SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - The Josh Powell house explosion and investigation may be going on in Washington, but West Valley City Police are now there to work with Pierce County Deputies anyway they can. One agency is looking for details and answers in the needless and deadly explosion. The other agency is looking to solve the disappearance of Susan Powell.
West Valley City Police Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen says "We wanted to see how they are doing with their investigation and see if can glean anything off of that." Chief Nielsen was careful not to step on any toes and continued by saying, "Pierce County might, through the investigation in the next couple weeks, come up with some good ideas and strategies that might help us."
Chief Nielsen says he also wanted to meet with the Cox family and let them know that just because Josh is dead, the investigation into their daughters disappearance is not. "We've got circumstantial evidence that is sealed and were always trying to build on that - follow up on leads. Maybe there will be something that comes out of this." When asked if Steve Powell, Josh's father could be charged he said "Absolutely." And he went on to say, "He (Steve Powell) is part of the people we have talked to and that we had some interest in."
Chief Nielsen went on to say, even though Josh Powell is gone it doesn't change the way they look for answers because Josh never came forward "and gave us any information." West Valley City Police have had a minimum of seven detectives and up to 40 working on this case for the past two years. Even though Josh Powell might have been feeling like the walls were closing in because of recent custody hearings and news that his oldest son had remembered something about Susan Powell being in a trunk of a car - Chief Nielsen says of Powell, "What he did is a decision that he made. It had nothing to do with where we are in a criminal case."
The death of the Braden and Charles Powell struck an emotional nerve with the seasoned cop. At one point during his news conference he began to tear up. And for 15 seconds he had to stop talking to regain his composure. At that point he said, "There isn't a person in the world who deserves this - And this was his (Josh Powell) choice." Then he added, "After 30 years you see a lot and this is right there with the worse you can imagine."
Ironically, Chief Nielsen says that his department's main concern over the last few months "was the safety of those children."
