Blast kills husband, 2 sons of missing mom

Associated Press

GRAHAM, Wash.

Days after a judge ruled against him in a child- custody hearing, a father and his two young sons were killed Sunday when police said he appeared to intentionally blow up a house with all three inside — a tragic ending to a bizarre case that began months ago when the man’s wife went mysteriously missing in Utah.

A Child Protective Services 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.

What’s left of the house was still smoking Sunday afternoon, and fire crews were mopping up the scene.

Sgt. Ed Troyer, Pierce County sheriff’s spokes-man, said emails Powell sent authorities seemed to confirm the Powell planned the deadly blast. Troyer didn’t elaborate.

Authorities said they found three bodies in the home late Sunday afternoon as fire crews and police searched 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 three-word 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 Powell and the boys had been killed.

He said he knew Powell was upset after being ordered to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation, 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 said he had taken the boys on a midnight excursion in freezing weather when she vanished.

The children, Braden, 5, and Charles, 7, had been living with Susan Powell’s parents since Josh Powell’s father, Steven, was arrested on child-porn and voyeurism charges last fall.

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.

“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 the custody fight.

“The Coxes are absolutely devastated. They were always very fearful of him doing something like this, and he did it.”