E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSJosh Powell took the lives of his two sons in a house fire. Powell was a 'person of interest' in his wife's 2009 disappearance. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
Updated at 10:07 p.m. ET: The preliminary autopsy results of Josh Powell and his two sons show that they suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning, and the boys also suffered from other injuries.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner tells KING 5 TV that 7-year-old Charles suffered "chop" injuries to the neck and 5-year-old Braden suffered similar injuries to the neck and head. Both the wounds and carbon monoxide poisoning were contributing factors in their deaths, the medical examiner said.
Pierce County sheriff officials say a hatchet was recovered next to the bodies in the home.
Powell, the husband of missing Utah woman Susan Powell, died along with his children in a fire at his house Sunday, just days after he was denied custody and ordered to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation. Police say Powell deliberately set the fire.
Updated at 5:53 p.m. ET: Josh Powell methodically planned the deadly fire that killed himself and his two young sons for some time and sent final emails to multiple people, a sheriff’s spokesman said on Monday.
"We believe he planned this event out and had taken certain steps. This is definitely a deliberate, planned out event," Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ed Troyer said during a press conference in Graham, Wash.
Authorities recovered two, five-gallon cans of gasoline inside the rented Washington home. Gasoline from one five-gallon can was spread throughout the house and used as an accelerant in the huge blaze. The other can was found by the three bodies, Troyer said.
"I'm sorry, goodbye," Powell wrote to his attorney just minutes before he set fire the house.
Troyer said Powell sent longer emails to other people, including his cousin and pastor, with instructions such as where to find his money and how to shut off his utilities.
But none of the emails said anything about what happened to his wife, Troyer said, adding, “there was no indication about Susan.”
Updated at 5:19 p.m. ET: GRAHAM, Wash. – The maternal grandparents of Josh Powell's two young sons say the boys were playing happily Sunday at their home and didn't want to visit their father, KIRO-TV reported.
“They were having a good time and didn’t want to stop and see daddy,” Chuck Cox told KIRO TV in Seattle. “They seemed to be losing interest in going to see him. They liked it here.”
Kirk Graves, the brother-in-law of Josh Powell, said Powell, who killed himself and his own children in a home explosion, "used the boys as a tool" to hurt his family. Sgt. Ed Troyer talks about what law enforcement has done.
But their grandmother, Judy Cox, told KIRO-TV that she talked the boys into a court-ordered, supervised child custody visit with their father — a decision she now regrets.
"Look what happened," Judy Cox tearfully told the Seattle station. "But I knew that they're supposed to be able to see their dad."
Authorities say Josh Powell set his home ablaze Sunday, killing himself and his sons -- 5-year-old Braden and 7-year-old Charles -- shortly after the boys were brought to the home by a social worker for a supervised visit. By the time the social worker got to the door, Powell had let his sons in but locked her out, Graham Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Franz told The Associated Press.
"What happened here was an act of evil. Do not call it a tragedy because that sanitizes it. This was a terrible act of murder involving two young children," Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor told The Seattle Times on Monday.
Powell was under investigation in the disappearance of his 28-year-old wife, Susan Powell, from their home in West Valley City, Utah, in December 2009.
'Warning signs'
Charles Cox said he didn't think there was any more the court could have done legally to protect his grandsons, but he wished there had been.
"There were too many warning signs that I feel were known, but due to legal limitations were unable to be acted upon," he said.
Charlie and Braden Powell shared a bedroom in the Cox's Puyallup home since last fall, when they were removed from their father's custody.
Just days before the fatal blast and fire, a judge ordered Powell to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation, which included taking a polygraph test, as part of his petition to regain custody of his sons.
During the hearing Powell's attorney, Jeffrey Bassett, said Powell was extremely upset and described the decision as a “total shock.”
Earlier:
GRAHAM, Wash. -- The two boys of a Utah man suspected in his wife's disappearance and then of killing himself and his sons in an intentional fire were starting to talk about what happened the night their mother vanished, with one noting she was "in the trunk" of the car, an attorney said.
Authorities say Josh Powell set his home ablaze Sunday, killing himself and his sons -- 5-year-old Braden and 7-year-old Charles -- shortly after the boys were brought to the home by a social worker for a supervised visit.
Powell was under investigation in the disappearance of his 28-year-old wife, Susan Powell, from their home in West Valley City, Utah, in December 2009.
"It's the most horrifying thing you can imagine happening," said lawyer Steve Downing, who represented Susan Powell's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, in a custody fight for the boys. "The Coxes are absolutely devastated. They were always very fearful of him doing something like this, and he did it."
Downing also told The Associated Press that the children had started talking to their grandparents about things they remembered from the night their mother vanished.
"They were beginning to verbalize more," Downing said. "The oldest boy talked about that they went camping and that mommy was in the trunk. Mom and dad got out of the car and mom disappeared."
Police say Josh Powell, the lone person of interest in the two-year-old disappearance of his wife, Susan Powell, deliberately set his house on fire Sunday, killing himself and his two young sons. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports from Graham, Wash.
'Acting like little boys again'
Kirk Graves, 39, of West Jordan, Utah, Josh Powell's brother-in-law, said he and his wife, Jennifer (Josh Powell's sister), were stunned by the news.
Appearing on Monday's TODAY, Kirk Graves confirmed that his nephews were opening up about their memories of the day their mother disappeared.
“We saw over the last six months or so was a transition in Charlie and Braden where they were becoming more fun, more vocal, they were acting like little boys again, which we hadn’t seen for a while," he said. "The specific story you’re talking about (the night Susan disappeared) is one that we were aware of and I imagine that part of Josh’s motivation was what could he do to hide that story to avoid dealing with the consequences of the things he had done.”
Graves said he believed Powell was determined to "hurt everybody around him, and used the boys as a tool to do that.”
"I’m convinced that Josh was going to do something like this and there’s absolutely nothing anybody could have done to stop him. … The only person at fault, the only person who is to blame, is Josh," he said.
Jeffrey Bassett, Josh Powell's attorney, said his client "never once admitted doing anything regarding Susan. In fact, he denied it."
Powell claimed he had taken the boys on a midnight excursion in freezing temperatures when Susan vanished. The inquiry into her death took an odd turn last year after Powell's father, Steven, was arrested for investigation of voyeurism and possessing child pornography. Josh Powell was living at his father's home at the time, and a judge gave the Coxes custody of the boys.
View images of the fire at NBC station King5.com
Last week, a judge ruled that the children must remain in the custody of the Coxes, and that they would remain with them unless their father agreed to undergo psycho-sexual evaluation.
'I'm sorry, goodbye'
When the boys came to Powell's home for their visit on Sunday, he let them in, but then blocked the social worker from entering, said Graham Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Franz.
The social worker called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas, and the home erupted in flames.
Neighbors had reported hearing an explosion, but Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said the home was destroyed by a blaze that blew out several windows and was aided by some sort of accelerant.
“He was lying in wait, he had this pre-planned. He had everything ready to go and this was going to happen no matter who dropped those boys off," Troyer told NBC's TODAY on Monday. "This is basically a double-murder suicide and he’s the one that’s solely responsible for it.”
Bassett told The AP that he got a three-word email from his client just minutes before the fire. It said, "I'm sorry, goodbye." The email arrived at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, but he didn't see it until two hours later, when others informed him of the fire.
'This has become a crime scene'
Authorities said they found three bodies in the home late Sunday afternoon as fire crews and police continued to search the rubble.
"Everything we know right now, this has become a crime scene," Franz said.
Sherry Hill, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Social and Health Services, said the social worker who was with the children was not a Child Protective Services employee but a contract worker with a private agency that supervises visits for the state.
"The visit supervisor for this particular agency had taken the children to the home. When she does that, she sits through the visit and might take notes on her observations," Hill said. "She pulled up in the car, and the kids ran out ahead of her. He closed the door and locked it. She wasn't able to get in, and that's when she smelled gas."
More photos: Blaze at Josh Powell's home
Troyer said the elder Powell was put on suicide watch in custody after he was told of the deadly blast. "Steve Powell didn't seem very upset by the news, but was angry towards authorities who notified him," he said.
NBC station King5.com said a memorial had sprung up to the boys at the elementary school that Charlie attended in Puyallup, Wash. Dozens of people gathered to place candles, stuffed animals, balloons and messages out front.
"They were fun loving, they had a great attitude," Graves said of his nephews. "We’d seen some of that disappear as they’d been living with Josh in Steve’s home and it was starting to come back."
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
Leave a Comment:
What an incredibly evil man. There has to be a special corner in Hell for somebody this evil.
As a survivor of child abuse by a rapist and violent father, my heart goes to the murdered sons and murdered mother, I hope the nation starts asking questions about the religion they were exposed to. They did not deserve to die, the father deserved to die not innocent children. Hell does not exist because we are in Hell. This is pergatory, and we are all destined to die, it is how we live our lives, show supporrt by assisting others, assisting the poor then you will know god thy father.
Wow, how terrible, especially for Susan's family, who not only lost their daughter, but now their two grandchildren thanks to this monster. The minute the boys started talking about their father's involvement, they should have been removed from his care and protected. It was only a matter of time until he would have wanted to shut them up. It seems someone dropped the ball and did not do enough to get these children away from this psycho. It's too bad they could not have been saved in time. My condolences to the Cox family.
Dear Lord,
I pray that you would take the soul of the Powell boys into your arms, comfort them and welcome them into your eternal kingdom. I pray that you give comfort to their family and friends and help them to bear this terrible loss. I pray for all children that have been murdered and their families. I pray for all parents of young children, that they may be given the wisdom to take appropriate steps to protect their children from those that might do them harm.
Next, I pray that I might be given the strength to not hate the man that committed this terrible crime, knowing that, difficult as it may be for us to understand, you still love him and that Jesus has commanded me to love him too. Lord, this is the hardest commandment that we have; I know that we can only even attempt it with your help. I pray that all those that have committed such crimes should come to repentance and receive your forgiveness. I pray that those who may be tempted to commit such crimes should realize how wrong their urges are and seek help, from Earthly counselors and, most importantly, from you.
I pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thank you to the gentleman named Tony who wrote this prayer. I hope all of you will stop and meditate on the words in this prayer, Christian or not.
I trust this coward will rot in Hell for eternity.
He did a terrible thing and he will have to answer for that on the day of judgement. That's for sure.
R.I.P. Susan, Charlie, and Braden Powell.
Horrible event, my heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy.
That said, if MEN in this society had more social and emotional SUPPORT, maybe they'd not turn to porn, violence, or double-murder-suicides.
Just sayin'
Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. We have to start with our sons.
Obviously his father, Stephen , in possession of child porn, is culpable for raising a monster that he no doubt molested as a child. No death is too cruel for that dude
Not understanding why any Judge would allow any visitation at the suspects home. In custody cases here in Oregon these visits are scheduled in a nuetral environment, usually a County space specifically designed for such visits where there are age appropriate toys and games and the parents must walk through a metal detector to get in to visit with the children.
Notice to victims of sexual abuse: if you stab your tormentor 50 times in a frenzy, I guarantee at least a hung jury if I am on it ---and I will lie about my impartialityto get on it
It's cases like this that make me believe in a higher justice even more. I don't believe that anyone, let alone a parent, will never face any kind of punishment for committing such evil acts just because they take their own lives.
It infuriates me that he was allowed any type of visitation with those poor kids. I think social services needs to realize when it's finally time to completely cut a parent our of their childrens' lives. Once you find something like child pornography, it's time!
This is what happens when the system worries more about the rights of the criminals. The handwriting was on the wall that the guy AND his father were mentally whacked yet he had the right to see his kids. Now we know for certain he killed 3 people and more than likely his wife as well. A shame the kids had to die for their father and grandfathers screwed up, sick lives. As a teacher I see stuff like this all the time and the schools just keep overloading our classes with broken children who they just keep pushing through the system. Their parents should be sterilized and locked up and maybe we could start to get a handle on all this dysfunction. Believe me - TEACHERS ARE BURNED OUT from having to deal with it!
He is in Hell, and those Babies are in Heaven, reunited forever with their Mother.
What he did was dispicable as it comes. What bothers me is they, the grandparents and the rest of her family let the boys go to his house and they knew this information ahead of time. WHY?? This Nancy Grace person beating her drum from her throne isn't any better. She would have been a hit at the Salem witch trials. I compare her to a TV preacher, nothing to contribute but anger and outrage he wasn't killed sooner. Well somewhere in this story is a lesson, one that will be forgotten with the next headliner.
my heart goes out to everyone the grandparents and other relatives, the police, the judge, the social worker who took them who must feel horrribly bad (sounds like the boys had run ahead of her before and nothing had happened so she didn't see this coming) I am especially concerned for the boys' friends at school (and teachers) but especially the schoolmates and friends who will have NO IDEA how to cope with something like this happening to their classmates...and..fear that something like this could happen to them. (young children have little reasoning maturity to understand how something like this could happen to one of their own and will rightly be fearful) Our goal should be, at this point, to prayer for comfort for all involved right now. This is a horrible tragedy!
Lady I could see this coming a mile off so I don't feel sorry for any of them except the poor children who no one obviously listened to. I hope they have a hard time sleeping at night . None of them did their job. Period.
Christian belief says there is a hell. Catholic belief says there are many levels of hell, 7 I think? My guess is he's in the bowels of hell down below the flames. Do athiests believe in hell? There must be some sort of moral code otherwise none of this cowards actions would matter in this life or the afterlife. Just curious....
Once again the system failed the children. How many time do we have to hear this kind of thing happening before we take action. Why in God's name wasn't something done the very second one of those children said Mom was in the trunk when we went camping. Hell it's only 3 digits 911. I hope the people who didn't raise hell about this or those that didn't listen can sleep at nights. What he needed was a visit from hard men on a dark night.
Okay. This is horrible and my heart goes out to the family who suffer this tragic loss. I feel a stricted law needs to be reinforced where supervised visitation is necessary. I mean, obviously you wouldn't take the child to the home of the parent in need of supervision. This is a no brainer. You not only put the children AT risk, you endanger the social worker! What is wrong with this picture? Lets get the law changed.
Far too many social programs and workers have no idea what the human mind can do. Until ALL social workers have a degrees in the areas needed to understand sociopathy and personality disorders, we will continue to chase our tails.
Each department has cases piled up on their desks and each case has the priority and each work has their working hours...
They are simply the victims of the budget cut and this is a good example of how the domino effects have affected the lives of our fellow citizens.
Speechless!
that's legal in japan - that is kind of funny...
still waiting on the zombie apokolypse
This should have never happened..
Let me get this straight: The kids told people that their missing mom was in the trunk, so they took the kids to the driver of the car with the missing mom in the trunk, their father, for a visit.
I have never seen an instance of anything that fixed stupid, or anything that any, even the lowest rung of, government touches in any way.
I wonder if they will make a bunch of new policies, that are never enforced, in an attempt to keep the worker, that's a stretch, from loosing their job?
So, now they have figured-out how mom disappeared, that she is dead, and, they gave the perp the time and the opportunity to kill the witnesses and keep the state from putting him in prison.
We're from the government, and we're here to help. An oxymoron. Maybe just a moron. I am always impressed by good police and social work.
Please stay away from me; I can take care of myself.
Seems the family unit may be a better support structure than the libs said it was back in the 60's and 70's and now with 40 years of it being torn asunder we seem to have a lot of horrible acts like this one.
Hmmmm. I wonder.
Why on earth was he given visitation rights, at his house? Why not in a room at the police dept or social workers office or anywhere other than his own home? ESPECIALLY after hearing the son talk about mom in the trunk. I think "the authorities" need to take some responsibility for this horrible tragedy.
What's horrific is that Susan Powell's parents not only suspected this monster had killed their daughter, but they also voiced their concerns that he would do the same to his kids, yet the kids were with him, at the time of this explosion and fire, because the Court had ordered that he be given visitation with them - granted, it was supposed to be supervised visitation, but, when the overseer arrived at the house, she let the kids go in first and then got locked out while "Daddy-Dearest" let the gas build up and then struck the match.
Courts cannot be omniscient. All too often, one party in a custody fight will accuse the other of being "dangerous" simply to gain an advantage, however, in this case, there was reason to be concerned and, when the Court ordered visitation, it should have specified a "safe venue" - not at the Dad's house or anywhere that he could potentially do harm (let 'em meet at the Courthouse, where he'd have to be searched for weapons, etc.). The Courts and Judges and their minions, too often, simply go by the book, not looking closely at the circumstances of the individual case before them. This result reeks of just such an approach. The law favors "parental rights" so you give the Dad visitation, without fully considering the potential for harm in doing so. While I don't generally favor things like "term limits" (we have elections, why do we need term limits?), there is a reason to limit terms for judges - too long on the bench causes a condition referred to, by lawyers, as "judge-itis", a failure to quit thinking individually and a tendency to apply the law by rote. This result smacks of just such a situation. The Judge imposed the "school solution" and the result, as so often happens with "school solutions", was disastrous (I recall a diddy from my time in USAA Ranger training: "Here lie the bones Of Ranger Jones, A graduate of this institution. He died last night In his first firefight, Using the school solution...")
It wasn't propane or natural gas, it was gasoline.
He poured accelerant in the house and torched it when "his" children were inside.