A father in New York's Long Island was stabbed to death by his adult son during a live Zoom meeting with as many as 20 other participants witnessing the murder on the live broadcast. Dwight Powers, 72, of Amityville, NY, was on a video chat with 20 other men as part of an Alcohol Anonymous (AA) meeting on Thursday, May 21, when he was allegedly stabbed by his son Thomas Scully-Powers, 32, according to Suffolk County Police.
Stabbed in Front of 20 Witnesses on Zoom
The stabbing took place at the Dixon Avenue residence around noon, as the AA meeting was underway, police said. Scully-Powers apparently appeared naked on the Zoom call after slaying his father as the participants scrambled to call 911 and notify authorities.
Participants on the Zoom call first noticed something had gone wrong when they saw Powers collapse during the feed. It took the support group participants about 10 to 15 minutes to figure out Powers' name and location so they could call for help.
"It looked like bed sheets were being ripped off the bed by a gentleman who appeared to be naked as well as bald, and he had a tattoo on his left arm," one of the participants of the Zoom call told WABC.
According to the witness, who chose to remain anonymous, the man then placed the bed sheets on the floor "as if he was covering something up." He later realized that people could see him through the camera so he covered up the camera as well.
Tried to Escape Through Window
When officers arrived at the residence, Scully-Powers answered the door and slammed the door shut on their faces before fleeing through a window. He was apprehended about an hour later at Ketcham Avenue and Cedar Street, according to police.
He was taken to a nearby hospital for minor injuries sustained while jumping out of the window in a bid to escape from the house, where he lived with his father. After being discharged from the hospital, Scully-Powers was taken to Suffolk County Police Headquarters and charged with second-degree murder.
