Family photos of Susan Powell along with Charlie and Braden.
Family Photo
OLYMPIA, Wash — Despite efforts by the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, "nobody could have anticipated that Joshua Powell would murder his two sons," a committee has determined.
A much anticipated report on the deaths of Susan Cox Powell's two sons was released Thursday in Washington.
But the report from the the Washington Department of Social and Health Services' Child Fatality Review Team did not point any fingers blaming people for Charlie and Braden Powell's deaths, but rather made recommendations on how to prevent such a horrific incident from repeating itself.
"While the committee made recommendations to improve practice based on review of this case, the committee did not draw conclusions about whether any actions by Children's Administration, law enforcement or the court could have prevented (Josh) Powell's actions."
However, in a prepared statement summarizing the report, the committee found that DSHS "could have evaluated (Josh Powell) differently for domestic violence and not allowed in-home visits with the boys."
The committee also concluded that it could have been beneficial for DSHS to have more information about the investigation by West Valley police into Powell.
"Other information that could have aided DSHS and law enforcement in decision making was sealed in Utah records as law enforcement officers in that state continued to investigate the disappearance of Powell’s wife, who remains missing," the fatality review committee wrote in a prepared statement. "The committee noted the importance of law enforcement and the department working jointly to share decisions concerning visitation and evaluation of an evolving child dependency situation."
Josh Powell, the husband of West Valley mother Susan Powell — who has been missing for 2 ½ years and is presumed dead — murdered his two sons, 7-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Braden, on Feb. 5 at his rented Graham, Wash., home.
Charlie and Braden had been living with their grandparents, Chuck and Judy Cox, in their Puyallup, Wash., home since Sept 22, 2011, when a court placed them in temporary custody with their grandparents. The move came after the Pierce County Sheriff's Office removed them from Steven Powell's home, where the children and Josh were living, after Powell was arrested for investigation of voyeurism, which he was later convicted.
A social worker had just arrived at Powell's house for a weekly supervised visit. The children ran ahead of her and got to the house first. By the time she got to the door, Josh Powell locked her out. A short time later, Powell took a hatchet to his sons before igniting his gasoline-soaked house, creating an inferno.
