Crews demolish home where Josh Powell killed two young sons, himself

A demolition crew has removed all of the debris left at
the Washington home where Josh Powell killed himself and
his two young sons in a fiery explosion in February.

Powell was married to Susan Cox Powell, who went missing
from their West Valley, Utah home in December 2009. He
returned to Puyallup with his sons, but lost custody after
his father, Steven Powell, was arrested for investigation
of voyeurism and child pornography.

A social worker brought 5-year-old Braden and 7-year-old
Charlie to Josh Powell’s home for a visit when he slammed
the door in her face and set a fire, killing himself and
his two sons.

Powell was never arrested or charged in his wife’s
disappearance, but recently released documents show the
evidence against Josh Powell was strong. Evidence included
blood in the house, his tale of a midnight winter camping
trip, and a generator, gas can, tarps, and shovel found in
his van.

Legal experts say it was enough to convict Powell of his
wife’s murder, even if prosecutors did not have her body
as evidence.

“They could have gotten a conviction, but…nobody knew he
was going to do this,” said Laurie Levenson, a professor
at Loyola University Law School in Los Angeles.

A contractor, Greg Pelland of Pelland Enterprises, says he
was told to remove every trace of the home in Graham on
Wednesday, including the driveway.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.