On November 6, 2020, a brutal attack outside the Stage Stop Inn in Ocala, Florida, claimed the life of a 53-year-old woman.
On Wednesday, December 13, 2023, the perpetrator of that crime, Chad Paul Anciaux, 36, was found guilty of first-degree murder by a Marion County jury and was sentenced to life in prison, according to the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.
The attack, which was captured by the motel’s surveillance cameras, showed him chasing his girlfriend, Jennifer Powell, with a metal baseball bat.
He struck her, knocking her to the ground with a blow to the back of her head, then repeatedly hit her in the face and head area.
Witnesses tried to intervene but were chased away by Anciaux, who then returned to the unconscious Powell, rolled her onto her back, and continued his attack.
Eyewitness Kristin Kemp provided a chilling testimony, describing how she saw him hitting Powell “numerous times” in the face with the bat.
Kemp’s fiance, Daniel, attempted to intervene, armed with a chair, but Anciaux swung at him and then fled when the bat flew from his hand.
Powell, a mother of three, was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center in critical condition. She died from her injuries ten days later, on November 16, 2020.
Her daughter, Morgan Petersen, testified that her mother was beaten so badly she was unrecognizable. The autopsy revealed several skull fractures and several teeth knocked out, one was even found in the back of Powell’s throat.
The defense, led by attorney Candace Hawthorne, argued that Anciaux committed second-degree murder in a “blind rage,” suggesting a “depraved mind” under the law. However, Assistant State
Attorney Toby Hunt pointed out the calculated nature of Anciaux’s actions during the attack, including checking Powell’s pulse before continuing to strike her a total of 17 times.
Prior to this case, Anciaux had previously pleaded guilty to failing to comply with sex offender reporting requirements and was sentenced to 950 days in prison. In 2011, Anciaux pleaded guilty in Iowa to assault with intent to commit sexual abuse involving a 14-year-old girl.
Anciaux was also convicted and sentenced to an additional five years for resisting an officer with violence. Florida law does not allow parole for first-degree murder convictions; thus, Anciaux will spend the remainder of his life behind bars. The State Attorney’s Office chose not to pursue the death penalty based on the evidence and legal considerations.
