Teacher’s Husband, Eric McLean, Shoots and Kills his Wife’s Love Interest, Student Sean Powell
FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON THE MCLEAN-POWELL STORY click here and here.
Here’s a really good reason never to have an affair with your teacher, no matter how badly you want to go on The Today Show - their spouse may try to kill you.
In Knoxville, Tenn. student Sean Powell, 18, was having an affair with his married 30-year-old teacher, Erin McLean. Sean was shot and killed outside the Powell home by Erin’s husband, Eric McLean. (That’s Eric and Erin on the right.)
Erin was doing her one-year teaching internship at West High School, where she met Sean last fall. (Great, she’s not even a full fledged teacher yet, and she’s already shtupping a student.)
Debra Flynn, Powell’s birth mom, said her son told her about the affair. Sean told her that he and Erin were planning to get married. Debra found sexy text messages on his cell phone, and felt that the teacher was preying on her son. It’s possible that the affair may have sent Sean over the edge, too. He left school last November, and was briefly in rehab for a substance-abuse problem.
Norman McLean, Eric’s dad, said that his son put his own academic career on hold to support his family while Erin, his wife of 11 years, pursued a graduate teaching degree. His grateful wife then went and had an affair with one of her teenage students - nice. She has moved in with relatives in Nashville with her two sons, ages 11 and 7. She has not been charged with any wrongdoing - yet.
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Eric McLean, Erin McLean, student-teacher affair, sexual abuse, child abuse, Knoxville Tennessee, shooting, murder, student-teacher affair
March 19th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
And my question is this: Because he was apparently 18 while this was going on, will she not ever face charges of any sort? Do the laws governing abuse of a position of authority (teacher, clergy etc) have no effect if the student isn’t a minor even though the ”relationships” are no less damaging?
March 20th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Good question. Surely she’s an accessory to something.
And can I add that she’s not even that hot?
March 20th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
That is quite scary…
I do know that here in Texas there is some type of law that even if the person is 18, as long as they are in school, they are off-limits to teachers. We had a teacher here that was working at Hebron High School and had an affair with a senior who was 18 and she was NOT CHARGED. I don’t know why…maybe because she was female?? And good looking??
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:27 am
[...] Eric McLean, Who Shot Wife’s Student Lover, Appears on the TODAY Show March 22nd, 2007 by Anne-Marie Nichols I guess Eric McLean, the husband of Erin McLean who was having an affair with her 18-year-old student Sean Powell, really did want to go on the TODAY show. [...]
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:29 am
Wow…so this is the fruits of the “youth culture”.
Only in our twisted culture would a 30 yr old woman even be attracted to a 18 yr old boy. As a matter of fact, only in our culture would a man be imprisoned for taking a man’s justice on some young punk.
My wife is a teacher…I know lots of teachers. I would never say this outside of an anonymous post but there is something Juvenile about teachers. I don’t notice this with my business colleagues. I have met 50yr old women who have the mannerisms of 16yr old girls. It is quite strange and I even notice it in my wife when she is around them. Any comments? Is it the teaching or is it the youth culture or is it a combination. I welcome any critique.
March 24th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
We support you Eric. We understand why you did this and it’s justified!
March 25th, 2007 at 8:58 am
i tell you what if i found some punk bangin my wife i would have cut him from balls to throat.. maybe her too.. go eric.. this just goes to show there are no morals in the world anymore… ohh and erin.. you should be ashamed of yourself.. whore
April 1st, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Its highly unlikely Erin will get charged with anything given Sean’s age and the fact that she was not an accessory to the crime. The best we can hope for is for her to lose all rights to her children but that itself is a long shot.
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:53 am
Lets see…even though Sean Powell probably did not deserve to die, he did deserve to be shot in the leg…the bullet was just misplaced…all the more power to you Eric.
In fact I do not feel pity for Mr. Powell, his shitty life story and the rest. You should never mess around with a married woman or with somebody’s family, if this lesson was learned from childhood, none of this would happen. I hope the court takes into consideration that most men have no idea how to act under such inmense preassure, and nobody should be put on that position, especially by your wife. Erin you are a piece of S**T.
July 17th, 2007 at 1:59 am
God will bless you Eric, even though I’m a woman, I still feel so sad for Eric. I wish and I hope Eric will deserve a lighter charge. Things like this happen around everywhere. Women abuse to the husbands too.
Doesn’t comeout as an issue because there’s no physical crime yet. Where is the feith??
We the whole family are crying with you for your future crack down because of your love,Eric, we support you. We love you..(The Nyi families)..
July 17th, 2007 at 6:25 am
in reply to #5, Gadfly’s post…
yes! there is something slightly immature about teachers. who else has summers off, a week in the spring, and two weeks at christmas? It’s hard to truly grow up when you never leave that school mentality reinforced by your schedule. Plus, working with kids keeps you slightly immature (I’m a child therapist in a school setting - so I can say this). I was engaged to a young, good looking male teacher a while back. He taught FIFTH grade. He disturbed me with some of the comments he’d make about his female students. I used to warn him about ever teaching at a high school; it would’ve never surprised me to hear of him crossing the line with a highschool student. I have many friends who are teachers. You have to be clear on your boundaries. Erin should have her children taken away. That 11 y/o saw her mom being a whore. Job security for me, unfortunately.
July 20th, 2007 at 2:18 am
Anybody who’s married with young children know how it’s like to be cheated on, especially if it’s in front of you, or worse, deliberately to provoke you. Every human has a breaking point. Eric reached it. He was a good man with noble intentions put into a hellish crucible and reacted the way any responsible parent would.
How many times have we sat through the news of yet another boyfriend killing both his girlfriend and her children from another man?
That’s merely the tip of the iceburg. Those stories we hear about are those of an extreme nature undertaken by a possessive, manipulating maniac. Most new boyfriends aren’t that evil, but to simple act of finding a woman who’s married and in a loving relationship shows that that boyfriend has no regard for family values and would likely harm her girlfriend’s children. For every child killed indirectly by infidility, there are ten thousand whose lives are ruined, ending up dead due to drug addiction, or with painful memories forever etched into their minds. A good portion also become criminals.
A family was being destroyed by the selfishness and flagrant irresponsibility of Erin and Sean. Eric merely did what he could, if only instinctively, to prevent that outcome. He loved his children too much, and did something that would make the situation worse, but nevertheless, his singular act actually demonstrates the love he had for his family.
What he did was unlawful, and technically he should be held accountable, but it is frightening to think that any of us could be in his situation. Morally, there is nothing culpable in Eric’s actions. He did what was natural for most responsible people. There are those rare events where laws and morality contradict one another. Eric’s actions are such an example.
July 20th, 2007 at 7:21 am
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. You’ve really summed up this case. Eric should go to prison because he shot and killed someone. Yet, who can blame him?
But will Erin face any charges or get her kids taken away from her for being an unfit mom? Even with her suicide attempt, I doubt it.
Who suffers are the bystanders - Eric and Erin’s children and the Sean’s parents. People don’t realize how many people they hurt when they have affairs.
People never learn.
July 25th, 2007 at 3:45 am
You people gotta’ be fucking kidding me. If that would have been my wife I would have done what a REAL man had done and sit her down and discuss with her WHY the hell she wanted to connect with an 18 year old instead of me…her husband. Not go and impulsivly, compulsivly blow the brains out of he with whom she chose to have an affair with.
Hey listen….if you as a woman’s husband default on your duties and responsibilities to your woman to the point that she seeks what she should be getting from you elsewhere outside the marriage then….you know what….it is up to you and its your responsibility to have the courage and intestinal fortitude to seek to fix it.
Thats why I marvel at assholes like this prick who commited gross and flagrant murder and the dickwad Owen Lefave that dropped his wife like a bad habit and sold her out to the media for his own financial gain (bastard) instead of seeking to understand and deal with the problem like a strong, intelligent, rational grown men. But then…..these guys are anything but that.
August 4th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
It’s pretty sad to think that the children will suffer the loss of what sounded like a good a long suffering father. I and everyone reading this blog have at some point been involved with someone that ultimately didn’t deserve our love. What I did was start looking around ,found a nice apartment and moved on. Don’t know ,however, what my reaction would have been to my child witnessing this disrespect to me. But Eric has to step back and consider his boys and see to hell with this lowlife that doesn’t deserve me. Hire a P.I. or call the show Cheaters,gather some evidence and take her to court for custody.
September 24th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
[...] husband, Eric McLean, is charged with killing Sean Powell, the teenager Erin was having an affair with. However, Erin McLean isn’t charged with any [...]
November 24th, 2007 at 4:15 am
Sean powell is Rotting in hell forever hahaha!! and so will that ugly fat bitch erin hopefully she does commit suicide or something shes just a waste of space for this world. power to you ERic Mclean!
I in all respect support Eric and his doings
good luck Eric
November 26th, 2007 at 2:05 am
Well, suicide messiah, I see your still here, your name is a real joke!!!! Why dont you go get your 72. Eric Mclean is a puss, had to get a gun, thats a big man for you. He couldnt handle a thing, now daddys doing his talking, nice guys dont kill, get the picture….Eric, you can write some love sick songs in the can.
November 28th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
Brian, what’re you talking about? I agree that a man needs to talk to his wife and find out what the problem is, but hasn’t it occurred to you that he probably tried?
For god’s sake, the guy started delivering pizzas and taking odd jobs as a musician so that his wife could go to grad school. Does that sound like the type of man who is “defaulting” on his “duties and responsibilities” as a husband? A husband of ELEVEN years with several young children? A man who, himself, wanted to teach high school children music?
I don’t believe Sean should’ve died. He was obviously a troubled and immature teenager that didn’t really know what he was doing. But what Eric did was a mistake, one that he will regret and be punished for (possibly for the rest of his life). If you’ve ever had someone you’ve loved liked that cheat on you and it felt like there was NOTHING you could do, you’d know just how horrible that feels.
All I know is that I were in that same kind of situation, with the guy having the UTTER AUDACITY to come to MY HOME, in front of MY CHILDREN, and slam that in my face… I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same thing. The only difference is that I don’t own guns, so what resulted would’ve probably been assault or some form of armed battery.
Honestly, do you even know what you’re talking about?
December 20th, 2007 at 3:29 am
I would like to see a continuation of the topic
July 14th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Bubbles you’re an idiot. Why bruise and cut up your knuckles beating someone to death when you can just shoot them and get it over with.
August 8th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Lets see what plays out in court. I saw on another site that Eric was cheating on Erin, and was an abusive husband. This went on for some yrs. He may have been a decent father, put may have been a cruel husband. As far as his choice in jobs, well thats what he choose to do.This still doesnt excuse the fact that he murdered someone. This wasnt an accident, the gun was loaded, and it took someone to place the bullet in that gun. Need I say more. And to kill an 18 teen yr. old, is considered a child in some states.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:16 am
SHE’S A DAMNED WHORE AND IT IS SHE WHO REQUIRES A BULLET TO THE HEAD.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:58 am
I understand how this happens. Both men and/or women stop putting in the effort to keep a marriage alive. The point is one person neglects the other leaving the spouse feeling lonely and unloved. It is more dangerous when the women feels alone because young men and most all men are horny. There is an attraction which turns into sex and then a love affair. It is a wake up call and everyone should listen when one spouse says there is a problem in the marriage. As far as the age thing it has been happening for hundreds of years. Is does not mean anything and happens all the time.
September 5th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Boy, this is a year and a half ago. What happened to him?, to Erin? Pitiful, they (Erin - Sean) were evidently flauting Eric and the breaking point was reached. How in the hell could he stand by and watch Sean and his wife have sex? “Open” marraige or not. I think this stems from Erin. She found a “patsy” (Sean) and used him to belittle and bemean Eric in the cruelest way possible, poor Sean pays the price. And so, probably, does Eric (life imprisonment, leathal injection, whatever). I have no doubt Erin will roast in hell.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Seriously, I think Brian is about the only one on this post who has his head on straight. Obviously there was something wrong with her marriage and she had an affair. Women do it all the time. Men do it all the time. Do they all deserve to die? The only thing that makes this newsworthy is that she was a “teacher”. In reality she was not. She did not have a teaching certificate, so she was not breaking the ethics code (though I would never issue her a certificate after this), and the boy/ man was 18 years old which makes him legal. Hey, I like tall guys, she likes young guys, to each his own. She is guilty of breking her marriage vows, but that should have remained between her and her husband. He needed to bone up and divorce her, not play the maytr. PS- obviously he must have been a real stable, great father/ husband since he shot someone.
September 6th, 2008 at 12:59 am
It’s hard for me to feel sorry for the dead kid. 18 is PLENTY old to know you don’t bang someones wife. Not if you don’t want the guy to kill you. Eric may have been a wuss for putting up with it, but he finally grew a pair and did what any REAL man would and should do. You come into MY house and screw MY wife and tell me YOU’RE going to be their new daddy after all the YEARS I’ve invested? Yea…you’re gonna get popped. I ain’t saying it’s right. I’m just saying it’s human nature.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:56 am
I feel very sorry for Eric. This is really a person with low self-esteem who loved his wife and his children. I have been watching the trail and I don’t think he should spend the rest of his life in prison because the woman that he loved ended up in the arms with an 18 year old boy. He’s paying for his actions everyday, his children are gone, his marriage is finished and now he could loose the rest of his life. I don’t think this murdered was planned.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Should have shot the whore instead of the kid…well, at least he shouldnt have shot the kid in the face, but he still should have shot the whore.
September 9th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
You see it all the time … a young girl gets married right out of high school and after playing house and a few kids … she wants to sow some wild oats and being a teacher gave Erin close proximity to someone who in turn needed love. Vicious cycle. Does anyone know how to write or email Eric to give him some moral support. He is so sad.
September 10th, 2008 at 10:56 am
He put his life on hold so she could whore around with someone who was SEVEN when she got married.
I hope this guy gets off the hook. Wether it was a crime of passion or the kid intruding, he did the right thing. The kid shouldn’t have been in his house or calling his wife. This whole thing sounds like his wife and the kid were going to kill him, and he got the upper hand before they could complete anything.
What a skank. I hope SHE suffers for this.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Shelly, you’re a moron.
Oh, and Brian? Your ovaries are showing. 50 years ago, the boy would have just “disappeared”. In another country, perhaps they both would have been publicly stoned. 18 is old enough to know you don’t mess with a man’s wife.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Too bad it was in the head and not the gut so he could suffer a bit first.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Sorry! No sympathy here for that pimple faced punk from me. Number one that kid disrespected the vows of another man’s marriage. Secondly, that cheating woman is a piece of trash. We’re about getting sick and tired of these teachers molesting our students, mainly females who don’t serve jail time. I hope Eric gets off Scott-free.
Marc Chamot
September 11th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
i have been following the trial for the last few weeks. I feel for Eric and support him for his actions. I feel the jury will not convict this young man for “snapping” he truly loved his wife (why, i dont know) and deeply cares for his 2 children. Eric will have no problem finding someone to be with for the rest of his life. He’s truly a nice young man who is family oriented.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Justice was not served by finding Eric McLean guilty of the lesser charge of reckless homicide. Whether he planned the killing a week ahead or 5 minutes before the actual murder of Sean Powell does not mitigate the fact that Sean Powell was essentially trapped inside of his car, and unable to get away without losing his life. Eric McLean chose to end his train wreck of a marriage by murdering an unarmed 18 year old teenager. Sean Powell may have confused lust for love, but he didn’t deserve to be shot in the head for it.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
yes he did. He definitely got what he deserved for being so arrogant.
October 13th, 2008 at 9:22 am
sean got what he deserved… you dont f-ck with another mans wife at all… you might end up dead… like this little F-ggot Sean… i tell ya what i would do the same thing to anyone…. kill them dead if dey screw with my wife…. she could be next…. if its her fault….. i agree with eric mclean , he did what needed to be done…
October 29th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
If I knew maui, I’d offer a cassanova or “sancho” type guy several thousands dollars if he can score with his wife just once, and in the meantime, arrange for a million dollar insurance policy on “sancho”.
October 29th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
From what these type of family men (hopelessly in love) face in family law court and the bleak future that follows, they may as well offer themselves as a “cuckold” (very unselfish man) to their wife and swallow their manhood, to keep the family together. The mediators in family law should councel the men to do this the way they give the woman so much power in family court. Or you can be a real man like maui and say; “There isn’t gonna be a divorce ‘cos I’m going to San Quenton.”
October 30th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I saw dateline last night. Also I’ve read there’s a lot of broken marriages out there (and growing) where the man implodes and surrenders to this type of woman. What are the other 2 choices? Explode like this guy did and lose everything, or be lead like a lamb to slaughter through the family courts and lose 80% of everything including your self esteem. But who said life was fair?