Utah police say they still wouldn’t arrest Josh Powell
Apr 3, 2012, 4:41 AM | Updated: 8:12 am
Pierce County says it would have arrested and charged Josh Powell with his wife’s murder with the evidence authorities in Utah had, but the police chief in West Valley City, Utah, says he still wouldn’t make an arrest.
West Valley City Police chief Buzz Nielsen said he believes the case was too circumstantial to stick, despite the blood found in Powell’s home, the rushed cleaning job, and bizarre alibi of a camping trip in the snow.
Despite the criticism, chief Nielsen tells Fox 13 Salt Lake he still doesn’t believe his detectives had enough.
“What would we have to arrest him on,” Nielsen said. “The probable cause? And then we’d go to court and lose it or plead to a lesser offense? He’d be out and still probably do what he wanted.”
The recent release of evidence in Susan Powell’s disappearance has police and prosecutors in Washington state wondering why Josh Powell wasn’t arrested, before he had a chance to murder his sons in Graham, Wash.
Susan Powell’s family is considering a lawsuit against the police for the way it handled the case, leaving Josh Powell free allowing him to kill his children.
