Comments about ‘Report: Washington social workers needed more Powell information from West Valley police’

In a perfect world, we would be able to predict the weather, the stock market, the outcome of various games of chance, and human behavior. Thus, cause and effect versus free choice makes for some difficult planning decisions. Yet, we know that the sun will rise in the east, that most traffic lights will turn red, that our favorite shows on television will occur as described in our newspapers, and the Summer Olympics will occur every four years. When it comes Josh Powell, in a perfect world, all the social service and law enforcement agencies in two different states would have perfectly educated professionals who are dedicated 24/7 along with the most advanced communication and technological resources. Yet, there are some seemingly obvious, commonsense oversights, judgment calls, subjective decisions regarding issuing arrest warrants that if had been different would have reasonably reduced the chances of a murder occurring. The Washington report seems politically delicate, avoiding the pointed conclusions as perhaps unnecessary after the fact questioning and only starting another round of controversy and instead providing guidelines for the future instead of looking back into the past.

What about gut instinct by professionals? Who couldn't sense that this guy was pure evil? You don't think the grandparents were fearful for their grandchildren's lives , knowing that had killed their daughter?

And this agency investigates itself?? And finds no one could have predicted this?? Talk about corruption. There are stories everyday in the news about parents killing their children and then committing suicide. Powell knew the kids were talking and remembering. He was a ticking time bomb.

There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.

Those of us from Utah who have followed this case for the past 2 1/2 years were saddened, but not surprised, at the actions taken by Josh. He was a controller, a manipulator, a man who appeared to have no conscience or concern for the whereabouts of his wife. As posted above, he was a ticking time bomb. Supervised visits were definitely not enough, but should have been done in a place other than his home, where he would not have control over the situation. What has been done cannot be undone, but I hope this tragedy will help guide the future actions of judges, counselors, and others who work in similar positions, in regards to the safety and well-being of defenseless children. Rest in peace, little boys.

First hint: Murderers of family members tend to murder family members. Obscure, I realize, but connect the dots.

So I guess I must be the only one who followed the story that was shouting at my computer scree that the children were in danger and needed to be protected from their dad. Yeah, only me.

time to move on.

I don't have much confidence in child welfare services. I know of a situation where a mother lost custody of her daughter (had supervised visitation) to the child's father (whom the child had little or no prior contact with) and stepmother. The father (lived in a different county) was on medical disability and abused pain meds/narcotics. The stepmother was the breadwinner and worked a couple of night shifts in addition to working during the day. The social worker involved wrote a patently false and misleading report (I was not a family member, but witnessed certain events) despite my having informed the child welfare services supervisor through a letter and in-person meeting. So, the child stayed with the husband and stepmother for 1 1/2 yrs. at which time the stepmother filed for divorce and left the child behind with the drug-addicted father. Long story short, the child ended up back with her mother and began to reveal to therapists incidents of sexual abuse.

I think social workers have a hard job. But it seems at times authorities are more focused on "disposing" of a case than really looking at the facts.

"No one could have predicted murders of Powell children."

That statement is absurd on its face. Why do we bother to hire and pay "professionals" who can't see what to many of us was a real possibility? I feared for the safety of the children long before they were ever murdered. Someone needs to lose their job over this tragedy.

Our politicians, courts, police, and the "professionals" continue to fail at protecting us and our loved ones, and the "liberal establishment" wonders why so many of us want to buy guns?

He wasn't arrested or convicted of anything. So they could proceed to conclude he would do the same to the boys.

Baloney. The grandparents predicted that it was extremely dangerous. But hey they were only the parents of a murdered/missing daughter so what did they know?

I live in Federal Way, WA about 15 miles from Puyallup where Josh and his boys died. DSHS, the Washington agency responsible for protecting the Powell children has lost many law suits where somebody died due to their negligence. They are experts at not being able to see the obvious. They are even better at making excuses for themselves. Of course the study exonerated them and shifted blame to West Valley City.

These guys have never been responsible for anything. I guess that makes them irresponsible.

I have to call bull. Everyone saw this as a real possibility except for the bureaucracy who was supposedly looking out for the childrens' interests. Fine - the courts want the father to have some visitation - it never should've been allowed in his home, just one example. There was a failure from the investigators/police department/courts on up - unfortunately only lip service regarding changes/safegaurds etc., will be paid by these agencies & we'll wonder how long it will take for them to learn their lesson when this happens again.

There are many well written and astute comments made by the posters on this article. I too think there were enough red flags the children should have only seen their father at a location where he couldn't whisk them in to murder them.

No one could predict it? I think the grandparents plus those following the story knew the children were in danger. It was obvious. So they did an inside investigation and found no one could predict it? Something is very wrong with this picture.

Umm yeah.

You're right. Powell's weird behavior, always changing story on what happened that horrible night, and the kids' telling their teachers on how their daddy had "killed" their mother weren't hints. Yep. No smoke here at all.

He should have had parental privileges revoked when he took his kids out "camping" in sub zero weather alone. Add into the mix all the other stuff, there's no way that dude should have been in the same state as his children!

Face it, Draper Police really dropped the ball.

I guess Washington State dropped the ball by failing to issue social workers a crystal ball. Who would have predicted Josh Powell would have atacked his boys with a hatchet and blow the house up. I don't blame WA authorities. What next sue the movie theatre's in Colorado for the actions of a mentally disturbed individual. Let it go. The boys are gone. They are most likely with their mother away from the influence of Josh.