She wasn't legally insane she made up a lie to hide her guilt or try to that's not insanity that's cold-blooded murder probably premeditated which can be in a second
I’m pregnant rn and it truly freaks me out to think that the little fetus I’m carrying could one day murder me. Highly unlikely. But it makes me question my decision when I hear stories like this lol.
Reminds me of Chandler Halderson. Sooooo many people fail in college the first time around, regroup and go on to have successful, happy lives. It's nothing to murder over.
u.s. college is often considered a scam nowadays. even if you're one of the 70% to graduate, you're left with $50k+ debt, and the degree can often be worthless (unless it's engineering)
@@FearMyLadyBits I think your degree is likely to be worthless if you choose a worthless degree. I went to a state school, borrowed a total of $10,000, graduated, and paid it off over 10 years. Besides the knowledge I gained, the practical benefit of my degree is that I don't have to have the "Why don't you have a degree?" conversation at every job interview, since it's expected in my field.
A very disturbing case. To me, it sounds like a combination of an emotional outburst and a fear of taking responsibility for her dilemma. I dropped out of college the first time I went and sure, your parents get mad and may even shame you, but life goes on. I worked for a year, reapplied and graduated the second time around. Either you try again or you do something that doesn't require a college education. Sadly, you learn a lot about people based on how they cope with failure.
I tried to commit suicide because of poor grades I live with a narcissist mother She shamed the hell out of me still does sometimes there are underlying factors I then found out I was dyslexic so I had trouble understanding the questions I was asked
I went to a JC right after high school and I failed miserably too. My parents and I had a huge falling out because of it and I had to drop out and move out of my parents home. I was a vagabond for a year and a half. I felt like such a failure I almost committed suicide. However, I knew someone who was an instructor at the JC I once attended. He saved my life by getting me reenrolled back at in school, got me a job on campus, and allowed me to live with him while I attended the JC. Four years later, I earned my Associate Degree, transferred to SJSU and earned my BA and MA. So I understand what you went through. My parents get along now. I hope you have reconciled with yours. I’m glad you are doing well. I’m fortunate that I’m doing well too.
@@chrisconsorte7893 I spent two years at De Anza CC before transfering to SJSU. In my first semester there I earned one "D" and two "F'"s. Maybe I was a bit immature. I had difficulty making the adjustment to higher education. With a bit of prodding from my parents I got my act together and got my degree on time. Sometimes we just have to grow up.
Sydney knew exactly what she was doing. She broke the window and attempted to stage the scene before police arrived. All the tears in court appeared to be for herself. She fooled her father and grandmother but couldn’t fool the jury. She snapped. Simple as that.
@@katjay3125 You're probably correct and the 15 years is supposedly non-negotiable but often, defense attorneys can appeal and depending on the liberal judge(s). If not life w/o parole, then this should have been 25 years to life to make certain she cannot have her own children. Bad seed. One bad fight or violation during her 15 years should increase her prison time substantially.
@@jimc6687the liberal judges need to be literally thrown tf out of the courts, i am so sick and f *cking tired of hearing about these weak sentences for horrible murders or other criminals like rapists being let out early and then raping or murdering again like what JUST happened in Baltimore to a tech ceo, im sure Dr Grande will cover that case soon. The judge who let that creature out should also be held responsible, thats how it should be, the judges jobs and lives should also be on the line when they release a criminal. Actually im in favor of the middle age punishment the Catherine wheel being used again, that would stop these murders
I suffered from a mental breakdown in college mostly because my parents controlled my life and maniuplated me into doing something I didn't want. Even after my breakdown they didn't hinge, they became even more cruel and uninterested in my well being. I managed to get a degree and promised myself that I will never pursue a job in the field. I moved to another country, got married and followed a different path. My parents are still embarrassed even though my life turned out great. I never ever even thought about hurting my unsupportive and controlling parents. This young woman is dangerous. I'm sorry, but that's my opinion.
Did she honestly think she was going to keep her flunking out of college a secret from her father, after killing her mother? I recognize that 19 year olds don't always think about long term consequences of things, but give me a break.
I don't feel bad for her father- he paid her bail, paid of experts to deem her insane and defended her throughout the whole thing. Either he is delusional or straight up evil.
How awful for the husband. Having to sit there with the love of your life, having murdered the other love of your life and then lie to a whole room about it just because she's a failure. Sad sad sad.
I had to move in with my mom during the recession of 08. I hated it but eventually I was able to move out. She turned a situation that could have easily been resolved into an absolute tragedy. She ruined her own life and ended her mother’s.
This girl was so about her ego she couldn’t stand for her mother to be disappointed in her. How can anyone wrap their head around such an insane decision?! Beyond me.
My mother one time told me she hoped she never did anything to disappoint her mother. I disappointed my mother many times because I chose to live my own life, not hers.
Maybe Sydney’s reaction was so intense with her mother because she was closer to her than her father; the shame and disappointment from her mother was more than she could face.
@@esteemedmortal5917 they were close, yet Sydney couldn't appropriately communicate with her mother about her troubles? Maybe I'm trying to make sense of the nonsensical acts of Sydney...
@@esteemedmortal5917I don’t believe her relationship with her mom was wonderful. Her family lied thinking she will never get prison time. The fact she killed her mom with such brutality it’s means she had many “episodes” before. I don’t buy it she never snap on her mom.
Her university didn't suspend her overnight, she knew for months that she was not achieving anything, all sounded like she had time to think and plan it all.
And it's a ridiculously easy school. Its not Harvard.or MIT. You really have to do absolutely nothing to flunk. You pretty much get a C for showing up.
She didn't want her Mom to know she was failing but she had no problem with her mom's last moments being in sheer terror of her daughter as she murdered her. Wth
Brenda was a toxic narcissist mom, and Sydney understandably finally snapped from having to be the perfect daughter....instead of being supportive and understanding like Mr Powell that she dropped out, she phoned the Uni to try and re-enlist her (when Sydney didn't want to attend Uni anymore). Consequences of toxic parenting.
@@DeathToTheDictators I don't disagree that her Mom was toxic, but that doesn't justify a rage murder. If you think it does you have issues. A lot of people have toxic narcissistic Moms and don't murder them. This doesn't justify anything
Excellent. Thank you again. I also say the father took the easy way out....he passed the buck to his poor wife instead of helping her to deal with this entitled girl. He's weak and he enabled her. Very disturbing family dynamics....right up to the grandmother.
You say she had a “close bond” with her mother. Others have said they were “best friends.” I don’t think so. I think she must have hated her mother to attack her so viciously.
AGREE N OLD GRANNY N WEAK DAD ESCALATED MATTERS TRAGIC ....BUT THEY WERE VERY CLEAR AT COURT THEY WERE ON PHYSCO SYDNEYS SIDE HOPE THEY ENJOY THEIR PRISON VISITS ...SHES PURE EVIL AIDED & ABETTED BY THOSE 2...
Not everyone is meant to go to college. Stop expecting more out of people than they are capable of. Go to work. Well in this case, she is going to jail.
Maybe she was partying in college. Or maybe she never was college material, and her parents demanded the teachers in the private high school give her grades she did not earn, like the Lori Laughlin - Mossimo Gianuli situation.
i fully agreed. I finished with barely passed. At 55 now, if i were to do the whole thing again, i will nv want college but skilled job. Sometimes society force us in a situation to think that our children hv to go to college. Now i look at some government who is run by scholars, they can't hammer a nail but dictate building policy which lead to common ppl suffering.
Dr Grande this is the best synopsis and explanation of Sydney’s disgustingly deceptive crime. This is the result of spoiling your child to such a degree that they believe they can get away with murder. I am so GLAD that she did not get away with such an obviously intentional act. The narcissism and entitlement is beyond comprehension. Seeing how her family wished for almost ZERO CONSEQUENCES for the murder of such a beloved woman, it’s very easy to see how this situation came about in the first place.
Sounds like you are blaming the victim. That she spoiled her child so much that her daughter killed her. I find this objectionable. There are many spoiled children, and they do not murder their parents.
@@robinantonio8870Quite a few of them don't include any narcissistic traits. Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Avoidant Personality Disorder. Dependent Personality Disorder. It's mainly the Cluster B personality disorders that contain a spectrum of narcissistic traits, including of course Narcissistic Personality Disorder itself.
I watched the trial of this young woman with interest.... I think you're exactly right in your opinion. The Dad and family stuck by her, I couldn't help wondering if they really thought the plea of insanity was valid or if they just couldn't accept the horror of what she'd done to her mother.
Honestly I think it's the latter. Even the professionals were taken in by her claims and I think it was probably not that they were not just incompetent but found it easier to believe her claims of psychosis than that she would murder her mother with apparently no real motive. After all tons of young people flunk out of college and most don't kill their parents.
Some parents prefer to believe the lie than accept the fact that their child is a psycho killer. If they accept the reality then that would reflect on their own failure as a parent or that they failed to catch the symptoms earlier.
well undergrad psychology is a bullshit major. it's like poly sci. it's when someone can't pick a major. few go on to get their masters then for licensure.
She’s lucky this happened in Ohio. If it would’ve been in Florida she would’ve been imprisoned for life, which honestly would’ve been just. I found it crazy that she requested a therapy dog during trial. 🙄 The only people that needed a therapy dog were her mothers loved ones during trial. She is absolutely evil.
Although she has to serve a minimum of 15 years before she becomes eligible for parole, there's no guarantee that she will be granted ... fingers crossed it will be denied. She's pure evil. Sydney's father and family are in total denial bout her guilt, it's hard to believe that his daughter would capable of committing such a heinous crime against her mother. She knew exactly what she was doing and then using "mental illness" as an excuse to justify her behavior.
Doing more research (MORE than Dr Grande, apparently), it seems Brenda was a toxic narcissist mom, and Sydney finally snapped from having to be the perfect daughter...Brenda was by no means an innocent victim in this case.
@@DeathToTheDictators I had a narcissist, toxic Mom as well & I didn’t beat her to death with a frying pan….she died of natural causes. My Dad was an abusive alcoholic & he died of natural causes. Lots of people have less than ideal childhoods. And it’s pretty crappy of you to victim blame. Last I heard, what you found in your research about her Mom did not warrant a death sentence. She is not allowed to be judge, jury & executioner.
Brilliant! “Killing her own shame” is exactly what I have been trying to articulate about a boyfriend that once viciously attacked me when he realized that I knew he had slept with his friend’s wife. The dv was him trying to kill his own shame. I escaped him but imagine his shame over the double betrayal stayed with him. Spot on, Doc!!
You are so right tho, the craziet people study psychology. Like I have never met a person with good story on studying psychology. It's the "I wanna study killers and understand why they kill🤠"
Psychology seems like a good secondary or elective course to take, but I hear the job market for psychologist is pretty brutal/low pay/demand. You are far better off studying psychiatry or even prob anthropology or something. Or even just get a criminal justice degree, much more options/possible career paths.
I have a frying pan story that my grandmother told me. She’s currently 89 years old, and she told me that when she was a young mom, my grandfather came home, drunk one night and got mad at her because she didn’t save dinner for him. And she told me that (the only time in their marriage), he slapped her. And said she turned around and picked up a cast-iron skillet off the stove and whacked him across the head so hard she thought she killed him. And then she told him to suck it up and go to work. So once he got to work, a couple of his coworkers had to take him to the hospital, because apparently he got a concussion. And he was just like, “he learned his lesson, he never raised to hand me again, and we had a very happy 40 years together after that.” I find that story to be kind of amusing looking back…
Wow .. Just think if she got a hold of her Rolling Pin…😂😂😂😂 The suck it up line is Epic😂😂😂😂Went to bed hungry, Concussion, and emasculated … Granny Built Tough 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾
The fact that she was smart enough to break the window frm outside instead of the fastest mode which wd b from inside… shows she’s clearly learned from crime shows how to properly stage an intruder incident The deception ruined her case. I had no sympathy. I’m a mom! How bad cd it get for a mom
I was once asked what were two major motivators in my life. My answers were fear of failure, and the wolf at the door. How many times and at how many things did Sydney fail at in her life? Did she live in a world of friends and family that were high achievers and she was average? Did she feel inadequate because she used this standard to determine her worth? Were relationships performance based? Was she accepted as long as she succeeded, and made to feel less appreciated otherwise? I do not excuse her and neither did the jury, but it is clear the college failure was something she could not accept in her mind. She chose to make someone else “pay for it.”
I find it disturbing that 3 so called experts stated she had a psychotic episode and didn’t know what she was doing. How can you conveniently have a psychotic episode that just lasts the duration of your crime and disappears as soon as the crime is over. As soon as Sydney found out from her father that the police were on the way, she tried to pretend there was a break in to cover up her crime. Her father also stated the night of the crime that his daughter had never suffered from mental health issues. She got the lightest sentence the judge could give and this was because so many fell for her ‘ performances’ and treated her like she was the victim. Her poor Mom, what a terrifying way to go by the hand of your own daughter 😢!
I think many people find it hard to believe that an attractive young teenager who was never identified as abnormal or mentally ill would commit this incredibly violent and gory crime. It's probably easier for a lot of people to think that she had to be crazy.
I don't blame her. She's a murderer and she would always be a murderer, and this was never going to turn out any other way. I am again disturbed at the lack of scientific objectivity of mental health assessment, and mental health clinicians trusted by the state. It is clear to me [again in 2023] after seeing so many extreme inconsistencies in the world of mental health that it cannot be trusted. This disagreement is so egregious that their diagnoses should no longer be used in the legal system for anything at all; It's a pseudoscience at this point. They're no better than palm readers or astrologers. A smart person looking for help would be just as well off going to a tasseographer and asking advice.
@@troy3456789ugh I know. I want to do research on objective criteria for mental illnesses. The APA really dropped the ball by not adopting the RDoC for the DSM-V.
She triangulated because her father allowed and used splitting on her parents. We encountered this all the time in the child/adolescent psych ward. If somebody tells the child no and sets limits, they'll go around and find somebody who will say yes, no limts. Dad- good guy easy to lie to & manipulate, "said Brenda was better at this" says yes, ok. Brenda- bad guy not easy to manipulate says no, must go.
Our “Justice System” is sick. She murdered her mother in the most brutal manner, depriving her mother of life for all eternity; yet the mother’s life is only worth 15 years in a prison that is going to provide the murderer with all of her needs. The message to criminals is clear: if you murder someone, the worst that can happen to you is that you spend 15 years in prison. I remember when I lived in Olathe, Ks, a jilted high school kid hid in his ex-girlfriend’s closet with a knife. Afterwards, he said he knew that he would have to “spend 15 years in jail”. That was 25 years ago. Last I heard, the young school girl he murdered is still dead. How is he doing?
What the Justice system is actually saying is that a 19 year old psychopathic female is more valuable to society than a 50 year old law abiding citizen. It’s actually ageism and proves the our lawmakers are just as psychopathic as the criminals. Only difference is a higher iQ.
I think the possibility of failing in college and how to cope should be part of college orientation. A lot of people don’t transition well from being successful in high school, which by all accounts Sydney was, to college. Sometimes it’s just homesickness. There’s no shame in it. It may have spared a life. Her mother worked in a hospital helping kids with ca. what a sad loss.
@@ClaudiaM-js6ol I agree but it seemed like she was triggered by something regarding her performance at school. I was just hoping that putting something like that out in the open could have saved the mother’s life.
Or at least some resources if someone is struggling (many colleges have them). Depending upon personality, some students might find negative thoughts about failing out at orientation to be overwhelming and anxiety inducing. I would have been one of them. I needed positivity that "you've got this."
This is just horrible! Rather than take responsibility for her grades and cleaning that up with her parents and school, she took the lowest of low roads and killed her own mother. This is a really sad state of affairs. Thanks for your analysis!
I was friends with Sydney in high school. This case has sent me spiraling. I’ve subscribed to this channel a long time, I never expected to see my former friend being analyzed here. It’s surreal. :(
She was obviously spoiled and entitled, no doubt paying for hotel rooms at her parents expense. To her college was nothing more than fun and games. When the jig was up she took out her rage on her mother the closest person to her. Her internet search proves she was also premeditating the murder. Then she attempted to cover up her crime by feigning a break in. Sydney Powell is guilty as charged.🧚♀
You are completely right. I hope she doesn’t get out before 15 years. She murdered her mother with beating and stabbing! Her family wanting her not to be charged and do community service 🤯😳. One big brat!!
I cannot fathom how someone could kill one's mother. Mine had her issues, but I made my peace with her before she passed (from complications of surgery and MERSA in a hospital).
I am a lawyer in Australia and always find Dr Grande’s analysis interesting and love the puns and the way they are delivered. Thank you Dr Grande. I have had reason to read many reports written by forensic psychologists and psychiatrists. They are always fascinating and I enjoy the analysis from this perspective.
Being of Appalachian descent, I am very cognizant of how one should use a cast iron skillet in a non-lethal manner. It should only be used after a period of escalation towards the object of your ire: 1st is the sideways glance, 2nd is the dirty look, 3rd is chicken glare, 4th is Stink Eye, 5th is lizard eye, and 6th, ONLY bring out the cast iron skillet after the the first five methods of correction have failed, and it is to be used with discretion. If you are on the receiving end of anything including and above the chicken glare, you have sinned and it would be wise to get the hell out the house for a while.
@@aprilkurtz1589 I love hillbilly's, they are some of the nicest people around. Simple but smart at the same time. If a cataclysmic event were to happen, my hillbilly friends would know how to survive unlike the academic who has a PHD in liberal arts.
I do agree there...I have worked with them on teams ......and shared work space with a few. Some of the most prolific narcs ever!!! Or just plain "off".
Wonderful analysis. Thank you. I was disturbed that the defense attorney kept saying "follow the science" and that his experts used the "scientific method" to diagnose Sydney as insane. As you said, these conclusions are not based on science but on the statements of the patient and the therapists' own investment in belief.
@@blitzmom2674Damn right. Load of pure, unadulterated BS! Ugh. And that defense attorney was creepy in so many ways. Absolutely unprofessional and gross.
It’s interesting that of all the subjects she could have chosen to study she chose psychology. It’s also interesting that she attacked her mother’s throat repeatedly as if deliberately trying to silence her voice.
I’m just addicted to the sound of Dr Grande’s voice. I’ll listen to anything he says about anything. His podcast is hilarious and informative. I’m currently binge watching it.
This particular analysis is so stunning as to make it into Dr. Grande's all time greats. All his videos are not the same. There is always room for a brand new high.
My parents never checked my grades and I am also very independent and doing well. It has a lot to do with the individual. I was however raised to treat others with respect and went to church most Sundays.
I’ve watched several programs on this, but never heard such a linear, succinct description as yours. Thank you so much for saving me time in my research on this sad true crime.
Love your videos Dr grande , I binge listen to them at work, sad stories but you’re a great story teller and love to hear your input on them at the end 👏🏼
This one is wild. Sydney must be a dim bulb as well as having no empathy. I had an abusive mother and if I had flunked out of college (and I started at age 17), she would have beaten me and probably kicked me out of the home. So it's not like I can't have sympathy for Sydney being anxious about her mother's reaction, but it doesn't sound like Sydney's mother was abusive. And honestly if Sydney was that worried about her parents, she probably would have made more effort in her studies. Psychology is a popular major because most of the courses, especially the lower level courses, are easy to pass. I was a Science major who did Psychology as my elective and it was certainly a tenth of the work of my Calculus and Physics classes. But to me Psychology was also really interesting and fun and a nice counterpoint to my hard science classes, so perhaps I didn't have to study it as much to absorb it. However, I don't think Sydney would have gained enough information about a disease like Schizophrenia to be able to mimic it effectively, and frankly I'm surprised that any professional would have been taken in. Actually that's the thing that bothers me the most about this story, and I would hope that most modern forensic psychologists would be better able to identify someone with a serious mental illness compared to a young woman who is faking it to escape responsibility for her crimes.
Trials are fake and full of liars and acting as we see the defense lawyers making up alternative theories and avoiding bad facts as he did here, and they pay witnesses to lie and tell false narratives that support their side only in order to support the idea of “fair trial” in the face of slam dunk evidence! That’s how it works and it’s legal for the defenses to lie like that to trick a jury and call it a theory to a fair trial! I am glad jurors are smarter now! The lying smoke screen worked well in old days! Got lots of murderers off! Look at Casey Anthony!
Maybe she wasn't faking it but they were. IOW, she presents a certain series of behaviors and then they jump to conclusions. Probably should've done a brain scan rather than a questionnaire.
I seriously don’t understand why these people think they are going to get away with this stuff. Just about every freshman in college struggles. I remember in my freshman year I failed my very first test in biology & my very first move was to ask for help not to just pretend like the problem was just going to disappear. I also understand being afraid to tell your parents but killing them because you got found out, I just don’t get that.
Students don't need to worry about this anymore since college has now become super easy. I actually had to work hard to earn my degrees. Today, they hand degrees out like sticks of gum.
Oh wow, this was an excellent assessment. I thoroughly enjoy your analyzing various true crime and mental health situations. Those are 2 of my favorite topics. You're better than Court TV. You're very well spoken humorous. Intelligent and have an extensive vocabulary which I'm learning new words every time I watch your show.
Her dad was like, “we don’t want her prosecuted let’s just move on!” Hello! What!! Then you have her MATERNAL grandmother! She’s angrier at the prosecution than she is at her grand daughter. She stabbed her daughter in the throat dozens of times and bashed her head in!! What the hell is wrong with these people!
It sounds like there is more to this story than we may ever know. If you think about it, you have to be mentally disturbed in some capacity, regardless of what the exact mental diagnosis is, to kill your mom because you got expelled from college??? Or the relationship between the mom and daughter was not as great as everyone believed. But, I don’t believe this behavior just came out of nowhere. There had to be some signs/issues that she exhibited earlier in life that would have lead up to this extreme behavior.
I definitely don’t think it was premeditated lol. If it was she’s the actual dumbest human being on the planet, to plan out killing her mother while she’s in the middle of a call, with no real foresight of what to do after the fact except scramble together a clearly bs break in story. She’s obviously not innocent in any capacity and should have gotten far longer, I’m simply saying this is way too spur of the moment to be premeditated. Something just snapped in her.
Very good analysis. I am a lawyer from Germany and watched the trial on Court TV. In my opinion, her behavior in the courtroom clearly showed that she is a spoiled person, the constant "crying attacks" were very annoying. I don't understand why the court partially allowed her to leave the courtroom during the hearing
It's so disgusting than any daughter could beat and stab their own mother to death. 🙄 I wouldn't even speak a bad word to my mother. Scares me that I live in this world among other people who are capable of things like this. The likely motive in this case reminds me of Chandler Halderson case...he killed and dismembered both parents just so they wouldn't find out he wasnt enrolled in school any longer. Im glad this girl was found guilty and the jury could see she wasn't "insane." Thank you for another knowledgeable and insightful analysis, Dr. Grande!!❤
I been following this the fact she is getting 15 years is beyond belief! This girl should be getting life! She staged a burglary. Are you kidding me! She knew what she was doing. She calmly answered the phone pretending to be brenda when after she hit her mother with the pan! She shouldn't be allowed in public.
She was a teen at the time of the murder so by law they get a lesser sentence and a second chance at life because the law recognizes the kid brain is not developed yet till age 25. The sentence was given by written law. Wasn’t arbitrary.
@@lizdk1999min 15 years to life in prison. She can be paroled after 15 years but only if a parole board approves she isn’t a danger to society and she has taken full responsibility for her crime, and has no other offenses in prison! They are a lifer if they don’t improve and if they are violent toward guards and or inmates! It’s not that simple.
*Well the good news is she won't need an education in prison!* Tragic she took one of the two people in the world who would love her unconditionally. Only 15 years for taking a life...that is so wrong!
She should take advantage of educational opportunities... she will potentially be out in her late 30s. Meaning she needs to gain some skills to be productive once she gets out
@scottweisel3640 I have no issues with people in prison getting education. If they can become productive, she can become employable. If she can't get a job she's going to use the system either way...
I’m going to take a wild guess and assume her mother was the stricter disciplinarian and Sydney was psychotically afraid of what would happen when her mother found out the full truth. Especially considering she must have known the attack would be heard over the phone; that detail is what makes me think she snapped and lost touch with reality. Why not attack her before she answered the phone, or wait for her to hang up? It’s very weird.
that's what's got me so confused about the situation... by the time her mom got on the phone with the school, the jig was up. her father already knew she had been suspended, and so did her mom, that's precisely why she was coming home early from work. What would have made her snap like that if she was already caught in the lie? but I suppose that acting irrationally does not necessarily correlate to insanity. we can't know what happened inside her brain in that moment, and that is both frustrating and terrifying.
When I was 19 I took a leave of absence from college because I was going to fail a class. It was embarrassing and I was scared to tell my parents. But I remember growing up my dad always told me “it’s not the lie, it’s the cover up” I was lucky I grew up with parents who parented me really well. I left school and moved back home. I ended up going back to school a year after that and I’ve graduated. Im now 24. And more importantly the lesson is most parents on this planet while they may be “mad” at you or “disappointed” in you for failing a class or ect, they are your parents and love you and just want you to do well. I can’t imagine ever hurting either of my parents. On the contrary I would literally take a bullet for them. I. Know first Hand how it feels to drop out of school but when you are young you feel like everything is the end of the world. This evil girl unfortunately did not have the perspective to see this. Rest in peace Brenda ❤
Very helpful analysis Dr. Grande. I watched the trial and was bewildered at how she could do this. This is helpful to understanding since the trial experts were so confusing.
Thank you for your amazing coverage as always. She was spoiled and was fed with silver spoon and sadly this is the absolute worst thing ever to happen killing your own mother how evil she is she belongs in jail for life .
I agree. I flunked my exams in college but it never occurred to me to harm my parents. My parents had very high expectations of me as did I but to take out my disappointment on other people just didn't enter my mind. NB I had an undiagnosed anxiety disorder which 12 years on was correctly diagnosed. I got the help I needed and then succeeded. I had a great transparent relationship with my parents who were supportive through all my highs and lows. This is such a tragic case. RIP Brenda. It sounds like you were an amazing selfless person.
My husband and I could not have children. We were very sad and ended up getting dogs. They never hurt us and loved us unconditionally. I hear these types of stories each and everyday.Our dogs loved us and WE LOVED THEM.
It was puzzling to me to hear everyone saying what a wonderful girl they think she is. She killed her mother and I understand trying to salvage what is left, but they just seemed clueless to me. To me, she knew right from wrong if she tried to pretend everything was all copacetic seconds after killing her mother (over the telephone.). 15 years is an insult.
40-50% of appeals are accepted, so who knows what will go on with that. Her whole family wants her freed. They don’t want her to have any consequences which is what created a narcissist in the first place.
She was a teen at time of the murder and they get lesser sentences and a second chance because their brains are not fully developed by psyche study proof and the law recognizes this and gives kids another chance at live. The judge ruled by the written law and not arbitrarily here!!!! Many sentences have specific minimums!!!
@@Juke582nah teens, younger than her have been tried as adults, and were never afforded the second chance you speak of. She killed her mama in cold blood, it's sickening.
The pscyhologists for the defense testified that she was mentally ill and schizophrenic; this helped her case. This is what happens when doctors are paid by the defense (and the prosecution): they provide the perspective that their client wants, without regard to the truth.
Any defense lawyer will tell you flat out that they aren't looking for the truth. Most criminal defense lawyers know damn well their clients are guilty as sin. 😂
It’s truly amazing to me how many grown adult Homo sapiens will search how to kill some one on the internet. It’s a known thing that if you go to trial for murder your search history will be investigated. Somehow people keep looking up how to poison or how long does it take to do this or that. If they aren’t stupid what are they?
@@MelisJoy Melissa when exactly did I make it a comparison between the person’s intelligence and morality. You are an example of the type of person that just looks to get into an argument. Aka an arse 🤔
I “dropped out” of college by choosing last minute to take a gap year- at first I was extremely anxious and somewhat ashamed watching all of my friends go off to college, but then I got a job and my own place, lived my life for a few years doing odd jobs and meeting people, and have been very happy. I am just a few months older than Sydney Powell and I cannot IMAGINE facing 15 to life. I am very glad I took that time to find myself and now I’m re enrolled to go back to school next fall. Deferring school is really no big deal at all. TONS of young people flunk out, reapply, and go on to lead such normal and successful lives! There was shame and fear surrounding my decision to defer, but I was honest and so my family supported me. And I have had a wonderful few years. This girls parents loved her very much, her father told her it was okay to take a break from school and invited her to move back home for christs sake!! There is (almost) never a good reason for murder, but in this case there is absolutely no reason at all!! I just can’t figure out why this was such a big deal to her that she would resort to murder. Your insight is always appreciated.
I feel that Sydney was always going to murder. If it wasn't her mother, it easily could have been a friend, her father. Most people never murder, not even when it could benefit them in some way. It's the ultimate evil. You either always will or never will. Some people like to kill. They are all lacking something inhibitory and I feel it's how someone is made up on the inside, not wired right.
My snap judgment is, that she was ashamed of her failing at university and felt cornered which led to a violent outrage as a defense of an unbearable feeling of shame.
That is a chilling story; she became a murderer on the turn of a dime, with whatever weapon was nearest at hand. Thanks, as always, for a compelling video, Dr. Grande.
She has the exact same name as another Sidney Powell that also turned out to be a very unfortunate human. Also this girl killed her mom on 3-3-20 over a suspension. Literally a week later, all students were sent home because of the pandemic. The suspension would have been nearly irrelevant at that point. If she just chilled for ONE WEEK..... so ironic.
@@autism_momma_LosAngeles Granted if she was just a homicidal person, she probably would have killed her mom anyways during the lockdown. But if this was solely based on shame because of her suspension, it would have barely mattered the very next week, since nobody was going to class by the end of March 2020.
I really appreciated all of this, especially the lack of scientific methodology in the diagnosis. It doesn’t do much for psychology being seen as a reliable tool when there is room for so much variation in diagnosis in a courtroom. I often wonder in these cases about the validity of a diagnosis when there is financial gain to find a particular diagnosis consistent with a side. That’s why listening here is so much more interesting as there is no motive to choose a side but a more detached evaluation based on theories and info available. Helps us cut through the BS basically, so thanks 😊
What happened to people being just plain _crazy_ ?She’s not schizophrenic, she’s not psychotic, she’s not multi-identitied. She’s couldn’t handle “life” and instead of an uncomfortable conversation about her life trajectory, instead “freaked out” and did what he needed to do at that time to not chat bout what happened at school. 🤦🏻♀️ just my two cents
But what is a label? It's a group of behaviours. They just help people realise where they are in the human spectrum. Can be a predicator of behaviour. I really do believe we're just biological machines and very predictable. Labelling can help this
Legit question, have a family member who attempted suicide at 17 yrs old. Went in psych place and came out with diagnosis of anxiety and depression. Principle at school said right now things are hard for young girls in particular. Fast forward, she’s 20 and makes an attempt again. Goes into hospital 72 hour hold and comes out she told her parents that she had diagnosis of Bipolar and Schizophrenia. Nobody and I mean Nobody ever saw this coming. Is it possible for them to determine she’s got that within 72 hours particularly after ingesting a bunch of antidepressant pills? They put her on Prozac and Latuda. This seems weird to me. Her parents had a strained relationship and were recently divorced and she asked both to come together with nobody else to pick her up. Both parents are now in other relationships. They only are going off what she said they told her the problem was but Anxiety/Depression diagnosis they knew of at 17 fit better it seems.
“In a sense, Sydney was trying to kill her own failures. Her mother became a substitute…”
You are truly amazing at your job Dr Grande!
Logical way to look at this huh??? Makes perfect sense to me given her very narcissistic entitled personality!
Objection based on speculation!!!! 😊
Looks like Sydney Powell have her mom the old Kraken the head
She wasn't legally insane she made up a lie to hide her guilt or try to that's not insanity that's cold-blooded murder probably premeditated which can be in a second
Web Searches there's your premeditation
It’s sad that you can carry/give birth and raise the child that ends up killing you.
Fact is, millions of American children secretly can't wait till their parents die to get that pay day.
No good deed goes unpunished
I’m pregnant rn and it truly freaks me out to think that the little fetus I’m carrying could one day murder me. Highly unlikely. But it makes me question my decision when I hear stories like this lol.
@@Grimrvyou'll be fine! Raise your baby right❤
@@GrimrvCongratulations on your pregnancy…I wouldn’t worry about stiff like this… your baby will love you…
Reminds me of Chandler Halderson. Sooooo many people fail in college the first time around, regroup and go on to have successful, happy lives. It's nothing to murder over.
u.s. college is often considered a scam nowadays. even if you're one of the 70% to graduate, you're left with $50k+ debt, and the degree can often be worthless (unless it's engineering)
And Joel Guy, Isabella Guzman, Heather Mack, Jennifer Pan.....just a whole lot of self-entitled POS killing parents for no good reason.
@@FearMyLadyBits I think your degree is likely to be worthless if you choose a worthless degree. I went to a state school, borrowed a total of $10,000, graduated, and paid it off over 10 years. Besides the knowledge I gained, the practical benefit of my degree is that I don't have to have the "Why don't you have a degree?" conversation at every job interview, since it's expected in my field.
I thought of Chandler Halderson too. What a horrible thing to do to your own parents.
The only difference is, when Halderson murdered his parents he'd never had to work so hard in his life in the clean up.
A very disturbing case.
To me, it sounds like a combination of an emotional outburst and a fear of taking responsibility for her dilemma. I dropped out of college the first time I went and sure, your parents get mad and may even shame you, but life goes on. I worked for a year, reapplied and graduated the second time around. Either you try again or you do something that doesn't require a college education.
Sadly, you learn a lot about people based on how they cope with failure.
Very true, and very well said. Congratulations on setting your mind to succeeding, and eventually reaching your goals.
I tried to commit suicide because of poor grades I live with a narcissist mother She shamed the hell out of me still does sometimes there are underlying factors I then found out I was dyslexic so I had trouble understanding the questions I was asked
I went to a JC right after high school and I failed miserably too. My parents and I had a huge falling out because of it and I had to drop out and move out of my parents home. I was a vagabond for a year and a half. I felt like such a failure I almost committed suicide. However, I knew someone who was an instructor at the JC I once attended. He saved my life by getting me reenrolled back at in school, got me a job on campus, and allowed me to live with him while I attended the JC. Four years later, I earned my Associate Degree, transferred to SJSU and earned my BA and MA. So I understand what you went through. My parents get along now. I hope you have reconciled with yours. I’m glad you are doing well. I’m fortunate that I’m doing well too.
@@chrisconsorte7893 I spent two years at De Anza CC before transfering to SJSU. In my first semester there I earned one "D" and two "F'"s.
Maybe I was a bit immature. I had difficulty making the adjustment to higher education.
With a bit of prodding from my parents I got my act together and got my degree on time.
Sometimes we just have to grow up.
@@chrisconsorte7893 I'd never forgive my parents for letting me be homeless.
Sydney knew exactly what she was doing. She broke the window and attempted to stage the scene before police arrived. All the tears in court appeared to be for herself. She fooled her father and grandmother but couldn’t fool the jury. She snapped. Simple as that.
Her sentence was weak, tho.
Take a bow, da da
Yes but 15 years is a good start for her and large Marge....parole can be denied indefinitely..see her in 2038
@@katjay3125 You're probably correct and the 15 years is supposedly non-negotiable but often, defense attorneys can appeal and depending on the liberal judge(s). If not life w/o parole, then this should have been 25 years to life to make certain she cannot have her own children. Bad seed. One bad fight or violation during her 15 years should increase her prison time substantially.
@@jimc6687the liberal judges need to be literally thrown tf out of the courts, i am so sick and f *cking tired of hearing about these weak sentences for horrible murders or other criminals like rapists being let out early and then raping or murdering again like what JUST happened in Baltimore to a tech ceo, im sure Dr Grande will cover that case soon. The judge who let that creature out should also be held responsible, thats how it should be, the judges jobs and lives should also be on the line when they release a criminal. Actually im in favor of the middle age punishment the Catherine wheel being used again, that would stop these murders
I suffered from a mental breakdown in college mostly because my parents controlled my life and maniuplated me into doing something I didn't want. Even after my breakdown they didn't hinge, they became even more cruel and uninterested in my well being. I managed to get a degree and promised myself that I will never pursue a job in the field. I moved to another country, got married and followed a different path. My parents are still embarrassed even though my life turned out great. I never ever even thought about hurting my unsupportive and controlling parents. This young woman is dangerous. I'm sorry, but that's my opinion.
So in the end things panned out.
@@mariocondello2353 Yes, I guess. I was lucky.
Glad you created a good life for yourself..
@@janetrogers4738 Thank you. You're so kind. 🤗
They were just trying to live vicariously through you. They love you.
looks like that plan didn't pan out for her
Good effort John 👍
Go home John
I see what you did there. 🍳
Cooked up a plan that sent her from the frying pan 🍳 into the fire 🔥
Funny... thanks.
She wasn't so psychotic that she tried to blame it on someone else.
Ehh she tried to stage a break in so yeah she did try and blame someone else, but the evidence told the truth!
But I thought she did try to blame it on a break in. She even broke a window to make it look that way. Listen @ 3:45
Blame the teachers for giving the bad grades.
OP's post is called sarcasm.
Not so much blaming as the actual organized act of staging a breakin snd elaborate lying and acting hysterical!
Her poor parents, one she killed and the other left with the aftermath! Thank you Dr. Grande for another informative video!
A new rule for parents; never confront your spoiled brat spawn alone and unarmed.
Did she honestly think she was going to keep her flunking out of college a secret from her father, after killing her mother? I recognize that 19 year olds don't always think about long term consequences of things, but give me a break.
Personality disorders don’t spring from nowhere most of the time they are inherited from the parents.
I don't feel bad for her father- he paid her bail, paid of experts to deem her insane and defended her throughout the whole thing. Either he is delusional or straight up evil.
How awful for the husband. Having to sit there with the love of your life, having murdered the other love of your life and then lie to a whole room about it just because she's a failure. Sad sad sad.
I had to move in with my mom during the recession of 08. I hated it but eventually I was able to move out. She turned a situation that could have easily been resolved into an absolute tragedy. She ruined her own life and ended her mother’s.
This girl was so about her ego she couldn’t stand for her mother to be disappointed in her. How can anyone wrap their head around such an insane decision?! Beyond me.
My mother one time told me she hoped she never did anything to disappoint her mother. I disappointed my mother many times because I chose to live my own life, not hers.
Maybe Sydney’s reaction was so intense with her mother because she was closer to her than her father; the shame and disappointment from her mother was more than she could face.
@@esteemedmortal5917 they were close, yet Sydney couldn't appropriately communicate with her mother about her troubles?
Maybe I'm trying to make sense of the nonsensical acts of Sydney...
@@esteemedmortal5917I don’t believe her relationship with her mom was wonderful. Her family lied thinking she will never get prison time. The fact she killed her mom with such brutality it’s means she had many “episodes” before. I don’t buy it she never snap on her mom.
I always tell my kiddo that there’s nothing she could ever do, that would ever make me love her any less. That no matter what, we can figure it out.
Her university didn't suspend her overnight, she knew for months that she was not achieving anything, all sounded like she had time to think and plan it all.
And it's a ridiculously easy school. Its not Harvard.or MIT. You really have to do absolutely nothing to flunk. You pretty much get a C for showing up.
She didn't want her Mom to know she was failing but she had no problem with her mom's last moments being in sheer terror of her daughter as she murdered her. Wth
But her mom already knew she was failing when she killed her
Ironic isn’t it
@hayleykiyokoisbae1776
Not exactly.
Brenda was a toxic narcissist mom, and Sydney understandably finally snapped from having to be the perfect daughter....instead of being supportive and understanding like Mr Powell that she dropped out, she phoned the Uni to try and re-enlist her (when Sydney didn't want to attend Uni anymore). Consequences of toxic parenting.
@@DeathToTheDictators I don't disagree that her Mom was toxic, but that doesn't justify a rage murder. If you think it does you have issues. A lot of people have toxic narcissistic Moms and don't murder them. This doesn't justify anything
Excellent. Thank you again. I also say the father took the easy way out....he passed the buck to his poor wife instead of helping her to deal with this entitled girl. He's weak and he enabled her. Very disturbing family dynamics....right up to the grandmother.
He also still believes Sydney was psychotic and doesn want her in prison which is delusional to me
Could it be that he had to be at work?
You say she had a “close bond” with her mother. Others have said they were “best friends.” I don’t think so. I think she must have hated her mother to attack her so viciously.
The little psychopath had absolutely NO EMPATHY that's for sure.
AGREE N OLD GRANNY N WEAK DAD ESCALATED MATTERS TRAGIC ....BUT THEY WERE VERY CLEAR AT COURT THEY WERE ON PHYSCO SYDNEYS SIDE HOPE THEY ENJOY THEIR PRISON VISITS ...SHES PURE EVIL AIDED & ABETTED BY THOSE 2...
People are clueless when it comes to other people.
I was thinking she must've hated her too. I'm not excusing her, but it seems like something was pent up towards the mother.
i guess u know better than the her father and grandmother
Don't ever let that girl out. Thanks, Dr G. xxx
Not everyone is meant to go to college. Stop expecting more out of people than they are capable of. Go to work. Well in this case, she is going to jail.
She might be able to get a job in jail, but NOT in the kitchen!
@@ashleybergstrom8934love it 😂
She was interested in partying, not in an academics.
Maybe she was partying in college. Or maybe she never was college material, and her parents demanded the teachers in the private high school give her grades she did not earn, like the Lori Laughlin - Mossimo Gianuli situation.
i fully agreed. I finished with barely passed. At 55 now, if i were to do the whole thing again, i will nv want college but skilled job. Sometimes society force us in a situation to think that our children hv to go to college. Now i look at some government who is run by scholars, they can't hammer a nail but dictate building policy which lead to common ppl suffering.
Dr Grande this is the best synopsis and explanation of Sydney’s disgustingly deceptive crime. This is the result of spoiling your child to such a degree that they believe they can get away with murder. I am so GLAD that she did not get away with such an obviously intentional act. The narcissism and entitlement is beyond comprehension. Seeing how her family wished for almost ZERO CONSEQUENCES for the murder of such a beloved woman, it’s very easy to see how this situation came about in the first place.
Sounds like you are blaming the victim. That she spoiled her child so much that her daughter killed her. I find this objectionable. There are many spoiled children, and they do not murder their parents.
@@ForestGirlTeresa yes I am.
Borderline Personality and Narcissistic traits can be a very dangerous mixture.
Demonic
@robinantonio8870 are you pickin' on me again?
In layman's terms, spoiled brat, entitled, lazy student.
@@robinantonio8870Quite a few of them don't include any narcissistic traits. Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Avoidant Personality Disorder. Dependent Personality Disorder.
It's mainly the Cluster B personality disorders that contain a spectrum of narcissistic traits, including of course Narcissistic Personality Disorder itself.
Kinda the same difference. If you're a woman they label you BPD and a man NPD but honestly this is ASPD lol
I watched the trial of this young woman with interest.... I think you're exactly right in your opinion. The Dad and family stuck by her, I couldn't help wondering if they really thought the plea of insanity was valid or if they just couldn't accept the horror of what she'd done to her mother.
Honestly I think it's the latter. Even the professionals were taken in by her claims and I think it was probably not that they were not just incompetent but found it easier to believe her claims of psychosis than that she would murder her mother with apparently no real motive. After all tons of young people flunk out of college and most don't kill their parents.
The latter.
Some parents prefer to believe the lie than accept the fact that their child is a psycho killer. If they accept the reality then that would reflect on their own failure as a parent or that they failed to catch the symptoms earlier.
@@slsilver481i think she snapped. Even pretending to be her mom on the phone made no sense.
I requested for this one, thanks Dr. Grande!🙏❤️
Nice work 👍
A crazy person studying psychology, how reassuring
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You would think that they would do really well in that subject area lol!
I find it's common.
It's very common
well undergrad psychology is a bullshit major. it's like poly sci. it's when someone can't pick a major. few go on to get their masters then for licensure.
I always find Dr. Grande to be entertaining, but this skillet murder case offered him a unique opportunity to showcase his ...deadpan humor
Another ouch.
😂😂😂😂
😆
Ok. That's the best pan quip yet. 😅
Groan😂
She’s lucky this happened in Ohio. If it would’ve been in Florida she would’ve been imprisoned for life, which honestly would’ve been just.
I found it crazy that she requested a therapy dog during trial. 🙄
The only people that needed a therapy dog were her mothers loved ones during trial.
She is absolutely evil.
Although she has to serve a minimum of 15 years before she becomes eligible for parole, there's no guarantee that she will be granted ... fingers crossed it will be denied. She's pure evil. Sydney's father and family are in total denial bout her guilt, it's hard to believe that his daughter would capable of committing such a heinous crime against her mother. She knew exactly what she was doing and then using "mental illness" as an excuse to justify her behavior.
I hope she never gets a dog she will likely kill it too imo. Evil.
@@janetrogers4738hope she doesn’t reproduce either or she’ll kill her own kid
Doing more research (MORE than Dr Grande, apparently), it seems Brenda was a toxic narcissist mom, and Sydney finally snapped from having to be the perfect daughter...Brenda was by no means an innocent victim in this case.
@@DeathToTheDictators I had a narcissist, toxic Mom as well & I didn’t beat her to death with a frying pan….she died of natural causes.
My Dad was an abusive alcoholic & he died of natural causes.
Lots of people have less than ideal childhoods.
And it’s pretty crappy of you to victim blame.
Last I heard, what you found in your research about her Mom did not warrant a death sentence.
She is not allowed to be judge, jury & executioner.
Brilliant ... "In a sense, Sydney was trying to kill her own shame. Her mother became a substitute for her failures."
That was weird, I was scanning the comments while listening to the video and I read this comment at the exact same time as he said it.
That’s exactly what I was thinking! She was filled with rage over her own failures but decided to take it out on her mother. Truly awful!
@@Meri07 she was projecting her disappointment and shame onto her mother, maybe.
Brilliant! “Killing her own shame” is exactly what I have been trying to articulate about a boyfriend that once viciously attacked me when he realized that I knew he had slept with his friend’s wife. The dv was him trying to kill his own shame. I escaped him but imagine his shame over the double betrayal stayed with him. Spot on, Doc!!
"Kill her own shame" excellent interpretation/analysis of this case.
She was studying Psychology, ok thats the first Red Flag
All the crazy ones do.
Biggest irony
Honestly most people who end up becoming killers usually study that.
You are so right tho, the craziet people study psychology. Like I have never met a person with good story on studying psychology. It's the "I wanna study killers and understand why they kill🤠"
Psychology seems like a good secondary or elective course to take, but I hear the job market for psychologist is pretty brutal/low pay/demand. You are far better off studying psychiatry or even prob anthropology or something. Or even just get a criminal justice degree, much more options/possible career paths.
I have a frying pan story that my grandmother told me. She’s currently 89 years old, and she told me that when she was a young mom, my grandfather came home, drunk one night and got mad at her because she didn’t save dinner for him. And she told me that (the only time in their marriage), he slapped her. And said she turned around and picked up a cast-iron skillet off the stove and whacked him across the head so hard she thought she killed him. And then she told him to suck it up and go to work. So once he got to work, a couple of his coworkers had to take him to the hospital, because apparently he got a concussion. And he was just like, “he learned his lesson, he never raised to hand me again, and we had a very happy 40 years together after that.” I find that story to be kind of amusing looking back…
Wow .. Just think if she got a hold of her Rolling Pin…😂😂😂😂 The suck it up line is Epic😂😂😂😂Went to bed hungry, Concussion, and emasculated … Granny Built Tough 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾
He deserved it!
Was she Irish
You obviously come from good Irish stock. 😃🍀
My grandma did the same thing with a vine bottle.
I purposefully didn’t watch any Dr. Grande videos the last 2 weeks so I could binge them all at once to make work a little more enjoyable :)
Incredible self control
I don't know if I could fast from Dr. Grande's video? 😄
The fact that she was smart enough to break the window frm outside instead of the fastest mode which wd b from inside… shows she’s clearly learned from crime shows how to properly stage an intruder incident
The deception ruined her case. I had no sympathy. I’m a mom! How bad cd it get for a mom
I was once asked what were two major motivators in my life. My answers were fear of failure, and the wolf at the door. How many times and at how many things did Sydney fail at in her life? Did she live in a world of friends and family that were high achievers and she was average? Did she feel inadequate because she used this standard to determine her worth? Were relationships performance based? Was she accepted as long as she succeeded, and made to feel less appreciated otherwise? I do not excuse her and neither did the jury, but it is clear the college failure was something she could not accept in her mind. She chose to make someone else “pay for it.”
Your analysis is quite plausible. Add emotional immaturity to the mix....
I find it disturbing that 3 so called experts stated she had a psychotic episode and didn’t know what she was doing. How can you conveniently have a psychotic episode that just lasts the duration of your crime and disappears as soon as the crime is over. As soon as Sydney found out from her father that the police were on the way, she tried to pretend there was a break in to cover up her crime. Her father also stated the night of the crime that his daughter had never suffered from mental health issues. She got the lightest sentence the judge could give and this was because so many fell for her ‘ performances’ and treated her like she was the victim. Her poor Mom, what a terrifying way to go by the hand of your own daughter 😢!
I think many people find it hard to believe that an attractive young teenager who was never identified as abnormal or mentally ill would commit this incredibly violent and gory crime. It's probably easier for a lot of people to think that she had to be crazy.
I starting showing signs of OCD at 19 and was diagnosed after a panic attack in nursing school. That being said, I don't believe Sydney was innocent
I don't blame her. She's a murderer and she would always be a murderer, and this was never going to turn out any other way. I am again disturbed at the lack of scientific objectivity of mental health assessment, and mental health clinicians trusted by the state. It is clear to me [again in 2023] after seeing so many extreme inconsistencies in the world of mental health that it cannot be trusted. This disagreement is so egregious that their diagnoses should no longer be used in the legal system for anything at all; It's a pseudoscience at this point. They're no better than palm readers or astrologers.
A smart person looking for help would be just as well off going to a tasseographer and asking advice.
@@troy3456789ugh I know. I want to do research on objective criteria for mental illnesses. The APA really dropped the ball by not adopting the RDoC for the DSM-V.
@@troy3456789By definition this field is pseudoscience because it is not falsifiable.
My eyes widen whenever I hear "Hello, this is Dr. Grande. Today's question is: Can I offer an analysis on..." Thanks for doing what you do
Love the cacti..
Yes this is a very good channel to watch. Always interesting stuff.
Can I offer an analysis on propane and propane accessories?
I could literally hear him when you wrote that verbatim lol
@@flowers_4_alger-hans Hank taught me that butane is a bastard gas.
She triangulated because her father allowed and used splitting on her parents. We encountered this all the time in the child/adolescent psych ward. If somebody tells the child no and sets limits, they'll go around and find somebody who will say yes, no limts. Dad- good guy easy to lie to & manipulate, "said Brenda was better at this" says yes, ok. Brenda- bad guy not easy to manipulate says no, must go.
YOU NAILED IT!
Dad's fault. But of course.
@@ratdad48 he's an extremely weak man
Incestual relationship maybe
I would die to protect my mother, she’s literally my best friend. I cannot FATHOM how someone could do this
Our “Justice System” is sick. She murdered her mother in the most brutal manner, depriving her mother of life for all eternity; yet the mother’s life is only worth 15 years in a prison that is going to provide the murderer with all of her needs. The message to criminals is clear: if you murder someone, the worst that can happen to you is that you spend 15 years in prison. I remember when I lived in Olathe, Ks, a jilted high school kid hid in his ex-girlfriend’s closet with a knife. Afterwards, he said he knew that he would have to “spend 15 years in jail”. That was 25 years ago. Last I heard, the young school girl he murdered is still dead. How is he doing?
What the Justice system is actually saying is that a 19 year old psychopathic female is more valuable to society than a 50 year old law abiding citizen. It’s actually ageism and proves the our lawmakers are just as psychopathic as the criminals. Only difference is a higher iQ.
You don't really believe she's going to serve 15 years do you? It's been at least 60 years since any criminal actually served their lenient sentence.
What a little psychopath, it’s awful she’s up for parole in 15 years.
Yeah but she must have a perfect score in behaviour in prision. One figth or violation and parole is denied.
the little manipulating demon will be out of jail in no time....that's american justice for you.
The most ridiculous thing is that she was out on bail.
She'll be out before parole comes about. 5yrs. Wait and see.
@@ratdad48not in Ohio. Must serve 85 percent of sentence first
I think the possibility of failing in college and how to cope should be part of college orientation. A lot of people don’t transition well from being successful in high school, which by all accounts Sydney was, to college. Sometimes it’s just homesickness. There’s no shame in it. It may have spared a life. Her mother worked in a hospital helping kids with ca. what a sad loss.
This is an excellent idea.
@@ClaudiaM-js6ol I agree but it seemed like she was triggered by something regarding her performance at school. I was just hoping that putting something like that out in the open could have saved the mother’s life.
Or at least some resources if someone is struggling (many colleges have them). Depending upon personality, some students might find negative thoughts about failing out at orientation to be overwhelming and anxiety inducing. I would have been one of them. I needed positivity that "you've got this."
❤❤Seems like she is being held accountable for her behavior for the first time. Thanks Dr G❤❤
This is just horrible! Rather than take responsibility for her grades and cleaning that up with her parents and school, she took the lowest of low roads and killed her own mother. This is a really sad state of affairs. Thanks for your analysis!
I was friends with Sydney in high school. This case has sent me spiraling. I’ve subscribed to this channel a long time, I never expected to see my former friend being analyzed here. It’s surreal. :(
What was she like, when you were friends?
She was obviously spoiled and entitled, no doubt paying for hotel rooms at her parents expense. To her college was nothing more than fun and games. When the jig was up she took out her rage on her mother the closest person to her. Her internet search proves she was also premeditating the murder. Then she attempted to cover up her crime by feigning a break in. Sydney Powell is guilty as charged.🧚♀
For a second there I thought you were talking about that crazy lawyer
@@joe718gt4which one?
You are completely right. I hope she doesn’t get out before 15 years. She murdered her mother with beating and stabbing! Her family wanting her not to be charged and do community service 🤯😳. One big brat!!
What crazy lawyer? I must have missed that. lol @@joe718gt4
Lol. Not that it matters, but the gig is up, rather than jig. 😉
I cannot fathom how someone could kill one's mother. Mine had her issues, but I made my peace with her before she passed (from complications of surgery and MERSA in a hospital).
❤❤
Mine was abusive physically and emotionally, and I didn't kill her.
So sorry for your loss ❤
You freed yourself by making peace with her. That is beyond beautiful
So enjoyable hearing your calm, plain, straightforward presentation.
I always love your analysis! Thanks you😃
I am a lawyer in Australia and always find Dr Grande’s analysis interesting and love the puns and the way they are delivered. Thank you Dr Grande. I have had reason to read many reports written by forensic psychologists and psychiatrists. They are always fascinating and I enjoy the analysis from this perspective.
I am happy to be early to hear an interesting story! Thanks Dr. Grande!
Echoes of Chandler Halderson.
Only 15 years?!? It’s like murdering her mother all over again 😢💔
I believe that you hit the nail on the head with your analysis of this case, Dr. Gande. As usual.
Being of Appalachian descent, I am very cognizant of how one should use a cast iron skillet in a non-lethal manner. It should only be used after a period of escalation towards the object of your ire: 1st is the sideways glance, 2nd is the dirty look, 3rd is chicken glare, 4th is Stink Eye, 5th is lizard eye, and 6th, ONLY bring out the cast iron skillet after the the first five methods of correction have failed, and it is to be used with discretion. If you are on the receiving end of anything including and above the chicken glare, you have sinned and it would be wise to get the hell out the house for a while.
Ahhhh…
…if only you’d been around to coach that family a crime might have been prevented.
@@deepdrag8131 Have some hillbilly wisdom. Of course, all bets are off if opioids or meth is involved.
@@aprilkurtz1589 I love hillbilly's, they are some of the nicest people around. Simple but smart at the same time. If a cataclysmic event were to happen, my hillbilly friends would know how to survive unlike the academic who has a PHD in liberal arts.
Holler smarts!
@@sagisli Exactly.! But, you'd be surprised at how handy some PhD's are in the hills and hollers.
Studying Psychology!!!!
I’ve dated 3 psychologists - ALL were absolutely bloody mental! I swear most are there looking for their own answers! 😮
I do agree there...I have worked with them on teams ......and shared work space with a few. Some of the most prolific narcs ever!!! Or just plain "off".
How incredibly sad . Her poor mother . 😔
Wonderful analysis. Thank you. I was disturbed that the defense attorney kept saying "follow the science" and that his experts used the "scientific method" to diagnose Sydney as insane. As you said, these conclusions are not based on science but on the statements of the patient and the therapists' own investment in belief.
"follow the science" is the woke phrase that signals "BS incoming"
@@blitzmom2674Damn right. Load of pure, unadulterated BS! Ugh. And that defense attorney was creepy in so many ways. Absolutely unprofessional and gross.
Sounds like she's LIED all through her life.
Sounds like Lauren Boebert.
Narcissists are compulsive liars hiding their shame!
@@paulclinton6414if you ignore the whole “murder” part, maybe 🙄
It’s interesting that of all the subjects she could have chosen to study she chose psychology. It’s also interesting that she attacked her mother’s throat repeatedly as if deliberately trying to silence her voice.
Great point!!
I’m just addicted to the sound of Dr Grande’s voice. I’ll listen to anything he says about anything. His podcast is hilarious and informative. I’m currently binge watching it.
i’m chronically online 😮💨 i be seeing Dr. Gs uploads in my recommended within 30 min of him posting it! 😂❤
Much love from California!
This particular analysis is so stunning as to make it into Dr. Grande's all time greats. All his videos are not the same. There is always room for a brand new high.
My Mother would have had control over the frying pan if I had bad grades. 😅
Three decades later, I'm independent and doing well. Thanks to my Mother.
My parents never checked my grades and I am also very independent and doing well. It has a lot to do with the individual. I was however raised to treat others with respect and went to church most Sundays.
See you back on your channel.
We would see less reports like the one above if all parents were like your mother.
I’ve watched several programs on this, but never heard such a linear, succinct description as yours. Thank you so much for saving me time in my research on this sad true crime.
Love your videos Dr grande , I binge listen to them at work, sad stories but you’re a great story teller and love to hear your input on them at the end 👏🏼
I love reading in the comments people at work listening to DrG
So why aren't you working when you're at work? 😂
What a sad case. She basically killed her mother for no reason at all!
Dr. Grande, your analysis was excellent. I hope you have a great weekend.❤
Wow. A new Dr Grande!❤
This one is wild. Sydney must be a dim bulb as well as having no empathy. I had an abusive mother and if I had flunked out of college (and I started at age 17), she would have beaten me and probably kicked me out of the home. So it's not like I can't have sympathy for Sydney being anxious about her mother's reaction, but it doesn't sound like Sydney's mother was abusive. And honestly if Sydney was that worried about her parents, she probably would have made more effort in her studies. Psychology is a popular major because most of the courses, especially the lower level courses, are easy to pass. I was a Science major who did Psychology as my elective and it was certainly a tenth of the work of my Calculus and Physics classes. But to me Psychology was also really interesting and fun and a nice counterpoint to my hard science classes, so perhaps I didn't have to study it as much to absorb it. However, I don't think Sydney would have gained enough information about a disease like Schizophrenia to be able to mimic it effectively, and frankly I'm surprised that any professional would have been taken in. Actually that's the thing that bothers me the most about this story, and I would hope that most modern forensic psychologists would be better able to identify someone with a serious mental illness compared to a young woman who is faking it to escape responsibility for her crimes.
Trials are fake and full of liars and acting as we see the defense lawyers making up alternative theories and avoiding bad facts as he did here, and they pay witnesses to lie and tell false narratives that support their side only in order to support the idea of “fair trial” in the face of slam dunk evidence! That’s how it works and it’s legal for the defenses to lie like that to trick a jury and call it a theory to a fair trial! I am glad jurors are smarter now! The lying smoke screen worked well in old days! Got lots of murderers off! Look at Casey Anthony!
Maybe she wasn't faking it but they were. IOW, she presents a certain series of behaviors and then they jump to conclusions. Probably should've done a brain scan rather than a questionnaire.
I seriously don’t understand why these people think they are going to get away with this stuff. Just about every freshman in college struggles. I remember in my freshman year I failed my very first test in biology & my very first move was to ask for help not to just pretend like the problem was just going to disappear. I also understand being afraid to tell your parents but killing them because you got found out, I just don’t get that.
Students don't need to worry about this anymore since college has now become super easy. I actually had to work hard to earn my degrees. Today, they hand degrees out like sticks of gum.
@@paulclinton6414😂You got that right! "Gender studies" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Oh wow, this was an excellent assessment. I thoroughly enjoy your analyzing various true crime and mental health situations. Those are 2 of my favorite topics. You're better than Court TV. You're very well spoken humorous. Intelligent and have an extensive vocabulary which I'm learning new words every time I watch your show.
Her family is so strange, she is living with her moms mom and they seem to think all is well in the world
Her dad was like, “we don’t want her prosecuted let’s just move on!” Hello! What!! Then you have her MATERNAL grandmother! She’s angrier at the prosecution than she is at her grand daughter. She stabbed her daughter in the throat dozens of times and bashed her head in!! What the hell is wrong with these people!
They are delusional at best
It sounds like there is more to this story than we may ever know. If you think about it, you have to be mentally disturbed in some capacity, regardless of what the exact mental diagnosis is, to kill your mom because you got expelled from college??? Or the relationship between the mom and daughter was not as great as everyone believed. But, I don’t believe this behavior just came out of nowhere. There had to be some signs/issues that she exhibited earlier in life that would have lead up to this extreme behavior.
15 years???!!! This was clearly premeditated. Her family is so gross for defending her.
AGREE
You guys are used to ridiculously long sentences, in the uk 15 years is too loooooooooooong
@@razamughal4582 Bro in the olden days she'd be hanged under a sycamore
I definitely don’t think it was premeditated lol. If it was she’s the actual dumbest human being on the planet, to plan out killing her mother while she’s in the middle of a call, with no real foresight of what to do after the fact except scramble together a clearly bs break in story.
She’s obviously not innocent in any capacity and should have gotten far longer, I’m simply saying this is way too spur of the moment to be premeditated. Something just snapped in her.
@@goomba8170 yea...not much pre meditation involved using a frying pan
Very good analysis. I am a lawyer from Germany and watched the trial on Court TV. In my opinion, her behavior in the courtroom clearly showed that she is a spoiled person, the constant "crying attacks" were very annoying. I don't understand why the court partially allowed her to leave the courtroom during the hearing
Been waiting for this one .because nobody Believed her except her family.I couldn't believe they ask for community service after the crime .
It's so disgusting than any daughter could beat and stab their own mother to death. 🙄 I wouldn't even speak a bad word to my mother. Scares me that I live in this world among other people who are capable of things like this. The likely motive in this case reminds me of Chandler Halderson case...he killed and dismembered both parents just so they wouldn't find out he wasnt enrolled in school any longer. Im glad this girl was found guilty and the jury could see she wasn't "insane." Thank you for another knowledgeable and insightful analysis, Dr. Grande!!❤
Heartbreaking. Great analysis as usual, Dr. Grande.
I been following this the fact she is getting 15 years is beyond belief! This girl should be getting life! She staged a burglary. Are you kidding me! She knew what she was doing. She calmly answered the phone pretending to be brenda when after she hit her mother with the pan! She shouldn't be allowed in public.
It is 15 to life.
When she gets out, she'll find some dumb simp to take care of her.
What does that mean? 15-life
She was a teen at the time of the murder so by law they get a lesser sentence and a second chance at life because the law recognizes the kid brain is not developed yet till age 25. The sentence was given by written law. Wasn’t arbitrary.
@@lizdk1999min 15 years to life in prison. She can be paroled after 15 years but only if a parole board approves she isn’t a danger to society and she has taken full responsibility for her crime, and has no other offenses in prison! They are a lifer if they don’t improve and if they are violent toward guards and or inmates! It’s not that simple.
Excellent analysis, Dr Grande.
They should have Dr Grande in court. He’s far more knowledgeable than the stupid “experts” they had on the stand.
*Well the good news is she won't need an education in prison!* Tragic she took one of the two people in the world who would love her unconditionally.
Only 15 years for taking a life...that is so wrong!
I wouldn’t be so sure. She will probably get her PhD while she’s there, thanks to the generous taxpayers.
She should take advantage of educational opportunities... she will potentially be out in her late 30s. Meaning she needs to gain some skills to be productive once she gets out
@scottweisel3640 I have no issues with people in prison getting education. If they can become productive, she can become employable. If she can't get a job she's going to use the system either way...
@@aliciadaugherty9252
No!!! She will be 40 when released!!!!!
Personally, I hope she doesn't make it out alive. Society doesn't need Sydney Powell.
Excellent analysis. Thank you.
I’m going to take a wild guess and assume her mother was the stricter disciplinarian and Sydney was psychotically afraid of what would happen when her mother found out the full truth. Especially considering she must have known the attack would be heard over the phone; that detail is what makes me think she snapped and lost touch with reality. Why not attack her before she answered the phone, or wait for her to hang up? It’s very weird.
that's what's got me so confused about the situation... by the time her mom got on the phone with the school, the jig was up. her father already knew she had been suspended, and so did her mom, that's precisely why she was coming home early from work. What would have made her snap like that if she was already caught in the lie? but I suppose that acting irrationally does not necessarily correlate to insanity. we can't know what happened inside her brain in that moment, and that is both frustrating and terrifying.
When I was 19 I took a leave of absence from college because I was going to fail a class. It was embarrassing and I was scared to tell my parents. But I remember growing up my dad always told me “it’s not the lie, it’s the cover up” I was lucky I grew up with parents who parented me really well. I left school and moved back home. I ended up going back to school a year after that and I’ve graduated. Im now 24. And more importantly the lesson is most parents on this planet while they may be “mad” at you or “disappointed” in you for failing a class or ect, they are your parents and love you and just want you to do well. I can’t imagine ever hurting either of my parents. On the contrary I would literally take a bullet for them. I. Know first Hand how it feels to drop out of school but when you are young you feel like everything is the end of the world. This evil girl unfortunately did not have the perspective to see this. Rest in peace Brenda ❤
Being from Akron, this trial and sentencing was a major news story. Horrible and tragic. Thank you for talking about this case.
I'm in Akron & I don't even remember it. 🥴
Very helpful analysis Dr. Grande. I watched the trial and was bewildered at how she could do this. This is helpful to understanding since the trial experts were so confusing.
Thank you for your amazing coverage as always. She was spoiled and was fed with silver spoon and sadly this is the absolute worst thing ever to happen killing your own mother how evil she is she belongs in jail for life .
I agree. I flunked my exams in college but it never occurred to me to harm my parents. My parents had very high expectations of me as did I but to take out my disappointment on other people just didn't enter my mind. NB I had an undiagnosed anxiety disorder which 12 years on was correctly diagnosed. I got the help I needed and then succeeded. I had a great transparent relationship with my parents who were supportive through all my highs and lows. This is such a tragic case. RIP Brenda. It sounds like you were an amazing selfless person.
My husband and I could not have children. We were very sad and ended up getting dogs. They never hurt us and loved us unconditionally. I hear these types of stories each and everyday.Our dogs loved us and WE LOVED THEM.
It was puzzling to me to hear everyone saying what a wonderful girl they think she is. She killed her mother and I understand trying to salvage what is left, but they just seemed clueless to me. To me, she knew right from wrong if she tried to pretend everything was all copacetic seconds after killing her mother (over the telephone.). 15 years is an insult.
40-50% of appeals are accepted, so who knows what will go on with that. Her whole family wants her freed. They don’t want her to have any consequences which is what created a narcissist in the first place.
It's fifteen years TO life. Not just fifteen years with a period on it. Why don't people read the small print?
She was a teen at time of the murder and they get lesser sentences and a second chance because their brains are not fully developed by psyche study proof and the law recognizes this and gives kids another chance at live. The judge ruled by the written law and not arbitrarily here!!!! Many sentences have specific minimums!!!
@@Juke582nah teens, younger than her have been tried as adults, and were never afforded the second chance you speak of. She killed her mama in cold blood, it's sickening.
Wow!! I’m thankful for your videos!! Great job!!
The pscyhologists for the defense testified that she was mentally ill and schizophrenic; this helped her case. This is what happens when doctors are paid by the defense (and the prosecution): they provide the perspective that their client wants, without regard to the truth.
Any defense lawyer will tell you flat out that they aren't looking for the truth. Most criminal defense lawyers know damn well their clients are guilty as sin. 😂
I loved this analysis, Doc. “Killing her own shame” is a brilliant interpretation that will stick with me forever. I subbed immediately.
Is it me or are more parents being slaughtered by their own children, when said children do not get their own way?
Again reference Lizzy.
or they're k-lling their own children a la Alex Murdaugh.
Yep, exactly. I am betting with the current "parenting" trends out there, we are going to see more of this.
It’s truly amazing to me how many grown adult Homo sapiens will search how to kill some one on the internet. It’s a known thing that if you go to trial for murder your search history will be investigated. Somehow people keep looking up how to poison or how long does it take to do this or that. If they aren’t stupid what are they?
So to you, the most tragic thing about this story was her inability to cover her tracks better when she plotted to kill her own mother? 🤔
@@MelisJoy Melissa when exactly did I make it a comparison between the person’s intelligence and morality. You are an example of the type of person that just looks to get into an argument. Aka an arse 🤔
I “dropped out” of college by choosing last minute to take a gap year- at first I was extremely anxious and somewhat ashamed watching all of my friends go off to college, but then I got a job and my own place, lived my life for a few years doing odd jobs and meeting people, and have been very happy. I am just a few months older than Sydney Powell and I cannot IMAGINE facing 15 to life. I am very glad I took that time to find myself and now I’m re enrolled to go back to school next fall. Deferring school is really no big deal at all. TONS of young people flunk out, reapply, and go on to lead such normal and successful lives! There was shame and fear surrounding my decision to defer, but I was honest and so my family supported me. And I have had a wonderful few years. This girls parents loved her very much, her father told her it was okay to take a break from school and invited her to move back home for christs sake!! There is (almost) never a good reason for murder, but in this case there is absolutely no reason at all!! I just can’t figure out why this was such a big deal to her that she would resort to murder. Your insight is always appreciated.
Clearly you made rational decisions based on knowing what was best for you. Good job! 👍🏻 Best wishes! 🎉
I feel that Sydney was always going to murder. If it wasn't her mother, it easily could have been a friend, her father. Most people never murder, not even when it could benefit them in some way. It's the ultimate evil. You either always will or never will. Some people like to kill. They are all lacking something inhibitory and I feel it's how someone is made up on the inside, not wired right.
Thank you for the interesting video. I love your videos in general and appreciate all your hard work making them.
My snap judgment is, that she was ashamed of her failing at university and felt cornered which led to a violent outrage as a defense of an unbearable feeling of shame.
That is a chilling story; she became a murderer on the turn of a dime, with whatever weapon was nearest at hand. Thanks, as always, for a compelling video, Dr. Grande.
She has the exact same name as another Sidney Powell that also turned out to be a very unfortunate human.
Also this girl killed her mom on 3-3-20 over a suspension. Literally a week later, all students were sent home because of the pandemic. The suspension would have been nearly irrelevant at that point. If she just chilled for ONE WEEK..... so ironic.
NO way- I never realized the date. WOW that is hardcore
@@autism_momma_LosAngeles Granted if she was just a homicidal person, she probably would have killed her mom anyways during the lockdown. But if this was solely based on shame because of her suspension, it would have barely mattered the very next week, since nobody was going to class by the end of March 2020.
She got off easy - anyone that could do this shd NEVER see the light of day again! My god
And yet the family acts like it was no big deal! Unreal 🤦♀️
My god these kids
After all Lizzy Borden?
I really appreciated all of this, especially the lack of scientific methodology in the diagnosis. It doesn’t do much for psychology being seen as a reliable tool when there is room for so much variation in diagnosis in a courtroom. I often wonder in these cases about the validity of a diagnosis when there is financial gain to find a particular diagnosis consistent with a side. That’s why listening here is so much more interesting as there is no motive to choose a side but a more detached evaluation based on theories and info available. Helps us cut through the BS basically, so thanks 😊
What happened to people being just plain _crazy_ ?She’s not schizophrenic, she’s not psychotic, she’s not multi-identitied. She’s couldn’t handle “life” and instead of an uncomfortable conversation about her life trajectory, instead “freaked out” and did what he needed to do at that time to not chat bout what happened at school. 🤦🏻♀️ just my two cents
She's a psychopath. Selfish and without a conscience.
Your analysis and comments are right on target. Thank you.
It seems like clinicians are more than happy to diagnose people with issues.
Every single baby born today will be given some kind of label the second their head hits the end of the birth canal...
@@elliebellie7816 except that you can't diagnose a baby otherwise uh, sure...or if you mean "labeled" with a name.....
don't' shit on clinicians because of people the defence pay to say things supporting their case.
But what is a label? It's a group of behaviours. They just help people realise where they are in the human spectrum. Can be a predicator of behaviour. I really do believe we're just biological machines and very predictable. Labelling can help this
Legit question, have a family member who attempted suicide at 17 yrs old. Went in psych place and came out with diagnosis of anxiety and depression. Principle at school said right now things are hard for young girls in particular. Fast forward, she’s 20 and makes an attempt again. Goes into hospital 72 hour hold and comes out she told her parents that she had diagnosis of Bipolar and Schizophrenia.
Nobody and I mean Nobody ever saw this coming. Is it possible for them to determine she’s got that within 72 hours particularly after ingesting a bunch of antidepressant pills? They put her on Prozac and Latuda. This seems weird to me. Her parents had a strained relationship and were recently divorced and she asked both to come together with nobody else to pick her up. Both parents are now in other relationships. They only are going off what she said they told her the problem was but Anxiety/Depression diagnosis they knew of at 17 fit better it seems.
Brilliant analysis and summary.