A social worker brought the two boys to Josh Powell’s home for what was to be a supervised visit, and Powell let his sons inside — but then blocked the social worker from entering, Graham Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Franz told The Associated Press.
The social worker called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas, and moments later the home exploded.
Sgt. Ed Troyer, Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman, said emails that Powell sent authorities seemed to confirm that Powell planned the deadly blast. Troyer didn’t elaborate on the contents of the emails, but said they make police believe “this is intentional, this is planned...this is a double murder-suicide.”
Authorities were removing three bodies from the home Sunday evening as fire crews and police continued to search the rubble. Troyer said it appeared some sort of accelerant was used to make the house burn faster.
Jeffrey Bassett, who represented Powell in the custody case, said he received a brief email from his client just minutes before Powell and the two boys died. It said, “I’m sorry, goodbye.”
The email arrived at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, about 10 minutes before the explosion, but he didn’t see it until two hours later, when others told him Josh and the boys had been killed. He said he knew Josh was upset after being ordered to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation recently, but he didn’t see this coming.
Powell was under investigation in the disappearance of his 28-year-old wife Susan from their West Valley City, Utah, home in December 2009. He claimed he had taken the boys on a midnight excursion in freezing temperatures when she vanished.
The children, 5-year-old Braden and 7-year-old Charles, had been living with Susan Powell’s parents since Josh Powell’s father, Steven, was arrested on child porn and voyeurism charges last fall. There were no accusations concerning Steven Powell and his grandchildren. Troyer said Steven 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,” Troyer said.
On Wednesday, a judge had denied an attempt by Josh Powell to regain custody, saying she wouldn’t consider returning the two boys to their father until he underwent a psycho-sexual evaluation. A psychologist recommended the evaluation based on undisclosed materials Utah police discovered on Josh Powell’s computer in 2009.
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.
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