CORALVILLE – An Iowa man from Waterloo who allegedly sexually abused his granddaughter died in prison on August 7.
David Michael Powers, age 75, was pronounced dead due to natural causes (not COVID-related) at 8:05 AM Friday morning in a hospice room of the Iowa Medical and Classification Center where he had been housed due to chronic illness. Powers was 75 years old at the time of his death.
Powers had been serving a 25-year sentence for the crime of Sexual Abuse 2nd Degree (709.3) and other crimes from Black Hawk County. His sentence began on April 13, 2011.
According to court records, in 2011, a jury convicted David Powers on two counts of sexual abuse based on allegations made by his granddaughter from several years earlier. Throughout the trial, Powers denied all the claims made against him. The jury heard testimony from the child victim and other various family members, including the child’s parents and brother, that the child was known to lie. Powers appealed his convictions arguing, among other claims, that there was insufficient evidence to convict him. The court of appeals affirmed his convictions.
Powers subsequently filed this application for postconviction relief. As part of his application, Powers alleges that between the time of his convictions and his sentencing, the Waterloo Police Department was investigating claims of sexual abuse that his victim was making against local gang members.
The Waterloo Courier reported in 2011 that Powers told family members after his sentencing, “There’s your death sentence.”
