Bio

Reginald Love Powell was born on July 23, 1968. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. His mother was only 14 years old when she gave birth to him. His grandmother, who was then 30, did not seek medical help during the delivery. This early instability seemed to set the tone for Powell's childhood. He was placed in a state home for boys at one point. This action came after a school principal raised concerns about his well-being. However, he spent less than a year there due to overcrowding.

Powell struggled with school. He changed schools frequently, attending 16 different schools before reaching high school. Testing later showed that Powell had a low IQ, measured at 65. He was placed in special education programs due to his learning difficulties. Additionally, he suffered from Auditory Selective Attention Disorder, which affected his ability to focus.

During his youth, Powell was exposed to drugs and alcohol. He started using marijuana before he was even a teenager. 

Murder Story

On November 14, 1986, Reginald Love Powell went to a liquor store in St. Louis, Missouri, with three friends. They were all underage and asked two brothers, Freddie L. Miller, 39, and Lee Arthur Miller, 29, to buy them alcohol. The brothers refused. Later that evening, Powell and his friends encountered the brothers again in a backyard.

During this encounter, Powell made a derogatory remark towards the brothers and called for his friends to help him rob them. One of the brothers insulted the group back. In response, Powell and his friends attacked the brothers. They knocked them to the ground and severely beat them with kicks, bricks, and sticks. After this, Powell jumped on the chests of the brothers, causing significant injury. They were then robbed, with only three dollars and a pack of cigarettes found on them.

Powell was left alone with the brothers after the beating. He repeatedly stabbed each of them in the chest and abdomen with a butterfly knife. This stabbing caused fatal internal bleeding, and both brothers died from their wounds.

The next day, police learned about Powell's involvement from his step-brother. Powell was arrested and, during questioning, he confessed to the murders. He was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, and one count of armed criminal action.

On March 16, 1988, Powell's trial began. He was found guilty of first-degree murder on March 25 but the jury could not agree on a punishment. On April 15, the trial judge sentenced him to death for both counts of murder. Over the following years, appeals and motions for relief were filed but were denied at all levels. Powell was executed by lethal injection on February 25, 1998.