Remembering Trina Dukes

 

A Crime Beyond Comprehension

On July 29, 1986, Tina Dukes, age seven, was playing outside in front of her home with her cousin and another child. Tony Powell approached Trina and her cousin and asked them if they knew how to ride a bike. After Trina said “yes,” the three children followed Powell around the corner. Powell then asked Trina to go upstairs with him and told Trina’s cousin and the other child to leave. After luring Trina to the fourth floor, Powell told her to take off her clothes. Powell later admitted to police that at this point he intended to “F..k” Trina. Trina then began to cry and said she wanted to go home.

By this time, Trina’s cousin had run home and told her grandfather, who was known as “Big Duke,” what had happened. Trina’s cousin then led Big Duke and her brother Marvin to the building where Powell had taken Trina. Big Duke then went behind the building and called out for Trina. Trina called back “Big Duke, Big Duke.” Tony Powell then grabbed Trina’s mouth in an attempt to stop her cries. Big Duke then went into the building and ran up the stairs followed by Trina’s cousin and Marvin. When Powell heard them coming up the stairs, he picked up Trina. Trina became so scared she defecated on Powell. Powell then threw seven-year-old Trina out the fourth floor window.

When Big Duke, Trina’s cousin and Marvin reached the third floor landing, they heard a crash. Powell, who was not wearing a shirt, then rushed past them and said someone had been beating him up. After they reached the fourth floor, Big Duke, Trina’s Cousin and Marvin looked out the window. On the ground they saw Trina’s nude body lying next to some garbage cans. While Powell was leaving the building, he ran into another resident in the building. He pushed her out of the way and mumbled, “I did what I intended to do to that bitch.” Powell then ran down the street.

Paramedics arrived and took Trina to the hospital. She passed away due to her injuries the next day. Police found Powell at his mother’s house, hiding behind a refrigerator.

Sentenced to Death And Now Eligible For Release

The autopsy report showed that Trina had many small hemorrhages on her face. The coroner also found bruises and abrasions on the inner surface of Trina’s lips, and also six small scratches on her neck. The coroner stated the injures indicated that Trina and been partially asphyxiated by a hand clamped over her mouth. The autopsy also revealed a 5.7-inch laceration along Trina’s chest as well as other lacerations, bruises and abrasions on Trina’s head and body, consistent with a fall. The final cause of death was determined to be “blunt impact to the head [and] the trunk, with multiple injuries and smothering.”

A jury had no problem convicting Powell of Aggravated Murder, Kidnapping and Attempted Rape. They also sentenced him to death. Unfortunately, in 2003, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Powell’s death sentence, which took him off death row and made him eligible for parole. The Court said that Powell did not receive an adequate psychological evaluation before he was sentenced to death and that Powell’s court-appointed lawyers did a poor job preparing for the sentencing hearing. In 2004, after being taken off death row, Powell received an additional charge of assault that occurred while he was in prison.