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NEW: Powell found guilty of murdering wife — again
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| Warren Powell reads a motion he wished to make to Columbia County Court Judge Jonathan Nichols following the prosecutionÕs closing arguments in his murder trial Thursday. (Robert Ragaini/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers) |
By Andrew Amelinckx
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
HUDSON — Warren Powell was found guilty of second-degree murder Friday morning in Columbia County Court in Hudson.
This is the second time the 38-year-old Valatie native was convicted of the strangulation death of his first wife, Mary Ann Powell, in their Halfmoon apartment in 1994.
The body of the victim was found in 1996 at Gay’s Point on the east side of the river near Stockport. There was a rope around her neck and through her mouth and she had been stuffed in a hockey bag.
Powell was found guilty of the crime by a Columbia County jury in 1997, but due to a procedural error by the court, his conviction was overturned in 2004.
The current trial occurred over the course of the last three weeks. The jury deliberated for a total of eight hours over two days.
When the verdict was read Mary Ann Powell’s parents, Barbara and Joe Tasick, tears in their eyes, hugged the investigators in the case.
Beth Cozzolino, the Columbia County District Attorney, who tried the original case, said that she couldn’t imagine what the Tasicks have had to go though over the years, from losing a daughter to suffering through two trials. “It makes the jury’s verdict today that much sweeter,” she said.
The Tasicks declined comment on the verdict, but appeared elated afterwards.
The current trial was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Neal Conolly and Senior Assistant District Attorney David Costanzo.
A juror in the case, Bob Firth, 61, of Copake, told the Register-Star after the trial ended that he felt the case was fairly “cut and dry” and that the prosecution’s scientific evidence couldn’t be disputed. “It was the bag,” he said.
Powell purchased a boat from a Kinderhook man named Michael Smith on Oct. 1, 1994, the same day his wife was last seen alive. He did not tell the police about the purchase.
Martin Glicksman a scientist and former Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor of metallurgical science testified that the bottom of the hockey bag in which the victim was found matched up with scuff marks found on the boat’s seats.
Powell said from the witness stand Wednesday he didn’t tell anyone about the boat because he was afraid his father would want to use it or borrow money from him if he found out.
This didn’t ring true for Firth, who said Powell’s testimony wasn’t believable. “He didn’t help his case,” he said.
Firth also had problems with the defense’s allegations of police evidence tampering in the case.
Powell’s attorney, Stephen Coffey told the jury during his summation that the investigation was full of “sloppy police work” and “manufactured evidence.”
The police investigation was a joint effort between the New York State Police and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.
Firth had a hard time believing that so many officers would manufacture evidence. “To hang one guy?” he said. “No way.”
“It was a tough case,” said Coffey, on his way out the door after the verdict. He said Powell could appeal once more.
“It’s up to Warren,” said the defendant’s mother Roxanne Powell, of whether they would appeal. She said she had been hopeful that her son would be acquitted.
Powell, who is currently serving a 15 to 30 year prison term for a drug conviction in Schenectady County, will be sentenced for his murder conviction June 16 by Judge Jonathan Nichols, who presided in the case.
To reach reporter Andrew Amelinckx, call 518-828-1616 or e-mail aamelinckx@registerstar.com
HUDSON — Warren Powell was found guilty of second-degree murder Friday morning in Columbia County Court in Hudson.
This is the second time the 38-year-old Valatie native was convicted of the strangulation death of his first wife, Mary Ann Powell, in their Halfmoon apartment in 1994.
The body of the victim was found in 1996 at Gay’s Point on the east side of the river near Stockport. There was a rope around her neck and through her mouth and she had been stuffed in a hockey bag.
Powell was found guilty of the crime by a Columbia County jury in 1997, but due to a procedural error by the court, his conviction was overturned in 2004.
The current trial occurred over the course of the last three weeks. The jury deliberated for a total of eight hours over two days.
When the verdict was read Mary Ann Powell’s parents, Barbara and Joe Tasick, tears in their eyes, hugged the investigators in the case.
Beth Cozzolino, the Columbia County District Attorney, who tried the original case, said that she couldn’t imagine what the Tasicks have had to go though over the years, from losing a daughter to suffering through two trials. “It makes the jury’s verdict today that much sweeter,” she said.
The Tasicks declined comment on the verdict, but appeared elated afterwards.
The current trial was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Neal Conolly and Senior Assistant District Attorney David Costanzo.
A juror in the case, Bob Firth, 61, of Copake, told the Register-Star after the trial ended that he felt the case was fairly “cut and dry” and that the prosecution’s scientific evidence couldn’t be disputed. “It was the bag,” he said.
Powell purchased a boat from a Kinderhook man named Michael Smith on Oct. 1, 1994, the same day his wife was last seen alive. He did not tell the police about the purchase.
Martin Glicksman a scientist and former Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor of metallurgical science testified that the bottom of the hockey bag in which the victim was found matched up with scuff marks found on the boat’s seats.
Powell said from the witness stand Wednesday he didn’t tell anyone about the boat because he was afraid his father would want to use it or borrow money from him if he found out.
This didn’t ring true for Firth, who said Powell’s testimony wasn’t believable. “He didn’t help his case,” he said.
Firth also had problems with the defense’s allegations of police evidence tampering in the case.
Powell’s attorney, Stephen Coffey told the jury during his summation that the investigation was full of “sloppy police work” and “manufactured evidence.”
The police investigation was a joint effort between the New York State Police and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.
Firth had a hard time believing that so many officers would manufacture evidence. “To hang one guy?” he said. “No way.”
“It was a tough case,” said Coffey, on his way out the door after the verdict. He said Powell could appeal once more.
“It’s up to Warren,” said the defendant’s mother Roxanne Powell, of whether they would appeal. She said she had been hopeful that her son would be acquitted.
Powell, who is currently serving a 15 to 30 year prison term for a drug conviction in Schenectady County, will be sentenced for his murder conviction June 16 by Judge Jonathan Nichols, who presided in the case.
To reach reporter Andrew Amelinckx, call 518-828-1616 or e-mail aamelinckx@registerstar.com
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