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Busy Parent Briefing: Josh Powell, Husband of Missing Utah Woman, and 2 Sons Killed in Explosion
The Powell family during happier times.
Breaking news out of Washington state… Authorities are reporting Josh Powell, the husband of a missing Utah mom, and their two young sons are dead.
The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting police believe an explosion and fire at the home of Josh Powell has killed him and his two children.
Police are still waiting for the Medical Examiner’s Office to confirm the identity of the bodies but believe the adult and two young children found dead in the home are Josh Powell and his two young sons.
KOMO News reported the explosion took place at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Flames were seen roaring through the Puyallup, Washington home. As the Salt Lake Tribune reports, “a case worker had just dropped off Powell’s sons at the home for a supervised visit, the source said. Powell then shut the door on the caseworker and locked it. The case worker then reported smelling gas fumes, and then an explosion ripped through the home.”
A fire chief tells CNN the fire was so bad they couldn’t enter the building and had to take a defensive stance. He says they found the bodies of the two children fairly quickly and the body believed to be Josh Powell much later. Images on CNN show a completely blackened home reduced to rubble.
You may remember, Powell lost custody of his sons after his father, with whom they lived, was arrested for possessing child porn. A judge ordered the Powell’s sons, Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5, stay with their grandparents, Susan’s parents, Chuck and Judy Cox. Powell filed to have his son’s returned to his custody but a judge denied the request last week.
Josh Powell has always been the sole suspect in his wife’s December 2009 disappearance but has claimed he took the boys on a late-night camping trip in the below zero temperatures in the Utah desert and returned to find his wife gone.
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8 Comments
Maiken commented on Feb 05 12 at 6:27 pmI simply cannot understand where he was mentally to do any of it- especially taking his children in to his hell.
kate commented on Feb 05 12 at 6:32 pmI’m just sickened. He knew it was just a matter of time before he was arrested and charged with his wife’s murder. But why did he take the boys with him?? There’s a special place in hell waiting for him.
lorena commented on Feb 05 12 at 7:37 pmso sad my heart breaks for these children that had to die in this horrible way:(
CW commented on Feb 05 12 at 7:42 pmThose poor kids. At least they are in a better place now, and most likely reunited with their mom.
Linda, T.O.O. commented on Feb 05 12 at 10:07 pmThere are no words. I can’t even imagine what Susan’s parents must be going though. That monster has taken everything from them.
LBH commented on Feb 05 12 at 11:42 pmThis broke my heart. Those poor babies… it doesn’t seem like they were given any chance at all. The picture that goes along with this article (and many on the national news sites) just kills me. They all look so happy.. god. How awful.
SS commented on Feb 06 12 at 4:20 pmThis is absolutely horrifying. What stood out for me was that Josh Powell’s father was arrested for posession of child porn. Seems to be that Josh himself may have suffered abuse in his own family and been suffering the consequences of it mentally. That said, I still cannot understand wanting to take your spouse or your own children’s lives… I pray for those little souls…
Sanriobaby =^.^= commented on Feb 06 12 at 4:57 pmWhat a horrible end to such a distubing story. I will never understand how a parent can willingly take the lives of their children when they want to kill themselves but I think in this case, it was about spite and revenge. Chances are, this man did kill his wife/mother of his children and he knew the cops were closing in. His kids were in the custody of his wife’s parents and if it wasn’t enough for him to take thier daughter, he took their grandkids too. My only wish is that the children’s death came quickly, w/o pain, and that they are now reunited w/thier mother in heaven. As for this monster, there is a special place in hell for men like this and I hope he will live the rest of eternity in misery. RIP to those innocent angels…..
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