A jury has convicted a 23-year-old woman of killing her own mother. A Summit County jury found Sydney Powell guilty of murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence. Back in 2020, she hit her 50-year-old mother in the head with an iron skillet before stabbing her nearly 30 times in the neck. Powell will be sentenced later this month. This video contains the interview of a college student whose friend murdered her own mother. The transition from high school to college can be difficult. There are higher expectations, new experiences, and heightened anxieties. For Sydney Powell, who had yet to settle on a career fully, this was especially true. Powell had excellent grades in high school and the support of her close-knit, loving family. She also suffered from anxiety, which was made worse by her consumption of alcohol. After several years of changing her major, Howell's grades began to slip. She spent more and more time in her room and missed classes. Her grades finally became so bad that the college intervened, telling her she could no longer attend. With shame and embarrassment, Howell returned home. Howell's mother, Brenda, had always been close with her daughter. The two never had any serious arguments and did not experience the friction that often occurs between mothers and daughters during the teen years. Shortly after her arrival, emergency workers were called to the Powell home, where they found Brenda barely cleaning to life. Powell, who claimed to have no memory of that day, had struck her mother in the head with a cast iron skillet and stabbed her in the neck over 30 times. If you sure you don't want anything to drink or I'm good. I This is my partner. This is Detective Bertina. I'm good. Thank you. Look like I've seen you before, though. Maybe you never come here to see her yet? Uh, I did when you retired. Okay. I haven't been here often. So, Lauren, first of all, thanks for coming in. Yeah. Um, we know that this is uh this whole thing's difficult for you and you're trying to make sense of it and so are we. Mhm. Um, so, uh, you know, it's we're just talking to you about what you know, not about what you've heard or anything. Um, just trying to find out as much as we can so we can, you know, kind of make sense of this ourselves. Um, so if you uh if you want a a break or anything, just let us know. But, uh, why don't we start off with uh I mean, how tell us about Sydney. How did you uh when did you first meet and how long have we known each other? I've known Sydney for 6 years. We met um the first day of summer gym in high school and then we were best friends ever since. Very close. And um you what what are you what are you now? What are you doing now? I'm at school. Okay. Where do you go to school at? I go to the University of Mount Union. Okay. And uh what year are you in there? I'm a sophomore. Sophomore. Yeah. Now, we understand that that Sydney was your roommate at Mount Union. Yes, she was for last year and then this year until she left. Okay. So, how did that work? Did you did you I mean, did you both plan on going to Mount Union or Okay. Yeah. She liked it first and I was like, I don't know. And then I visited there and I was like, oh yeah, this is the place to be. And then we both when we both got accepted, we were like, oh, we're definitely being roommates. And so you've been friends ever since your s freshman year at CB. Mhm. Go over each other's houses, everything. Everything like that. Curry had a close enough relationship with Powell that she should have good insight not only into Powell herself, but also the dynamic between Powell and her mother. So what are you studying at my union? Education. Education. Yeah. And what was what was Sydney taking? Well, she started off in exercise science freshman year, her first semester, but then she didn't like the classes, so she switched over to psychology and sociology, but then she didn't really like that. So, this year she switched to education and then she didn't like that either. And that's one of the reasons she left is because she really couldn't find when she left. So, she was trying to figure it out. So tell us about uh the the time you spent together in Mount Union. You said that she she really wasn't uh couldn't find something that she was interested in. Um like she I think her most interest I think was psychology like learning about that stuff but other than just like hanging out with her friends like educational wise it was kind of hard for her I think. Now did you where did you stay out there? Where did you stay at? Um, freshman year we were in a dorm room and then this year we were in a suite. So, it's like a dorm room but like two. So, we have like neighbors and we shared a bathroom. But this is actually it's actually like Mount Union Union Union Housing. It's not like a separate apartment or anything. Yeah, it's Mount Union housing. So, it's just you and Sydney. Mhm. And um now were there some other groups of uh students that you hung around with frequently? Neighbors yours? Yeah. So, like I said, our sweetmates, which was Alyssa, who was a cheerleader with me, and then my friend, well, our friend Britney, who lives in like the town houses, so she didn't live with us, but she was really close with us cuz she was in our sorority together, and she was also a cheerleader. Now, was Sydney in that same sorority? Yes. What sorority is that? Alpha Kai Omega. Now, do they have a separate house on campus there or how does that work? So they do have a house on it, but they only have like one apartment, so you can't really like live there. So it's Alpha Kai Omega. Omega. Yeah. And did you both join together or did how did that go? So we both went through recruitment together and we both did both at the same sority. Um what what attracted you to that sorority? Um the girls, the vibe that they gave off like everything that they stood for. And what was that? Tell us about that. um their philanth well I think the girls are just really nice in general but the philanthropy they stand for is um the domestic violence shelter alliance and even though I've never been like in any of those like situations I think that that was a good cause okay um so you didn't there's no actual house but there's everybody just belonged to the sorority and just stayed at different part different uh their dorms is that how often did you get together with those girls. Um, every Sunday we have chapter which is like kind of like the meetings and so and if we had events we were with them. So anytime we had an event or on Sunday chapters so often. So when you first got to Mount Union, how was uh how did it go for Sydney? was um did she seem to be I mean you mentioned that she didn't really you know find a niche as far as what she wanted to study but I mean which did she ever talk to you about uh her classes and how that's going or did you share that with each other? Yeah, I mean I think we talked about classes a lot cuz we did homework together a lot. Um I think she was like like I said she I think she struggled in her classes. I don't think her grades were the best, but she didn't really tell me that because um I wasn't really struggling, but I think you could tell kind of, especially at the end, that she just wasn't like doing her best in high school, she was very like good grades and everything. So, I think it was kind of shock for her not to be like like to struggle. I think a little bit. think it's like a study habit thing because you know it's a big difference from college to I think so because like in high school sometimes you can procrastinate a little bit and in college you definitely can't. So she just wasn't uh you know did it seem like how did the how did the this like kind of change affect her? I mean did it affect her moods at all? Did she seem concerned about it or tell us about that? Um, I think she kept a lot of stuff hidden because when we were just talking or with our friends, she always seemed happy. Like she seemed okay. Like I said, I couldn't tell until the end where she was kind of just like struggling and she kind of was sad and just like, Lauren, I don't know what to do. I'm like, well, you just need to find what makes you happy and like just you need to find what you like to do. And I don't know. I think it did make her a little upset because she was confused because she I think she felt like everybody around her kind of had figured out what they wanted. That is a common feeling among college students who begin attending with no set goal as well as those who discover that the requirements for their chosen occupation aren't what they expected to do and she had it. So I think that kind of affected her. So when do you think this that it really started affecting her that like look this is you know I'm really having problems and this is I have to I mean I don't want to put words in your mouth. Tell us when you think that that it really started affecting her like often like her anxiety. Um, well, I know she's had anxiety for a while, but I don't think I think those last like this last semester like starting coming back in January is when it really started like she was kind of more like upset because she really didn't know what she wanted to do. like she didn't like her classes cuz that's when she started the education classes and like my friends and I were worried for her because we were just we didn't know what was going on cuz she didn't tell us and like there was problems with like housing or something just like we shared a room like put names on the doors and her name wasn't on it when we got back and we were confused about that and she said it's cuz they messed up cuz she didn't sign the forms right or something but kind kind of never got fixed. And then she left and my friends and I were just worried cuz we didn't even know if she got any books for her classes. Like we were trying to ask her questions like that and like she's like no I have books and I have stuff for my classes but like I do homework all the time and I don't think I saw her doing a lot of homework the last couple weeks. So I think this last semester, this January part when she was there kind of affected me the most. So had you uh hung out over that Christmas break? H Okay. And was she talking about what was she talking about then? Was she talking about the next semester or did you guys talk about school at all? I don't think we talked about school. Maybe living situations cuz for like junior year we were talking about living in the town houses and like what we were going to need. So, I think we were talking about living situations, but like schoolwide and classwise, I don't think that much. So, when you came back from Christmas break, you didn't see her name on the door. Yeah. And when did she come back? She came back the same day. Same day. Yeah. Did you come together? No. Okay. No, she came in her own car. And so, take us through again. Her name wasn't on the door. Yeah. And how did So, I guess the door people do that. Yeah. So, the RAS do that. So we were like, "Oh, what happened? Like maybe you should go ask the RA cuz people were asking like why is her name on the door?" I'm like, "I don't know." So she was kind of hesitant to ask the RA. So that's when we were kind of just like, "What's going on?" Like my sweetmate Alyssa and I were asking like, "Oh, what's going on?" And Sydney's just said that when she signed out the forms wrong. So, she was meeting with residents like a lot in the last couple weeks to kind of figure out like to get her stuff back cuz then her when her name wasn't on the door, her dorm key, like the thing you get into the dorm building, it stopped working and so but then it started working again cuz like she went over to res life and they turned it back on. So, I don't know what happened really, but that's all she said. So it wasn't it so when she got there it didn't work and then she went and talked to them. Yeah. And then the So is this like So the key it's the outside door and then you have to use one for the inside door. No. So there's a Yeah. Well, kind of. There's a key card like our Mount Union ID and that's when you swipe in like you can get into the building. Okay. And then there's the actual key for the room. The swiper wasn't working. The key swiper was working. Okay. So, I think she just told us that she didn't fill like the housing form out like this. When we had to come back, we have to fill out a form saying we're coming back and she said she signed something off wrong. So, I don't know if that's true or not, but that's what she told us. Howell was embarrassed by her situation and lied to her friends about what was happening. Right now, you can watch another incredibly intense case on my Patreon. Discover the disturbing story of the Kin and Barbie Killers, a terrifying tale about a couple obsessed with violence. Dive into their dark journey as they become immersed in unimaginable horrors. Watch this shocking video along with many others at patreon.com/strangertories plus. And then she just, like I said, she met with friends like a lot, like a couple weeks trying to get them figured out so she could because she was staying. And then she ultimately decided not to stay and so she had to return her key and stuff. So when when she got her stuff working again um how how was it like dayto day? I mean did did I mean was she going leaving the dorm? Was she coming back? Yeah. What what were you thinking about that that time? Um I was confused because we're like we told each other everything for a long time. And so I was confused in the sense I didn't know what was happening and I was just like she could trust me. She could tell me that something was wrong. I want to help her but she didn't really tell us um anything like she didn't tell Alyssa anything either or Britney. Um she did go to class so she was leaving the building but usually her and I were together cuz our classes were similar. So, we'd be coming back at the same time, but I've seen I saw her use her key, but like I'd use my key, too, but yeah, we were together most of the time coming back from classes and stuff. Did you have any of the same classes? Uh, we had the same class, but not at the same time. Did you actually know for sure if she was actually physically in the classroom? Cannot say it. Did you know that? She told us she was. And I mean she was like we both had French class and she was doing her French homework with me so I knew she was doing stuff with the same class but I don't know if she actually was going to class. Okay. Was there any like you mentioned Alyssa and Britney. Um any other like maybe the sorority sisters in any of her classes? Um no. But she was also close to a girl named Audrey. Um she was in our sorority but she was also a cheerleader. A lot of her friends were my friends cuz we I I'm a cheerleader. So, she hung out with a lot of the people I met with. So, you don't know if she was actually ever sitting in a seat in a classroom? I can't tell you that. No, because we had classes at the same time. And if we didn't have class at the same time, it was because I was in a class and she was in a study room cuz she didn't have class at that time. Uh, what was she doing? I mean, was she at the dorm room a lot or how can you describe for us what what she was doing when you know she was not in class or supposed to be in class? When she wasn't in class, if she was waiting for me, she'd wait in the study room. So, like now, you know, like rooms that you can study in. So, she'd wait for me until I get out of class and then we'd go do stuff together. But if she not, she'd be in the dorm room in her bed on her laptop. Did you notice any uh you know change in her mood? Was she talking about anything or like um I could tell she was getting more upset like more sad. And I told her I was like I'm here. Like you couldn't tell me. I'm here for you. If you need anything, I'm here. But she never really opened up until she was leaving and saying that she was struggling with school and that she wanted she was kind of trying to figure out what was going on. And that's when I started to try to help her. And then she then ultimately decided to leave, which I thought would maybe might be good for her just to get her mind off the rest of semester and then come back and go to Akran or something the next falling fall semester kind of hoping that would help her. So when was that conversation as opposed to when she left? um that conversation maybe a week before she left, a week or so before saying we were talking about it. We were just like I was like, "Well, Sydney, I understand if you might have to take classes or summer classes. If you want to come back to Mount, I'm all for it. like we love you and we want you here, but like I understand if you go like if you go home like my friends and I talked about this with Ali too, but if she goes home and she just needs to go to Akan just to be at home, just to be somewhere where she can maybe try to find a new work ethic and something that makes her want to go to class, we're all for it. And she like she's like, I appreciate that. I really want to come back to Mount where all my friends are. It's where I want to learn even if I'm a semester behind. That was kind of what she said. So, when did she actually leave? Can you put a day on that that something that reminds you of when she actually left the Tuesday before the incident? The the a whole week before? A week before. Is that the last time you actually actually saw her? I saw her the Monday. That she came back to Mount to watch the Bachelor with me and my friends at my friends. house. She came over. Did she stay where she was staying as she after she left or what did you believe? Where did you believe she was staying? She was I thought she she told us she was home like she left. We went to we watched the Bachelor and then she left to go back home and she text us when she came home. Like I made her made it home. Yeah. Like she made it home. Okay. So you think that before this happened she' been at the house a week? Yeah. Okay. So, she leaves about a week before the incident. Then she then you're thinking she's at home. Yeah. And then she came back to No. to just that Monday. Yeah. Okay. So, Lauren, let's let's let's talk about this. Um, you know, you're her best friend and know this is difficult, but to tell us about her relationship with her parents. Um she her and her parents had really good relationship. Like her mom and her were best friends probably. Like they did everything together. Like one of the reasons she went home was to be with her mom. They were always close. She never said anything bad about her mom. She never ever talked about having an argument with her mom. Like I can't recall every time she'd be going home, she's like, "I can't wait to see my mom." Or when she goes home for weekends, she'd be like, "Oh, my mom wants me to come home so we can hang out and like watch movies." And she liked like she loved being home. This was the consensus of everyone who knew the family. There was a close mother and daughter relationship. And Brenda Powell was not overbearing or demanding. And she had a good relationship with her dad, too. Like I know that her and her dad liked to watch like Star Wars together and they he always like cooked food at the house. Like he liked cooking and she'd always talk about how good his food was and what they would get each other for Christmas and things about spring break. Like she was like she loved being home with her family. So, when she's talking to you about um you know, the problem she's having at school, uh did she mention that she tried talking to her parents at all or that they, you know, they were going to have uh that they were involved in her future plans at all? Yeah, I know. She definitely, especially when she left, she talked to her mom about leaving and they kind of made that decision together to leave Mount Like that. She didn't tell them for a while, but I knew when everything kind of built up, she was telling them how she was struggling with school and then when she left, I know that was a decision between like her and her parents kind of kind of mutual type decision. Now, when you say that she told them and it was like a mutual decision, is that her telling you that? Is that her telling you that she she Yeah, she told me that she talked to her parents and they decided that it would be best for her to just finish not finish the rest of the semester. So, as far as you know, based on what Sydney was telling you, she was discussing this situation. You I mean, did you think her parents knew based on what she told you? Okay. But you never ever talked to parents, right? No, I haven't seen your parents in a while. Um, so you last saw her, which would have been like a week before the incident. And then did she had she removed all her things or what about did you get the impression that she was moving out at that point for good? Uh, when she told me that Tuesday morning, she woke we woke up and she was talking. She's like, I need to tell you something. my family and I decided that it'd be better to like take the semester, rest the semester off and I have to leave today. And then she like packed up all her stuff and kind of told all her friends and then she left that Tuesday with all of her stuff, all her bedding, all her clothes, all her items. And that was a Tuesday before the incident happened. Yes. Yes. Did she drive up to see you the mon the Monday night before? Yes. Okay. Yes. Did she say anything that day when you're watching the Bachelor or how how did that did you ask how she was doing or tell us about that? Yeah, we asked what she was doing and she said she was good like she acted like what we would see as normal like she was laughing. She was having fun. She said she got jobs cuz she worked at the Akan Arbor Ducks. She's worked there for a couple seasons. So, she was going to go back there and then she also said she was looking for another job and like everything was good and she was trying to figure out like for next year and all this stuff and she was going to talk to her parents about housing, trying to come back to Mount that was her main thing and she seemed fine like she seemed completely like like I said she was laughing and we wereing off and doing girl stuff and everything like that. um when she's uh you know once she got to my union or anytime Ashley did uh did Sydney ever drink alcohol at all or she did. Okay. Just kind of describe that for us. Uh I mean we've all been college age so and uh I don't usually like drink a lot if I was one but her she liked to drink. Um, there was an incident in the fall of our freshman year where she drank too much and she wasn't alcohol poison, but she did end up in the hospital and her parents her mom came and got her at like 2:00 in the morning. But she did end up in the hospital that day cuz she drank like mixed drinks and drank too much. But usually after that, her and I work together. If she did drink, I usually kind of like slowed her down after I knew kind of her limit because she's small. We kind of knew her limit and but she did drink. What I mean what what situation was that in? Was that like just like a party or something or uh I was in the dorm room watching movies cuz I didn't want to go out. So she went out with her other her friends. I wasn't really close with them. I was close with one of them but not the rest. Powell's struggle with alcohol may have been the cause of her problem, but there is a possibility it was only a symptom of an underlying mental struggle. And they I got a call around like 11 saying was at a party and she was throwing up and she just wasn't good and to come pick her up. So, I kind of went and got her and then she wasn't feeling good and so I brought her back to the dorm and she wouldn't get out of the car and I guys with me trying to help and then the RA came out and then the RA called campus security the campus security called the ambulance and then she was taking the last Did she have any friends that like wasn't in your friend circle there like friends that she had maybe made on her own that you're aware Not really cuz usually she was either in the dorm or hanging out with us or sority girls, but I knew all the sorority girls too that they were my friends. A lot of this we have a lot of the same friends. So her circle of friends pretty much consisted of the sorority girls that you were in and some of the cheerleaders that she met through you. Yeah. Um had you ever seen her taken any drugs or anything or any medications for nothing? Nothing at all. Is there anything that uh anything that you know of that um you know any did you hear from anybody else that uh she might have done that? Have you ever heard anything like that? No, I know. So what what what is your phone number? What phone number do you have, Lauren? You guys texting that? We did. Yeah. Okay. Um, so you said you mentioned an Allison. Uh, Audrey. Oh, I'm sorry. Audrey. Do you know Audrey's phone number off the top of your head? No. How about Britney? I'd have to look at my phone. I know. You just probably keep them in contact. Yeah. So, did she that after um you said after she left, she got all her stuff and left about a week before. What What kind of contact did you have with her during that week? Um, did you talk to her at all over the phone? Um, not really, cuz we kind of wanted to give her a week just to settle in with her house. We asked her how she was doing. I called her or even I called her, but she didn't answer cuz she was in the shower. And then I text her and I was just making sure. I was like, "Oh, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." And then she we talked a little bit. And then she asked if she could come over that Monday for the Bachelor. And I was like, "Oh, of course. We'd love to have you." like we want you here. And then she came over and then she texted me I'm home and then we'll text like videos to each other. So she sent me a video that night too and that was kind of like the last of it. What kind of video? Um a Tik Tok video. Did uh she have any boyfriends or any guy friendss that she met at my union or back here? We were we hung out with fraternity guys and like she had the same guy that I did. Um she did have a boyfriend from about like December before break until January when she came back. So was like a month or so. Yeah. Very short. Do you know his name? Dom. Dom. Dominic. Yeah. So what made you break up? He cheated on her on New Year's. Oh, kitty. Yeah. Yeah. That'll make you happy. Yeah. So, yeah, they broke up. How did she find out that happened? Um, I had friends at the party that called me and told me and then I told her. Okay. If she were already in a fragile state, this would have been another devastating blow. She break the news to her. Yep. Um, had she ever, you know, any, uh, you mentioned that she had the the the drinking episode. Any kind of like, uh, breakdowns or anything or, uh, you mentioned that, um, you know, she had a hard time finding out what she wanted to do, what she studied, but any like real bad episodes uh, that you can recall, anything like that? I mean, not bad. Like I've seen her cry, but not over like me. I've seen her cry before over like just being stressed. I don't think she handled stress very well, so she cried over stuff sometimes when she got too stressed out, but other than that, not really. It wors. Uh I mean, how did you take the news about Dominic? I was she um she was upset for like a while, but then she just kind of was just like, you know, it was not meant to be. That's okay. And then she broke up with him. Where is she from? Uh I think they have the words back and forth. She just kind of like dumped him on text message. Yeah, she dumped him over. She was like, "I found out." And I she gave him a little bit to see if he'd tell her and he never did. So she's like, "I kind of don't like that you never told me. So I just think we should end things now. It's not going to work out type of thing." So Jake, you talked about her anxiety. Tell me more about that. Um I think since high school, Sydney's been dealing with anxiety. Um, like I said, she doesn't deal with stress well. So, if she gets in like if she's stressed about something, she kind of gets a little worked up over it. Um, she went through a period in high school in her junior year where she just was like almost social anxiety, like she didn't like to like talk to people other than like our friend group or go out to like restaurants or stores like she didn't want to talk to cashiers and stuff like that. um we kind of helped her and pulled her out of it and we kind of one of our a girl um I think well she went to the counselor so like Sydney went to the counselor kind of talked about it and it got better after that like senior year she was more like I should say but I think junior year she definitely struggled with it and then in college I think it got worse again just because like I said she didn't know what she wanted to do and I didn't think her grades till where she what she wanted them to be. So like when she like was doing her grades and stuff, I think that kind of stressed her out and that got her more upset when she couldn't figure out why she wasn't doing as well. I think Do you think that she talked to any counselors up there? I don't think she talked to any counselors because you'd have to go to the health center which is across campus and she never went there. So, when she's uh did did you mentioned that she was having problems with her grades, did she ever talk to you about the you know the university's feedback like if she was on like probation or anything or any official status that they changed with her? So, you weren't aware of anything like that with her? Um, I know the reason I kind of found out is cuz in the sorority I got an executive position or or I was in a position to where I knew she couldn't do something because her grades so she academically for her grades in the sorority. When would that have been semester wise? That was last semester I kind of found out about that because we have a thing called which would have been the fall this past fall semester. We have a thing called Big Little where like the older girls get a new girl in the time of like their mentors and she wasn't able to get one I guess because of her grades. So that's kind of when I found out because I was in a minor position then where I helped pick the big littles. So I was like in position I kind of found out because of that. And how did she react when when she was you know when you talked to her about that? Um, or did you talk to her about it? I didn't bring it up until I was just like, "Hey, I know you can't go little and they said it's because your academics. Is there anything like you want to talk about?" She's like, "They just messed up my transcript. Like, I didn't get as bad a grades." I'm like, "I don't really think that happens." But, yeah, that's what she told me that they messed up her transcript. But then she came and told me the truth a little bit later that she did have bad grades. Powell struggled to tell her closest friend the truth. only doing so once she had no choice. That being the case, Howell likely hid her situation from her parents. And was that like this little thing? Was that like towards the beginning of the semester? More towards the end. Towards the middle of the end. And that's she did finally come forward and say that, you know, she was Did she mention specifically what her grades were? Just that she was having having some problems. Okay. And how do you find out that it was all bad? How do you find out about that? When it was like all the grades were pretty bad. Yeah. Um I never really found out what they were exactly. I just she told me that she was like, I kind of have bad grades. My friend Britney kind of struggled with grades a little bit. So, she's the first one who kind of noticed that she was but Sydney was struggling because she had been in Sydney's position before like her freshman and sophomore year a little bit. So, she kind of can tell and she's the one who kind of like warned me to kind of talk to her about it like just make sure she's okay cuz like a probation thing, right? They kind of And then do they ever just like did you ever just know that she wasn't supposed to be here? Okay. I never knew that. I think maybe till maybe at the end she wasn't supposed to be there. That's what it kind of felt like, but I never knew. Not really. Cuz her name never appeared in a door. Right. Did you ever was there any RAS that ever came and physically checked your suite there? See if she was staying there? Um after she left that after she left, but before that they came to talk to her. So who's they? What do you see? The RA R. She came to talk to her and then red light was also coming and talking to her like coming and ask for her and she talked to them. Do you know how how how many days before she left would that been or was it weeks or days? It was weeks like throughout the weeks that she was there kind of on and off. And then that night that you saw her, did she make plans like to see you again? We were going to hang out. We were going to try to hang out again soon, like over a weekend or something, but not like official or not specific plans, I guess. Okay. You don't come home on the weekends all the time. I come home sometimes, but not often, but I knew cuz spring break was coming up, I was going to Florida, so we were making plans probably to see each other after spring break. So, like back here in Akaran, was there anybody that like you went to school with or she at St. B or really good friends with um that that you she would spend time with when she was back home? Who would have been? Who would have been? If she would have, it would have been either a kid who goes to Akan, his name's Louis, but I don't think she ever contacted him cuz she didn't he didn't even know she left until I told him. So, I don't know if she ever contacted him. And then Um, we had another friend who goes to Kent. Her name's Emma. And I don't think I don't know if she contacted her either. What's Emma's last name? White. Did she go to St. Pete? She did. Okay. So, what about social media and stuff like that? Any social media she had? She had Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter. So, does any of that look Did any of that ever look weird, dark, anything to you? She never posted anything, so not really. No. Okay. Any uh any guy friends that were back here that she went out with? Not really. No. When she was here, she usually was hanging out with her family. Like her close friends were kind of the ones at school. What's uh what's your relationship with the brother like? They have I think like a normal safe blame relationship like they love each other and they'll do anything for each other but they also you know brother and sister argue and stuff like that. So I think it was pretty relatively normal like she loved her brother. She told me that all the time like we talk about like I talk about Steven. She talked about Andrew. There was nothing about any of Powell's relationships to suggest she would ever resort to violence. There were no fights or outbursts of anger. Like pretty she liked to go to her brother's soccer games and his lacrosse games. She likes to support him. Was she playing in any like um inter mural soccer up at M or anything like that? Was she playing any back here in Akan? Anything like that? So Lauren, what what I mean what haven't we asked you? Is there something that you think that uh we need to know or something you think that we we might think is important that uh that's weighing on your mind? I don't think so. I think you guys have asked a lot of good questions. I I think you've gotten a lot of like a lot of the main things like that's definitely she has had anxiety. thing. I don't know. You know, she ever got went to a doctor, got diagnosed for it or anything like that? I don't know. Did she call it like I guess I would say that's like to me like a serious word to call to cause something anxiety? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I guess this society day and age words kind of get right. That's why I was wondering like she was saying, you know, I went to a doctor and they said you have anxiety and then we just kind of carried it on like that. No, she never said anything about going to a doctor. I don't know if it was diagnosed or but I knew like we would call it like anxiety I guess even if it's just a small term for it or term we just used cuz it's used a lot just she was stressed a lot I guess you could say. Yeah. And then when it all goes bad all of this so how do you find out something bad happened to her mom? Um, so I know that I got called into my coach's office because the dean or or somebody came in and I was called into my coach's office and they told me that um something happened at the power residence but they and they knew people were going to the hospital but they just didn't know what happened. The dispute happened and then I my dad was coming to give me a suitcase and so then my dad hadn't told me. Oh, you guys were going to Florida? Yes. I remember him being here that day. It was like the next day or something. Two days. Yeah. Okay. Oh, no. No, it was the next day. That was the next day. Yeah, it was. Yeah. He kind of told me what happened and her mom passed away and Sydney kind of was part of it. So, how did you feel about that? What were you thinking? Um, I was shocked just because, like I said, Sydney and her mom were so close and I kind of just was like, what do you mean? Uh I don't I think I was shocked and confused for a lot of it and then I kind of when I was on vacation kind of figured that this happened that something happened with her mom and her and I don't know what but I can't really help other guys know. I guess I knew and I can't do anything other than just be there first and it shocked you? Yeah, it it it shocked me. I kind of was just kind of in a like I was just like no kind of like maybe didn't believe it at first. I was like no this city and her mom like maybe something else happened somebody else was there but obviously that wasn't the case. So I was just really shocked about it. Have you talked to anybody in her family since then? Um, we talked to her dad just like we sent flowers to the funeral. So, he kind of thanked us and just was making sure we were okay basically. He was just making sure we were okay. We were making sure like we said if they need anything we be there for them kind of that type of situation. What about the other girls that are in um They're okay. I think giving that week of spring break kind of let everybody kind of digest what happened. Like we were all really upset that day or night and the only ID it wasn't there on campus but the campus sent email that Tuesday or that Wednesday. I wasn't there but I heard everybody was talking about it and it was kind of upsetting for some of the people that were her friends. They were cuz they were just confused because so many people loved her and never would have saw this coming. Not at all. Never would have saw this coming. So it was just a big shock to everyone. But like I said, having that week and now I think not being at school because of the Corona virus has given everybody time just to like heal and kind of digest what happened and just hope kind of for the best. So has anybody said anything like we got negative naysayers? Anybody anything bad like I knew this would happen? She got some whatever anything bad. Not to me. Okay. Everything that I've like people my friends have text me and people in my sority and it's all been very positive to me. Um during that week on spring break I kind of turned off all my notifications for social media. So, like I didn't see anything or I didn't want to kind of type it in just to kind of heal and not but um I I know from my friend that people were saying mean things on her social media page, her Instagram because it was public. My friend told me that. I didn't go read it. Is it Sydney Pal? Yes. Yeah. Um, I heard there was negative comments on her Instagram page about her, but I like I said, I didn't read it. But everybody, everything I saw that people text me and stuff was just positive saying that they're here for us and they love us and kind of that type of situation. You guys are like, so what are you doing now? Just online? Yeah, online classes. Are you guys back now for spring break technically or? So, we had Monday and Tuesday off and then yesterday started online classes, but I'm just living at home because they shut down our dorms. You can't live in the dorms anymore. Lauren, what uh just have a question. What what did uh how did she usually I know like when you're at school you get that card and everything but um did she pay for stuff with cash or how if if it wasn't her like university card at the university facilities if you went out you know to a restaurant or something how would she normally pay um if you know um either cash or she had a debit card or one of us would pay and she'd like vend she'd been we've been that was kind of how it was so either cash or her debit card. So, she did have her individual debit card. Uhhuh. Okay. Yes. Cuz most of the food is you guys eat um off campus or you guys like a kitchen and do stuff at home. Uh so there's a cafeteria and then we have in our school a cafe. It's called the B&B where you can use your dining dollars there and get money. But if not, it was at a restaurant or at our friend's townhouse, which they had a full-size kitchen, so we couldn't do it. Okay. So, how you feeling about all this? Um, like I'm okay now. like the first couple days where I was kind of sad and just confused and shocked. But like I said, I kind of realized that the only thing I can do is kind of tell you guys what happened in my kind of like what I know about her and just know that I know Sydney or knew Sydney how she was and that's all I can do is just support her and try to help as much as I can. Kind of that type of situation just I knew there was nothing I could have done right now or that situation. I wasn't there. I don't know what happened. So, all I can do is just be there for you. Anything we haven't asked you? I don't think so. Okay. Well, Lauren, if you think of something, um, I'm going to give you my card. Your dad knows how to get a hold of us, but I'm going to give you my card. And if there's something that maybe you say, I wish I would have told Detective King, Lieutenant Wats, or anything at all. or um or should I ask you do you have any questions for us or I know there's probably a million things but uh um I think okay I'm going to give you my card like no um and if you like I said if you think of something or you know somebody says something and contacts you either through Instagram whatever says something that's really unusual I don't know what that would be but yeah if there's something that sticks out to you or you know just get a hold of us okay I or they can call it. So, what are you studying? What What are we What are you studying? Education. Okay. So, you're going to teach I bet you little bitty baby is too. Now, you coached you were coaching in the in the fall or at back at St. Pete, too, right? Yeah, I coach. I'm a the freshman cheer coach at St. V. So, you had time to do that in addition to cheering at the the football games and everything. Yeah. So, I would go to class Monday through Wednesday and then Thursday I'd go back home and coach the football games. Oh. And then I cheer myself on Saturday. Yeah. All right. Well, thank you for coming in. Okay. I'm going to walk you back down and I appreciate it. Yeah, of course. Thank you. Yeah. Here and then I'll take you down your dad's hanging out. Okay. I said your dad knows how to hold. No one suspected that Powell would ever do such a thing. There was no hint that something was deeply wrong. The lack of warning isn't conclusive, but it supports the belief that Powell wasn't in her right mind. Although there was evidence to support temporary insanity, Cydney Powell was found guilty of firstdegree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison with a possibility of parole after 15 years. Thank you for watching. Check out my Patreon link in the description below and drop a like on this video. Also, don't forget to leave a comment. I'm always curious to read what you thought of the case.