Cops Buy Plots to Keep Powell Away From Sons

Police in Washington state have made sure Josh Powell won't be buried next to the sons he murdered. The officers, using their own money and funds donated to Crimestoppers, have bought the plots next to the graves of 7-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Braden, who were buried earlier this week, reports the Los Angeles Times. Powell, a suspect in his wife's disappearance, attacked the boys with an ax before killing them and himself by blowing up his house.

Powell's surviving relatives want to bury him in the same cemetery as the boys. After police bought the spots alongside the boys' single plot, Powell's relatives selected a plot some 100 feet away, but a threat of legal action from his missing wife's parents has put the sale on hold. "We might not be able to keep Josh Powell from being buried in the cemetery, but we can keep him away from the boys," said a police spokesman. "Bottom line is, it's not fair for murder victims to have the murder suspect laid to rest next to them. It's hurtful to the community and dishonors the boys." (Click to read about more developments in the case, including the revelation that the Washington home was part of Powell's ruse.)