Rickey Nelson Powell came up for parole Tuesday, April 13. The parole board denied his appeal for release.

Powell was sentenced to life in prison on April 16, 1996. Powell was convicted of the murder of Mixon Sims on November 5, 1994. The Jury spent only 90 minutes deliberating before returning the guilty verdict.

Witness said that Sims was beaten severely in his head and neck and ultimately died from having his throat slashed.

Powell, 32, claimed he acted in self-defense but prosecutors claimed that Powell was the attacker.

Sims, 62, was a resident of Luverne. He was married to Dot Sims and had three children.

Powell is currently serving his sentence in the Loxley Community Work Center. According to the Alabama Department of Corrections website, Powell is designated as a min-out. (Zolpidem) This designation means that Powell is considered to not pose a significant risk to himself or other inmates and he is suitable to be assigned off-property work details without the direct supervision of correctional officers.

Powell’s next parole consideration date is April 1, 2026.