Bill in state senate aimed at preventing another Powell tragedy

It was a supervised visit one year ago this week when Josh Powell killed his two young sons, Charlie and Braden and then set his house on fire. A bill in Olympia being pushed by the boy’s grandparents might have prevented the visitation.

Chuck and Judy Cox will testify before a Senate committee Friday, supporting a bill that would prevent custody or visitation rights for parents being investigated in active murder cases.

Josh Powell was under suspicion for killing the Cox’s daughter Susan.

Senator Pam Roach is sponsoring the bill. “Had this bill been enacted last year at this time, Josh Powell would not have been able to visit his two sons,” she said. “If this bill had been enacted last year they would be alive today.”

Though Powell was never officially named as a suspect in his wife Susan’s disappearance, Roach believes there was enough information about his potential role in the case where this bill would have applied.