Missing woman’s husband kills himself and 2 sons in a home explosion
Attorney: Missing mom was ‘in the trunk’ boys said before their deaths
Josh Powell Dead: Missing Woman Susan Powell’s Husband, 2 Sons Killed In Home Explosion
3 killed in explosion at Josh Powell’s Graham-area home
RIP Susan, Braden, and Charles
UPDATE at the bottom of the story
In December 2009, Susan Cox Powell went mysteriously missing in Utah. Her husband, Josh Powell, claimed he had taken their sons on a midnight camping excursion in a blizzard when Susan vanished. Josh has always been a “person of interest” in her disappearance and under investigation. But no charges or proof against him ever surfaced in all that time.
The boys, 5-year-old Braden and 7-year-old Charles, have been living with their maternal grandparents since Josh’s father, Steven Powell, was arrested on child porn and voyeurism charges last fall. Just last week, a judge denied Josh from regaining custody of the boys until he underwent a psycho-sexual evaluation himself. A psychologist recommended the evaluation based on undisclosed materials Utah police discovered on Josh Powell’s computer in 2009. I’d like to know more details on that, but at this point I guess it doesn’t matter.
Fast forward to yesterday, 2/6/12 around noon. While most people in this great country of ours were preparing to watch the Super Bowl, Josh Powell was preparing to kill himself and his boys in a murder/suicide – home explosion style. A social worker arrived around noon for a scheduled supervised visit. Josh met his sons at the door (they had run ahead of the social worker) and he then closed and locked the door, banning her from entry. She made a call to her supervisor to report the incident and that she smelt gas, moments later the house exploded.
Not only was Josh denied regaining custody of his kids, but the boys had starting talking lately. They were starting to remember and talk about what happened that night their mother vanished back in 2009. An attorney for Susan’s family was quoted saying, ”They had gone camping. Their mother had been in the trunk and later, their mom and dad walked out into the desert and mommy got lost.” So the little boys were remembering and they were talking and I guess that was too much for Josh to handle and he figured he’d be a pussy and take the easy way out.
If he’d just taken his own life, who gives a fuck right? But he didn’t do that… he took his boys with him and for that he’s a selfish, cowardly, pussy motherfucker. He didn’t leave a suicide note, but he did send his attorney an email 10 minutes before the house exploded simply saying, “I’m sorry. Goodbye.” So why take the boys down with him? My guess is that he was a) scared of getting busted, b) pissed that his wife’s parents had custody of the boys and didn’t want them to have full custody after he died, OR c) he was mad at his own sons for talking? I suppose we’ll never know.
Josh not only left behind a lot of unanswered questions, but most of all he left behind a myriad of broken hearts. Susan’s parents not only have had to deal with the devastating loss of their daughter AND never truly knowing what happened to her, but now they also mourn the loss of their two grandsons. Anyone that has grandchildren, or has seen how grandparents typically love their grandchildren can agree that this kind of pain would be insurmountable.
There’s a special place in hell for anyone who harms or kills a child, we can all agree on that. But I truly believe that Josh rode in First Class to hell yesterday.
RIP Braden and Charles, I hope that you’ve been reunited with your mommy in heaven.
Thank you to the countless tipsters that sent this in.
UPDATE
Just when the worst story of 2012 so far has settled in and we’re all left open-mouthed about what Josh Powell did to his boys…. a report surfaces later with more gruesome details that makes you fall to your knees. Late yesterday, as more details emerged about the horrific deaths of Braden and Charles Powell, we learn that not only did Josh kill them in a home explosion, but he attacked them with a hatchet before the house went up in flames. Police have described the boys as having “chop wounds” to their heads and necks. But they believe that they still died of smoke inhalation, not the brutal attack. As that sinks into my brain… 2 little boys chopped up by their father and only parent left, but lay in a house engulfed in flames to die when smoke filed their little lungs to capacity. It’s just too much to take. How much pain were they in? How long did they suffer? Were they screaming for daddy to stop? Did one brother watch the other be attacked? Honestly, I don’t want to know. I just can’t imagine the suffering they experienced in the final moments of their lives.
To quote Cori in the comments of this story, “Braden and Charles, I hope you have found your mommy waiting for you with open arms. You can never be hurt ever again. ” Well said Cori, my sentiments exactly.
