The explosion happened shortly after a Child Protective Services worker dropped off the two children of Josh Powell for a supervised visit in Puyallup, Washington. Powell then prevented the worker from entering the house, according to Graham Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Gary Franz.
The worker reported smelling gas before the explosion, and was trying to report the incident to her supervisor when it happened, Franz said.
"Everything is telling us that this was intentional," Franz said. "This would be murder, if that was the case, on the part of Mr. Powell."
The two children, Charles Joshua Powell, 7, and Branden Timothy Powell, 5, were at the center of a bitter custody battle between their father and the parents of their missing mother.
A judge denied custody to Josh Powell on Wednesday due to the discovery of "extreme child porn" found by police in the Powell family residence, according to Pierce County Sheriff's Detective Ed Troyer.
That porn was believed to belong to his father, Stephen Powell. Custody was given to Susan's parents, Charles and Judy Cox, until Josh Powell agreed to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation.
