Josh Powell Blows Up House, Kills Self and Two Sons [Updated]

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A man whose wife went missing two years ago blew up his house on Sunday, killing himself and his two sons.

Police say that when a Child Protective Services worker dropped of his children for a supervised visit, Josh Powell met them at the door and pushed the social worker back while quickly bringing the boys inside. Moments later, the house exploded in gasoline-fueled flames - killing Powell along with Charlie, 7 and Braden, 5.

The 36-year-old was considered a person of interest in the 2009 disappearance of his wife, Utah stock broker Susan Powell. Although he was never arrested or charged in the case, he has been the subject of intense scrutiny by law enforcement as well as the media.

Powell lost custody of his sons last year after police found pornographic pictures and videos on a computer at the home. And just last week, a judge denied his request for custody and ordered him to undergo a psychosexual evaluation and polygraph test in order to get them back.

The boys were living with their maternal grandparents, Chuck and Judy Cox. Chuck told PEOPLE that Powell was a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at a moment's notice.

"We stated our fear many times, that if he was feeling desperate, that he would possibly kill himself and the boys, that this kind of thing could happen. If he felt there was no way out, that he wouldn't let anyone else have them. They were possessions to him." he said.

According to the AP, he e-mailed his attorney just minutes before he set fire to the house. “I’m sorry, goodbye,’’ he wrote. He also sent e-mails to his pastor and others just minutes before the fire, giving instructions on how to handle his end-of-life business, according to Ed Troyer, spokesman for the Pierce County, Washington, Sheriff's Department.

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