In 2009, Washington resident Susan Powell went missing, and her husband Josh Powell was the prime suspect. On the night of a family camping trip, Susan went missing and the night remained a mystery. Years later, Josh and Susan’s children Braden and Charles Powell began opening up about the night of the disappearance, and told their grandparents that they had seen their mother in the trunk of the car. They also stated that they saw their parents walking away together, and after, their mother disappeared.

On Sunday February 5, 2012, Josh Powell set an explosive off in his home that killed himself, Braden, and Charles Powell. The explosion occurred minutes after the boy and a social worker attempted to enter the home. Josh let the children go inside the house, but blocked the social worker from coming in. The social worker frantically called supervisors, reporting that she smelled gasoline in the home; moments later the house exploded. Josh Powell’s lawyer Jeffery Bassett reported that he received an e-mail from Josh Powell before the explosion, stating three simple words: “I’m sorry, goodbye.” The house then proceeded to burn, until all that was left was the frame work. Three bodies were found in the home and it has been confirmed to be the bodies of Josh Powell and his two sons.

Josh Powell had a history of violence dating back to the 90’s, where he once attempted to commit suicide. His mother, Terrica Powell, also reported that Josh once threatened her with a butcher knife after asking him to wash the dishes. In the month of January, Josh Powell had lost custody of his two sons after finding parent- child incest images on his computer, and was ordered to undergo an extensive psychosexual evaluation, consent to taking a polygraph test, and attend mandatory counseling, before he was able to regain custody of his two sons, Braden and Charles. Unfortunately, Powell never agreed to these circumstances and instead, took his sons along in his demise.