Sydney Powell, convicted of killing her mother, argued insanity. Looking back at the case

Sydney Powell's lawyers argued temporary insanity at her trial for killing her mother, Brenda, in March 2020.

Powell, then 19, claims to only have flashes of that day -- hearing voices, crying and feeling the need to get away.

Prosecutors say Sydney stabbed her mother with a steak knife and hit her repeatedly with a cast-iron skillet. And a Summit County jury agreed, finding her guilty of murder and felonious assault.

Here's a look back at this tragic case.

Sydney Powell charged with killing her mother, Brenda Powell -- March 4, 2020

An Akron teen has been charged with murder after authorities say she stabbed her mother Tuesday afternoon during an argument.

Officers responded to a home in the 1900 block of Scudder Drive for a welfare check about 1 p.m. Tuesday.

When police arrived, they found Brenda Powell, 50, with life-threatening wounds. She was transported to Cleveland Clinic Akron General, where she later died.

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Daughter accused of stabbing her mother is granted bond -- March 5, 2020

A teen accused of fatally stabbing her mother will be released on bond after her arraignment Thursday.

Sydney Powell, 19, has been charged in the murder of her mother, Brenda Powell. According to the arrest affidavit, the two were in a verbal argument that turned physical. During the confrontation, Sydney Powell is accused of fatally cutting and stabbing her mother.

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Patients mourn loss of 'second mom' at Akron Children’s Hospital -- March 7, 2020

When Brenda Powell died Tuesday, Akron Children’s Hospital didn’t just lose a child life specialist. For her co-workers and the many patients she worked with, they’re losing family.

“She was like a second mom to me and the mom at the hospital,” said Jackie Custer, one of her former patients at the hospital’s cancer center. “She treated us just like her own children.”

Brenda Powell, 50, of Akron died Tuesday from cuts and stab wounds that police say she sustained from her 19-year-old daughter, Sydney.

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Court indicts Sydney Powell, 19, accused in stabbing death of her mother -- April 20, 2020

A teen accused of fatally stabbing her mother was arraigned Friday in Summit County Court, and indicted on more charges.

Sydney Powell, 19, has been charged in the death of her mother, Brenda Powell. According to the arrest affidavit in Akron Municipal Court, the two were in a verbal argument that turned physical. During the confrontation, Sydney Powell allegedly fatally cut and stabbed her mother.

Sydney Powell was indicted in Summit County Common Pleas Court on charges of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

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Akron woman accused in mother's stabbing death pleads not guilty by reason of insanity -- Feb. 8, 2022

An Akron woman accused of fatally stabbing her mother in 2020 has changed her plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.

Sydney Powell, 21, was scheduled to go on trial for murder in Summit County Common Pleas Court.

However, Don Malarcik, Powell’s attorney, recently changed his client’s plea after an evaluation by a doctor.

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Psychologist says Akron woman, 19, had psychotic episode prior to mother's fatal stabbing -- Feb. 11, 2022

When Akron police arrived at the home of the Powell family in March 2020, they found Brenda Powell with life-threatening cuts and stab wounds.

They saw Sydney Powell, her 19-year-old daughter, collapsed at the end of the family’s driveway. Her eyes were rolled back and she was clawing at the asphalt to the point that her fingers bled.

“She’s absolutely in shock — in a catatonic state — not responding to audio stimuli,” said Don Malarcik, Powell’s attorney.

Malaricik shared these details of the aftermath of Brenda Powell’s stabbing this week as an example of the psychotic break a psychologist recently found Sydney had at the time of her mother’s death.

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'This goes against anything Brenda would want': Dad begs not to try daughter for mom's death -- Sept. 7, 2023

While Sydney Powell sat sobbing a few feet from him in a Summit County courtroom, her father pleaded for a resolution that would spare Sydney from going on trial for her mother’s stabbing death.

He begged prosecutors not to proceed with murder charges against his daughter for killing his wife, Brenda, during what the family believes was an episode of psychosis.

“I don’t know why we’re doing this,” Steve Powell said during the recent pretrial. “This isn’t what anyone wants here. I don’t know how she can handle it. I don’t know how I can handle it. I’m trying to keep my family together.”

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'End the nightmare': Lawyer says Sydney Powell wasn't sane when she fatally stabbed mom, Brenda -- Sept. 7, 2023

When Akron police officers arrived at the Powell family’s home in March 2020, they weren’t sure what had happened.

Brenda Powell was lying on the floor of her bedroom, covered with blood, with life-threatening injuries. Sydney Powell, her teenage daughter, was also bloody and hysterical.

Summit County prosecutors said during their opening statements in Sydney’s murder trial that Sydney killed her mother by stabbing her repeatedly with a steak knife and hitting her with a cast-iron frying pan.

Don Malarcik, Sydney’s attorney, however, said three psychologists found that Sydney suffered from schizophrenia and had a psychotic break on the day she killed her mother. He said she was having delusions and hearing voices and lost control.

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Sydney Powell was 'out of touch with reality' when she killed her mother, expert says -- Sept. 13, 2023

Sydney Powell has flashes of the day she killed her mother, a psychologist who evaluated Powell testified Wednesday.

She remembers sitting on the couch next to her mother.

She remembers crying.

She remembers feeling the need to get away and going down the basement steps and back up.

She also remembers voices in her head saying, “Loser,” “Worthless,” and “Kill yourself.”

The next thing Sydney remembers, psychologist James Reardon said, is waking up in the hospital.

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Sydney Powell was not insane when she killed her mother, prosecution expert says -- Sept. 18, 2023

Sydney Powell was sane when she murdered her mother, a medical expert for the prosecution testified Monday.

Powell was not in a fully-blown psychosis with moments of lucidity in the week leading to killing her mother and after, as three defense medical experts testified last week, Sylvia O'Bradovich of Summit Psychological Associates in Akron said.

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Summit County jurors find Sydney Powell guilty of murder in mother's stabbing death -- Sept. 20, 2023

A Summit County jury has found Sydney Powell guilty of killing her mother, Brenda, in March 2020 in their Akron home.

Jurors convicted Sydney, 23 , on two counts of murder — one that means purposely causing a death and the other that involves causing a death as the result of a felonious assault, as well as felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

The former Mount Union University student sobbed openly as the verdicts were read in the Summit County Common Pleas courtroom.

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'This wasn't justice,' attorney says after Sydney Powell is sentenced to life in prison - Sept. 28, 2022

Sydney Powell left a Summit County courtroom in tears Thursday after being sentenced to life in prison for the slaying of her mother.

Powell, 23, will be eligible for parole after 15 years. She plans to appeal.

“This wasn’t justice,” Don Malarcik, Sydney’s attorney, said after her sentencing.

Malarcik asked Judge Kelly McLaughlin to impose the minimum sentence of 15 years to life. Prosecutors, though, urged McLaughlin to impose an additional three years in prison for a tampering charge.

Powell plans to appeal.

Read the full story here.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Sydney Powell convicted of stabbing death of mother Brenda in Akron Ohio