Josh Powell's Nightmare

A Washington State judge ruled today that Josh Powell's children are not safe in the home with their father and will not be returned to him.

Josh Powell is the husband of Susan Cox Powell, the woman (wife & mother) who has been missing since December 2009. Josh Powell has said he took his boys, then 2 and 4, on a late night camping trip in freezing temperatures the day his wife disappeared from their West Valley City Utah home in December of 2009. West Valley police continue to call him a person of interest in the case because they say "he has not been cooperative with them".

This story has no shortage of bizarre circumstances and bone-chilling accusations. Two things this story does lack however, are FACTS and CRIMINAL CHARGES. Seemingly no one knows what happened to Susan Cox Powell and where she might be. Everyone has their opinion of what happened, and almost all of those opinions claim certainty of Josh's guilt in Susan's murder.

I don't know what happened. I don't claim to have some litmus test by which I can say that Josh MUST be guilty because of his bizarre behavior, his overall demeanor, or his father's alleged perversions. I think that almost all the circumstantial evidence revealed to the public points to Josh as being the responsible party. Since that is the only evidence I have in the case, my theory would be that Josh is somehow responsible for his wife's disappearance and concealment of her person or body. BUT I DON'T KNOW, and I don't have anywhere near enough information to make an educated decision; only an uneducated, emotional and irrational decision.

I do know some things that I think are very relevant AND factual.
1. Someone took two young boys away from their father under threat of force
2. The boys have been placed with Josh's in-laws
3. Josh and his in-laws are not on good terms, it is a very contentious relationship
4. Josh Powell has not been charged or convicted of any wrong-doing and no evidence has been shown that he himself is harmful to the boys
5. Josh Powell's father has been removed from the home along with any alleged lewd materials
6. According to the judge, Josh will not get his children back

The judge ruled for Josh's father-in-law during the custody hearing, agreeing with the complaint that:
"the children were being harmed because they had never received counseling about their mother's disappearance, they might have been exposed to the inappropriate videos and they had been cut off from their maternal grandparents without explanation."

May we all be intellectually honest enough to put ourselves in his shoes and at least ponder for a moment that he may be innocent (until proven guilty). Were this you:
1. Your wife of many years is missing
2. Because you left around midnight to go camping after a verbal extrication, you are considered the ONLY suspect in a pending murder investigation
3. You don't know where or how your wife is
4. The media have created a public picture, painting you as the bad guy who killed your children's mother.
5. You have been receiving death threats and other non-stop phone calls, letters, shouts, and other threats for nearly two years
6. You left the state to escape the persecution
7. Your presence at your fathers house has now brought attention and a search of his residence may have revealed his private weakness, perversion and criminality (allegations) so now he will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison
8. Armed police, ignoring your protests for due process, confiscated your children giving them to your accusatory in-laws who bitterly believe you are a murder
9. A judge, with proper jurisdiction, rules that your children will not be returned to you because you hadn't sought outside "professional" counseling, and because the media will not leave you alone.

What do you do? If Josh is indeed innocent of the claims being unofficially made against him, he may not remain innocent for long. I do not know what father could sit idly by and let these injustices be perpetrated against you and your children. Were I Josh Powell (and actually innocent as he claims), I would not stand for it. I would appeal to every elected representative, court, and individual that would hear it. I would stage a hunger protest, I would commit suicide by starvation if no one would hear me and bring equal justice to the equation, forcing into the courts my constitutional right to be presumed innocent until PROVEN guilty. I hope that's all I would do, I might become violent in defense of my rights, I would understand if Josh did too.

Josh, you have not been proven guilty. Unless that happens, I stand by you. I hear you. Guilty or not, I am shamed by the actions perpetrated against you in my name. I pray that your family will be restored to you and the presumption of innocence will be granted to you unless proven otherwise. May God be with you and hold you in the palm of his hand.