ROANOKE, Va.—
The deadly house fire in Washington State that police say was set by a father in the middle of a custody battle is putting the child custody issue in the spotlight. Authorities say Josh Powell used a hatchet on his two young sons, then set his home on fire. That fire killed all three of them.
The incident happened when a social worker had brought the two kids to see Powell for a supervised visit.
Salem family law attorney Jeff Dorsey says the ultimate well-being of the child in question is the single determining factor of which parent wins custody. But he says unfortunately, many parents view their children as property, instead of as a person.
You can read more about child custody in the Code of Virginia.
