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Josh Powell Told Sons He Had ‘Surprise’ For Them, USConn. boy, 5, takes 50 packets
Social Worker of heroin to school

Josh Powell told his sons he had heard Braden cry out.” Hall told the story of what hap- In Florida, a special BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — A officials said. He was arrested
a “big surprise” for them as they pened over and over again to FACT law prohibits 5-year-old boy found dozens of when he returned to the school
ran toward his home Sunday, just Powell often had surprises for the authorities as they arrived and unmarried women bags of heroin inside a jacket he after apparently discovering the
moments before he attacked them boys, Hall said, and the younger assured her she could not have from parachuting on Sunday or had taken to school and showed heroin was missing, Vallas said.
with a hatchet and then blew them boy had a sore foot that Hall done anything differently. She she shall risk arrest, fine, and/or them to his kindergarten class-
up, social worker Elizabeth Griffin thought he had banged into some- blames Powell fully for what hap- jailing. mates, the school superintendent Roman was arrested on risk
Hall told ABC News today. thing, but police later determined pened, and said she never thought said Tuesday. of injury to a minor and drug
that Powell had used a hatchet to he would hurt the boys. But now, charges. He appeared Tuesday in
“He caught my eye, his shoulders chop at his sons’ heads and necks. she said, she knows he would have Bridgeport Superintendent Paul Bridgeport Superior Court and was
were slumped. He had a sheepish done anything to kill them, even if Vallas said he believes the boy took ordered held on $100,000 bail. He
look,” Hall told “20/20” in an exclu- “I’m saying, ‘Let me in, Josh, let me they had the supervised visitation going to look at bugs and frogs his stepfather’s jacket to school wasn’t available to comment from
sive interview. “He just shrugged in,’” Hall said. “I realized I didn’t somewhere else. again.” on Monday without knowing the jail, and there was no phone num-
his shoulders and slammed the have my phone in my hand and drugs were inside it. “Children ber listed for his home address.
door.” I could smell gas. Too much time “How this happened is that Josh Hall said she loves working with bring to school what they find at
had passed and I could smell gas.” Powell was really, really evil. I children. “God called me to do home,” he said. The Department of Children and
Hall said she had been taking the couldn’t have stopped him,” she this,” she said. Families placed the boy in the
boys, Charles, 7, and Braden, 5, on Hall said she went to move her car said. Police have told the Connecticut custody of his grandmother, even
supervised visits to Powell’s house “I am not going to be his victim. Post the boy took 50 packets of though his mother went to the
for three months. “I wanted to get to “I did everything I was supposed He’s not going to destroy my pas- heroin out when it came time for school to take him home, Vallas
to do. I did everything right and sion for children. He’s not going a show-and-tell presentation, but said. Vallas praised the reactions
Powell, who was the sole suspect the kids,” she said. “I the boys are still dead,” Hall said. toss top me from working with Vallas said the boy only waved of the teacher who initially noticed
in his wife Susan Cox’s disappear- “It took just a second. When I close children,” she said. the heroin around at his cubicle. the drugs, worth about $500 on the
ance in 2009, had lost custody of wanted to get to the my eyes I see him and he was so Police did not respond to messages street, and of others involved in
the children in September and lost But the memory of Charlie and
an appeal to get his children back kids. I would have normal. He did not look like a Braden will stay with her forever, seeking comment Tuesday. the response.
just four days before he decided to monster.” Hall said. The boy’s stepfather, 35-year-old “I think everybody operated like
kill them. broken in if I could.” She has sweet memories of the “The world lost two beautiful boys Santos Roman, went to the school clockwork,” he said.
boys. to a monster.” and recovered the jacket, but po-
Hall said the children loved being and call 911, whom she said did lice had already seized the drugs,
with their father. “One of them not acknowledge that it was a true “I loved the boys. I was like a
said what he wanted to do was go emergency. She called her supervi- grandma to the boys. They crawled
home and live with his daddy,” she sor, but it was too late. all over me,” she said with a laugh.
said.
“I said to [her boss] Lynne, some- Braden, who was just 5, “was a free
And during visits with Powell, “I thing terrible is happening here, spirit” who “smiled all the time.”
would see them light up.”
and I was on the phone with Lynne “He was always making things and
On Sunday, the children bounded when the house exploded,” she giving them to me,” she said.
out of her car and took off running said.
for their father’s house with Hall a Powell had laced the home with The older boy “was smart and
few steps behind. Powell let them gasoline and accelerants and set it funny. He loved bugs and frogs.
in, gave Hall his odd look, and on fire, blowing up the home. All He had a bird.” Charlie was look-
locked the door. ing forward to having his own frog
three were killed. pond when he moved back with
As Hall banged on the door, “I “I wanted to get to the kids,” she his dad, she said.
heard him say, ‘Charlie, I’ve got a said. “I wanted to get to the kids. I
big surprise for you’... And then I would have broken in if I could.” “They are not going to grow up,”
Hall said later. “They’re not ever
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