911 call: Worker says Josh Powell 'exploded' home

Powell house explosion

Investigators believe a gas explosion at a house in Graham, Wash., that killed Josh Powell and his two sons was a murder-suicide.
Photographer: Mary Calderon

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Posted: 02/08/2012

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Authorities have released 911 recordings that revealed a social worker's frantic attempts to alert authorities that Josh Powell had locked himself and his two young sons in his home moments before he set the house on fire, killing everyone inside.

The unidentified social worker can be heard saying she had just dropped off the boys and that a man grabbed them, and then wouldn't let her in the door.

Josh Powell was scheduled for a supervised visit with his sons Sunday. The recordings released by the Pierce County Sheriff's office Tuesday reveal that the social worker screamed "He exploded the house!" after the fiery blaze began.

Josh Powell and his sons, 7-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Braden, perished. Josh Powell had lost custody of them following their mother's 2000 disappearance in Utah.

Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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