the killing, Brenda Powell, a child-life specialist at Akron Children’s Hospital, was on the phone with university officials when the attack began. During the call, the line was interrupted by what sounded like thudding noises and screams. When the call was later returned, a woman who claimed to be Brenda answered, but the school officials suspected it was Sydney. They immediately contacted law enforcement for a welfare check, which led to the discovery of Brenda Powell’s body.
Powell’s attorneys had argued that she was suffering from a severe mental illness, schizophrenia, at the time of the murder. They contended that her actions were the result of a psychotic episode and that she should be found not guilty by reason of insanity. However, the prosecution presented evidence suggesting that Powell’s actions did not align with the behavior of someone experiencing a psychotic break. Despite the defense’s claims, Powell was convicted of two counts of murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence.
Now, with the appellate court’s ruling, Powell may receive a new trial where her defense team will have the opportunity to present additional expert testimony regarding her mental state at the time of the crime.
