A Long Island man was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly stabbed and killed his elderly father during a Zoom video chat, police told The New York Times.
Prosecutors said 72-year-old Dwight Powers was on a Zoom call with more than 20 people at his home in Amityville, New York when he was attacked by his son, Thomas Scully-Powers. The 32-year-old allegedly entered the room and started beating his father. He then exited the room and returned with a knife. This prompted one of the Zoom callers to alert the police. People on the meeting report seeing Powers on the screen then disappearing. They also gave police a description of his son.
"They just noticed him fall off the screen and then they heard heavy breathing," Suffolk County police detective, Lt. Kevin Beyrer, said. "It was horrible that they had to witness this."
When police arrived on the scene, Scully-Powers fled by jumping out of a second-story window. He was injured during the fall but managed to make it to a deli across the highway where he tried to use bottles of Dr. Pepper to clean off his father's blood. Police found him in a field less than an hour later.
Suffolk County District Attorney’s office says that Scully-Powers stabbed his father multiple times in the back, neck, and torso. Upon his arrest, the son admitted to stabbing his father more than 15 times. He reportedly told police that he used various kitchen-style knives because the blades kept bending. Per the medical examiner’s report, the attack left Powers nearly decapitated.
Despite admitting to the crime, Scully-Powers pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in court on Friday. He is being held at the Riverhead Correctional Facility and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison if he's found guilty. The motive for the stabbing is still being investigated. Officials are also set to examine Scully-Powers' mental health according to his attorney, Jonathan Manley. Yet, Suffolk County District Attorney, Timothy D. Sini, assures the public that justice will be served.
"This is a shocking and disturbing case," Sini said in a statement. "By the defendant’s own admissions, he brutally stabbed his own father repeatedly until he was certain he was dead. The investigation into this horrific murder is still ongoing, but rest assured we will obtain justice for the victim."
