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Towson teen charged with fatally beating mom ‘needs help,’ family says
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Surrounded by his son’s attorneys, Lewin Powell Jr. and Dawn Campell, his late wife’s sister, speak to the media for the first time, at the Harleston Law Firm in Randallstown Friday morning. Powell’s 16-year-old son, Lewin Powell III, is accused of bludgeoning his mother Donna Campbell-Powell to death and attacking his father.
Baltimore County (Map, News) - He took three deep breaths. Swallowed hard. Closed his eyes. Another breath.
Then, Lewin Powell Jr. began speaking about his wife and their son, who is charged with killing her.
“We all love Donna and Lewin and I know that my wife, if she was still alive, would like for us to provide Lewin with the necessary help that he needs,” Powell said. “I am still grieving for my wife and I am also fighting for my son.”
Powell — whose 16-year-old son Lewin Powell III is accused of bludgeoning his mother to death with a baseball bat in their Towson home, then turning on his father — spoke publicly Friday for the first time since the May 13 tragedy. Both Powell and Dawn Campbell, the older sister of 39-year-old Donna Campbell-Powell, described the teen as quiet, mild-mannered and respectful.
The teen was an honors student at the prestigious McDonogh School in Owings Mills, where he was a member of the jazz band. Police said he and his mother argued about his grades before he grabbed a bat and beat her, hiding her body beneath a blanket in the garage of their Alston Road split-level.
The next morning, his father, who arrived home from work that night and fell asleep on the couch, awoke to his son striking him with the same bat, police said in charging documents.
“This kid has never been in any trouble,” Dawn Campbell said Friday. “The kid snapped and we want to help him in any way we can.”
Baltimore County Circuit Judge Kathleen Cox earlier this week agreed to hear arguments filed by the teen’s attorney, who requested the case be tried in juvenile court. Attorney Shanell Harleston also is seeking to have his alleged confession thrown out and to schedule another bail review hearing.
Harleston said the teen was not represented by an attorney when he confessed and waived his right to his first bail review. A trial date is set for Jan. 20.
Meanwhile, he is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center and will be medically evaluated next month. The family said they hope the teen can avoid jail and get the “help he needs.”
After speaking Friday, his father sat on a couch in Harleston’s office, holding his head in his hands.
“I am going to do everything in my power to support and help my son,” he said. “Please note that this in no way lessens the love I have for my wife.”
jmalarkey@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
5:21 PM MST on Tue., Jul. 15, 2008 re: "Towson teen charged with fatally beating mom ‘needs help,’ family says"
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10:59 AM MST on Mon., Jul. 14, 2008
re: "Towson teen charged with fatally beating mom ‘needs help,’ family says"
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9:13 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 11, 2008
re: "Towson teen charged with fatally beating mom ‘needs help,’ family says"
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9:09 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 11, 2008
re: "Towson teen charged with fatally beating mom ‘needs help,’ family says"
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5:33 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 11, 2008
re: "Towson teen charged with fatally beating mom ‘needs help,’ family says"
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Examiner Reader said:
reader from 10:59am= thats all you think about it's always someone elses fault or stress or Blah Blah Blah, he didn't snap as you say, he didn't want to here what his mother said so he took the easy way out, that's all kids want easy, bet if she had said "Oh Lewin it's great your grades are crap, here's $50.00 go hang out and do some dirt that's ok" he wouldn't have killed her then I bet. Then he waited until dad got home and tried to kill him, he knew what he was doing cause he tried to hide the body!!! Wish he would have been with me the Police would have had 2 dead bodies one would have been HIS. so cry for the criminal and remember you only have 2 parents no more no less, when they go remember that, and your comments also lead me to believe you want to kill yours..mmmmmmmmm I wonder.....!!!
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Examiner Reader said:
He could have been under tremendous amounts of stress... I would have done the same thing only I am female, and my father would have overpowered me. Sometimes parents should think about how they treat their children.
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edwin said:
Man up kid.. you beat your moms to death.. Good kid? Hood kids never kill there moms
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arie said:
Baloney... This kid KILLED his mother and like most kids today they are rarely held accountable.. Look at the Jerk mother who defended her kid beating the snot out of the lady the Hamden Bus
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Examiner Reader said:
he wa scrying 4 help and people didn't reconize the signs.
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