GUILTY OH - Brenda Powell, 50, stabbed to death by daughter Sydney, Akron, Mar. 3, 2020

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Anyone else concerned about how long the jury has been out? Traditional wisdom says a long deliberation favors the defense. I just can't imagine that anyone believes her. What Sydney did was driven by dysfunctional thinking, but it was not insanity. Insanity involves a level of chaotic thinking that does not permit a person to have purposeful thoughts or planning. Sydney did a lot of planning that was all orbiting around her lies about school. Insane people are unpredictable in their behavior, and their behavior does not follow an intelligible narrative. Sydney is very consistent in her purpose: avoid detection.

Sydney's behavior reminds me of many impulsive kids caught in a lie- she is just trying to brazen it out by clinging to her lies like a leaky lifeboat. Found guilty or innocent, she is shackled to these lies forever. That is her true punishment.

I am angry on behalf of Brenda. She was trying to hold Sydney accountable, also known as being a good parent. The popular parenting series, "Love and Logic" notes that if you take away the consequences of your child's actions, you take away the lesson, and the younger you permit your child to experience consequences, the smaller the consequences are. If you buffer or defer consequences for your child, the bigger the consequences become. This was a huge long-overdue consequence, and poor Brenda paid the price. It would be nice if her remaining parent, grandparents, etc. would hold her accountable now.

I think Sydney wanted to be in control, which is a very common theme among young adults. I think she hated her mother in that moment for having all of the control, and she did what she did out of ugly rage.
 
I have a feeling the jury will be hung. My reason for this is that there is some debate among posters (though not here, I think) about what exactly the mental situation is.

It does make me ill that there is the claim that "Brenda wouldn't want Sydney prosecuted". IMO no one gets to be in charge of another person's thinking and feeling, least of all someone who has been murdered. I hope there is justice for Brenda.
 
What did Sydney expect to get from college beyond a diploma? Seems she really had no idea what she wanted to do in her life. That in itself is OK, it happens to college freshmen frequently, but maybe she expected some opportunity to magically drop in her lap somehow and she could run with it, aided by manipulating (and deceiving) her instructors. Or rather than run with it herself, others (such as her sorority sisters) would magically carry her on their shoulders to fortune and fame, probably with some extracurricular activity along the way. Or it would just magically grow simply because she was in higher learning.
I used to think narcissism was just a symptom of a greater MH pathology, but Sydney's case may show that this is not so. IMO she is not schizophrenic, just a pure, abstract narcissist.
All MOO
 
RickshawFan said:
It does make me ill that there is the claim that "Brenda wouldn't want Sydney prosecuted". IMO no one gets to be in charge of another person's thinking and feeling, least of all someone who has been murdered. I hope there is justice for Brenda.
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IMO, I agree 100%. I know that I am only seeing the trial coverage on television, and I have seen no in-depth coverage in the print media, but it seems almost in the desire to support Sydney, the memory of Brenda, who died as terrible death at the hands of her own daughter, was nearly forgotten.

Sydney's hysterics in the court room as the jury was being read seemed more appropriate for a very young, emotionally stunted individual, functioning at the level of a teenager, although there was no testimony of her arrested emotional development at the trial. JMO
 
ifindedout said:
What did Sydney expect to get from college beyond a diploma? Seems she really had no idea what she wanted to do in her life. That in itself is OK, it happens to college freshmen frequently, but maybe she expected some opportunity to magically drop in her lap somehow and she could run with it, aided by manipulating (and deceiving) her instructors. Or rather than run with it herself, others (such as her sorority sisters) would magically carry her on their shoulders to fortune and fame, probably with some extracurricular activity along the way. Or it would just magically grow simply because she was in higher learning.
I used to think narcissism was just a symptom of a greater MH pathology, but Sydney's case may show that this is not so. IMO she is not schizophrenic, just a pure, abstract narcissist.
All MOO
Click to expand...
IMO she does have very high anxiety....I drew that conclusion from the Dean's office testimony.

To me, it seems as though Sydney is a very unremarkable young woman. That's pretty much how her high school teacher and friends describe her!!!! and we were supposed to believe the idea that "Sydney is so unremarkable, she must have schizophrenia". That's ridiculous, and it backfired, but, yes, to the unremarkable part.

I'm using "unremarkable" in a not very flattering sense. On top of that, it doesn't seem as though anyone has forced her to stretch in any direction: personally or academically. IMO that was until she ran into faculty and staff at her university who required her to behave like an adult and/or gave her the feeling that she is unremarkable.

A good professor (or other adult role model) can often see a nugget hidden in an unremarkable person and have experience enough to make the person blossom. I have seen some quite extraordinary results (perhaps even including me!) The problem is, the student has to be open to blossoming. As someone once told me "you gotta wanna".

If Sydney had followed her university's instructions—especially the advantage of the "suspension" period where she could be reinstated—she might have done okay. This would have meant (from her point of view) eating some humble pie and going to community college for a year or two. There she could get acquainted with how to be mature in an academic setting.

Alternatively, Sydney could have had an observant high school teacher who guided her to go to community college first before heading towards the big time.

Even a semester abroad might have helped. A year volunteering with a community resource. A basic office job. Anything, so she could evolve in spaces where she'd have demands and have to be accountable.

FWIW I think community colleges are FAB! I've taken all kinds of courses.
 
Trebor5591 said:
IMO, I agree 100%. I know that I am only seeing the trial coverage on television, and I have seen no in-depth coverage in the print media, but it seems almost in the desire to support Sydney, the memory of Brenda, who died as terrible death at the hands of her own daughter, was nearly forgotten.

Sydney's hysterics in the court room as the jury was being read seemed more appropriate for a very young, emotionally stunted individual, functioning at the level of a teenager, although there was no testimony of her arrested emotional development at the trial. JMO
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She had another brand new manicure, too. She decided against combing her hair for the duration, but we did have the perfectly manicured black talons at one point.

IMO the jail physicians will determine in 5 minutes (from existing evidence) she doesn't have schizophrenia, and that will be the end of that.
 
RickshawFan said:
IMO she does have very high anxiety....I drew that conclusion from the Dean's office testimony.

To me, it seems as though Sydney is a very unremarkable young woman. That's pretty much how her high school teacher and friends describe her!!!! and we were supposed to believe the idea that "Sydney is so unremarkable, she must have schizophrenia". That's ridiculous, and it backfired, but, yes, to the unremarkable part.

I'm using "unremarkable" in a not very flattering sense. On top of that, it doesn't seem as though anyone has forced her to stretch in any direction: personally or academically. IMO that was until she ran into faculty and staff at her university who required her to behave like an adult and/or gave her the feeling that she is unremarkable.

A good professor (or other adult role model) can often see a nugget hidden in an unremarkable person and have experience enough to make the person blossom. I have seen some quite extraordinary results (perhaps even including me!) The problem is, the student has to be open to blossoming. As someone once told me "you gotta wanna".

If Sydney had followed her university's instructions—especially the advantage of the "suspension" period where she could be reinstated—she might have done okay. This would have meant (from her point of view) eating some humble pie and going to community college for a year or two. There she could get acquainted with how to be mature in an academic setting.

Alternatively, Sydney could have had an observant high school teacher who guided her to go to community college first before heading towards the big time.

Even a semester abroad might have helped. A year volunteering with a community resource. A basic office job. Anything, so she could evolve in spaces where she'd have demands and have to be accountable.

FWIW I think community colleges are FAB! I've taken all kinds of courses.
Click to expand...
I agree with you 100%. Some kids need a "gap year" to mature enough to handle the next level of education, or to figure out which direction is best. Your "gotta wanna" cracked me up, it is one of my favorite George Carlin monologues.
 
Does anyone have a link for Dr. Bradovich's testimony? I can't find it.
 
Trebor5591 said:
IMO, I agree 100%. I know that I am only seeing the trial coverage on television, and I have seen no in-depth coverage in the print media, but it seems almost in the desire to support Sydney, the memory of Brenda, who died as terrible death at the hands of her own daughter, was nearly forgotten.

Sydney's hysterics in the court room as the jury was being read seemed more appropriate for a very young, emotionally stunted individual, functioning at the level of a teenager, although there was no testimony of her arrested emotional development at the trial. JMO
Click to expand...
Interesting that she's sobbing loudly and heaving, but there are no tears or snot. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. We get sobbing felons at verdict, but there's usually more stuff issuing forth.
 
Irishknit said:
I agree with you 100%. Some kids need a "gap year" to mature enough to handle the next level of education, or to figure out which direction is best. Your "gotta wanna" cracked me up, it is one of my favorite George Carlin monologues.
Click to expand...
I am a big believer in not necessarily sending kids straight on from high school to college. Many need "seasoning" away from home, as well as experience with being uncomfortable while the stakes are low.

Also, freshmen get cut a lot of slack. I would guess, failing in first year would be quite a dramatic fail.
 
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