Sydney Powell, convicted of murdering her mother, Brenda Powell, in early 2020, may face a new trial after appellate judges overturned her conviction. The decision raises questions about whether Powell, who argued she was not guilty by reason of insanity, received a fair trial.
Brenda Powell, a cherished employee of Akron Children’s Hospital, was killed in the kitchen of the family’s Summit County home. The incident occurred shortly after Brenda learned that her daughter had been expelled from the University of Mount Union, a secret Sydney had been hiding. The case drew national attention for its brutality and tragic circumstances.
The Ninth District Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the Summit County Common Pleas Court improperly restricted Powell’s defense. In the majority opinion, Judge Jennifer Hensal wrote that Powell should have been allowed to present rebuttal testimony to support her insanity defense. Judges Donna Carr and Betty Sutton concurred with the decision.
Defense attorney Don Malarcik had argued that Powell was not guilty by reason of insanity, a claim he believed was not fully heard during the trial. “The trial court denied Ms. Powell’s motion,” Hensal wrote, explaining that the lower court had dismissed the need for additional testimony based on the volume of expert witnesses already presented. However, she emphasized that Powell had an “unconditional right” to introduce rebuttal evidence.
During the three-week trial, the jury considered three verdicts: guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity, or not guilty. They ultimately convicted Powell of two counts of murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence. Judge Kelly McLaughlin sentenced her to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
With the appellate court’s decision, the case now returns to Summit County for potential further proceedings, leaving open the possibility of a retrial.
