Sister says Brian Powers was 'beautiful person,' turning his life around before 2020 murder

After time spent in prison and dozens of arrests by Akron police over the years, Brian "Egypt" Powers was seven months sober and getting his life back together when he was found shot to death nearly three years ago.

The 43-year-old who liked to dress as a woman, was a loving man, said his sister, Vivian Powers-Smith.

Now, Powers-Smith says she hopes justice will be done after police arrested Akron resident Bobby Lee Bell, 48, on a charge of murder in Powers' death.

The circumstances have not been detailed by police, who said they identified Bell after reviewing and analyzing evidence, conducting interviews and following up on numerous leads and tips.

Bell has a history of violent crime. In 1993, he was convicted of attempted aggravated murder and aggravated robbery. The court noted it would not object to his parole in 2002.

Since his release, Bell was convicted of drug-related charges in 2008, 2012 and 2021.

He is now being held in the Summit County Jail, with bond set at $1 million.

Circumstances of Brian Powers' death unclear

Powers was found face up on the ground by a groundskeeper just before 8 a.m. June 13, 2020, outside a church near East Buchtel Avenue and Chapel Drive. Police said they believe he had traveled about 100 yards before collapsing with a single bullet having pierced both thighs.

"He went to a party and he was walking home, but he was dressed as Egypt," Powers-Smith said, adding she has still not heard all the details from police. "I don't know if they were outside a car or if he was just walking down the street, but I know he was leaving from a party that he had went to earlier that evening and he was walking home."

Following Powers' death, some in Akron's LGBTQ community feared he may have been killed as a result of his gender identity and sexual orientation. However, hate crime laws — or “ethnic intimidation laws,” as they are called — in Ohio do not encompass gender identity and sexual orientation.

More:Brian Powers’ friends say he may have been victim of hate crime

"In his younger years he was gay, and then as time went on, I think he more identified as either gay or transgender," she said.

"Whenever he felt like dressing as Egypt, that's what he did and that's how he is from day-to-day. When he wanted to be Brian, he was Brian. If he wanted to be Egypt, he was Egypt," Powers-Smith said.

Never 'in the closet,' Powers was 'handsome ... beautiful'

She said her brother was fun-loving and would make anyone he came in contact with feel welcomed.

"He was a beautiful person," she said. "He was a man and he was very handsome. As a female, he was very, you know, very attractive, very beautiful, so if someone looked at him, they might not have been able to tell, but he would let you know, you know. He wasn't the type that would, you know, try to trick anybody or fool you. He was very proud of who he was, so, you know, he would let you know."

Although Powers had been a sex worker in his younger years and had been charged multiple times for solicitation, his sister said he had moved beyond that lifestyle.

"I've heard people say, 'Well, that's what happens when you live your life like that,' but I don't care how you decide to live your life, you don't deserve to be murdered, right?

"He was always proud of who he was. Like when they say somebody comes out of a closet. I don't believe Brian ever came out of a closet. He was just born out the closet. He was just who he was, so he had to be tough. There were times where he had an issue with substance abuse and he had just overcame that. He was doing very well. He was seven months clean. He was very proud of that."

Brian Powers was overcoming past troubles

According to court records, Powers was convicted of several felonies — including robbery, forgery and escape —from 2001 to 2017 and also faced dozens of misdemeanor charges.

Powers-Smith said he did not talk much about his past troubles.

"It was something he was just trying to get past and, you know, leaving in his past. You know, he had his own apartment. He had his own income. He was doing very well," she said, explaining he was receiving supplemental assistance from the state, but did not know the specific reason.

"He was going to meetings like two to three times a day. He was going to classes to keep himself, you know, on the straight and narrow."

She said he didn't have any issues with anyone as far as she knows, other than random people who recognized his lifestyle.

"Sometimes he, you know, walking down the street or in the store or something, somebody would say something negative to them. But you know, it wouldn't go any further ... because even when he was dressed as Brian, even when he was living his daily life as a man, he's still very feminine ... it wasn't something he was hiding.

"Everybody's not comfortable with letting people be who they, who they choose to be," she said.

A note on terms: We continue to refer to Brian Powers, also known as Egypt, using “he/him/his” pronouns, following extensive interviews with those who knew him.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Details still unclear in 2020 murder of Brian Powers in Akron