Josh Powell’s brother kills himself in Minnesota

The Powell family tragedy expanded to Minnesota Monday, where the brother-in-law of a missing Puyallup woman committed suicide.

The younger brother of Josh Powell jumped off the Centre Village Parking Ramp at 700 5th Ave. S. in downtown Minneapolis at roughly 2:25 p.m., according to a police report.

Michael Powell, 30, died on impact.

Homicide detectives there will wait to close the case until the medical examiner concludes their investigation, according to Minneapolis police Sgt. Steve McCarty.

Powell moved to Minneapolis in 2010, where he attended the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities Campus, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

He was a vocal supporter of his brother, who was a person of interest in the December 2009 disappearance of his wife, Susan Cox Powell.

Josh Powell killed himself and the couple’s two children, 7-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Braden, in an explosion at his rental home in Graham, Wash., on Feb. 5, 2012.

Kiirsi Hellewell, a childhood friend of Susan Cox-Powell, told KSL Radio in Salt Lake City that she worries Michael Powell may have known something about Susan’s disappearance.

“And now it’s gone,” she said.

Hellewell also extended her condolences to Jennifer Graves, the estranged sister of Michael and Josh Powell. Graves believed her brother had something to do with Susan’s disappearance and planned to take custody of Charlie and Braden before they were killed.

“I felt so heartbroken for her, because they have been through so much,” Hellewell said of Graves. “Even though she has been estranged from Michael for the last basically three years she still loved him, he is still her brother, she grew up with him and she’s just got to be going through so much.”

Jennifer, Josh and Michael’s father, Steven Powell, is currently incarcerated in Pierce County, Wash., after being convicted of voyeurism charges in June 2012.