Graham, Wash. - The case worker who brought Josh Powell's children to his home for a supervised visit said he told them he had a “surprise” prior to killing them and himself inside the house.
Elizabeth Griffin-Hall said during an interview to air Friday night on '20/20' that after Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5, entered the house on Sunday, Feb. 5, Josh slammed the door on her and locked it. She then heard him tell the eldest child, “I've got a big surprise for you,” as the younger child cried.
Josh was the husband of missing Utah woman, Susan Powell.
To see the witness photos of Josh Powell's home in flames after massive explosion, click here.
He had lost custody of his children in Sept. 2011 after his father, Steve Powell, whom he lived with at the time, was arrested on charges involving child pornography. Josh later rented a home of his own, but was denied custody of the boys on Feb. 1, 2012. According to The Seattle Times, he was ordered to undergo an “intensive psychosexual evaluation” due to “incestuous” images discovered on his computer prior to the court considering his custody request. The evaluation was also slated to include a polygraph examination.
Charlie and Braden had been living with Susan's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox and Josh was allowed supervised visits.
Griffin-Hall told '20/20' that after she was denied entry to Josh's home, she continued to bang on the door, but he would not let her in. She immediately telephoned her supervisor and then called 911. While on the phone the “house exploded,” she said.
She noted the boys' visits with their father had been going well and stated, “One of them said what he wanted to do was go home and live with daddy.” Griffin-Hall added that when they would visit Josh they would “light up.”
Griffin-Hall adamantly expressed she wanted to get the boys out of the house and said during the '20/20' interview, “I would have broken in if I could.”
She added, “...Josh was really, really evil. I couldn't have stopped him... I did everything I was supposed to do... and the boys are still dead... The world lost two beautiful boys to a monster.”
To see the witness photos of Josh Powell's home in flames after massive explosion, click here.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner announced that once Josh had Charlie and Braden inside the house he chopped their necks with a small ax or hatchet, noting the boys died by carbon monoxide poisoning before the home went up in flames.
Josh, who had been the only person of interest in his wife’s disappearance, alleged that the December 2009 night his wife vanished, he and his two young sons – then ages 2 and 4 – were on a camping trip in freezing cold temperatures in the remote Tooele County, Ut. desert area at around midnight. He claims they slept in a minivan and when they returned home the next day, Susan, 28, was gone.
To see more photos of Susan, click here.
Josh rented a car two days later and drove hundreds of miles in the vehicle – offering no viable explanation to police. Only a month later, he packed up his children and moved from his Utah home to the Puyallup, Washington area, moving in with his father.
Steve Powell pleaded guilty to 14 charges of voyeurism and one count of possession of child pornography and remains behind bars on $200,000 bail. Authorities allege he had been surreptitiously filming women – including Susan – and also claim he took video of two young neighbor girls as they used the toilet and bathed.
Steve is now a person of interest in Susan's case, according to multiple media reports.
To read the charging document against Steve Powell, click here.
To see photos regarding Susan's case, click here.
Anyone with information regarding Susan Powell's whereabouts or her disappearance is urged to call the West Valley City Police Dept. at 801-840-4000.
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