Social worker: Powell "slammed" door in my face

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Police released 911 calls that revealed a social worker's frantic attempts to alert authorities that Josh Powell had locked himself in his home with his two young sons, moments before he set off a huge fire that killed all inside.

"He exploded the house!" the social worker tells a dispatcher at one point.

Before the fire erupted, the woman, who was supposed to monitor a supervised visit between Powell and his children, said he grabbed them and wouldn't let her in the door.

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"The kids were one step ahead of me and he slammed the door in my face," she explains.

"What should I do?" she asks the dispatcher. "Nothing like this has ever happened before at these visitations. ... I could hear one of the kids crying, and he still wouldn't let me in."

Also Tuesday, police searched a storage unit Powell rented as they tried to determine why he ultimately committed the murder-suicide, and questions remained about the status of the investigation into his wife's 2009 Utah disappearance.

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For at least six months, Utah authorities have investigated the disappearance of Susan Powell as a murder case. But without a body, they publicly held out hope that she would be found alive.

What evidence did they have that the 28-year-old mother of two was dead? And was there anything to identify her killer?

There was the damp spot on the floor in the Powells' Utah home and a curious late-night camping trip described by Josh Powell. There were also the recollections of their young son Braden about a camping trip and his mother being "in the trunk."

That could strike some as a clue, or the ramblings of a boy who was then just 2.

For authorities in Utah, none of it was enough to bring charges.

The man identified by investigators as a "person of interest"- Josh Powell- had already moved from Utah to Washington state, taking with him their two young sons. On Sunday, he torched his house, killing himself and the boys.

On Tuesday, investigators said Josh Powell withdrew $7,000 in cash from a bank the day before the deadly blaze. Police from Utah and Washington also searched a storage unit tied to Josh Powell in Pierce County, Wash.

Meanwhile a Washington state search warrant obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request showed that police were investigating three felonies in Utah since at least last summer: first-degree murder, kidnapping and obstructing a public servant.

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by acedce February 9, 2012 2:01 PM EST: The social worker used to be good looking, until she took a door in the face; Reply to this comment


by Antayap February 8, 2012 6:10 PM EST: This father had some. real issues someone should of notice this . Because they did not want to say something two very sweet boys died unnecessary .who ever they will have to live with. You tell by all the pictures this guy messed up.; Reply to this comment


by jade84116 February 8, 2012 5:50 PM EST: Condolences.; Reply to this comment


by omded February 8, 2012 2:44 PM EST: The social worker is probably very lucky she wasn't killed too. Had she been able to get inside the house, the father would probably have lit the blaze with her inside too.

Has anyone noticed how much this guy looked and acted like Timothy McVey?; Reply to this comment


by Jhihmoac February 8, 2012 1:11 PM EST: For some reason, I don't think what remains of this pathetic animal is going to have much of a shelf life...; Reply to this comment


by Passing_trucker February 8, 2012 11:37 AM EST: "...found a wet spot in the house..." -- did they sprayed luminol around this area to look for traces of blood? If there were traces of blood, once they've established it's human blood & DNA shows it belongs to Susan P., that should've been enough circumstantial evidence to arrest him. News never mentioned when his wife disappeared in Dec. 2009, he was fired from his computer programmer job shortly after, implying the negative publicity had impacted his career. News didn't mention what religion he belongs to, but I see similarities between this case, David Karesh (Waco massacre, April 93) and Jim Jones (Jonestown massacre, Nov. 78). When events are turning against them, they commit suicide and take as many people close to them to the afterlife.; Reply to this comment


by tobey36 February 8, 2012 10:49 AM EST: I just learned through a Seattle News Paper article this..."Sherry Hill, spokeswoman for Child Protective Services, said the worker who was with the children was not a CPS employee, but a contract worker with a private agency that supervises visits for the state. She described the worker as "emotionally traumatized." All I know is that everything I have researched on this is that they are all passing the buck and basically saying this isnt just falling on one person. I say if anything Its the Judge first for ever allowing visits at this point till he was totally evaluated by experts for a while and the Social Services that could have requested that they didnt think it was in the children's best interest at this time for any visitation. Thats all it takes. No one spoke up apparently. I want to know what Judge allowed this. I really do and he should be removed as any competent judge.; Reply to this comment


by Irby32 February 8, 2012 10:25 AM EST: "Well if Mommy's in the trunk, why is she in the trunk?' He didn't know, he didn't say, I guess. Then, he said we stopped somewhere and mommy and daddy got out and mommy didn't come back," Cox said.

The reality is not funny...but the dialogue is; Reply to this comment

by offthefence February 8, 2012 9:59 AM EST

There is no way this guy should've had visitation rights. He was the number one person of interest in his wife's disappearance.

There should have been law enforcement present until he was completely exonerated of his wife's death.

Unfortunately, it takes an incident like this to change the way these matters are handled. Pray for the people involved.

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by ge556 February 8, 2012 11:42 AM EST: First, the term is "suspect". "Person of interest" is gobbledygook. Second, a suspect does not lose rights unless a judge puts out an order.


by offthefence February 8, 2012 2:01 PM EST: Not under circumstances like this. I guarantee that there will be an armed pressence at visitations of this nature in the future.

The distiction should have been made considering the facts.

by tobey36 February 8, 2012 9:57 AM EST

I so blame without a doubt Social Services for even allowing any visiting rights at all when he was a major suspect of his wifes murder and also the courts and the sons after some time going by had said they had seen mommy in the trunk of the car when daddy was taking them camping in the winter with snow on the ground...yea right huh. I do want to say I do not blame the social worker that was there at the time , she was only doing what she was told to do. I blame Social Services in general because they have always all over this country failed short of doing a proper job to the situation at the time. They always have.I think it's time to seriously come down on Social Services. I blame them so much for this. Those children should have never been allowed to be near there father at all and if so at least at the Social Service department in a controlled environment with professionals there. But really he shouldn't have been allowed near them. I have always said everywhere in this country they fail at what they do.

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