AKRON, Ohio — Sydney Powell, a 23-year-old Akron woman who was recently found guilty in the murder of her own mother, has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
The decision from Summit County Common Pleas Judge Kelly McLaughlin was announced Thursday morning, which 3News streamed live.
Thursday's sentencing comes after a jury found Powell guilty of the following charges last week:
- Two counts of murder (special felonies)
- Felonious assault (felony of the second degree)
- Tampering with evidence (felony of the third degree)
The murder dates back to March of 2020 when Powell struck her 50-year-old mother, Brenda, in the head with an iron skillet before stabbing her nearly 30 times in the neck.
Powell, who was seen crying during the sentencing hearing, did not speak when given the opportunity.
“I have advised Miss Powell that given the nature of our appeal she should not make a statement today," an attorney told Judge McLaughlin.
An attorney speaking on behalf of Sydney's family asked the judge to consider all of the letters she had received about this case when making her decision.
“The tone and tenor of those letters, I think, is consistent with what the court saw throughout the trial and what the court continues to see here today -- that they love and support Sydney no matter what," the attorney said. "They will continue to love and support her, and they’ve been a consistent and constant presence in her life and in the courtroom. That will continue as we move forward. They love and support her and they’re going to take care of whatever she may need.”
The attorney also said the family's bigger concern "is that Sydney receives the mental health treatment and placement that she needs."
An attorney representing Powell also took a moment to read a letter he received from a doctor at Akron Children's Hospital. It said:
“I have almost never felt so strongly that I need to offer a voice of advocacy as I have in this tragic situation of an unfathomable verdict and the tragic current of ripple effects it will undoubtedly have upon this loving family. I have repeatedly heard from those who know Brenda well. Their intimate knowledge of Brenda, her family, her husband and Syndey, that they have endured incredible loss as a result of Sydney’s actions on that horrible day. Even so, it is literally beyond words and many people’s comprehension how tremendously loving they have been and remain toward Sydney in their clear knowledge of her mental illness and impairment -- and the powerful clarity that Brenda herself, if she were still alive, would without a doubt want the unwavering support of Sydney’s continued treatment for her mental condition in the least restrictive environment possible with as much family connection and contact as is possible.”
The attorney closed his arguments with the following message: “The people who know Brenda, the people who know Sydney, are all asking this court to consider the constitutional wishes of the victims and impose the minimum sentence.”
The prosecution, meanwhile, had requested a sentence of 18 years to life.
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