Josh Powell just blew up his house with his kids inside

[Jeff Lebowski]

I just can't wrap my brain around this kind of evil. He carries on these bitter custody fights ever since the mom disappeared only to kill his own children? Does this mean his motivation was less about his kids and more about spiting his in-laws? And it appears to have been premeditated. How do you look into the faces of your kids as you are about to kill them? Incomprehensible.

[Surfah]

Cox family attorney said the boys were talking more and more about the night susan disappeared.

Yeah I saw something about one of the boys saying mommy was in the trunk.

[SeattleUte]

I just can't wrap my brain around this kind of evil. He carries on these bitter custody fights ever since the mom disappeared only to kill his own children? Does this mean his motivation was less about his kids and more about spiting his in-laws? And it appears to have been premeditated. How do you look into the faces of your kids as you are about to kill them? Incomprehensible.

Here is a partial explanation: Parental narcissism. The family courts are rife with it, and it is commonplace in varying degrees among seemingly respectable people. The parent who during a divorce proceeding poisons the child's memory and affections for the other parent, sets out to destroy that relationship, is on a continuum with this kind of thing. So is the parent who disowns a child because of homosexual preference or atheism.

Some parents think their children's lives are all about them. Good parents realize fairly early on that their children's lives are not much about the parents at all, and parenthng is all about self abnegation and selflessness. That is the ideal, anyway.

[Eddie]

I just can't wrap my brain around this kind of evil. He carries on these bitter custody fights ever since the mom disappeared only to kill his own children? Does this mean his motivation was less about his kids and more about spiting his in-laws? And it appears to have been premeditated. How do you look into the faces of your kids as you are about to kill them? Incomprehensible.

I think it was about spiting his in-laws as well as the community.

Looking at the website his family set up - and how they went off on all of the "Mormons" who were judging him as guilty at his wife's disappearance, etc.

It just seems like he as an angry angry person who wanted to get back at them for all of their comments about their belief in his being involved in his wife's disappearance.

I've seen custody battles like this in the past - that maybe start out as a real desire to have a relationship with the kids - but quickly devolve into simply wanting anything that will reduce the happiness of the other side.

I remember one woman in particular who one day was talking to me about giving up her child for adoption because she wasn't sure that she was ready to keep/care for him. But when she learned that the father would also have to give up his rights in order for the baby to be adopted, she is suddenly fighting for full custody. If you don't think you can do it, why NOT allow the dad to have the kid?

[SeattleUte]

The only things I really know about his case I learned on CUF, and I was never really following the story. I understand that there was a lot of circumstantial evidence that made it seem highly probable that he had killed his wife. The case wasn't pursued because the state didn't think it could make its case (yet).

So why was he losing custody of his children? I'm not making excuses for this guy, but as I am sure that any of the loving parents on the board can imagine, it is hard to imagine anything that could push a STABLE person over the edge of sanity like the threat of losing one's children, never mind a person who is, in all likelihood, an unstable murderer.

A stable person and wholesome parent would only care about how his children are doing regardless of his personal situation vis-a-vis them. He would realize that with respect to his children, he is but a means to their ends. They are not a means to his personal gratification on any level.

[KillerDog]

We'll probably never know the truth about what happened. The whole story seems crazy to me. I've followed it from the beginning and have found it unbelievable at nearly every turn.

First, Josh gives an alibi that screams either he is guilty and has created the flimsiest alibi of all time or innocent.

Then the story breaks about a wet spot on the carpet. At this point, I figured they would have sufficient physical evidence to convict in a matter of days. When Josh remains nothing more than a person of interest, the saga becomes interesting. Now Josh looks like a criminal mastermind who was able to completely remove all physical evidence of murder while towing around two young children but at the same time he produced the worst alibi of all time (see above).

Then the two families both start acting like lunatics. Susan's family starts referring to her as Susan Cox Powell. Josh's family starts a competing website. Various family members start stealing from each other and claiming the stuff they are stealing is Susan's and they don't think the other side should have it.

Substantial time passes and the case seems to have no break through. The internet and propaganda war between the Cox family and the Powell family continues and the religious undertones become obvious for all to see.

The Powell family begins to act like they know who Susan ran off with. Their story is implausible and clearly a smoke screen.

The cops go to Ely and search for days finding nothing.

Josh's dad is arrested for child porn. Partially dressed pictures of Susan are discovered which appear to have been taken using a telephoto camera. Josh's kids are taken by the state.

Josh gets the kids for a visit. Kills the kids and himself.

My thought is that Josh and Susan had a fight. Josh went for a drive out in the west desert with the boys and called his father on the way. Josh's father stopped by the house to confront Susan about the fight. His obsession with her comes to the fore and he attacks her. She fights back and he kills her. He puts her in his car and buries the body somewhere. Josh come back and Susan is gone. He is baffled and the cops can find no evidence because his car is clean. Everyone turns on him because his story sounds like crap. He moves to Washington and his dad informs him that he killed Susan. He covers for his dad (probably because of an abusive relationship in the past) and tries to move on. He can't move on when his dad's obsession with Susan becomes public and he loses his kids. He snaps and kills himself and the boys. In 5 years, Josh's dad will tell us all the story and it will become a Lifetime television for women show. This is only partly TIC.

[Green Monstah]

Here is a partial explanation: Parental narcissism. The family courts are rife with it, and it is commonplace in varying degrees among seemingly respectable people. The parent who during a divorce proceeding poisons the child's memory and affections for the other parent, sets out to destroy that relationship, is on a continuum with this kind of thing. So is the parent who disowns a child because of homosexual preference or atheism.

Some parents think their children's lives are all about them. Good parents realize fairly early on that their children's lives are not much about the parents at all, and parenthng is all about self abnegation and selflessness. That is the ideal, anyway.

Excellent post and insight.

[DU Ute]

Good summary, KD. I think I remember hearing that Steven was in Washington when Susan was killed, but I might be wrong. I wouldn't put anything past these two.

[smokymountainrain]

We'll probably never know the truth about what happened. The whole story seems crazy to me. I've followed it from the beginning and have found it unbelievable at nearly every turn.

First, Josh gives an alibi that screams either he is guilty and has created the flimsiest alibi of all time or innocent.

Then the story breaks about a wet spot on the carpet. At this point, I figured they would have sufficient physical evidence to convict in a matter of days. When Josh remains nothing more than a person of interest, the saga becomes interesting. Now Josh looks like a criminal mastermind who was able to completely remove all physical evidence of murder while towing around two young children but at the same time he produced the worst alibi of all time (see above).

Then the two families both start acting like lunatics. Susan's family starts referring to her as Susan Cox Powell. Josh's family starts a competing website. Various family members start stealing from each other and claiming the stuff they are stealing is Susan's and they don't think the other side should have it.

Substantial time passes and the case seems to have no break through. The internet and propaganda war between the Cox family and the Powell family continues and the religious undertones become obvious for all to see.

The Powell family begins to act like they know who Susan ran off with. Their story is implausible and clearly a smoke screen.

The cops go to Ely and search for days finding nothing.

Josh's dad is arrested for child porn. Partially dressed pictures of Susan are discovered which appear to have been taken using a telephoto camera. Josh's kids are taken by the state.

Josh gets the kids for a visit. Kills the kids and himself.

My thought is that Josh and Susan had a fight. Josh went for a drive out in the west desert with the boys and called his father on the way. Josh's father stopped by the house to confront Susan about the fight. His obsession with her comes to the fore and he attacks her. She fights back and he kills her. He puts her in his car and buries the body somewhere. Josh come back and Susan is gone. He is baffled and the cops can find no evidence because his car is clean. Everyone turns on him because his story sounds like crap. He moves to Washington and his dad informs him that he killed Susan. He covers for his dad (probably because of an abusive relationship in the past) and tries to move on. He can't move on when his dad's obsession with Susan becomes public and he loses his kids. He snaps and kills himself and the boys. In 5 years, Josh's dad will tell us all the story and it will become a Lifetime television for women show. This is only partly TIC.

Too complicated. Susan threatened to leave, as she had done several times previously - this time was actually going to go through
with it and Josh knew it - so he killed her. I doubt there is much more to it than that.

[Jeff Lebowski]

My thought is that Josh and Susan had a fight. Josh went for a drive out in the west desert with the boys and called his father on the way. Josh's father stopped by the house to confront Susan about the fight. His obsession with her comes to the fore and he attacks her. She fights back and he kills her. He puts her in his car and buries the body somewhere. Josh come back and Susan is gone. He is baffled and the cops can find no evidence because his car is clean. Everyone turns on him because his story sounds like crap. He moves to Washington and his dad informs him that he killed Susan. He covers for his dad (probably because of an abusive relationship in the past) and tries to move on. He can't move on when his dad's obsession with Susan becomes public and he loses his kids. He snaps and kills himself and the boys. In 5 years, Josh's dad will tell us all the story and it will become a Lifetime television for women show. This is only partly TIC.

Highly unlikely. Why take the kids in the middle of the night if they just had a fight? What's the point? Why would she let him take the kids. That just doesn't make any sense.

[Viking]

If I had to guess, I'd say they fought. She was leaving and that was final. I suspect he accidentally killed her. He then put her in the "trunk" as her oldest allegedly recalled. They got in the car and went out in the wasteland that is generally utah and he dumped the body somewhere. This is the "camping". As I understand it, he went out the next day (or shortly thereafter) and tried to cover his trail more profoundly.

He killed his children when it became too apparent that they remembered too much, particularly about mom in the "trunk".

All so utterly terrible. What a terrible tragedy beyond comprehension.

[Non Sequitur]

If I had to guess, I'd say they fought. She was leaving and that was final. I suspect he accidentally killed her. He then put her in the "trunk" as her oldest allegedly recalled. They got in the car and went out in the wasteland that is generally utah and he dumped the body somewhere. This is the "camping". As I understand it, he went out the next day (or shortly thereafter) and tried to cover his trail more profoundly.

He killed his children when it became too apparent that they remembered too much, particularly about mom in the "trunk".

All so utterly terrible. What a terrible tragedy beyond comprehension.

If it were an accident, it's hard to imagine there would be no evidence. Even when you plan it, it's hard not to leave any evidence. I also don't think he killed his kids because he was afraid they were going to talk. If you're going to kill yourself, what does it matter what the kids say? I think he killed his kids because it was the ultimate FU.

[Jeff Lebowski]

If it were an accident, it's hard to imagine there would be no evidence. Even when you plan it, it's hard not to leave any evidence. I also don't think he killed his kids because he was afraid they were going to talk. If you're going to kill yourself, what does it matter what the kids say? I think he killed his kids because it was the ultimate FU.

Exactly.

"I am going to murder my kids so that they can't prove that I am a murderer."

Makes zero sense.

[LA Ute]

If it were an accident, it's hard to imagine there would be no evidence. Even when you plan it, it's hard not to leave any evidence. I also don't think he killed his kids because he was afraid they were going to talk. If you're going to kill yourself, what does it matter what the kids say? I think he killed his kids because it was the ultimate FU.

According to my psychiatrist friends, when a person who is not mentally ill commits suicide, it is usually just what you say it is. I guess when someone doing that takes innocents with him, it's adding a few exclamation points to the "FU." Pointless in the end. He'll be remembered as a villain and a scumbag.

[cougjunkie]

Exactly.

"I am going to murder my kids so that they can't prove that I am a murderer."

Makes zero sense.

Because he is worried about how he will be remembered.

The only thing missing in K-dogs timeline was the search outside of Nephi where the cadaver dogs found scent in a hole. I believe this is where she was originally buried and Josh went back later and moved the body.