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Amber Hardman / Hardman Photography via AP
Susan Powell, the Utah mom who went missing in 2009.
TACOMA, Wash. -- Authorities investigating the 2009 disappearance of a Utah woman found her blood in the family home and a hand-written note in which she expressed fear about her husband and her potential demise, according to documents unsealed Friday.
The files raise further questions about why Susan Powell's husband was never charged in her disappearance before he killed himself and their two young sons in a gas-fueled inferno in Washington state earlier this year. Investigators in West Valley City, Utah, never arrested Josh Powell or even publicly labeled him as a suspect in Susan Powell's disappearance.
A prosecutor in Washington state who was getting a first look at the files Friday said if it was his case, he would have charged Josh Powell with murder.
"There is direct evidence. There is circumstantial evidence. There is motive," said Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist. "There is everything but the body."
The documents, used as justification to search the home where Josh Powell was staying last year, detail a widespread case that investigators had built against him.
In West Valley City, Utah, police are under fire over what some are calling a botched investigation into the disappearance of young mother Susan Powell. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
Shortly after Susan Powell disappeared, authorities found blood evidence on a floor next to a sofa and determined that it was Susan Powell's. They found several life insurance policies on Susan Powell that totaled $1.5 million. The documents describe Josh Powell as unwilling to help in the investigation.
A safety deposit box used by Susan Powell had a hand-written letter titled "Last will & testament for Susan Powell," according to the documents. She wrote in that letter that she did not trust her husband and that they'd been having marital troubles for four years.
The letter also said that "if Susan Powell dies it may not be an accident, even if it looks like one," according to the documents.
Josh Powell always maintained his innocence and said he had taken their boys, then 2 and 4, on a midnight camping trip in freezing temperatures the night she disappeared.
Cops: Josh Powell murder-suicide house was sham
One of the children, Charlie, told investigators in an interview shortly after Susan Powell disappeared that she had gone on the camping trip with them but did not come back home and did not know why, according to the files. A few weeks later, he told a church teacher with no emotion: "My mom is dead."
Pool / Getty Images
Photos of Charlie Powell, right, and Braden Powell are displayed during their funeral service on Feb. 11.
Powell moved with the boys to his father Steve's home in Puyallup, Wash., but Steve Powell was arrested and charged with voyeurism and child pornography last September. The boys were placed with Susan Powell's parents for their safety.
On Feb. 5 — a few days after incestuous images found on his computer prompted a judge to order him to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation — Josh Powell locked a social worker out of his rental house, attacked the boys with a hatchet and then ignited the home in an explosive, gas-fueled inferno. The social worker was not injured.
Charlie Powell was 7; Braden Powell was 5.
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Argh. Of course there was evidence of Josh's guilt that we didn't know about that police apparently ignored. It is just another example in a long line of recent cases where the judicial system has failed miserably resulting in tragedy. How many times can 1 + 1 not equal 2?
That piece of dung got away with MURDER OF HIS WIFE AND KIDS. What a piece of sh*t. I hope to find his grave and throw trash on it.
I think the west valley detectives should be arrested and charged with the murder of those 2 boys. I hope I never have to call 911 in west valley
Mmmhmmmm. But then , 1+1= 3 when you look at the evidence in the Trayvon Martin case, and the lack of proper police attention to the EVIDENCE that could put his killer away for LIFE. It's a sad state of affairs when you see how the authorities are FAILING at every turn to bring proper justice to the victims.
Mmmhmmmm. But then , 1+1= 3 when you look at the evidence in the Trayvon Martin case, and the lack of proper police attention to the EVIDENCE that could put his killer away for LIFE. It's a sad state of affairs when you see how the authorities are FAILING at every turn to bring proper justice to the victims.
Mmmhmmmm. But then , 1+1= 3 when you look at the evidence in the Trayvon Martin case, and the lack of proper police attention to the EVIDENCE that could put his killer away for LIFE. It's a sad state of affairs when you see how the authorities are FAILING at every turn to bring proper justice to the victims.
Mmmhmmmm. But then , 1+1= 3 when you look at the evidence in the Trayvon Martin case, and the lack of proper police attention to the EVIDENCE that could put his killer away for LIFE. It's a sad state of affairs when you see how the authorities are FAILING at every turn to bring proper justice to the victims.
Mmmhmmmm. But then , 1+1= 3 when you look at the evidence in the Trayvon Martin case, and the lack of proper police attention to the EVIDENCE that could put his killer away for LIFE. It's a sad state of affairs when you see how the authorities are FAILING at every turn to bring proper justice to the victims.
Utah justice ? Total failures..
This isnt about the Martin case moron. Dont jump to conclusions until you know all of the facts. This is about a horrible person who was suspicious from day one. If blood was found why in the world was he not arrested?
See OJ trial............
Mormons are freaks!!!!!!
I agree with incredulous above.............the justice system failed miserably AGAIN! I hope those police detectives are proud of themselves. Maybe if they had done their job those little boys would be alive today!!
No brainer here- Utah is ol skool Mormon world where women are treated as property.
You are obviously a moron, not a Mormon. You obviously know nothing about Mormons.
The police can have a strong suspicion about someone but they still need the DA's approval to arrest them for murder. Why would the DA hesitate? Because he or she wants to make sure they have enough evidence to get a conviction. The Constitution guarantees a speedy trial unless the defense waives it. Double jeopardy applies, so the last thing they want to do is make a premature arrest. It's very sad that the children had to die, but nobody could have predicted that in advance. This is NOT a case of incompetent police work. And I am saying that even though I don't often defend the police.
This is so sad.
"A safety deposit box used by..."
It's a box. It is a compartment of the vault - the safe. You deposit things in it. It's a safe deposit box. Anything else is where you throw used condoms.
Folks have been tried for murder and found guilty with less evidence than Utah had here. What happened..??
1. Blood next to sofa
2. Multiple life insurance policies when you average folk get just one
3. Son saying mommy went camping with them but did not come home
and STILL the police let him walk away, then move away, and gave him every possible to chance to finish what he started by murdering the rest of his family. Unbelievable.
And so...why again NOW are we re-visiting this terrible thing? Slow perv news week?
That police dept. in "West Valley City, Utah, appears to be somewhat queer, if the information contained in this article is correct. Waaaay beyond sorry! Wonder if any of the police officials, and/or officers are Mormon?
The failure in this tragedy lies directly with the inept PROSECUTOR! That Jackass is directly responsible for the deaths of those two innocent kids. Prosecutors ARE the "Top Cops" in their jurisdictions. The ass hole state should have intervened when the foot dragging prosecutor didn't bring charges. This should never have happened.
The Supreme Court set protections for Prosecutors which disallows suit against them for ANY reason. The laws need to be enacted to straighten that situation out. NO prosecutor should be allowed protection for their inept or in some cases criminal behaviors.
Well, since he's dead, we really cannot say he got away with anything. He evaded detection but, ultimately found the pressure and publicity too much to deal with.
I do agree the Utah law enforcement agencies did not cover themselves in glory through their investigation of the mother's disappearance. The missing woman's blood, 1.5 million in insurance policies , a ridiculous midnight camping trip from which the mother never returned: what was District Attorney's office waiting for, a sign from above?
Tragic story at all points. One can only hope that there is an afterlife and that Mr. Powell is destined for a truly fitting and eternal punishment. My suspicion though, is that he just dead.
Police Departments EVRYWHERE are undereducated understaffed and underinvestigate due to the lack of funding that has befallen States for decades. What to you think "DEREGULATION" and the GOP AGENDA is all about? We are witnessing it in poor investigations due to lack of funding/apathy, apathy on the part of the elected DA, etc. The only restitution? Go public and get public advocacy groups involved. That is what happens when the Government fails to do the work of the people. It has and it continues to fail because of the systematic deconstruction of Government by Charles and David Koch, Karl Rove and his GOP non profit foundation that provides millions of dollars to place Republicans in elected offices throughout the Country in the name of Ego and Ayn Rand. This is just a sad result of what is happening all over the Country and a symptom of what the GOP would have you believe is best for the Country. The GOP no longer stands for Historical Republican precepts. It devalues individuals. This is just a symptom. Police Departments are understaffed, overworked, unable to adequately process data, evidence because they no longer have the funds, access to the state of the art equipment and prosecutors don't want to use tax payer dollars to prosecute unless they know they can get a conviction. Look at Drew Peterson. Look at the Casey Anthony Case. OJ? He was covering for his grown son from his first marriage. If you don't believe that, you are living in an illusion. OJ was acting as a distraction so his son could get out of the Country. No one got it. California can afford high profile trials. All of the world's BILLIONAIRS have vacation homes in California and pay property taxes. Look at Mitt Romney's mansion in La Jolla!
Lori-1138396
You call me a Moron? and I get collapsed.?
My point about the Moroni crowd exactly, cant take it but punish everyone else. Actually I know a lot about Mormons. I have two sisters married to Melchizedek priesthood holders. One isn't so "authoritative" the other is a typical Joe Smith male supremest. Don't tell me I don't know about Mormons: that church divided and destroyed my family 50 years ago.
These police officers and the distric prosecuting attorney should be charged with aiding and abetting murder before the fact in the death of those helpless children. As for the Mormons, there is no bigger cult in the world and they are all morons and they ars WRONG!
Seems like people here are relying way too much on hindsight here. Had Mr. Powell not taken his own life, or the lives of his kids, would the discussion be different? I dont think its fair to consider that action/reaction into consideration when trying to piece together what happened and say that the action of law enforcement was wrong. The fact still remains that the body has never been found. I also did not see that the life insurance policies had been cashed in, nor can I imagine they would have been, since she hadnt been declared legally dead before the Powell family began to unravel.
Consider the following: A woman, who had in her own terms had marital problems for years, takes out insurance policies to ensure her children are well cared for, and stages a disappearance/death that points the finger squarely at the man whom she has had problems with. Her husband goes to jail, the kids end up with her parents, life insurance ensures that the children have a proper upbringing, and she gets to start over with a clean slate.
This idea may seem far fetched, but in reality until a body is found it is no more far fetched than what so many here seem convinced of (Susan being murdered by her husband and body discarded).
For me, I may not need a body to be convinced of murder, but I would definately need something more substantial than what law enforcement seems to have here. Video evidence, "credible" witnesses, even a murder weapon might be helpful.
This is what happens when the state has a monopoly on law and policing.
Why in the hell did this happen:
Why did the state monopoly on law and police allow him NEAR his kids after that found that on his computer?
I'm guessing the images were of him and his dad, or him and his kids...because "incest porn" in terms of role playing among adult actors is legal and not considered apart of any sexual deviance, per se (although it's certainly a weird freakin' fetish if you ask me). So, since he had to undergo evalutaion the porn must of been of him or some kind of illegal porn...otherwise what right did the court have to evaluate the nutcase to begin with?
So, since it's reasonable to assume this porn was either of him or of an illegal nature he had NO RIGHT to be NEAR his kids. But the moronic state brought his kids to him to kill anyways. GENIUS!
This is why anarchism is a much preferable philosophy to the failed and sadistic ideology of statism.
RM- I will try to explain this to your dumb a$$ 1 more time and I am typing slow to give you time to read it with your dumbed down education (you know, the dumbed down curriculum put in place after de-segregation).Prior to attacking Zimmerman, T Martin had the SYG law on his side due to fear? for his saftey. After attacking Zimmerman , that automatically transferred the fear of harm *and the protection of the SYG law) to Zimmerman. There is no way that the state of Fla. can arrest nor get a conviction of Zimmerman.
jak, WOW! I haven't sen such a condesnding yet ignorantly bigotted comment in years! So you hate desegragation and your lily white offspring having to sit next to and have to treat them a human beings with rights such as to walk down the street without being hunted down and shot by a paranoid white guy with a Napoleon complex! You DO realize that the more evidence that comes out the more obvious it is that Zimmerman lied his ass off to the police.
I will grant you that RM made a bad move in comparing the Powell case to the Martin case in that, from posts made to these online forums in the Treyvon Martin case and almost all cases of inter-racial cases are begining to look like something the KKK would publish but MOST LIKELY the reason for non-action on the police's part in both the Powell AND Martin cases is the same, their state legal system has been over run by fanatics, one religious the other racial, who are more than willing to ignore the greater body of law and the fact that their job is to work for and protect ALL the people. The Martin case could be more easily dealt with by revoking that ridculous "Stand Your Ground" law or at VERY least, adjust it to do what it was promoted as being about, being able to protect your home against break ins without being sued by the criminal for getting injured while committing a crime. To fix the situation in the Powell case would take a Federal investigation of the entire law enforcement department in at least that county.
BTW-the previous paragraph is more for other readers as I am sure that there is no possible way YOU have the mental/moral capabilities to understand common decency.
Most white people are mrderers in our society whom are walking freely by commiting henous crimes. White are these people being giving the right to commit all crimes without justice. Its the right-wing establishment that has been creating a shadow to cover-up white peoples crimes, so the justice sytem in the US did.
This is a racial system that go profiling other race as the criminals in the US whiles hiding every evil a white man committed, White people rob bank, white people are murderers, white pwople are frauds, white people are the greatest criminal, on the internet they are the hackers stealing our bank accounts.
Who are the white people: the white people are Caucasians, Hispanics and Arabs, These are all white people.
This is why they are hiding George Zimmerman for murdering Trayvon Martin. Zimerman is guilty and that Stanford Police and the one defending George Zimmerman are racist. If Trayvon was the shooter,they would have arrest him and charge him. Therefore this is a racial case, the cops and their associates at Stanford Police are racist in handling the Trayvon case with all sort of lies to defend a guilty Zimmerman.
We all heard the 911 tapes, we saw all the videos, there is enough evidence that proves that Zimmerman is guilty. Arrest George Zimmerman. Justice for Trayvon Martin. Justice for all.
Arrest George Zimmerman. Justice for Trayvon Martin. Justice for all.
I am Trayvon Martin.
Ure You are.
You been eating kitty litter..?
Unreal..they had proof of blood and the letter from start of case, even if they still couldn't arrest him...why the hell let him keep the kids and later visitation rights???
The really sad part is that two innocent children are dead. A mother is still missing. As for the father, I hope when he opened his eyes from the fire he set, that he woke up in the hottest part of hell for all of eternity.
Hey Jury,
Hit that crack pipe again...
My question, that will never be answered, is WHY does every news article, regardless of content, in the end becames a race issue? When will it stop. The only people keeping racism alive are the racists themselves. ... Again, this "is my opinion only."
@IMO only
I'm with you. The best way to end racism is to never EVER notice race, because if you do you are, of course, a racist. So the next time you dont get that job because your name sounds too "ethnic" or some self-appointed Barney Fife (sans bullet in his breast pocket) chases you down in your own neighborhood because you don't look like the kind of person who would live there or someone beats your azz within an inch of your life because youre a Sikh and that's close enough to a Muslim to be a terrorist in their book or just the next time someone calls everyone who looks like you thugs because something some guy made up in the 1870s to keep your kind in line (and working the chain gangs)... well, just tell them race is a social construct and that their bigotry does not hurt you because you are rubber and they are glue, and whatever hurtful things they say will only bounce off you and stick to the other guy.
If that doesn't work, just pull your hoodie over your head, stick your fingers in your ears and go "Nyah, nyah, nyah... bigots cant hurt me if I cant hear them." You may also have to cast your patronus.
Help me out, Proindividual, absent this "monopoly on law and police", which you fear so greatly, what mechanism would have ensured the punishment of Mr. Powell or the protection of his children?
In the alternative, anarchistic society you envision, would the missing [and presumed slain] wife's relatives enact personal vengeance upon Mr. Powell, or would it be a collection of local, public spirited citizens, who come to the conclusion that Mr. Powell is guilty over drinks at a local bar?
So explain, please, how does this stateless, ungoverned society work?
Why is a society based upon "statism" sadistic?
Seems like Utah and Florida are running neck and neck for states with PD's and AG's "Least Likely to Investigate and Prosecute Murderers Despite Mounting Evidence to the Contrary"
The Jury banned, comment spamming about how white people are murderers and 'brags'. Don't smear everyone in a race. Smearing 'most' people isn't much better.
Little late now don't you think? If the prosecutor/police had of done their jobs properly , Powell would have been detained and those boys would be alive today. Sad those kids died a horrible death because the authorities were waiting for the perfect evidence.
Unfortunately, police doing their jobs "properly" directly places people in jeopardy; the problem is the system and the lawyers that would otherwise have officers fired for "acting too quickly" or not waiting for more evidence which ends up getting the guilty off. This is far more often the situation, unless the police are being shot at, they don't seem to be able to quickly take down the guilty. Because the system is set up to protect the guilty, not to serve justice quickly.
For example, the Trayvon case, police wanted to lay charges... the prosecutor (lawyer) would not allow it.
Cat's, the same thoughts running through my mind. Those two beautiful boys, Charlie and Braden would still be with us.
Yea, but now theyre in heaven with Jesus and their mother, so happy ending !
We should have learned on 9/11/01 if we didn't already know that anyone can get away with murder as long as they are willing to die themselves in the process. I'm not so sure you can honestly say they "got away with" something since they did pay with their life, and if there's an afterlife I'm sure God will take care of it.
Where did you get your law degree, Ken? Most prosecutors have political ambitions and really, really hate losing. They will delay pressing charges until they get enough evidence to win a case. Really, that protects us all since if the criminal is found not guilty, he will walk and he cannot be charged again.
Look, I dont agree with the decisions of the police force that was made in this case, but if you dont have a solid case, then all you have is a Casey Anthony trial. Bad guy/ girl walks. Kids still die later. These are facts that cant be ignored. You want it changed, look at ourselves as we are the ones that helps creat the rules/ laws and choose the people who carry them out. Killing someone intentionally, not to defend yourself or another, should have a mandatory death penalty of a bullet in the freakin head. But no, everyone must enjoy paying all your hard earned taxes for these POSs' to rot in prison systems. Get it over with, the world would be a better place all around.
Jim-2079862
Yea, but now theyre in heaven with Jesus and their mother, so happy ending !
Happy ending?? WTF?? I am willing to bet those kids would have chosen life over death.
Oom, ken made a good point and i agree with him. Since you asked him, i'll ask you where did you get your law degree? (not that i care that much) but makes you think you're right?
AZ kid, my father in law is vietnamese and it blew my mind one time when he told me how they "treat" felons in China, a bullet to the head and imediate removal of vital organs from their corpe, IE liver, heart, so they can use these organs for transplants of people still alive...the law abiding sick folks...i wouldn't mind this process at all...it might do away with Obama Care as well...
Oom
Where did you get your English lessons? You question me on a Law degree then repeat the exact same scenario I was describing. I guess I got my degree the same place you did! BTW - I have 2 Brothers that are police officers and one retired uncle that spent his life as a Sheriff, I don't agree with many police tactics but I do know when it comes to serious crimes, in most cases the police can only do what they are directed to do. You agreed with me, all except your opinion of political ambitions of prosecutors, which of course is just pointless and has absolutely no bearing in this case at all.
The justice system stinks. I hope I never have to dial 911 ... cops here in n/w Indiana are jerks. (County cops especially)
I know, let's transfer those idiots to SANFORD, FL and transfer those idiots to Salt Lake City..? Oh, yeah, that wouldn't bring either 3 back..? How sad. Truly sad.
One of the most tragic stories I have ever heard. It's a shame the justice system failed in this case on multiple levels, as it appears the State had enough evidence to charge him, or at least name him as a suspect. I don't make the assumption it's easy to prove and prosecute a case, but sometimes it just seems blatently obvious of someones guilt regardless of the hard evidence.
Thoughts go out to Susan Powells family. Rest in peace to her and her two boys.
I agree with the bigpicture. My thoughts go to the Susan's family. Not only did they loose their daughter but because of lack of actions from others they now lost thier grandsons as well. I don't know why courts keep trying to keep the family together. Look at where this togetherness left susan's family.
They try to keep families together because in the vast majority of cases, it's the best thing for the children. Kids do get abused, sexually molested, and even killed in foster care. Sometimes they are abused or raped by other children in the same home. There's no perfect solution, but if parents can be rehabilitated, in most cases the time the child should be returned to them, and visitation is an important part of that process.
I worked for a CPS for 3 years. My very first day, I took a call from a teenage girl who had been adopted out of foster care. Now that she was 14 and not so adoreable as she was at two, her "parents" had thrown her out of the house, which is, of course, illegal. It was February in PA, and it was snowing. I put a call through to one of the caseworkers, but I was almost ready to throw up. Things only got worse from there. Adoptive parents aren't automatically saints, and foster parents definitely aren't. There are people who are paying their mortgages this way.
At least in this case, the kids were with family rather than strangers. And yes, they didn't have to do the visitation at the father's home when there were already questions about him in everybody's mind. But if it had happened at the CPS visit, he could have killed even more people before shooting himself. You knew you were always in danger at that job, even if you were just a legal secretary or clerk.
I really think it is shameful how the authorities failed this woman and her children. If they would have arrested this animal when they found this blood, the children would be alive today, disgraceful....
SOMEDAY those miserable prosecutor's-who failed doing their job for Susan Powell will be met by her and her children.
That meeting should be quite ugly. And well deserved.
Wow. What the hell is this country coming to. The timidity (or is it racism or sexism?) of the police in some cases is just mind boggling. Arrest them and let the COURTS FIGURE IT OUT, for heaven's sake!!!!!!!!!!!
They do seem run the gamut from incompetent to thugs in uniform, don't they? Those two boys should still be alive, and Powell should be sitting on death row.
Do we live in a police state, Staal? Apparently you want to.
You also want murderers set free as not guilty verdicts come in before real evidence is uncovered. When that real evidence is uncovered, that person now cannot be tried.
If you don't have the evidence that the prosecutor thinks will result in a conviction, you're just wasting the time of the court.
guess he won't be able to spend that 1.5 million
It is harder to prove murder than suspect it. On the other hand, who leaves to go camping in the middle of the night when it is freezing outside? I think most people think (know) that he did it. This is just another example of child protective services trying to "keep the family together". Just the fact that he took little kids camping in freezing weather should have been enough to terminate his rights. Just saying.
It was the judge that ordered the supervised visits. Child protective services was just following a court order - it's not like they were the ones 'trying to keep the family together'. Maybe blame the movement of fathers for more custody rights, even when they are clearly not fit parents, abusive, etc.?
I always wondered why the supervised visits were allowed to take place at his home. Some visitation could have been allowed, but at a neutral location (park, restaurant, etc.) Allowing the kids into his home, where it would have been impossible for one social worker to keep an eye on both boys, if they were separated for some reason (bathroom breaks etc.), was a dumb move on the part of the authorities. Seems like dumb is everywhere these days.
I hope that the POS father in jail "slips in the shower" soon, as I don't have confidence that he will be closely monitored, if and when he gets out. Please, let's not make a third mistake with this family.
Trayvon who?
just hope the fires that killed this vicous slime will burn him foever in hell.. RIP little ones & momma...
Bastard.Dirty no good bastard-sorry,his mom is probably a nice lady.
This is just sick! They had the damned evidence and still didn't arrest him? Where were their heads? Up their asses?????? Because of this, a mother and daughter's body was never found and two beautiful young boys were tortured and then murdered in a horrific crime. Josh Powell got off way too easy for this. I don't believe in Hell but I hope he burns eternally in it anyway!
This is the saddest story, this piece pf scum should have been in prison for the murder of his wife and those two innocent little boys would be alive today. Justice system failed again just like it did in the case of the scank from Florida who got away with murder. Someday somebody will get it straight.
I think you are al forgetting one thing - they never found her body. So that makes proving murder almost impossible. I'm not saying he wasn't guilty, I'm just saying that contributed to the police delay. STILL, why he was ever left alone with his kids after they found kiddie porn etc is mind boggling. Rest in peace.
I remember hearing of a case in which a person was convicted of murder without the body being found....
Not trying to flame on you here, but we just had a case which dragged thru the courts forever and finally, when it was set to go to trial, the POS that killed HIS kids mother pled guilty to something or other and got like 20 or 25 years, plus some other lesser charges, and NEVER found her body, they found less evidence in that case than they obviously found in this one, but the cops here in KC had this jerk in the slammer from right after the wife disapperared. It sounds to me like a prosecutor with no b#lls, or no brains, this case is a textbook example of what NOT to do
It isn't all that uncommon to convict without the a body anymore.........research it and you will find many cases where there have been convictions without having ever found the body(you'll find many mob cases where bodies were never found yet still yielded convictions)
You need a license to drive a car, you need a license to carry a gun, a licence to drop a fishing rod in a pond, a license to work in the various occupations, you need to pull permits to work on your house...It's too bad we can't monitor psychos and prevent them from having kids and then murdering them...or even abusing them...if he shot them it would be a anti-gun issue problem, but he found other ways....poor little guys.
The only satisfaction I get out of this whole situation(and it ain't much satisfaction) is this pervert fool is dead!! God is protecting those children now and hopefully the wife as well. I can't stand this man and I didn't even know him. Men like him(wife beaters, wife killers) give good honest caring men a bad name. But unfortunatly, it's always the husband. Didn't even give a dang about his own kids, his own flesh and blood. Selfish selfish selfish!!
Josh sounds like a closeted Gay man who only used his wife to have Sons, to complete the circle of incest he had with his own dad. When she found out her father in-law was a child molester, she might have confronted Josh, and he snapped. I know its farfetched and speculation, but we are talking of a family of males exposed to incest an passed it down. Only one who probably knows is Steven Powell.
Exactly, Sheila. Right on the money.
Uh, Vernon, gays is not the same as 'child molester'. Most men who molest little boys self-identify as heterosexual and are often married. They are not 'gay', they are pedofiles.
It's NOT always the husband. In fact, women are about as likely to kill their husbands as husbands are to kill their wives.
I just hope hope other mothers in the same scenario recognize the signs in time. If they feel their lives are in danger they need to get far away!
I feel sick when I read this. That man was a filthy monster and no one protected those kids. Why?
This country has it priorities all screwed up.God help us all
So the circle of incest started with Steven Powell and culminated with Josh sexually abusing his boys or having thoughts of that. Maybe that is why Susan was killed in the first place. She knew Josh's dad Steven was a child molester, and that he too was involved in the subject of incest.
Vernon, it's the grandfather who was the pedophile, not the father.
It doesn't matter WHO the abuser was. Once that sick cycle gets started, it difficult to break it. I'm a survivor of incest & rape. I found out a few years ago that my abuser them self had been abused by a babysitter. I'm not completely educated about the Mormon religion (if that indeed was the Powell's faith) but very often incest is used as a way to keep the children "in line" and fearful of displeasing their parents. Usually when a person becomes a perpetrator of children it is a control issue, and not about sex. So a man (or I should say A PIG) that abuses boys does not make him gay.......it makes him a small, disgusting waste of skin.
The police and prosecutor screwed up big time.
What difference does it make now - it too late. Why didnt they act on the blood they found then? Police did nothing and the situtation turned out to be the worst possible ending for everyone. Whats the point of the victim even writing a note when no one will listen?
It was not just the blood they did ot act on. The oldest son said she was dead, said she went cammping with them but did not come home and he did not know why. This is where the system failed those boys the most, at the time she went missing that is. As for child protective services in Washington, I fought for our grandson I live in Cali and they refused us having him because they did not want to do the intra-state transfer, and they had someone in mind to adopt. Trust me they are the crooked ones, they did it to us not just once but five times. Yes my step-daughter lost all five of her kids to the system and they did not even look our way. That is Pierce county for ya.
Thank you. As a former employee of CPS, I know what you're talking about. I was actually told to alter the dates on documents, which I refused to do. I'm not going to go to jail for anyone. It isn't just one county, but the whole country. By federal law they are supposed to look at close relatives first, but there is no real enforcement.
...as badly as our justice system has failed in both this incident and in Sanford, FL, the U.S. has the fairest system on Earth - makes being charged with a crime in other countries kinda scary, don't it?
Thousands of criminal cases are tried everyday in U.S. courts - the media only sensationalized the ones that will gather readers or ratings.
"Reasonable Doubt"!! It doesn't work. All it does is prolong the investigation, strangle the judicial system and let criminals run our streets. It should be abolished!! That's exactly why these two little children are dead and this maniac was allowed to do what he did. Prosecutors need far too much evidence to eliminate any reasonable doubt from the minds of the jurors. Because of this one doctrine, our system is horribly flawed.
You're kidding, right? Do you think you are smarter than the people who wrote the Consitution? Do you know what it's like to be falsely accused of a serious crime just because someone (a neighbor, ex-spouse or ex-lover, relative, or former tenant) decided to lie out of spite? Well, I do. Our Constitutional protections are there for a very good reason.
Everyone thinks it can't happen to them.
Until it does.
And then it's too late.
---William Kunstler
Kuntsler he he
Kuntsler? I hardly even knew her...
Thank goodness the common law was not created in a state of agitation from cases like this one, and thank goodness the constitution was not written in such a state of agitation.
Better that 100 guilty men go free than 1 innocent man go to jail.
Send no one to prison, or to death, unless 12 of his peers are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the crime.
Most white people are mrderers in our society whom are walking freely by commiting henous crimes. White are these people being giving the right to commit all crimes without justice. Its the right-wing establishment that has been creating a shadow to cover-up white peoples crimes, so the justice sytem in the US did.
This is a racial system that go profiling other race as the criminals in the US whiles hiding every evil a white man committed, White people rob bank, white people are murderers, white pwople are frauds, white people are the greatest criminal, on the internet they are the hackers stealing our bank accounts.
Who are the white people: the white people are Caucasians, Hispanics and Arabs, These are all white people.
This is why they are hiding George Zimmerman for murdering Trayvon Martin. Zimerman is guilty and that Stanford Police and the one defending George Zimmerman are racist. If Trayvon was the shooter,they would have arrest him and charge him. Therefore this is a racial case, the cops and their associates at Stanford Police are racist in handling the Trayvon case with all sort of lies to defend a guilty Zimmerman.
We all heard the 911 tapes, we saw all the videos, there is enough evidence that proves that Zimmerman is guilty. Arrest George Zimmerman. Justice for Trayvon Martin. Justice for all.
Arrest George Zimmerman. Justice for Trayvon Martin. Justice for all.
I am Trayvon Martin.
you, the jury are a gigantic piece of crap. Complete bigot. Now Arabs are white too? You lost your f ing mind.
Does the name Reginald Denny ring a bell? I didn't think so. Go to hell loser.
FOOLISHNESS!!!
I was falsely accused of 'raping a retarded woman', who was actually the daughter of a KKK person who'd been sent to rip off my G-Pa, in 1984, and who got caught and went to Prison, in 1985, after she tricked me into having an affair with her, in 1993!!!
They convinced a Jewish Dyke friend of mine to become a DOMINATRIX, and, to make a and long and HORRBLE story short, they KILLED HER TWO YEARS LATER.
Now, because they DENIED ME "Reasonable Doubt", as well as my Sixth Amendment Right to a 'Trial By Jury' (Partly because I'd left the Catholic Church, and they WANTED to 'believe her'! Psst! BTW, Ms. Janet Napoleatano, How Come you haven't ARRESTED THEM YET?!?); and because they've committed "Felony Murder", under Oregon Law, NO ONE HAS GONE TO JAIL FOR THIS CRAP!!!
Yet!
Due Process Of The Law IS NOT STUPID, STOOPID!!!
Please Jury,
Instead of spending time thumping out garbage that could not be described as even close to being grammatically correct, please consider spending your time taking a class or two at a community college near you. It would serve you well. My cat walks across the keyboard and makes more sense........ I think you are passionate about what you are trying to say, but it is incoherent to many of us.
It is a sad, sad state of affairs when police and prosecutors have to tip-toe around suspects riddled with evidence because they are afraid they don't have enough to convince a jury to convict them yet. Even without Susan's body, it appears they had plenty in this case, but they still didn't go after Josh. To me, the second they found out from the boys that "mommy was in the trunk" Josh should've been arrested, then held until every bit of their property was searched and tested. Josh was such a coward, I bet he'd have confessed eventually.
Remember, the boys were very, very young at the time, and small children are easily confused.
But I ask you, how many people go camping in December? If no foul play was suspected, I'd still say he's a nut.
okay.... they found evidence of sexual abuse and they still let him have them that day?
unbelieveable. meanwhile I know good parents with no threats of abuse that are fighting the system to get their kids back or even see them at all. I honestly thought before that the social workers were just caught off gaurd. but they had proof the kids were in danger along. once again the children pay the price of innept "protectors".
Why can't the justic system put some common sense as evidence. Blood in the house. Kids midnight camping trip in freezing tempertures. Kids said "My mom is dead". Letter from Susan fearing for her life because of her husband!
I don't know! Why can't they? It is getting to the point where the laws get in the way of common sense.