Tacoma, Wash. - Although the Westboro Baptist Church had previously announced their plans to protest the funeral of Charlie, 7, and Braden Powell, 5 – the sons of missing woman Susan Powell – on Friday, its founder announced the picketing had been canceled. The children died Sunday after their father, Josh Powell, used a weapon to chop their necks and then set fire to his home – killing himself and the boys in the process.
KATU reports that Fred Phelps Jr. announced that because he had been interviewed on a syndicated radio show, the plans to protest the children's funeral had been terminated.
“Just finished interview with @BobbyDshow. Bobby D. was a real gentleman. Washington trip now cancelled,” Phelps tweeted.
His daughter, Marjorie J. Phelps posted a tweet as well confirming his assertion.
On Wednesday, however, Marjorie posted a tweet directed toward the governor of Washington state, saying the boys died because “God's cursed” him with “Josh Powells blowing up kids.”
To see the witness photos of Josh Powell's home in flames after massive explosion, click here.
Washington state has passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, which Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign next week.
Not long after Westboro made its intentions known, several groups, including Occupy Seattle, announced they would block the protesters.
According to KOMO, the radio interview with Phelps came about after the church founder announced that if Bobby D. let him appear on his show, he'd cancel the funeral protest.
“I talked to them and said, 'Would you be willing to talk to me instead of showing up – and letting the family have their peace?' And they said, 'Yeah, we can think about that,'” Bobby D. told KOMO.
He noted he does not agree with the church's views and will not air the interview until Monday after the funeral has taken place.
Services are slated to take place for the Powell boys at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Life Center Church in Tacoma.
Josh 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 had subsequently 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.
Josh and Susan's two sons had been living with her parents, Chuck and Judy Cox.
On Feb. 5 at around 12:45 p.m. PT, a case worker, Elizabeth Griffin-Hall, brought Josh's sons to his home for a supervised visit. She claims that after they arrived he blocked the door and would not let her enter, after which an explosion took place destroying the home. Griffin-Hall was not physically harmed.
To see the witness photos of Josh Powell's home in flames after massive explosion, click here.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner announced that the two children – Charles, 7, and Braden, 5 – sustained chops on their necks with a small ax or hatchet and were killed 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.
He 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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