Josh Powell's House in WA blows up

[Emma Peel]

Well...

If indeed there's a face in that inferno, it's probably the face of the devil.

 

[dodie20]

The test was recommended by the psychologist and the judge agreed. Personally, I think this test should have been administered before he was allowed any sort of visitation. Since it wasn't, I just don't understand WHY the state of WA didn't order visitation to be in a neutral location, one that Josh couldn't control. Preferably with a LEO there to keep an eye on Josh. Even though I think he would have taken anyone out who got in his way once he made the decision to kill his sons.

The judge is NOT totally at fault here, she only had the evidence in front of her. She did NOT have the computer images from what I understand from all the reading I've done today. The entire system failed these boys and Susan's family.

JMO, MOO, IMO, and all other disclaimers....

I understand your anger, but IMO, this is an instance where the system tried to do the right thing...too bad this man was determined to obliterate a whole family, and destroy countless others.

 

[Emma Peel]

This article says he used an accelerant. That would explain why the flames spread so rapidly.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/arti...eath-of-Powell-boys-3058398.php#photo-2278468

I don't think this was his first experience with fire.

n.k.
showing his signature.

:cow:

 

[tezi]

I understand your anger, but IMO, this is an instance where the system tried to do the right thing...too bad this man was determined to obliterate a whole family, and destroy countless others.

The entire system needs to be looked at. The social worker should have never been put in the position which she was placed. I am not angry at the judge or the social worker on the scene. I am angry that no one listened to the Coxes or anyone else for that matter that felt Josh was a ticking time bomb. And I am damm angry at Josh Powell for doing this, because the responsibility ultimately lies with him. I also think he would have done whatever was necessary to achieve his goal, no matter who was in the way. Bottom line though, he should have had to submit to the evaluation before he had any further visitation, because apparently the psychologist and LE in Utah thought the boys were in danger...And I still feel like his father had some input into this situation, Josh wasn't smart enough or stupid enough (whichever you choose) to do anything like this on his own. JMO.

I really need to get some sleep. I've got major surgery coming up this week, and I really need to try to focus my attention on that and my recovery. Although, what I have to face seems small in comparison to what the Coxes are facing.

RIP Charlie and Braden.

 

[sadnpod]

The entire system needs to be looked at. The social worker should have never been put in the position which she was placed. I am not angry at the judge or the social worker on the scene. I am angry that no one listened to the Coxes or anyone else for that matter that felt Josh was a ticking time bomb. And I am damm angry at Josh Powell for doing this, because the responsibility ultimately lies with him. I also think he would have done whatever was necessary to achieve his goal, no matter who was in the way. Bottom line though, he should have had to submit to the evaluation before he had any further visitation, because apparently the psychologist and LE in Utah thought the boys were in danger...And I still feel like his father had some input into this situation, Josh wasn't smart enough or stupid enough (whichever you choose) to do anything like this on his own. JMO.

I really need to get some sleep. I've got major surgery coming up this week, and I really need to try to focus my attention on that and my recovery. Although, what I have to face seems small in comparison to what the Coxes are facing.

RIP Charlie and Braden.

Prayers for safe surgery and speedy recovery. Take care of yourself. Everything seems to be small compared to what the Cox's are facing. But your health is not small... please keep us informed.

 

[Gozgals]

My anger, and tears are intertwined. I do not know where to begin.
I am emotionally shattered by what happened today to the children.

Off topic,it has been the worst year of my life, (my health failed, my finances, lost my home), and today's news really hit me hard. I actually got into a disagreement at home after hearing the news because things have been so hard with the stress and when I heard what Josh had done, well quite frankly it hit me. I felt I could not function at all this evening. It really was too much.

My anger is so deep. My tears are there too. I do not understand such evil even though I have done this since I have been very young and studied Holocaust Hx. I am still ever so prone to fall apart when someone pulls the world out from under us like this animal did today.



I had to write even though I do not know if I can make any sense. Why I still track the missing and follow crime- I do not know??

God save us all.
I wonder what God thinks of Josh??
If he even will look at this man.

I am still so crushed. Why.. ? What the heck is wrong with this world?

I am literally so sick I don't think I can make sense yet.

Amen,
Rest in Peace Family
Goz

 

[tezi]

My anger, and tears are intertwined. I do not know where to begin.
I am emotionally shattered by what happened today to the children.

Off topic,it has been the worst year of my life, (my health failed, my finances, lost my home), and today's news really hit me hard. I actually got into a disagreement at home after hearing the news because things have been so hard with the stress and when I heard what Josh had done, well quite frankly it hit me. I felt I could not function at all this evening. It really was too much.

My anger is so deep. My tears are there too. I do not understand such evil even though I have done this since I have been very young and studied Holocaust Hx. I am still ever so prone to fall apart when someone pulls the world out from under us like this animal did today.



I had to write even though I do not know if I can make any sense. Why I still track the missing and follow crime- I do not know??

God save us all.
I wonder what God thinks of Josh??
If he even will look at this man.

I am still so crushed. Why.. ? What the heck is wrong with this world?

I am literally so sick I don't think I can make sense yet.

Amen,
Rest in Peace Family
Goz

(((Hugs))) I understand completely....

 

[Emma Peel]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017435088_dshs06m.html

Asked why Josh Powell was allowed visitation despite being a person of interest in Susan Powell's disappearance, Hill told The Associated Press there had been no indication that the children were in any danger.

"If someone were expressing suicidal thoughts there would have been protocols in place," Hill said. "If there were concerns about the children being harmed we would have taken some action. We wouldn't have taken the children over there."

"It was their <the grandparent's> belief he had something to do with Susan's disappearance, and that ultimately he could harm the children.

The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) plans to conduct what it terms a child-fatality review. "We really look at the service delivery with the case. Was there anything we can learn about what happened? It's not necessary to see what went wrong, but how were services delivered. Is there something we can learn?" said Sharon Gilbert, deputy director for field operations at Children's Administration, which is part of DSHS.

BBM.

oh for pete's sake.

Methinks the deputy director for field ops may just find she has "something to learn".

 

[gitana1]

I wish the media would quit talking about the custody battle like the Cox's had anything to do with the ugliness of it. They were fighting for the lives of their grandchildren.

JP was fighting to maintain control. :furious:

Bingo. That is the truth.

I have a question ... I have not followed this as closely as many of you have, and I see I have a lot of reading to catch up from today.

Were there ANY signs that Josh would do something like this ?

I remember when the custody hearing was held -- it should have been obvious to the Judge that Josh was NOT in his RIGHT MIND ! Josh murdered his wife -- and the Judge allows Susan's little boys visitation with the man who killed their Mother ? And on top of that, his "daddy dearest" was in the slammer and wasn't there to "cover up" for him any more ...

What is WRONG with our system ? It needs some serious fixing !!

I am sorry for the rant ... I have tears in my eyes for those two little boys, Mr. and Mrs. Cox, and Susan.

Tons of signs. It was and is a shock for me but no surprise. We all have been discussing the probability of something like this happening, since Susan disappeared.

When I saw pictures of him at the custody hearing, I thought he looked like hell and seemed like a desperate man. I can't believe no one who was in that courtroom was concerned.

I was wondering how he rented that house too! He probably did it to show he wasn't living with his dad anymore. But he didn't have a job, did he? Did other members of his family pay for it?

They were concerned enough to take away custody and grant only supervised visits. Obviously, that was not good enough.

The blindness of supposed justice saddens me deeply. Those innocent boys ought not to have been allowed "supervised" time with their father in his own environment. There was more than enough information available for anyone who was so inclined to read it to suspect foul play in his wife's disappearance. For the sake of "fairness" two innocent children were ruthlessly murdered by their "non suspicious" (not) biological father. Shame on the powers that be who allowed the murderous pathological monster the latitude to complete such an evil deed.

I hope this case causes judges in other cases to reassess visitation/custody and how it is awarded. Like in Michelle Parker's case and Sky's, for starters.
The only judge that seemed to get it right so far was the judge in Kaine Horman's case.

I'm just still wide awake, pi$$ed off and feel so sad about this. I feel so so so bad for Susan's parents. You know they had to have an uneasy feeling, be nervous as heck everytime the boys went to visitation with him. And now look what happened.

I'm so so mad. Light the way Susan so that you can be laid to rest with your boys. Lead LE or someone to your body.

I seriously scared the crap out of my husband. I could not speak. I am in still such shock and such anger that I am still up and reading, posting when I should be in bed. But, for the grace of God, there go I is all I can say. Josh is/was a creep and I just don't know why Susan didn't get to see that before she married him. Tragic.

How am I suppose to sleep tonight? I have been thinking about this non stop for almost 12 hours. Then I saw pictures of the stretchers being put in the truck. I am so so saddened. Anyone else not able to sleep tonight?

I feel the same way. Just a hard, dry lump in my throat. I feel such despair about it. And anger. I have visions of lifting that creep from hell and making him face justice. He escaped it on earth, while taking two, sweet babies with him and giving a last "f word" to Susan's grieving family. The injustice of that is unbearable for me right now. Just unbearable.

 

[DairyGirl]

When I saw pictures of him at the custody hearing, I thought he looked like hell and seemed like a desperate man. I can't believe no one who was in that courtroom was concerned.




I was wondering how he rented that house too! He probably did it to show he wasn't living with his dad anymore. But he didn't have a job, did he? Did other members of his family pay for it?

I got the impression that he thought that having a home for the boys would guarantee him custody, like the lack of his own home was the reason they weren't with him.

 

[LaLaw2000]

The first image in my mind when I heard this news was the campfire pic of Susan, the boys, and JP sitting in front of it. We discussed this pic in depth way back, and even discussed how the same pic posted on JP's website looked different. Here we are talking about burned items LE had found up in the hills and seeing pics of the burning house and knowing the boys were in there. JP seems to have had a 'thing' about fire.

Arson and fire investigators will know the exact cause and path of the fire in that house. They will also sift through the ashes of the fire to attempt to find any evidence. It is probably off the wall for me to wonder if JP has had possession of Susan's bones almost all of this time, but I hope he did.

I, too, think this murder/suicide is almost like a confession. JP has always come across to me as a crazy man, and even more so lately. He was a crazy, demented, diabolical animal, IMO.

SP is probably going crazy in that cell because he cannot get to the rest of the family to try to control them and what they say. Even if he has to make up some very tall tales, JP is going to try to work this to his advantage, IMO. All of a sudden, I think he will be telling LE how Josh told him Susan was killed.

I am just sick about the boys. I posted way early on this thread about the shock I felt. I would never have been surprised if JP had killed himself, but I really didn't think he would kill the boys. Boy, was I wrong! Was the catalyst here the ordering of the psycho-sexual evaluation and the polygraph along with the boys possibly remembering more? Or will we never, ever know? I am rambling and will stop now.

It's late here and I couldn't eat dinner and cannot sleep because I am so upset over the boys deaths. I am in agony for the Cox family. GB them all.

 

[Emma Peel]

:sigh:

:furious:

:scream::scream::scream::scream::scream::scream:

:sigh:​

 

[Emma Peel]

The first image in my mind when I heard this news was the campfire pic of Susan, the boys, and JP sitting in front of it. We discussed this pic in depth way back, and even discussed how the same pic posted on JP's website looked different. Here we are talking about burned items LE had found up in the hills and seeing pics of the burning house and knowing the boys were in there. JP seems to have had a 'thing' about fire.

Arson and fire investigators will know the exact cause and path of the fire in that house. They will also sift through the ashes of the fire to attempt to find any evidence. It is probably off the wall for me to wonder if JP has had possession of Susan's bones almost all of this time, but I hope he did.

I, too, think this murder/suicide is almost like a confession. JP has always come across to me as a crazy man, and even more so lately. He was a crazy, demented, diabolical animal, IMO.

SP is probably going crazy in that cell because he cannot get to the rest of the family to try to control them and what they say. Even if he has to make up some very tall tales, JP is going to try to work this to his advantage, IMO. All of a sudden, I think he will be telling LE how Josh told him Susan was killed.

I am just sick about the boys. I posted way early on this thread about the shock I felt. I would never have been surprised if JP had killed himself, but I really didn't think he would kill the boys. Boy, was I wrong! Was the catalyst here the ordering of the psycho-sexual evaluation and the polygraph along with the boys possibly remembering more? Or will we never, ever know? I am rambling and will stop now.

It's late here and I couldn't eat dinner and cannot sleep because I am so upset over the boys deaths. I am in agony for the Cox family. GB them all.

GMTA, my friend.

 

[tezi]

I got the impression that he thought that having a home for the boys would guarantee him custody, like the lack of his own home was the reason they weren't with him.

Yes, and he was pretty clueless too. I guess since he was raised around his father's , he figured his boys could be around it too. Sick, just sick.

 

[gitana1]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017435088_dshs06m.html










BBM.

oh for pete's sake.

Methinks the deputy director for field ops may just find she has "something to learn".

Here's the problem. How come all of us knew those kids were in danger and the people in charge of protecting their welfare, CPS, did not? Why? because no one is mandated to fully research these cases the way we do. They do just what they have to and no more. Well, that's just not good enough.

This was a case where murder allegations were in play. Damn it, that means that everyone involved, all the attorneys, the social workers and the judge, should have researched it like mad. Like we do.

I will admit, however, that I didn't think the kids were in physical danger with supervised visitation. But I thought it took place at a center, not the coward's home.

Also, it was clear that the boys were still in emotional danger during visits. Most monitors are just are not trained well enough to spot and stop emotional manipulation. And I guarantee that they get little info about the case when they are assigned. It's all too horrible.

 

[smart blonde]

But why???? Was it just for spite? Why did he have to take teh babies????

I keep asking myself the same questions.

I think it was a combination of:

~ Spite, directed at the Cox family and law enforcement.

~ He was a control freak.

~ By taking the boys, he was taking his secrets with him.

 

[Donjeta]

Hearing that the boys were starting to talk about the camping trip... of course they were in danger. They were the only eye witnesses.

Even those photos of Josh in the last court hearing are a clear warning sign IMO.

 

[Emma Peel]

Here's the problem. How come all of use knew those kids were in danger and the people in charge of protecting their welfare, CPS, did not? Why? because no one is mandated to fully research these cases the way we do. They do just what they have to and no more. Well, that's just not good enough.

This was a case where murder allegations were in play. Damn it, that means that everyone involved, all the attorneys, the social workers and the judge, should have researched it like mad. Like we do.

I will admit, however, that I didn't think the kids were in physical danger with supervised visitation. But I thought it took place at a center, not the coward's home.

Also, it was clear that the boys were still in emotional danger during visits. Most monitors are just are not trained well enough to spot and stop emotional manipulation. And I guarantee that they get little info about the case when they are assigned. It's all too horrible.

This one's on the judge & CPS. :cow: It's their <e.d.> job to protect the children, and the family involved. They know how to protect children from violent parents better than anyone.

The defense attny - is a defense atty for a crazy person...and I'm not sure what the heck his responsibilities were to the children. I have to think the defense knows they must protect their client, yet relies on the judge to be always thinking about the children.

 

[gitana1]

The first image in my mind when I heard this news was the campfire pic of Susan, the boys, and JP sitting in front of it. We discussed this pic in depth way back, and even discussed how the same pic posted on JP's website looked different. Here we are talking about burned items LE had found up in the hills and seeing pics of the burning house and knowing the boys were in there. JP seems to have had a 'thing' about fire.

Arson and fire investigators will know the exact cause and path of the fire in that house. They will also sift through the ashes of the fire to attempt to find any evidence. It is probably off the wall for me to wonder if JP has had possession of Susan's bones almost all of this time, but I hope he did.

I, too, think this murder/suicide is almost like a confession. JP has always come across to me as a crazy man, and even more so lately. He was a crazy, demented, diabolical animal, IMO.

SP is probably going crazy in that cell because he cannot get to the rest of the family to try to control them and what they say. Even if he has to make up some very tall tales, JP is going to try to work this to his advantage, IMO. All of a sudden, I think he will be telling LE how Josh told him Susan was killed.

I am just sick about the boys. I posted way early on this thread about the shock I felt. I would never have been surprised if JP had killed himself, but I really didn't think he would kill the boys. Boy, was I wrong! Was the catalyst here the ordering of the psycho-sexual evaluation and the polygraph along with the boys possibly remembering more? Or will we never, ever know? I am rambling and will stop now.

It's late here and I couldn't eat dinner and cannot sleep because I am so upset over the boys deaths. I am in agony for the Cox family. GB them all.

Oh, I was certain he would murder his boys if he decided to kill himself. he was all about control, vengeance, winning and sticking it to Susan and her family. He hated her, so he hated them. His boys were mere possessions to him, but like a spoiled, little child, they were his and not to be shared. And much like a spoiled brat, he decided to destroy them rather than relinquishing control.

This beast was a narcisisstic,manipulative, bully. A coward and a control freak with seething rage he could hardly keep hidden. He never loved those babies. I hate him.

 

[Irish_Eyes]

Bingo. That is the truth.



Tons of signs. It was and is a shock for me but no surprise. We all have been discussing the probability of something like this happening, since Susan disappeared.



They were concerned enough to take away custody and grant only supervised visits. Obviously, that was not good enough.



I hope this case causes judges in other cases to reassess visitation/custody and how it is awarded. Like in Michelle Parker's case and Sky's, for starters.
The only judge that seemed to get it right so far was the judge in Kaine Horman's case.







I feel the same way. Just a hard, dry lump in my throat. I feel such despair about it. And anger. I have visions of lifting that creep from hell and making him face justice. He escaped it on earth, while taking two, sweet babies with him and giving a last "f word" to Susan's grieving family. The injustice of that is unbearable for me right now. Just unbearable.

BBM - So so true.

And in response to Kimster's original post that you quoted, really it happens quite often that the media and sometimes the courts classify cases as ugly, bitter, contested, protracted, when in reality, a high number of contested cases are actually domestic violence cases. There is plenty of research to back this assertion up:

http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org/i...-domestic-violence-in-contested-custody-cases

Although the research involves divorcing/divorced parents, it's no surprise then that Susan's parents would face this same offensive stigma.