Police buy cemetery plots to block Josh Powell from being buried next to his boys

[RandySF]

A sheriff and his sergeant in Washington state have bought burial plots next to Josh Powell's boys in order to block family members from burying him next to them, according to a media report Wednesday.

"The bottom line is, Josh Powell will not be near those two boys," Pierce County Sheriff's Sgt. Ed Troyer said in an interview with a Seattle-area radio program called the Ron and Don Show.

Josh Powell's surviving relatives wanted him to buried at the same cemetery as the two sons he killed, the city manager in Puyallup said earlier Wednesday.

But that does not look like it is going to happen.

Troyer and Sheriff Paul Pastor used their personal money and funds from Crimestoppers Tacoma-Pierce County to buy plots that are on either side of the boys, according to a report on the radio station's website that was confirmed by Troyer on Twitter.


http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/15/10418602-police-buy-cemetery-plots-to-block-josh-powell-from-being-buried-next-to-his-boys

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. He murdered his sons, and most likely his wife too.

He should not be anywhere near those precious boys!

Let him be cremated and his ashes strewn far away...

[Zookeeper]

2. Good! Although...

I hope the use of those Crimestoppers' funds won't affect the prevention of another tragedy.

This sort of crime must be very hard on the police, emergency personnel and, particularly, that social worker who delivered the boys to him and was kept out of the house.

[exboyfil]

16. How can you redirect funds like this?

It seems like a misuse of funds. I am all on board with using your personal funds.

[Missy Vixen]

24. A local radio station raised $20,000 for the expense in two hours yesterday afternoon

At best, it's a loan.

"Misuse of funds"? I think not. Neither does anyone else living in the Seattle area that knows anything at all about this sickening, tragic story.

[greyl]

3. I'm not fully on board with this.

1. Interfering with the surviving family's wishes
2. Using Crimestopper funds for civil activism

[Scootaloo]

9. My thoughts exactly

It's the family's call, not the police

[Zookeeper]

10. His family wanted them buried together....

We don't know how the maternal grandparents felt about it.

BTW, apparently his father and brother exhibited some pretty disturbing behaviors. I think that's why the children were placed with the mother's family.

[MADem]

13. I'd imagine the maternal side would want Pa's remains chopped up and fed to crocodiles.

And I shouldn't blame them, either.

[hobbit709]

18. that or crab bait.

[intheflow]

17. Josh Powell's father was arrested on child porn charges.

I think the Powell family has no fucking right to say where the children are buried, since they obviously are incapable of loving and protecting children.

[shanti]

34. he had a brother?

i'll have to google this.

[whopis01]

23. Agree with #2 - not so much on #1

The misuse of funds is just wrong - I agree with that.

But when it comes to the plots, all they did is purchase the plot. The family could have done so, but they didn't.

Beyond that, you could use the "interfering with the surviving family's wishes" either way. Some of the surviving family doesn't want him buried there. That's their wishes - who is supposed to get their way?

[Missy Vixen]

25. How would you feel if your daughter's murderer purchased the burial plot next to hers?

1. Please educate yourself on the facts involved before commenting.
2. The Crimestopper funds will be reimbursed by the $20,000 raised by a local radio station yesterday afternoon. There is NOBODY in the Seattle area that objects to this expenditure.

[Zookeeper]

30. I think people are responding to the info in the OP...

I doubt that anyone would object if the Crimestopper funds are being reimbursed.

[Kellerfeller]

27. The family could have bought the plots

if they wanted to, right?

[Pachamama]

4. Good on them!

Too bad they couldnt prevent Josh Powell from even being buried in the same cemetery or even the state of Washington!

Rest in peace sweet little boys....so sorry you had to die at the hands of your evil father.....

Glad the Pierce County Police will be able to keep him away from ever being near you again....just wish it could have been done sooner.....

[Kalidurga]

5. I think its the best they(the police) can do

I don't understand Powell's relatives in the slightest on this. They should be at least trying to do the right thing by the Powell's victims, posthumously his sons and his wife. Not to mention the remaining relatives on his wife's side of the family. That is who they should be thinking about.

[ZombieHorde]

6. I don't understand the point, but OK. nt

[BlueIris]

7. It's rare I have anything good to say about law enforcement.

But I don't see anything wrong with this. I am so horrified by this man's terrible actions that the thought of his children's final resting place being disturbed by, well, his deceased body, sickens me.

I really hope the children are in a better place.

[EFerrari]

8. Nothing like making an ugly situation a little bit uglier.

[Zookeeper]

11. I imagine the parents of his murdered wife...

who also are the grandparents of the children that he hacked up with an axe and then burned to death, would find it pretty ugly to be reminded of him when they visit the graves of their grandchildren.

It's too late for the dead; this is meant to be a comfort for the living.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. Exactly right. n/t

[Amerigo Vespucci]

20. I agree completely.

I can't even pretend that I can put myself in the shoes of the surviving family members. That said, I have to believe that if I had learned that Washington Police had done this, I'd feel gratitude.

[mercuryblues]

22. +1

[JI7]

15. how so ?

[Raine]

12. GOOD, they should not have to spend eternity next to the man who hacked them to death

then exploded and burned them up after murdering their mother.

[pinboy3niner]

14. Props to the cops

That's based on my first read. If I missed something, I'm willing to be enlightened.

[Beacool]

21. Good for them!!!

That sorry excuse of a human being lost his right to be buried with his children when he hacked them and then burned them to death. Aside from most likely being their mother's killer.

I hope that the bastard is rotting in Hell!!!!!!

[LiberalFighter]

26. It would had been better to get a court order to prohibit the removal of the boys' remains

and the interment of his body within 50 feet of their remains.

As it stands now, he could have their remains moved to another location unknown to the legal authorities. Which would make it possible to still be buried near them.

[Missy Vixen]

28. Who's "he"?

Josh Powell's father has no legal right to demand anything in this scenario. He's not the custodial parent. Susan Cox Powell's parents were the custodial parents, by court order. THEY are the ones who were able to determine where their grandsons were buried. Did I mention that Josh Powell's father is currently in prison due to a child porn conviction?

The Powell family attempted to have Josh Powell's remains interred in a public cemetery next to the two sons he murdered a week and a half ago. The Powell family has no legal right to get a "court order" on anything at all pertaining to these kids and their burial.

The Cox family, however, is preparing a temporary restraining order preventing the Powells from burying their homicidal son in the same cemetery as his victims. Members of the community came forward yesterday and purchased the plots on either side of the little boys. Considering the fact a local radio station raised $20,000 in two hours yesterday towards this effort, I'm fairly sure the prospective gravesite a short distance away will also be purchased. The group involved in the purchase has already offered the closer plots to the Cox family, when and if the remains of Susan Cox Powell are ever found.

[lunatica]

29. This story is so absolutely horrific and tragic

It just makes me feel a painful lump in my throat.

[Bad_Ronald]

31. Agreed

It's occurrences like this that make me wonder if there's any hope for our species at all. There are some people in this world that would give anything to be blessed with two beautiful sons. And then there are people like Josh Powell....

[countryjake]

32. The plot that was dug, uphill from the little boys' grave, is now safe...

as the Powell family has backed down on their intentions of burying the father in the same location as the two sons that he murdered. According to several local news reports this morning, the actual burial plot that the Powell's had reserved and which had already been prepared for Josh Powell's interment, a spot which was uphill and overlooked the grave of little Charlie and Braden, has been given up by Josh Powell's mother and the Woodbine Cemetery confirms that the grave is no longer reserved by that family.



http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Powell-family-backing-off-gravesite-plans--139446858.html


http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/16/2028652/powell-family-backing-off-cemetery.html

[flexnor]

33. Opens the door to scalping gravesites like concert tickets

dont think there arent people who'd do it, scout out grave vacencies, research those with more recent graves around and family still alive. or sections where friends/neighbors are buried in the same area

social media makes it far more possible to research relationships

buy up the best prospect, then offer them up at a premium when obits appear

off the top of my head, i can think of areas in my own home town's cemetary that this would totally apply to, i'm just not scummy enough to do it

but a lot of people are, any scam that can be thought of is a scam people will do. might be a good way for those who run the mugshot extortion websites to invest their money (where they take a persons mugshot, and make sure it's the first thing that shows up when a person's name is googled UNLESS a fee is paid)

similar to domain name squatting when the internet got started

i think the harm that can be done from future non-justified spite buying and speculation outweighs the good that can be done here

from seinfeld

"And why do you wish to return this sir?"

"Spite! I don't like the salesman who sold it to me"

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't think we can refund an item for spite"

[Missy Vixen]

35. You're joking, right?

Perhaps you should acquaint yourself with what exactly happened to Charlie and Braden Powell (and most likely, their mother, Susan,) at the hands of Josh Powell before insisting Crimestoppers paying for the adjoining graves would leave the door open for "scalping" gravesites in any situation. It's ridiculous.

Feel free to start with the following.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017434073_powell06m.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017512903_powell16m.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017522364_apusmissingmomutahburial.html

BTW, I'm curious to know what YOUR reaction would be if the family members of the person that murdered three members of your family decided they wanted to be buried next to them. I'm sure you'd think that was just fine, wouldn't you?