Josh Powell, Husband of Missing Woman Susan Powell, and Two Sons Dead in Blaze

The story of missing woman Susan Powell and husband Josh Powell has come to an extremely tragic end, as now all four members of the Powell family have died or are presumed dead.

Josh Powell has long been suspected in the disappearance and assumed murder of his wife Susan, 28, who has been missing since a strange camping trip taken by Josh with the two young boys during a blizzard in December 2009. Powell has long insisted his wife ran off with another man, but a lawyer for Susan Powell’s family said that it is only recently the boys- then toddlers- had begun to piece together what happened on the night Susan Powell disappeared. The lawyer recalls the boys’ account of the trip:

“They had gone camping. Their mother had been in the trunk and later, their mom and dad walked out into the desert and mommy got lost.”

The tragedy occurred yesterday during a hand-off with a social worker at Josh Powell’s home. Powell had been locked in a custody battle with the Cox family, Susan’s parents, and a social worker visited the Powell home for a supervised visit. It was then Powell sent a chilling email to his lawyer, and police believe, killed himself and his children. CBS explains:

About ten minutes before the fire started, Powell reportedly sent his attorney an email that read, “I’m sorry. Goodbye.” Then, just minutes after his children were dropped off by a social worker for a supervised visit, the explosion occurred.

“He grabbed the kids,” said [Police spokesman Ed Troyer], “locked her out of the house, and immediately, the house went up in flames. … We believe that the house fire went up so fast that accelerants were used.”

The bodies of Josh Powell, five-year-old Braden and seven-year-old Charles were found inside the home after the explosion.