Tiffany Powell showed little reaction and hid behind a computer monitor to avoid being photographed Friday as she learned a Summit County jury had found her guilty in the death of her ex-boyfriend.
The jury of seven women and five men found Powell guilty of aggravated murder and obstructing justice. She faces from 20 years to life in prison when she is sentenced Feb. 25 by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Tom Teodosio.
Powell was the second person convicted in the 2014 beating death of 69-year-old James Harris of Canton. The first was Paul Reed, Powell’s new boyfriend, who is serving a life sentence after being convicted in February.
James Harris’ four adult daughters wept and comforted each other in the courtroom Friday after the jury’s verdicts were read. They sat through both Powell’s and Reed’s trials.
“We’re really happy with the verdict,” said Jamila Mitchell, his daughter, who lives in Navarre. “The jury really listened. The prosecutor did a wonderful job.”
Kerry O’Brien, Powell’s attorney, declined comment after the verdicts.
None of the jurors wanted to speak afterward either. The jurors deliberated Friday for about six hours.
Powell and Harris have five daughters and were in the middle of a custody battle when Harris was killed on April 26, 2014, in the basement of Powell and Reed’s Minota Avenue home. Prosecutors say Powell lured Harris to the Akron home by having a friend tell him she wanted to sell him a car and a washer. They say Reed attacked Harris, knocking him onto the concrete floor and slamming his head into the ground 15 times. Harris died of blunt force trauma.
Reed, who is appealing his conviction, testified during Powell’s trial against the advice of his attorney. He took responsibility for Harris’ death, though he said neither he nor Powell had any intention of harming or killing him. Instead, both claimed they planned to catch Harris violating a protection order that Powell thought was still in place so that Powell could get her children back.
Powell, though, admitted to lying to police, a fact that Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Baumoel hammered home during his cross-examination.
Powell painted her relationship with Harris as a volatile one and accused Harris of beating her and some of their children.
Harris’ daughters, though, were angered by this portrayal. They said Harris was an Akron teacher for 30 years, teaching special education, and was a track official at the University of Akron.
“He was loving to his kids and grandkids,” Mitchell said of Harris, who had 10 children and 14 grandchildren. “We’re happy the jury was able to see through the antics and the lies.”
Mitchell said sitting through two trials was difficult.
“It feels good to get past this,” she said.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.