(Update 10:00AM EST Susan Powell’s children are in protective custody with Pierce County Child Services)

Pullyallup, WA- You knew it was coming.   Steven Powell,  unaffectionately dubbed Freak-in-law by www.blinkoncrime.com,  was arrested yesterday after child porn and non-consensual hidden video and media files were found during the most recent search of his home by search warrant,  related to the West Valley investigation into the disappearance of Susan Powell.

Powell is facing charges for possession of thousands of  sexually explicit images and videotape of both minors and adult women apparently many appear to have been taken without their knowledge in the Powell home.

Pierce County prosecutors say among those images, are some of Susan Powell.   Steve Powell, 61 was taken into custody late Thursday on 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possession of depiction of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.   It is believed the material was taped between 2006 and 2007 and may include Powell’s neighbors.

Pierce County prosecutors have not ruled out future additional charges.

Steven Powell, father of Joshua Powell, a person of interest in his wife Susan’s disappearance and all around dolt, was not seen fleeing the home in a midnight camping trip.

West Valley Police are referring all calls regarding the elder Powell’s arrest to the Pierce County Sheriff’s office and stress his case is unrelated to the ongoing investigation of Susan Powell’s whereabouts.

It is not known if as a result of Steve Powell’s arrest, Pierce County Child Services will be called to insure the safety and care of the two young Powell children, Charlie and Braden, as they spent a great deal of time with their 61 year old Grandperv  (hint to Chuck Cox).

(Editors Note: Who did not see that coming with the whole “flirtatious relationship” BS- this dude is a seriously sick f*ck. If you had any doubt, read this- a John Jay undergrad could profile this guy in 2 pages )

Madeline Tanner and Jacqueline Beaufort, www.blinkoncrime.com contributing editors.

Topaz Mountain, Utah-  In a search effort today,  based solely on intelligence gained by recent warrants served on Joshua Powell,  the husband of missing Utah woman Susan Powell,  human remains have been located.

Cadaver dog teams were utilized this afternoon, and confirmed positive alerts in an area Josh Powell is known to “rock hunt”.

The waiting game begins,  the remains could not be identified as that of a man or woman, and the medical examiner is enroute.   Abc4 , who had been invited by the search effort,  was subsequently restricted from the crime scene upon recovery.

Chuck  Cox,  father of Susan Cox Powell,  said he believes police are close to completing their investigation in this case and it is due for a break, but stopped short of confirming if he believes are the remains of his daughter.

“I absolutely believe they have a specific reason for being there.”

Previous Coverage

Clay Waller,  in US District Court today on charges he threatened his wife’s relatives in an email exchange, Prosecutors say he confessed to the premeditated murder of Jacque Rawson Waller.

Waller was subsequently indicted this afternoon on the threat charges and proceedings immediately changed to a bond hearing for the former Cape Girardeau deputy.  Waller is also currently on bond for recent charges  he made threats to his former girlfriend and her estranged husband, as well as facing economic fraud allegations involving his  failing construction business.

Federal Prosecutor Larry Ferrell stated in the  bond hearing what was likely presented earlier in the closed session of the  grand jury.  Ferrell claimed there was sufficient evidence that Waller killed his wife, and buried her in a hole he dug beforehand,  or at least, that is what he told his Father.

Ferrell went on to say there is evidence in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Jacque Waller, that implicates her husband, including carpeting he re-sected and hid in floorboards in the family home.

Forensic lab tests  have confirmed  the samples contain Jacque’s blood.

Clay Waller has not  been charged with any offenses related to the disappearance of Jacque Waller,  mother of the former couples 5 year old triplets.

Avery, Addison and Maddox Waller have been in the custody of their maternal grandparents since their mother was reported missing.

Jason Mateos,  editor, www.blinkoncrime.com, contributed to this report

Jonesboro, AR- In a shocking development, four days following the first installment of the West Memphis Three on www.blinkoncrime.com, on August 19, 2011 Damien Echols, Charles Jason Baldwin and Jessie Miskelley, through an Alford plea, were convicted of three counts of first degree murder following an agreement made by Prosecutor Scott Ellington and their respective defense attorneys for the murders of eight year old boys James Michael Moore, Christopher Byers ( Murray) and Stevie Branch.

Judge David N. Laser agreed to and imposed suspended sentences for time served to Echols, Miskelley and Baldwin; all were released and immediately declared their innocence during the ensuing press conference.

In Part I of our series, we touched briefly on the development of new evidence and possible murder weapon, the blue handled- mountain ice axe, which inexplicably was never presented at trial.  It had been admitted into evidence after being retrieved from its owner, following it’s return by  Jason Baldwin’s, younger brother Mathew.

Requests to confirm whether or not the ice axe was maintained in evidence at West Memphis Police Department were non-responsive at the time of this publication.  Part II continues first with what the jury never heard.  A podcast of my interview on the case following the release of the WM3 can be found here.

Premature Illumination

One of the larger points of contention in the murders was the lack of blood evidence at the scene.  The lack of blood or blood spatter at the scene with such gruesome injuries spawned the defense theory the ditch was a dump site or secondary crime scene.  This was largely due to the fact that the jury would never hear about the results of luminol tests; it was suppressed by motion of the defense In both trials.

Luminol enhanced chemiluminesence (LCL) technology in 1993 was geared toward examining items of evidence in a lab under black light for optimum photographic results, or its secondary application for use in an enclosed environment which can be manually darkened and a portable black light ( we now call this an alternative light source or ALS) brought to the scene.

LCL when sprayed onto a surface containing  remnants of blood, or more specifically the iron in blood, will create a glowing reaction when iron, invisible to the naked eye, is present.

In 1993 under Arkansas law, Luminol testing was considered new, novel, and not accepted as scientific evidence.

While the methods for collection, testing and controls have advanced significantly since 1993 and LCL testing is widely used in criminal case work, analysis of the findings in the instant case flatly dispute the notion that there was no blood associated with the crime scene along the ditch bank of Robin Hood Hills.

Contrary to the misconception that there was no evidence of blood at the scene, the results of two consecutive days of luminol tests at the scene were enlightening.

As Kermit Channell and Donald Smith, from the Arkansas crime lab could not bring the “outside in” they were forced to set up shop in the woods along the banks of the ditch.  Also present for testing  both days were WMPD Detectives Mike Allen, Tony Anderson and Bryn Ridge. (more…)