Details about Josh's childhood revealed in his parents divorce documents

twall

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Newly obtained court documents show that Josh Powell grew up in a home filled with turmoil. Divorce documents between Steve Powell and his ex-wife, Terrica Powell, depict what they describe as a sexually and emotionally abusive childhood for Josh and his four siblings.

In those divorce papers, Terrica alleged that Steve's influence was damaging to her children. In one instance she wrote, "I felt extreme fear when Josh made a veiled threat at me with a butcher knife in his hand ... His demeanor was menacing for a moment as he said don't push it mom."

She went on to say that Steve has "systematically taught them to scorn and belittle everything to do with church, Christianity in general, authority of all kinds and many common values held by society..."

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/AP-Susan-Powell-case-called-a-murder-138892464.html?tab=video&c=y

Please watch the video-there is information on this subject in it, too.
 
It must have been difficult for her. After hearing this, I feel like she must have known somewhere deep inside that Josh was not normal. I imagine she probably tried to ignore that feeling when she said he was a good father, but deep down she probably knew and just didn't want to believe that he was as disturbed as we now know he was.

It's just a tragedy all the way around.
 
I would really like to read those court documents.
 
knowing this she went on to say he was a good father to help him with the custody issue? YIKES!
 
If you watch the video on that news page, there is a little more quoted from the court documents than they put in the text.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/AP-Susan-Powell-case-called-a-murder-138892464.html?tab=video&c=y

From Josh's mother:

The kind of disrespect the kids have learned to have regarding laws, I worry about what they will do . . . it seems there is a sickness pervading my family and I am powerless to stop it. Steven has totally stripped away all respect in Josh and his brother John for fidelity in marriage and loyalty to one's spouse...

Wow - that's foreshadowing for this disaster, isn't it? How horrible for her to see that in her children and to feel powerless. :( And even society and LE couldn't do anything to stop Josh.
 
I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but my God every time I come back on Websleuths in the past 2 or 3 days and see that picture of those two darling boys, tears just start flowing like crazy and it takes me several deep breaths before I can read the newest comments and news.
 
If you watch the video on that news page, there is a little more quoted from the court documents than they put in the text.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/AP-Susan-Powell-case-called-a-murder-138892464.html?tab=video&c=y

From Josh's mother:

The kind of disrespect the kids have learned to have regarding laws, I worry about what they will do . . . it seems there is a sickness pervading my family and I am powerless to stop it. Steven has totally stripped away all respect in Josh and his brother John for fidelity in marriage and loyalty to one's spouse...

Wow - that's foreshadowing for this disaster, isn't it? How horrible for her to see that in her children and to feel powerless. :( And even society and LE couldn't do anything to stop Josh.

And by the sound of things, I'll bet this kind of training is what was going on in that house for Susan's two little boys. The way they are described when first arriving at the Cox's house showed something dark was going on since the kids ran away, wanted no physical contact, could not look at their mother's picture, could not call her "mommy" - only "Susan". These past few months with the Cox's must have felt like heaven to them. The sparkle came back into their eyes. THey were safe and loved. I love what Chuck Cox said about Charlie saying to him "Can you take a picture of me next to this picture (Susan's photo)? I'm sitting by my mommy." That melted his heart. He knew they were going to be ok then.

May SP NEVER get out of prison and certainly never be near a child ever again.
 
If you watch the video on that news page, there is a little more quoted from the court documents than they put in the text.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/AP-Susan-Powell-case-called-a-murder-138892464.html?tab=video&c=y

From Josh's mother:

The kind of disrespect the kids have learned to have regarding laws, I worry about what they will do . . . it seems there is a sickness pervading my family and I am powerless to stop it. Steven has totally stripped away all respect in Josh and his brother John for fidelity in marriage and loyalty to one's spouse...

Wow - that's foreshadowing for this disaster, isn't it? How horrible for her to see that in her children and to feel powerless. :( And even society and LE couldn't do anything to stop Josh.

Well, yeah, they could have, if parents, society, court system/LE, had ANY cajones at all. My kids would have run rampant over me, IF I had allowed it, but the minute one of them (like Josh allegedly did) used a knife to somewhat threaten, he would have been having it for dinner, and his father along with him.

When a family is divided on how to raise children, chaos developes, and it seems murderers do to,

MOO
 
Well it's sad that the two young boys had to suffer and die. But I wonder based on what we know they probably went through while in the clutches of Josh and his father I wonder if the boys suffered irreparable damage. It seems that Josh did EXACTLY what his father did to him. And to this day I fully believe that Josh also sexually abused his children. It was the psycho sexual evaluation that Josh feared the most. And I think he feared that it would show he has been sexually abusing his sons. And he wanted to make sure his sons would never tell on him for both the murder of their mother as well as any abuse they suffered.

It's my hope much like it is with the Anthony family that the gene pool completely stops. I hope all of Josh's siblings don't have children and that Steven Powell is locked away forever from children. The only way to stop this continuing circle of destruction is to ensure that the Powell family stops recreating itself. Something obviously is deeply wrong with this family.
 
Well it's sad that the two young boys had to suffer and die. But I wonder based on what we know they probably went through while in the clutches of Josh and his father I wonder if the boys suffered irreparable damage. It seems that Josh did EXACTLY what his father did to him. And to this day I fully believe that Josh also sexually abused his children. It was the psycho sexual evaluation that Josh feared the most. And I think he feared that it would show he has been sexually abusing his sons. And he wanted to make sure his sons would never tell on him for both the murder of their mother as well as any abuse they suffered.

I have started thinking the same, unfortunately. I also think that Susan may have found out and that is why she is gone.
 
Well it's sad that the two young boys had to suffer and die. But I wonder based on what we know they probably went through while in the clutches of Josh and his father I wonder if the boys suffered irreparable damage. It seems that Josh did EXACTLY what his father did to him. And to this day I fully believe that Josh also sexually abused his children. It was the psycho sexual evaluation that Josh feared the most. And I think he feared that it would show he has been sexually abusing his sons. And he wanted to make sure his sons would never tell on him for both the murder of their mother as well as any abuse they suffered.

It's my hope much like it is with the Anthony family that the gene pool completely stops. I hope all of Josh's siblings don't have children and that Steven Powell is locked away forever from children. The only way to stop this continuing circle of destruction is to ensure that the Powell family stops recreating itself. Something obviously is deeply wrong with this family.

I absolutely agree! The cycle of abuse needs to stop.
 
I have started thinking the same, unfortunately. I also think that Susan may have found out and that is why she is gone.

I had the same feelings early on this was about deep, dark family secrets about sexual abuse, shame and that Josh got rid of Susan because she found out and was going to remove the sons. She was an obstacle and removed her.
I don't think JP was attracted to adults or female adults.
I do think he was a pedo.
I wasn't shocked when child *advertiser censored* was found on dad's/his computer either. Sickened but, not shocked.
I hope Susan is found.
 
Well it's sad that the two young boys had to suffer and die. But I wonder based on what we know they probably went through while in the clutches of Josh and his father I wonder if the boys suffered irreparable damage. It seems that Josh did EXACTLY what his father did to him. And to this day I fully believe that Josh also sexually abused his children. It was the psycho sexual evaluation that Josh feared the most. And I think he feared that it would show he has been sexually abusing his sons. And he wanted to make sure his sons would never tell on him for both the murder of their mother as well as any abuse they suffered.


You are right. I noticed how devastated his face looked in court last Wednesday when he heard he had to have that sexual-psycho evaluation. He had that look that it was all over now. And the boys were so distant when they first came to the Cox's, and sexually-abused children often act that way -- they walk away from you and even become robotic. I also think Susan found out, too, and that's why she was killed. I'm just suspecting, of course, that it's a strong possibility.
 
I can't remember --- were Charlie and Braden also receiving some kind of counseling in the last several months? I think they should have been if they weren't. I would think a good counselor could determine sexual abuse after talking with children during sessions after a trust is established, no?
 
I'm not an expert but not all children of abusers become abusers themselves so I think it is wrong and unjustified to paint all of the Powell siblings with one brush just because Josh was not only an abuser but a murderer.
 
I'm not an expert but not all children of abusers become abusers themselves so I think it is wrong and unjustified to paint all of the Powell siblings with one brush just because Josh was not only an abuser but a murderer.

I agree that the entire family cannot be painted with the same brush, but also wondered if you can link me to something that says he was a proven abuser? I thought we didn't know yet for sure and were still speculating on it.
 
Newly obtained court documents show that Josh Powell grew up in a home filled with turmoil. Divorce documents between Steve Powell and his ex-wife, Terrica Powell, depict what they describe as a sexually and emotionally abusive childhood for Josh and his four siblings.

In those divorce papers, Terrica alleged that Steve's influence was damaging to her children. In one instance she wrote, "I felt extreme fear when Josh made a veiled threat at me with a butcher knife in his hand ... His demeanor was menacing for a moment as he said don't push it mom."

She went on to say that Steve has "systematically taught them to scorn and belittle everything to do with church, Christianity in general, authority of all kinds and many common values held by society..."

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/AP-Susan-Powell-case-called-a-murder-138892464.html?tab=video&c=y

Please watch the video-there is information on this subject in it, too.

Uh....holding a butcher knife towards someone is not a veiled threat. Did the mom minimize this direct threat because it was required to deny/hide all of the many warped behaviors that occurred in Steven Powell's home?

Josh was very evil and was a product of Steven's home. The societal values that Steven taught his children to scorn caused an enormous amount of evil. If Josh's siblings ever truthfully discuss their life with Steven, I fear we will find that it was extremely perverse.
 
JP threatened his mother with a meat cleaver or knife
JP attempted to kill his boys with a hatchet or small axe
Sounds like a learned pattern to me and I would have to think Susan met her end via a similar method and I think LE is onto something with the burn site they found previously.
 
Well it's sad that the two young boys had to suffer and die. But I wonder based on what we know they probably went through while in the clutches of Josh and his father I wonder if the boys suffered irreparable damage. It seems that Josh did EXACTLY what his father did to him. And to this day I fully believe that Josh also sexually abused his children. It was the psycho sexual evaluation that Josh feared the most. And I think he feared that it would show he has been sexually abusing his sons. And he wanted to make sure his sons would never tell on him for both the murder of their mother as well as any abuse they suffered.

BBM and Snipped by me

I respectfully disagree. . .he was also ordered to take a lie detector test and I think that's what panicked him. He had always refused it and now it was court ordered and he couldn't refuse. He knew he'd flunk it and never get the boys back.

I read in one of the many articles I've read the last couple of days that Josh had already had one psycho-sexual evaluation after his Dad was arrested so I doubt that scared him as much as the lie detector.
 

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