Cop: Fatal fire was 'planned-out' tragedy

SEATTLE -- Charlie and Braden Powell did not want to see their father Sunday during a court-ordered visitation, grandparents Chuck and Judy Cox said yesterday.

The Coxes aren't sure why the boys didn't want to see Josh Powell at his rental house in Graham, Wash. But they insisted the children go because of the court order.

It was during the visit that police say Josh Powell set the home on fire, killing Charlie, 7, Braden, 5, and himself. Authorities say they believe Powell had planned the deadly fire for some time, dropping toys and books at Goodwill and sending final emails to friends and acquaintances.

The boys had chop wounds to their necks in addition to smoke inhalation, the main cause of death, the medical examiner's office said. A hatchet was found.

Gasoline from a five-gallon can was spread throughout the house and used as an accelerant.

Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ed Troyer called the fire "a deliberate, planned-out event." Before setting it, he said, Powell had sent emails to his lawyer, pastor, friends and relatives, telling some, "I'm sorry. I can't live without my boys." He also left instructions on how to take care of his "final business," Troyer said.

A tearful Chuck and Judy Cox spoke of their pain, compounded by the loss of their daughter, Susan Powell. Josh Powell is a person of interest in the December 2009 disappearance of his wife from their home in West Valley City, Utah.

Powell had told police he took the boys on a midnight camping trip in subfreezing temperatures. When he returned, he said, Susan Powell was gone. Police, almost from the start, questioned his story.

"The oldest boy talked about that they went camping and that Mommy was in the trunk. Mom and Dad got out of the car, and Mom disappeared," said Steve Downing, attorney for the Coxes.

Powell had lost custody of the boys after his father was arrested last year for allegedly possessing child pornography in a house they previously shared.

With AP