Josh Powell Threatened Mother With Knife Before House Explosion

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By Brittney R. Villalva , Christian Post Reporter
February 9, 2012|12:42 pm

New reports concerning Josh Powell, the man who killed himself and his two children in a house explosion after his wife went missing in Utah, have delved into his history when he was an adolescent.

According to 1992 court documents obtained by ABC News, Powell has had disturbing thoughts since his youth. The documents include several statements made by Terrica Powell describing her son's disturbing behavior.

One incident recalls Josh Powell's reaction to his mother after she had asked him to do the dished. "I felt extreme fear when Josh made a veiled threat at me with a butcher knife in his hand. His demeanor was menacing for a moment as he said, 'Don't push it, mom,'" his mother wrote. "… I was terrified and left the room to go downstairs…"

Josh Powell's wife, Susan, went missing in 2009. Powell was considered the only person of interest in the case but was never charged for her murder. Powell later moved to his father, Steven Powell's house, in Washington where he was arrested in 2011 on charges of voyeurism and child pornography. Powell's kids were taken by child custody services and put in the care of Susan Powell's parents.

During a supervised visit with Powell and his sons, Powell locked out the Social Services worker and minutes later the house exploded. The social worker was in the middle of a 911 call when the explosion occurred. Emergency services are under investigation for not considering the situation life threatening.

During the phone call a deputy said that emergency services"have to respond to emergencies, life-threatening situations first."

This could be life-threatening,"Griffin-Hall responded. "He was in court on Wednesday and he didn't get his kids back and this is really... I'm afraid for their lives."

Emergency services had also received a call from Powell's sister Alina who said she had received disturbing emails form her brother.

Before the incident occurred, Powell left a voicemail to five different family members which relayed his good byes. "This is Josh. I'm calling to say goodbye. I am not able to live without my sons and I'm not able to go on anymore. I'm sorry to everyone I've hurt. Goodbye," the voicemail said.

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