Background: A section of the 1900 block of 18th Street in Huntington, West Virginia (Google Maps). Inset left: Amauri Powe appears in court during his murder trial in January 2026 (WSAZ/YouTube). Inset right: Parzella Harris (Henson & Kitchen Mortuary).
A West Virginia teenager will spend years behind bars for stabbing his grandmother to death in a “gruesome murder.”
Amauri Powe has been sentenced to life in prison with mercy in the death of 46-year-old Parzella Harris, the Cabell County Prosecuting Attorney”s Office announced. Because he was a minor at the time of the crime, he must be offered parole after 15 years in prison, under state law.
“The law provides him mercy on his life sentence,” the prosecutorial agency said, “mercy he did not show his Grandmother.”
A jury convicted Powe in January of first-degree murder. He was tried as an adult “due to the gruesome and violent nature of the crime,” prosecutors said.
Powe was 14 years old on Feb. 4, 2024, when Harris was at a home on the 1900 block of 18th Street, according to area ABC and Fox affiliate WCHS. The grandson and grandmother lived together, and Powe reportedly told a friend that they were going to get money from her.
The defendant stabbed and cut his grandmother 37 times, authorities said. Harris was found dead in the home, and the case was ruled a homicide.
Another minor was also arrested in connection with the woman’s death, but they made a deal with prosecutors, according to the local TV station.
Powe spoke at his sentencing hearing, while family members of Harris sat watching.
“I did a terrible, dumb thing,” Powe said, per local NBC affiliate WSAZ. He reportedly said he was on drugs at the time and hopes to get counseling and therapy as he moves closer to adulthood.
Still, Harris’ loved ones found it hard to forgive and forget.
“I don’t know why you did this,” her sister, Tonya Whitfield, said. “I’ll never forgive you, never. You shouldn’t have done it.”
The Cabell County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office stated that during the sentencing hearing, “numerous” members of Harris’ family “courageously addressed the Court, sharing heartfelt reflections on her life. She was remembered as a kind, loving, and giving grandmother whose presence brought strength and warmth to her family.”
“This is one of the most gruesome murders I have encountered in my professional career,” Cabell County Prosecuting Attorney Jason Spears said. “While no sentence can ever restore Ms. Harris to her family, today’s outcome ensures accountability for an act of unimaginable cruelty. Our hearts remain with the family of Parzella Harris as they continue to endure this profound and permanent loss.”
