day in takoma, washington, as family and friends remembered 7-year-old charlie and 5-year-old braden powellthat taught my heart to fear ♪ >> two little boys were killed sunday in a home explosion set by their father josh powell. cnn affiliate komo report the boys' grandparents thank people of all faith who prayed for their family. their daughter susan powell has been missing since december 2009 and presumed dead. josh powell has been the only suspect in her disappearance. >>> tonight at 7:30 eastern, more on the josh powell case. what led to the murder/suicide, and could anything have been done to stop it? i'll be joined by dr. wendy walsh and criminal prosecutor holly hughes 7:30 eastern here on cnn. >>> the video is shocking. three attackers savagely beating a gay man on the street in atlanta. police say they arrested one suspect and they know who the other two are. sophia choi reports from a rally near the site of the beating led by civil rights leader congressman john lewis. >> when you see something doing wrong, do what you're doing today. >> reporter: they are coming together to force

local crime stoppers group just bought the plots on either side of the graves where charlie and braden powellre buried. and the family of the missing wife is outraged. >> killing them, set on fire, involved in an explosion. every time you turn around, it can't get worse. then how to this. >> the cox family hopes to bury their daughter, susan, near the boy ifs her remains are ever found. for now, the sale of josh powell's plot is on hold and will likely have to be settled in court. >>> police have arrested 17 students from texas christian university for dealing drugs, after conducting a six-month undercover operation. the football steam is hard-hit, losing four flars the drug bust. police they caught students making hand-to-hand sales of drugs. toundercover officers. >>> an alarming study released overnight has revealed arsenic has been found in some foods including baby formula and cereal bars. they had a common ingredient, organic brown rice syrup. parents should limit babies' consumption of formula with brown rice syrup. >>> for many people, there's nothing like the smell of a new car. rese

. >>> an emotional day in washington, where a public funeral was held for charlie and braden powell. investigators say the boys were killed in a house explosion set by their own father. >> amazing grace ♪ >> reporter: prayers echoed in the walls of this children, in honor of 7-year-old braden and 5-year-old charlie powell. hundreds attended the memorial for the two boys sunday. family members, friends and teachers remembered the boys. >> we are knitted together in love and sympathy for the cox family and for the graves family, who have endured this unspeakable loss, of two isn't children -- innocent children, charlie and braden. >> reporter: a social worker dropped the two boys off for a supervised visit but was blocked from entry herself. police say moments later, josh powell attacked the boys with a hatchet, before setting the house on fire, killing himself and has son. powell had been under a cloud of suspicion for more than two years over the disappearance of has wife susan. he had lost custody of his sons to his wife's parents, chuck and judy cox, who tried to keep the boys safe.

. >>> 911 calls from the caseworker that dropped charlie and braden powell off at their father's house are shedding new light on what happened the morning of that tragedy. and sherrie johnson is here to tell us what was said during those scary moments. >> reporter: all this up this morning, west first 911 calls before sunday's explosions before josh powell killed himself and his two sons. the 911 calls were from the caseworker. you notice a sense of panic building by the social worker. she senses trouble but can't seem to convince the dispatcher of that take a listen. >> i'm really shocked and i can hear one of the kids crying. he still will not let me in. i think we need help right away. he's on a short lease with cps. and we've been involved. he looked at me and closed the door. are you there? >> yes, ma'am. i'm waiting to nowhere you are. >> i would like to pull out of the driveway because i smell gasoline. >> reporter: it's all hard to hear. autopsies show they died of carbon monoxide poisoning. but they also had hatchet wounds on their bodies. josh powell is the suspect in his 200

." >>> tonight, the heartbreaking day in tacoma, washington, a funeral for charlie and braden powell, almost a week after their lives were taken by their own father. the crowd of mourners filled the church and spilled outside to support the family suffering shatering grief. ab abby boudreau is in tacoma. >> reporter: more than 1,000 people gathered in this church, to mourn the loss of two innocent boys, brothers, 7-year-old charlie and 5-year-old braden, two brothers sharing a single casket. six days after their father josh powell killed himself and his two children in an unimaginable tragedy. this community came together to say their final good-byes. >> i was charlie's kindergarten teacher. he loved to work alongside his mother in the garden, make salsa and bake bread. braden loved being at school with the other children and always that big, beautiful smile on a face so like his mother's. >> reporter: the boys's mother susan cox powell mysteriously disappeared from her utah home more than two years ago, since then her and powell family embroiled in a bitter custody about thele for th

police have now released the first 911 calls made by the case worker who took charlie and braden powellhat day. josh powell was a person of interest in the disappearance of their mother, susan. on sunday he barred the social worker from going inside, and moments later he ignited the house, killing himself and those boys. >> but i think i need help right away. he's on a very short leash with dshs and cps has been involved. and this is the craziest thing. he looked right at me and closed the door. and i would like to pull out of the driveway because i smell gasoline and he won't let me in. well, this could be life-threatening. he went to court on wednesday and he didn't get his kids back, and this is really -- i'm afraid for their lives. he blew up the house and the kids. he slammed the door in my face. so i kept knocking. i thought it was a mistake. the kids were one step ahead of me. they're 5 and 7. they were one step ahead of me and he slammed the door in my face. >> you have to imagine what would have happened if she would have actually gotten into the house as well. josh powell's si

. >>> and almost a week after they died in a house fire set by their own father, charlie and braden powell will be laid to rest. the boys' funeral scheduled for tomorrow morning in washington state. sunday josh powell killed his sons and himself by setting his home on fire just moments after they were dropped off for a supervised visit. powell was a suspect in his wife's 2009 disappearance and recently lost a bid to regain custody of the boys. >>> on the international front now, the violence in syria is escalating and death toll is rising. new amateur video into our newsroom claimed to show the latest assault on homs. you can hear gunshots and see smoke rising from the buildings. hundred of people believed to have been killed there over the past week. to the north, two explosions in the syrian city today killed at least 25 and injured 200. alepo is the country's economic and business hub. >>> this morning, president obama backing off right now the controversial requirement for birth control coverage. at a press conference, president obama rushing to end the political backlash from religiou

in tacoma, with today for the funeral of charlie and braden powell.ingle casket containing the brothers' remains was placed at the front of the church. the boys, ages seven and five, were murdered in an explosion and fire set by their farther, josh powell, last sunday. powell also died. roman catholic bishops say president obama's revised policy on contraception coverage for employees "continues to involve needless government intrusion on the internal governance of religious institutions." some among the catholic rank and file agree and that's tonight's "weekend journal" an issue that threatens to alienate a key block of the president's winning 2008 coalition. >> i'm a catholic first and a 2008 coalition. >> i'm a catholic first and a democrat second. >> reporter: michael sean winters was among the 54% of catholics who voted for president obama in 2008. but he feels the white house badly mishandled the issue of contraception coverage. you're angry? >> yeah. i'm still very angry about this. i really think he has imperilled his own presidency, which i t

sad day in tacoma, washington, as mourners gathered to say their final goodbyes to charlie and braden powell. more than 1,000 people attended the funeral service today remembering the sons of missing utah woman susan powell. the boy's father was in custody and in a custody battle when he torched the house killing himself and the children last week. the family will bury the children in a private ceremony on monday. >>> other big stories we're following, a deadly cold snap sweeping across europe. hundreds are dead and tens of thousands remain trapped inside their homes in romania and italy. the officials fear the death count will rise with food and water running low. the brutal conditions are expected to linger through the week. >>> at least four people are dead as fighting continues in syria. take a look at the amateur video. it shows the destruction and harms. that is the target of the rebels and government forces during the 11-month uprising against president assad. the syrian government began to take neighborhoods back from rebels last weekend. >>> iran's president making a big announcemen

. >>> hundreds of people attained memorial service in tacoma this morning for 5-year-old braden powell 7-year-old brother charlie. the boys died last sunday during a scheduled visit with their father. >> this moment is about two beautiful boys. there have been all kinds of things said, surrounding those boys and how we got here is a story well-known. but what we do here and the spirit that we do have here is up to us. >>> official say the boy's father, josh powell brought his sons into his home and then tacked them with a hatchet and set the house on fire. all three of them died. businesses say the big crowds that turned out for this year's chinese new year's parade would not have come at a better time. >>> sweets and suds, the unique festival taking place northeast bay and who is benefiting from it? . there is a lot more to the chinese new year's parade than dragon firecrackers. ktvu's christien kafton shows us how the hundreds of thousands of visitors are helping businesses. >> reporter: the sights and sounds of new year's festivities fill the year. chinatown restaurants is looking t

and braden .../ powell...// ááareáá.../ set.../ for.../ saturday afternoon...//// &p iceeand seems to3 local websites -- all wanting to see more of this creature. the folklore about it dates back to the 14th century. things.../ get... little nuts...// in tokyo.... tokyo..///. crews.../ at... this zoo.../// áápracticingáá emergency ...response drills.... / in... case a rhino...// escapes...//. áá aáá real animal.../ wasn't used...///.. ááinsteadáá... two... zoo workers .../ were... inside a... life-sized... rhino.../ suit.../ made... of wood... and paper...///. áátheáá... drill.. .is.../ to... prepare.../// zoo-keepers...// in... case...// an... earthquake strikes.../ and... animals .../ escape.../ from their compound. it... was ...a.. heart warming story.... / that took ...a.. terrible turn...///.ááweáá want ...to... warn you, .../ áásomeáá of... the video .../ you... are ...about to see .../// is.../ tough to watch. watch. the story begins with an 85 pound argentine mastiff named max....e was off leash..... when he took off afttr a coyote.and ended uu trapped in near denver.max kept

char complete braden powell laid to rest today. s of missing utah woman susan powell. the boys killed sunday in a fire deliberately set by their father, josh. and now police uncovering new clues. casey stegall live with more. a very emotional service. >> absolutely. hundreds of mourners packed that church just outside of seattle a little earlier. they're wearing purple ribbons, standing in solidarity to remember the two little boys who died at their father's hands about one week ago last sunday. the remains of the powell brothers placed in the very same cass at the time. 7-year-old charlie powell's kindergarten teacher calling him a curious little kid who loved nature and spending time with his family. five-year-old braden powell's preschool instructor eulogizing him as a boy who was full of live and loved nothing more than gardening with his mother. their grandfather, the father of susan powell, their missing mother, saying his family has heard from people all over the globe in the wake of this tragedy and wanted to thank each and

hundreds are remembering the 7 and 5-year-old brothers charlie and braden powell. their father josh powell had lost custody of the children just days before the explosion. he was also the only person under investigation in utah for his wife's disappearance in 2009. >>> in atlanta now, a rally today near the site of a vicious beating. three men could be seen shouting anti-gay slur, punching and kicking 20-year-old brandon white. you can see that happening on video last week. that video was then circulated online. one of the three suspects has been arrested. 18-year-old christopher cain is charged with aggravated assault and robbery. >>> right now in the nation's capital, one of the most influential conservative groups in this country is gathering. and next hour, the members of cpac will announce which republican they support for president. mark preston joins uses live from the cpac conference. so which candidate seems to be getting the most buzz there? >> it's got to be rick santorum. and for the reason alone that he has the momentum at his back. some very big wins

hundreds of people attended a memorial service in tacoma, washington this morning for five-year-old braden powell and his seven-year-old brother charlie. the boys died during a scheduled visit with their father, josh powell. >> this moment is about two beautiful boys. there have been all kinds of things said surrounding those boys and how we got here is a story well-known. but what we do here and the spirit that we do have here is up to us. >> officials say josh powell brought the boys into his home during a supervised visitation, attacked them with a hatchet, then set the house on fire. all three of them died. >> we will return live to downtown san francisco where the 2012 chinese new year parade is about to get underway. >>> a surprising new use for viagra. how stanford doctors figured out how it can help children with a rare disorder. >>> ken, i know you're craving what's in this. tens of thousands of girl scout cookies arrived today in the bay area. how technology is helping people get their hands on the coveted cookies. >>> we return now to our top story, the chinese new year parade in san f

powell sent even more correspondence proving this was a premeditated crime. the events unfolded when a social worker brought 7-year- old charles and 5-year-old braden over for ased visit, but powell blocked her from getting inside the house. >> i think he saw an opportunity to hurt a whole lot of people at the time that he ended it for himself, so he took the boys with him. >> reporter: the case dates back to december, 2009 when susan powell went missing. josh powell claimed his wife disappeared while he was on a camping trip with the boys. now susan's dad says the youngest boy made a drawing last fall that may hold some clues about what happened. >> braden had drawn a picture and he'd drawn a picture of a minivan. in the minivan there was daddy, charlie and me. so braden. he said mommy is in the trunk. he said that they had stopped somewhere, daddy and mommy, they stopped and mommy and daddy got out and mommy didn't come back. >> reporter: charlie and braden powell's grandparents say the boys did not want to make that visit to their father and that they are classmates are meeting with grief counselors at their washington state school. >>> another arrest in t

search through what is the powell home, the medical examiner says 7-year-old charlie and 5-year-old braden powell suffered chop injuries to their head and necks. their father said their father, josh powell, then started their house on fire. >> we found two five-gallon cans of gas. one was with the body. there was accelerants throughout the entire house. >> police say before he carried out the murder-suicide, powell donated his sons' toys to charity and left demonstrations about his personal effects in multiple e-mails. >> he sent e-mails to me and family and another pastor, making sure that everyone knew that he was gone, that he was the one that did this. he put a plan in motion and he carried it out. >> reporter: powell had been under police scrutiny following the disappearance of his wife, susan cox powell. six days ago, he lost a custody battle for his sons. >> reporter: chuck and judy said their grandsons were at his home playing. >> they didn't want to stop and go see daddy today. they seemed to be losing interest in going to see him. >> reporter: josh powell never mentioned susan in his go

people are in tacoma, washington right now remembering the 7 and 5-year-old brothers charlie and braden powell. their father, josh paul, had lost custody of the children just days before the explosion. he was also the only person under investigationpaul, had lot custody of the children just days before the explosion. he was also the only person under investigation in utah for his wife's disappearance in 2009. >>> in atlanta, a rally near the site of a vicious beating. . three men could be seen shouting anti-gay slurs, punching and kicking 20-year-old brandon white on surveillance video last week. that video was then circulated online and one of the three suspects has been arrested. 18-year-old christopher cain is charged with aggravated assault and robbery. >>> overseas now, ahmadinejad says his country will make a major announcement about several major nuclear achievements within days. he didn't give details. iran has consistently denied accusations from the west that it's building a nuclear weapons program. it says its program is strictly for energy production. >>> and more street fighting,

. >>> a solemn day in tacoma, washington as family and friends remember charlie and braden powell. ♪y heart to fear >> hundreds of people gathered to pay their last respects. the boy's grandparents thanked people of all faith who prayed for their family. they were kill in a home explosion set by their father josh powell. his wife susan cox powell has been missing since december of 2009 and presumed dead. josh powell is the only suspect in her disappearance. >>> in 20 minutes more on the josh powell case. what led to the murder-suicide and could anything have been done to stop it all? i'll be joined by wendy walsh and holly hughs, 7:30 right here on cnn. >>> it is not a big state and it was a narrow victory but a win is a win. and as you saw, last hour on cnn a few minutes ago, mitt romney is the winner of the maine caucuses a slim victory over ron paul. romney got 39% of the vote and ron paul 36%. santorum was third and newt gingrich was fourth. how important was this win for mitt romney? >> very important. it comes on the heels of a straw patrol at the conservative political action

powell, had lost custody of them. their visits with josh were supposed to be supervised, but the social worker tells police that charlie and braden on sunday were so excited to see their father, that they ran ahead of her when they arrived at his home and once they were inside the house, josh powell slammed the door in her face and locked it. she called 911 and moments later, that explosion. josh powell was the sole suspect in his wife's disappearance. susan went missing two years ago. you remember in utah. josh told investigators that she vanished from their home while he had taken the boys on an overnight camping trip. her body has never been found and authorities say they have never filed any formal charges because they simply did not have enough evidence in this case. eric? >> eric: so tragic. thanks so much. fox news alert. soup collins is speaking, setting up the results of the caucus straw poll in that state. will paul win his first? will romney come back? let's listen. >> for the first time since 1966, the blane house and the state house have been guided by our republican values. a commitment to good jobs in the private s

but police strongly believe they're josh powell as well as charlie powell who is 7 years old and braden powell who is 5. this was a murder/suicide committed by josh powell police say. he was the only person named a person of interest in his wife's disappearance in 2009. susan powell vanished in december of 2009 from salt lake city. police have not been able to close that case or find any potential suspects. but josh powell has always been that person of interest. police from salt lake city will be heading back to this area to continue their investigation here. this is still a very active case. but we do know three people dead, police say josh powell responsible for a double murder/suicide here sunday. thomas? >> thanks so much. and now we bring you to the conversation, an investigative crime reporter. as we hear this story, it rips at all of our hearts to hear about the loss of these two young boys, josh powell obviously a very troubled person. do investigators view this, this what happened as an admission of guilt effectively on josh powell's behalf that he may have killed his wife? >> well,

this happened in washington where a makeshift memorial is growing this morning for charlie and braden powellpeople coming together for a candlelight vigil at the boys' school. a judge denied josh powell's request to regain custody of his sons. their mother went missing in 2009. a lawyer for powell tells nbc news he received a three-word e-mail from his client minutes before powell allegedly set the home on fire, it said "i'm sorry, good-bye." overseas we're learning more about the major earthquake that sent school children running for safety in the central philippines. the 6.9 quake killed at least 13 people, dozens more are feared trapped under rubble. just in, officials say the quake triggered a landslide and now rescuers are digging through collapsed buildings and debris hoping to find survivors. so far more than 40 aftershocks have been recorded. >> now to london where long live the queen, today marks queen elizabeth's 60-year milestone. buckingham palace released two new photos of the royal legacy. she is the second british monarch to reach this milestone. queen elizabeth is 85, which m

. >>> hundreds are gathering to remember charlie and braden powell. killed on sunday when their father josh set fire to their home outside seattle. now back to "criminal mindscape." >>> ron luff has been a devoted member of a religious cult for two years. one day, leader jeffrey lungren approaches luff with a plan that epitomizes all the control he holds over luff and the evil in which he is capable. it revolves around a family named avery who are fellow group members. >> the avery family had been a part of the group early on. they had lived up there before we moved up. he had basically emptied them of everything they had. when they moved up they had money, and it was his. they had a second car and he got one car and left them the one that didn't run. when it got to the point where he had basically used them in every way then he had no use for them. they were seen as unwelcome. and so he looked at me, we were working out together, just the two of us out in the barn, and he says, i just want you to know one thing, we're not bringing friends this time.

good-bye saturday to two little boys, victims of a family tragedy. 7-year-old charlie and 5-year-old braden powelluse fire set by their father when they went to visit him last sunday. josh powell was also killed. he was a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife susan two years ago. >>> finally, someone has it. there was one winning ticket in last night's record $325 million powerball game. lottery officials say the winning ticket was sold in rhode island. so far no one has come forward to claim that prize. the winning numbers, in case you have a ticket and you live in rhode island, 1, 10, 37, 52, 57, and the powerball was 11. at 8:18 that is the news. now back to lester, jenna and janet. >> what are the odds of being in rhode island? >> what are the odds i had those numbers and i'm not in rhode island. janice huff is here with a check of the weather. >> good morning. winter weather is moving in across the southern plains, in parts of texas. icy conditions, cold temperatures. today an icy mix of snow and sleet for west texas. up to two inches of accumulation. that spreads north and east

the states a makeshift memorial is growing this morning in washington in honor of charlie and braden powell. people are leaving behind candles and stuffed animals and balloons for the brothers who were killed in a house fire yesterday afternoon. their father josh powell also died in the flames. officials say he deliberately set the fire. he was a person of interest in his wife's disappearance. susan powell went missing from their home in 2009 and just last week a judge once again denied josh powell's request to regain custody of his sons. laura and jon. >> thank you very much. supporters of a millionaire's tax will be out this morning gathering signatures. you might spot the banners in san francisco at the intersection of interstate 80 and vermont street exits. also you'll see them at the 880 and 29th avenue in oakland. the proposal for the november ballot asking californians who earn $1 million or more to pay an extra 3% in state income tax. and those who earn 2 million or more asked to pay an extra 5%. >> it is 5:06. loggers will continue chopping down more than 1,000 oak trees today. ran

to your headlines now, more than a thousand people, saying their final farewells to charlie and braden powellell set fire to their home with the boys inside. the tragedy unfolding, and two and a half years after the boys' mother susan powell went missing and her father choking back tears as he thanked the community for their support. >> it helps us to be strong and helps us to know that they're good people in the world, good people who fight against evil. we know they're with their moth mother. thank you very much. >> prosecutors now believe josh powell was responsible for his wife's death and think he killed his little boys because they were starting to remember details about that night. and if only prosecutors had put all of this together a week earlier. president obama's budget plan fails to meet his on goal of cutting the deficit in half in four years and he's forecasting at deficit for 2013 and the president will pitch the plan for congress tomorrow. you you can see it being printed, light summer reading, spring break. this includes ending tax cuts for people making more than 1 million d

powell. more on the outpouring of support for those two little boys. >> reporter: the funeral for 7-year-old charlie and 5-year-old bradenyouidden powell will be held at a tacoma church that can accommodate 1,800 people. many have been leaving flowers, although like pam christman, they never knew the boys. >> i had felt that i needed to be here and see this. closure for myself. >> reporter: police say the boys' father josh powell attacked them with a hatchet before setting the house on fire with gasoline killing himself and his sons as a social worker outside frantically called 911. >> he exploded the house. he exploded the house. he blew up the house and the kid. >> the kids and the father were in the house? >> yes. he slammed the door in my face. >> reporter: powell had been under a cloud of suspicion for more than two years, since his wife susan disappeared without a trace since their home in utah. he lost custody of his sons to susan's parents who already had misgivings about the court-ordered visits with their father. >> yeah because look what happened. and -- i knew that they -- they were supposed to be able to see

police say josh powell tried to kill his 7-year-old son charles and 5-year-old braden with a hatchet before the fire could take their lives. >> he's disturbed. he's just disturbed. the act that he did was cowardly. >> reporter: what began as a supervised sunday visit quickly turned tragic when josh powell closed the door on the case worker locking the children inside. minutes later, the house exploded into flames. police believe powell started the fire with an accelerant after sending an e-mail to his attorney with just three words -- "i'm sorry. good-b good-bye." >> we've discovered multiple e-mails that he sent to his pastor, he sent to his cousins, and he sent to other people that are longer in length. they dictate what to do with the utilities, what to do with his money, what to do with certain aspects of his life. >> reporter: the coxs say their grandsons had recently started remembering more about what happened on that night in 2009 when their mother vanished. josh powell claimed he had taken the boys on a latenight camping trip in the dead of winter. >> i would never hurt my bo

. >> reporter: speaking exclusively to abc news, the social worker who was with charlie and braden powells just kind of sheepish. and he just kind of shrugged his shoulders at me like that. and then he slammed the door. i knocked and i rang the doorbell, and i started yelling out, "josh, let me in." >> reporter: josh powell's sister alina continues to defend her brother exclusively to abc news, even after he killed himself and his two young boys sunday in a gas-fueled home explosion. >> he must have just felt that there was only one way left for him to protect his sons from all of the emotional and physical pain that they'd been experiencing. >> reporter: police called powell a person of interest but never charged him in his wife susan's disappearance in december 2009. for two years her parents were promised an arrest was imminent. >> had it been treated like a homicide from the very beginning, we could have moved much quicker to obtain primary care and custody of these boys. >> reporter: abc news has learned nearly 22 minutes passes from the time the frantic call is made until a deputy f

last sunday five-year-old braden powell and his seven- year-old brother charlie died during a scheduleisit with their father. >> this moment is about two beautiful boys. there have been all kinds of things said surrounding those boys and how we got here is a story well known. but what we do here and the spirit that we do have here is up to us. >> officials say the boys father josh powell brought his sons into his home, attacked them with a weapon and set the house on fire. powell died in the fire with his two sons. >>> one colorado man is insuring people he is very much alive even after his obituary appeared in the local paper. edgar says he was surprised when people called to offer condolences on his untiming passing. his wife erika was even more shocked. so she contacted the paper and discovered it was edgar's own sister that turned in that fake obituary. >> he got really sad actually because he i think in your mind when they happened to you why would somebody do that to me? >> erika says her husband's sister needed time off work so she made up the story about her brother dying. she

>> reporter: minutes earlier before 12:30 sunday afternoon, 7-year-old charles and 5-year-old braden powelln escorted into the home by a caseworker for a court-ordered visitation with their father josh powell. police say powell forced the caseworker out, locked the door. she saw flames and called 911 just as a series of blasts tore the house apart. across town, josh powell's attorney said he received an e-mail from josh stamped 12:05. it was three words. i'm sorry. good-bye." >> this wasn't tragic. this was deeply wrong, this is evil. you do not kill two kids. >> reporter: police found two children and an adult. they say there was no doubt that josh powell wanted to end his life and take his little boys with them and say an accelerant was used to make the house burn quickly. >> he grabbed the kids, locked her out of the house and immediately the house went up in flames. >> reporter: sources tell abc news powell's mood changed drastically in recent days. he was more calm but seemed excited about the future. he was last seen at this custody hearing on wednesday during which a judge ordered hi

. >> reporter: only days after charlie and braden powell were laid to rest, controversy erupting over whether their father, josh powell, who killed the boy, should be buried nearby. the boys' grandparent, chuck and judy cox, calling it outrageous. >> i can't see this happening. i hope it goes away quickly. >> reporter: in an effort to prevent powell from being buried next to the boy, thousands of dollars in donations have poured into the local crime stoppers' unity to buy the two burial plots on the side of the brothers' shared caskets. even the sheriff in town donating $100 of his own money. the powell family may choose a plot about 25 feet away, overlooking the boys. but the cox family attorney plans to file a temporary restraining order to stop that sale until a judge can intervene. and new details emerging about the gruesome final moments. before powell killed himself and his sons. investigators say powell's charred body was found with a five-gallon gas can between his knees. they believe his two boys were unconscious before he set the explosion. search teams scouring this recycli