Disappearance of Susan Powell

Disappearance of Susan Powell
For other people named Susan Powell, see Susan Powell.

Susan Cox Powell is an American woman missing from West Valley City, Utah and last seen on December 6, 2009. Her disappearance has garnered national press attention, and police investigation is ongoing as of September 2011.

Contents

Disappearance

At first, Powell's entire family–-husband Joshua Powell and children ages 4 and 2-–were reported missing on December 7th, by family members.[1]

Joshua Powell returned home at about 5:00pm on December 7th with the two children. He asserted that he left his wife at home at about 12:30 am on December 7th, to take the children on a camping trip.[2] Powell failed to show up at her job at Wells Fargo Financial on December 7. Her purse, cell phone, and car all were left behind at her home in West Valley City, a suburb of Salt Lake City.

Investigation

Police and neighbors labeled Susan's disappearance "suspicious" and authorities began investigating.[3] Authorities searched the Powell home on December 9th, removing some items.[2]

On December 10th, West Valley City Police Captain Tom McLachlan said that there was no indication of where 28-year-old Susan Cox Powell might be, and that "she has not contacted us or anyone else we know about".

Police interviewed Joshua Powell and their 4-year-old son,[4] and the four-year old confirmed that the camping trip took place as described by Joshua.[5]

McLachlan initially told the media that authorities planned to re-question Joshua Powell.[6] Police have also subpoenaed all footage and interviews, aired and unaired, of Joshua Powell from local television stations.[7] The police currently consider Joshua Powell to be a person of interest in the investigation.[8] On December 14th, Joshua Powell retained an attorney in connection with the investigation,[2] [9] and police have said that he has not cooperated with the investigation.[5]

On December 28, 2009, the search warrants in Susan Cox Powell's case were sealed by a judge.[10]

Developments in 2010-2011

In January 2010, Joshua Powell moved to Puyallup, Washington, where he occupied a home with his sons and father.[2] [11] and indicated that he would rent the house in Utah.[12]

The Facebook page for Susan Cox Powell was taken down for technical and identity-verification reasons on January 30–31, 2010. The page was subsequently re-established, and has over 45,000 members.[13][14]

In August 2011, Utah police worked with Ely, Nevada authorities on a possible connection the Powell disappearance.[2]

On September 14, 2011, Utah authorities discovered what they believed might have been a grave site and human remains while searching Topaz Mountain, a desert area near Nephi, Utah that Joshua had frequented as a campsite.[5]

On September 15, 2011, excavation of the Topaz Mountain site found no human remains. There were signs of recent soil disturbance and shoveling, but after digging a few feet down police have been unable to find any remains, in spite of careful sifting of the soil. Federal Anthropologists have also ruled out it being an ancient burial ground. Police are continuing to examine the site, and have offered no explanation as to why they previously announced the finding of remains, when none have actually been confirmed yet. "Right now, we haven't found anything except for these scents that these dogs are picking up," said West Valley City Police Lt. Bill Merritt. "We have not come across bones."[15]

Relationships between and within the Powell and Cox families have become increasingly hostile over the past year. After a police raid on their home earlier this year, both Josh Powell and his father Steve spoke to major news outlets regarding journals that Susan had allegedly written, and about the relationship between Steve Powell and Susan. Steve Powell claimed that he and Susan were mutually falling in love prior to her disappearance, and he cited the content of the journals (written when Susan was a teen) as evidence to support his theory that she was mentally unstable and could have run away with another man. On September 23, 2011, a judge issued a permanent injunction forbidding Josh and Steven Powell from publishing any material from Susan's journals, ordering the pair to either return or destroy any journals already published.[16]

On September 22, 2011, Steve Powell was arrested on charges of voyeurism and child pornography. Police say he had secretly videotaped numerous women and young girls, including Susan Powell. John Long, assistant Attorney General for Washington, said that Joshua Powell was a "subject" in the child porn investigation.[17] Chuck Cox (Susan Cox Powell's father) filed for custody of the children of Josh and Susan Powell the day after Steve Powell was arrested. A Washington court eventually granted temporary custody of the children to Chuck Cox.[18]

A friend of Steven Powell claimed that he was preoccupied with pornography and "was hung up on [Susan] sexually, it seemed."[19] After Susan's disappearance, the friend reported Steven's seeming obsession with Susan to police.

In late September 2011, Joshua Powell's sister, Jennifer Graves,[20] stated that she believes Joshua is "responsible for his wife's disappearance."

By the end of September 2011, West Valley City had spend more than half a million dollars on the case. On 28 September 2011, Mayor Mike Winder indicated that he feels that the case was worth the expense. He said that "we feel that we are getting to that tipping point where we have more hot evidence than we have had in the past two years" and that the case is moving forward.[21]

References

  1. ^ Bergreen, Jason. "West Valley City police looking for missing woman," Salt Lake Tribune, 08 December 2011
  2. ^ a b c d e Timeline of Susan Powell's disappearance - from Fox13 website
  3. ^ Morgan, Emiley. "West Valley police, neighbors call Susan Powell's disappearance 'suspicious'", Deseret News 11 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Utah Mom's Disappearance 'Suspicious,' Police Say". Fox News. December 11, 2009. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580001,00.html?test=latestnews. 
  5. ^ a b c Dobner, Jennifer (14 September 2011). "Police: Humans remains found in search for mom". Yahoo News. http://news.yahoo.com/police-humans-remains-found-search-mom-210347535.html. Retrieved 14 September 2011. 
  6. ^ "Police to Question Husband of Missing Utah Mom Again". Fox News. December 14, 2009. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580166,00.html?test=latestnews. 
  7. ^ Nathan Carslile, "Missing mom case: Cops subpoena TV interviews with Susan Powell's husband" Salt Late Tribune, 19 December 2009.
  8. ^ http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705353673/Friend-Powell-took-time-getting-home.html
  9. ^ http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-timeline-missing-west-valley-city-woman,0,1473366.story?track=rss
  10. ^ "Warrants in missing Utah mom case sealed". The Daily Herald. 2009. http://www.heraldextra.com/news/state-and-regional/utah/article_eec888df-c33b-5a49-827a-b6c774d09b3b.html. Retrieved 2009-12-29. [dead link]
  11. ^ http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14161676?source=rss
  12. ^ http://www.abc4.com/content/news/state/story/Josh-Powell-packing-Cox-family-relieved-body/dfebS__yf0qzZqEncEh9Iw.cspx?rss=1451
  13. ^ http://www.seattlepi.com/local/414860_facebook31.html
  14. ^ http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top%20stories/story/Powell-facebook-page-back-online/y6GmeIwxLkuK2PyQu7CWaA.cspx
  15. ^ http://www.kirotv.com/news/29197675/detail.html
  16. ^ Curry, Colleen (23 September 2011). "Susan Powell's Dad-in-Law Took Naked Photos of Young Girls: Police". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/US/susan-powells-father-law-arrested-child-porn-voyeurism/story?id=14590503. Retrieved 25 September 2011. 
  17. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. "Josh Powell Now Subject of Child-Porn Investigation." People.com, 28 September 2011, URL accessed 05 October 2011.
  18. ^ Adams, Brooke (2011). "Photo of Powell ‘noose’; More porn allegations emerge". Salt Lake Tribune, 29 September 2011; URL accessed 05 October 2011.
  19. ^ Nudd, Tim (2011). "[Susan Powell's Father-in-Law Was Obsessed With Her, Says Friend]." People.com, 26 September 2011; URL accessed 05 October 2011.
  20. ^ KOMO Staff (2011). "Sister: Children should be kept away from Josh Powell", 28 September 20011; URL retrieved 05 Oct 2011.
  21. ^ "Susan Powell case is at a "tipping point"". ABC News 4. 28 September 2011. http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/Susan-Powell-case-is-at-a-tipping-point/UKndT35q0kSO43n678Qesw.cspx?rss=20. Retrieved 29 September 2011. 

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