Mercer County Mother Of 8 Suspected In Capitol Attack Still At Large
SANDY LAKE, Pa. (KDKA) - Behind a bullhorn and battering ram, a Mercer County mother of eight is suspected of playing a role in the assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Rachel Powell is still at large and cannot be found in her hometown of Sandy Lake.
People who know her say she stands against government controls, starting with the demonstrations against shutdowns and mask requirements and perhaps ending with the assault on the Capitol.
She can be seen clearly taking a battering ram to the Capitol in the Jan. 6 assault, and though the FBI has posted pictures of her seeking the public's help, it still has still not officially confirmed they are of Powell, who is now nowhere to be found.
But until recently Powell lived in Sandy Lake and worked part-time at a bookstore in Franklin, where inside owner Ben Wilkinson declined to be interviewed, telling KDKA's Andy Sheehan he did not trust reporters and later came outside, asking him to go.
But throughout the year, Powell and Wilkinson helped organized and participated in demonstrations like one against COVID-19 shutdowns in Pennsylvania and the wearing of masks.
Just last week, Powell posted a video of Wilkinson, family, friends and herself flaunting the non-wearing of masks at a birthday party at a local restaurant.
"The masks are total bullcrap. You guys just need to get out there and live," said Powell in the video.
Powell has not returned our text messages, but in an interview from an undisclosed location, Powell confirmed to the New Yorker magazine that she is the infamous lady with the bullhorn seen giving detailed information of the Capitol layout to the rioters inside.
She is of special concern to federal investigators because she appears to have advanced knowledge of building, indicating pre-planning of the assault but she denies this in the New Yorker piece. Folks in town say she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I think she should have used better sense than what she did. I think she just made things worse," said Sandy Lake resident Jill Roberts.
Now, Rachel Powell is still at large Wednesday night, and once again today, the FBI issued a no comment.
