Police: Josh Powell donated boys' toys, other items before murdering them

"It's not fair that everybody has been taken away from our family," she said of both the boys and her sister, Susan Cox Powell, who has been missing since 2009.

Three police officers were visible at Emma L. Carson Elementary Monday morning as parents dropped off their children.

"It's very sad here," said Karen Hansen, executive director of communications for the Puyallup School District. "The district feels very bad about this tragedy."

Teachers and staff at the school, where Charlie attended first grade, were offered counseling before school began Monday. They were also given a list of ideas about how best to address the sensitive topic with students.

A handout suggested telling students: "I have sad news to report. Yesterday, Charlie Powell, one of our fist grade students, died in a terrible tragedy. He was a nice friendly young man and our Carson family will miss him."

Hansen said guidance counselors were also present and teachers planned to be "very vigilant" about watching children for any signs that may warrant help.

The fire happened Sunday shortly after the boys were brought over to Josh Powell's house, 8119 189th Street Court East, for one of their bi-weekly supervised three-hour visits. It was the first supervised visit since a judge ruled Wednesday that their maternal grandparents Chuck and Judy Cox would continue to have temporary custody of the boys.

The boys ran toward the home, ahead of the social worker there to oversee the visit. By the time she got to the door, Powell had let his sons in but locked her out, Graham Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Franz said.

"He pushed her out. He blocked her out," Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. "The whole thing was planned."

The social worker called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas, and moments later the home erupted in flames.

The fire was intense, but there was no explosion, Troyer said. Windows popped out because of the heat, which some residents may have mistaken for an explosion.

Just minutes before, Josh Powell had sent an email to his attorney, Jeff Bassett, which simply said, "I'm sorry, goodbye." Bassett did not see the email until he was told about the fire.

"It's not a shock that he's capable of doing that, but the fact he actually did it shocks us," Denise Cox said. "That was the shocker."

Cox said the boys on Sunday did not want to go to their father's house, which he reportedly was renting, because they wanted to stay and play with their cousins instead.

Sunday's tragedy came just four days after a hearing in Pierce County Superior Court in which a judge ordered the children to remain in the custody of the Cox family and Powell to undergo a psychosexual evaluation. The evaluation was ordered because of purported images found on one of Powell's computers by West Valley police.

During the hearing, the guardian ad litem reported Branden and Charlie were making great progress and doing well with Chuck and Judy Cox.

Denise Cox said she had watched how the boys had gone from at first being reserved around their grandparents because of what they had been told by their father, to opening up and greeting everyone with hugs.

The bitter feud between Powell and his in-laws has been ongoing for nearly two years and has split Powell's family. Some believe Powell was responsible for Susan's disappearance. He has long been called a person of interest in the case by West Valley police.

When asked Sunday whether she feared the answer of what happened to her sister died with her brother-in-law, Denise Cox admitted she was "totally terrified of it."

Her belief is that Steven Powell, Josh's father, has some information about what happened to Susan. Her hope is that he'll share that information now that his son and the grandsons are gone.

"I'm hoping he tells us where she's at," Cox said. "I think he's our last hope."