Murder is rarely simple. But the complex strands of criminality that surround the almost certain death of Susan Powell serve to obscure the reality of a very tragic situation. Through a series of related causes, a mother, a father, a grandfather, an uncle and – worst of all – two young children have died prematurely. In some of those cases, the circumstances of the victims' deaths have been truly horrific. It is approaching a decade now since Susan, the first of the extended family to lose her life, disappeared, presumed dead. But the causes of her demise reach back much further in time. The principle actors in this morbid drama are Susan, her husband Josh, his father Steven and brother Michael. The two youngest victims are Charles Powell, who was seven at the time and his brother Brad, just five years old when he died in appalling circumstances.