Susan Powell Wiki
Susan Powell Biography
Susan Powell disappeared from her home in West Valley City, Utah. Although her case made national headlines and it is presumed that she was murdered by her husband, Josh Powell, charges were never brought against her.
Since her disappearance on December 6, 2009, her body has not been found, and her family and her relatives made several attempts to declare her dead. Her efforts finally paid off on November 14, 2019, when the state of Utah declared her legally dead.
Susan’s husband was named a person of interest in the investigation into her disappearance. On February 5, 2012, he killed himself and his two young children, Charles Joshua and Braden Timothy, in a murder-suicide after custody of the children was awarded to Susan’s parents, Charles and Judy Cox.
Susan Powell Age
Susan Powell was 39 years old.
Susan Powell last seen
On the morning of the day she disappeared, Susan brought her two children to her services in her local ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After she returned home, Susan was visited by a neighbor and she left at about 5 p.m., after which investigators believe the Utah mother went to bed to take a nap. This is the last time Susan was seen alive by anyone outside of her family’s home. It is believed that before going to nap, Susan called a friend of hers from her cell phone, which was the last call she made or received on her phone.
Initially, the entire Powell family was believed to be missing. The next day, after learning that the children had not been dropped off at daycare that morning, Joshua’s mother, Terrica, and her sister, Jennifer Graves, went to find the family at the couple’s home. Police participated after relatives failed to contact Susan or Joshua. They broke into the house, fearing that the family would be the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning, and found the house to be empty.
Around 5 p.m. that day, Joshua returned home with the two children and was taken to the police station for questioning. He claimed that he had left Susan sleeping at home shortly after midnight on December 7 because she was tired and had taken her children on a camping trip to Simpson Springs in western Utah. Investigators found it suspicious that Joshua took his young children camping in freezing temperatures. On December 10, police visited Simpson Springs but found no evidence from the camp that Joshua had described.
“As soon as I knew he was back and Susan wasn’t with them, I instantly said, ‘What has he done?’” Said Kiirsi Hellewell, a friend of Susan Powell’s. Susan would never have allowed him to take the children to the desert in winter, in the middle of the night. Never. I never believed her story at all. ”
Suspect
In February 2012, during a supervised visit, Joshua committed suicide along with Braden, 5, and Charlie, 7, in a house explosion. He kicked the social workers out of the house upon his arrival. “Why take the children, why? It makes absolutely no sense, ”Judy Cox said.
After the house explosion, Chuck and Judy Cox sued the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in civil court, alleging that their negligence contributed to the deaths of their grandchildren. “The fact is, they are the only ones who could have protected the children at that time,” Cox said of the child welfare agency run by DSHS. “They are the ones who have the responsibility.”
Investigators believed that Joshua murdered Susan and that her brother Michael had helped him hide her body. Michael also committed suicide in February 2013 after suspicions grew around him. On May 21, 2013, West Valley City Police closed their active investigation into Susan’s disappearance.
Investigation report
After conducting a search of Powell’s residence on December 9, investigators found traces of Susan’s blood on the floor, Susan’s life insurance policies for $ 1.5 million, and a handwritten letter from Susan expressing fear for the her life. In 2013, crime scene DNA test results matched a blood sample with Susan, while another sample was determined to have come from an “unknown male collaborator.”
In August 2012, West Valley City Police also released documents showing that some of Joshua’s actions were deemed highly suspicious following Susan’s disappearance. Joshua had liquidated Susan’s retirement accounts and removed her children from daycare.
