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Rollan Powell mug shot (Broward County Sheriff’s Office) and standing outside of his home the morning after his wife was killed (WFLA screenshot)
A 76-year-old man in Florida is accused of killing his wife, allegedly shooting the 53-year-old woman inside of the home they shared and then staging the crime scene to make it appear as if she was killed during a botched robbery.
Rollan Powell was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with one count of first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, deputies at about 11:43 p.m. on Friday, March 15, responded to a 911 call regarding a shooting at a residence in the 4500 block of Northwest 45th Court in Tamarac, Florida. The home is just over 30 miles north of Miami. Emergency medical personnel with Tamarac Fire Rescue were also dispatched to the address.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders said they located an adult female inside of the home suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Powell was arrested less than a week after the shooting, with police saying he planned to kill his wife and make it look like a robbery.
“According to BSO Homicide Unit detectives, the investigation revealed that Powell appeared to stage a burglary to cover up the homicide and provided inconsistent statements to detectives regarding the incident,” the sheriff’s office wrote in the release.
Powell was transported and processed at the Broward County Main Jail. He appeared Friday before a judge who found probable cause for the murder charge against Powell, ordering that he be held without bond.
Authorities have not speculated about a possible motive for the shooting.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to messages from Law&Crime seeking additional details in the case.
News of Powell’s arrest sent shock waves through the community, with several neighbors seeming incredulous.
Linda Bran, who lives just a few doors down from Powell, told Miami NBC affiliate WFLA that when she moved into her home about four years ago, the accused killer was one of the first people to stop by and lend her a hand. She described him as a “very nice gentleman” in an interview with the station.
“This is really sad because, of course we don’t know what happened,” Bran told the station. “I’m sorry for him. You know, like I said, he was a very nice gentleman and he helped me out many times.”
Another neighbor, Steve Constandaras, told the station that the area is a senior community and the alleged murder of a resident came as a “surprise” to him.
