Missing Woman: Susan Powell--UT--12/06/2009

[LoriDavis]

Comforter in Powell unit tests positive for blood

By MANUEL VALDES and MIKE BAKER, Associated Press
Friday, February 10, 2012

(02-10) 14:51 PST Seattle (AP) -- Police in Washington state who searched a storage unit rented by Josh Powell found a stained comforter that tested positive for blood in initial exams, according to documents filed in court Friday.

Pierce County detectives reported finding a gray-blue comforter with a stain. The search warrant documents say the comforter tested positive for blood. Investigators planned to perform further tests.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/02/10/national/a141736S22.DTL#ixzz1m1ZOtHFU

[LoriDavis]

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/feb/10/funeral-for-powell-boys-to-be-held-in-tacoma/

Funeral for Powell boys to be held in Tacoma

Friday, February 10, 2012

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) -- A funeral for the two sons of missing Utah woman Susan Powell will be held Saturday morning at a Tacoma church.

The boys -- 7-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Braden -- were killed in a fire set by their father, Josh Powell, during a visit last Sunday at his home in Graham. Powell, who also died in the fire, was a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife two years ago.

The service will be at 11 a.m. at Life Center Church. A private family interment will take place on Monday at Woodbine Cemetery, Puyallup.

[LoriDavis]

Recycling search yields papers of Josh Powell, missing wife

10:12 AM, Feb. 14, 2012
From USA TODAY

GRAHAM, Wash. (AP) — A search at a recycling center recovered some papers, books and a map of Utah that Josh Powell dropped off the day before he killed his two young sons and himself in an explosive fire, the Pierce County sheriff's office said.

Volunteers who combed through more than 10 tons of paper over the weekend found what the sheriff's office called a "testament" with Powell's name on it, some paperback books with his wife's name on them and the Utah map. The office did not elaborate on what the testament contains.

"We'll take what we have and analyze it and determine if it has evidentiary value or if it leads us to another location," Sgt. Ed Troyer told KIRO-FM on Monday.

Read more: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/usatoday/article/53088302?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s

[LoriDavis]

Crime Stoppers buys plots at Puyallup cemetery to keep Powell from being buried next to 2 sons
Crime Stoppers of Pierce County said Wednesday it had bought the cemetery plots surrounding the grave of Josh Powell’s sons so Powell can’t be buried there.

ROB CARSON; STAFF WRITER
Published: 02/16/12 8:31 am | Updated: 02/16/12 9:04 am
 
Crime Stoppers of Pierce County said Wednesday it had bought the cemetery plots surrounding the grave of Josh Powell’s sons so Powell can’t be buried there.

Sheriff Paul Pastor, a member of the Crime Stoppers board, said the idea was his.

“That kind of struck me as not very acceptable,” he said. “You murder your kids and then you get buried beside them. That would just compound the evil of him murdering his two kids.”

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/15/2027294/josh-powells-family-wants-burial.html?storylink=mrc#storylink=cpy

[LoriDavis]

http://www.kcsg.com/view/full_story/18063800/article-Blood-Found-at-Utah-Home-From-Josh-Powell-s-Missing-Wife--Susan-?instance=home_first_stories

Blood Found at Utah Home From Josh Powell's Missing Wife, Susan

Published - 03/30/12 - 07:41 PM

(Seattle, WA) - Susan Cox Powell's blood was found on the tile floor near a sofa in the couple's house in Utah, according to a search warrant unsealed on Friday.

The documents were unsealed in connection with a Washington state case against the missing woman’s father-in-law, Steven Powell. Steven Powell was arrested last year and charged with voyeurism and possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

When police first entered the Utah home after Susan Cox Powell was reported missing, two fans were setup to blow air on the sofa. The woman's husband, Josh Powell, told investigators that he had just cleaned the sofa at his wife’s request.

The document also revealed Susan Cox Powell, in a hand-written letter she had placed in a safe deposit box, stated Josh had "threatened to destroy her if they get divorced." In the letter titled "Last will and testament for Susan Powell," she wrote that if she were to die, it may not be an accident, even if it looks like one.

Susan Cox Powell had sole access to this safe deposit box, investigators said. Those close to the couple told detectives the woman and her husband were having marital and financial problems, and there had been talk of divorce.

A friend who saw Susan Cox Powell just hours before she disappeared told investigators Susan Cox Powell had grown tired after eating a meal prepared by her husband on Sunday, December 6, 2009, the warrant said. Susan Cox Powell went to bed, said the friend and dinner guest, and Josh Powell prepared to take his boys sledding.

That was the last time she saw Susan Cox Powell alive, the friend said. The woman was declared missing the following day after she failed to show up at work.

Josh Powell had also missed work that Monday, after having gone camping with his boys, then 2 and 4, the night before in freezing temperatures. The man later said he had mistakenly thought the day was Sunday, and added he knew nothing about his wife's whereabouts, only that she should have been at work.

Investigators later found Susan Cox Powell's cellphone in the center console of Josh Powell's car. The phone did not contain a sim card, detectives said, and Josh Powell said he did not know why the phone was in his car. Susan Cox Powell's purse, which contained her ID and credit cards, was found, undisturbed, in the bedroom of their home.

An acquaintance of Josh Powell told police he often talked about how he liked to go camping in the west desert of Utah. The area is "so full of mine shafts, tunnels that are very unstable so you could dispose of someone and no one would ever search for the body," the document said.

Investigators have searched parts of the west desert, and have not found any sign of the missing woman. Josh Powell was the only suspect in her presumed murder, but maintained his innocence.

Detectives later learned Josh Powell, after being interviewed by police, checked out a rental car. The rental company's records indicated Josh Powell had traveled some 800 miles before returning the car. It was not known exactly where he had gone in the car; however, cell phone records indicate he had traveled near Tremonton, Utah, investigators said.

After his wife’s disappearance, Josh Powell invoked power of attorney and emptied Susan Cox Powell’s IRA accounts. He also moved with the boys to his father’s home in Puyallup, Washington, but Steve Powell was arrested and charged with voyeurism and child pornography last September. The boys were placed with Susan Powell's parents for their safety.

On February 5 - a few days after incestuous images found on his computer prompted a judge to order him to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation - Josh Powell locked a social worker out of his rental house, attacked the boys with a hatchet and then ignited the home in an explosive, gas-fueled inferno. The social worker was not injured.

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said Friday that had the case happened in his jurisdiction, he would've charged Josh Powell with her murder.

"There is direct evidence. There is circumstantial evidence. There is motive," he said. "There is everything but the body."

[LoriDavis]

http://www.wtma.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=118&itemid=29824239

Susan Powell's Dad Asks, 'Why Didn't You Arrest Him?'
03/31/2012

KOMO/ABC News(SEATTLE, Wash.) -- Court documents related to the disappearance of Susan Powell show police had "everything but a body" to build a case against Powell's husband, leaving the woman's father to question why Josh Powell was still free last month, when he killed himself and his two sons.

"When I heard them [the new evidence], it was like, well, why didn't you arrest him already?" said Chuck Cox, Susan Powell's father. "Had he been to jail, my grandchildren would still be alive."

Josh Powell, who had been the primary person of interest in the case almost from the time his wife went missing in December 2009, set off an explosion in his Graham, Wash., rental home last month, moments after a Child Protective Services worker had dropped off his sons, Braden, 5, and Charles, 7, for a supervised visit.

The explosion, seconds after Powell pulled the boys inside the house and locked out the social worker, killed him and his boys.

Powell had moved back to Washington from Utah after his wife's disappearance, initially to live with his father, Steven Powell. He moved out of his father's house after the older man was charged with voyeurism and child pornography.

The newly released documents show that investigators had a lot of evidence linking Josh Powell to his wife's disappearance, according to a Washington State prosecutor who handled the charges against Steven Powell.

According to the documents, the last time Susan Powell was seen alive, a friend had been at her house, and told police that Susan suddenly "became tired after eating a meal that was prepared by her husband."

Susan then went to bed, and was never seen again.

The documents reveal that Susan's blood had been found on what had appeared to be a spot on the floor next to a sofa where Josh Powell had set up two fans.

Detectives also found a letter Susan had left in a secret safety deposit box in which she said her husband had "threatened to destroy her if they get divorced" and that if she were to die, "it may not be accident, even if it looks like one," KOMO-TV and The Associated Press reported.

After Susan Powell disappeared, her husband emptied her IRA accounts, KOMO reported.

The new documents say that Josh once bragged to a friend about "how to kill someone, dispose of a body and not get caught."

Cox, Susan Powell's father, said that he had wanted to protect his grandchildren, but now that they're gone, he just wants to find his daughter.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=19863260

Steven Powell called in sick the day after Susan disappeared

By Pat Reavy
April 4th, 2012 @ 5:25pm

WEST VALLEY CITY — Steven Powell did not show up for work the day after his daughter-in-law Susan Cox Powell was reported missing, taking two sick leave days.

As questions continue to swirl about what Steven Powell knew about the disappearance of Susan Powell, the Washington Department of Corrections has confirmed that Powell submitted a "leave slip" for Dec. 8 and 9, 2009, calling the time off "sick leave."

It was not known exactly when that time off was submitted. The leave slip could have been submitted to the Department of Corrections via Powell's computer, according to  department spokeswoman Judi Feliciano.

She did not know Wednesday if a reason was given on Powell's slip about why he was taking sick time.

Susan Powell was last seen at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, by a family friend. On Monday, Dec. 7, Susan was reported missing to police by her mother-in-law, Terri Powell.

At 12:14 p.m. that Sunday, Josh Powell made a call to his father, Steven Powell, on his cellphone, according to court documents. The next activity on Josh Powell's cellphone wasn't until that Monday at 3:02 p.m. when he received a call from the son of the friend who had last seen Susan.

On the day Steven Powell took time off work, Tuesday, Dec. 8, Josh Powell surrendered his cellphone — minus the SIM card — and his minivan to West Valley police for examination. He then rented a Ford Focus at the Salt Lake City International Airport at 10:30 p.m., according to a recently unsealed search warrant.

On Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, Josh Powell activated a new cellphone in Tremonton near the Utah-Idaho border. The phone was activated at 4:20 p.m. On Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m., Josh Powell returned the rental car after having put more than 800 miles on it in a little less than 48 hours.

In 2011, West Valley police conducted high-profile searches in mountains outside of Ely, Nev. — where there are many abandoned mine shafts — and in the Topaz Mountain region in Utah's Juab County. In the warrant, investigators referred to a witness who told them Josh Powell once commented about how to kill someone, dispose of the body and not get caught. A woman at a company party with the Powells told police Josh Powell told them he liked to camp in Utah's western desert, an area full of mine shafts, with "tunnels that are very unstable so you could dispose of someone and no one would ever search for the body."

A one-way drive to Ely from Salt Lake City is 242 miles, and about 150 miles to Topaz, according to Mapquest. The distance from the Powells' hometown of Puyallup, Wash., to Salt Lake City is about 852 miles.

Chuck and Judy Cox, Susan Powell's parents, and Jennifer Graves, Steven Powell's estranged daughter, have each commented in the past that they believe Steven Powell knows what happened to Susan.

"I'm certain that he knows what happened at this point," Graves said Wednesday. "I would not be surprised at all to learn he had planned it."

Jennifer's husband, Kirk Graves, said Wednesday that Steven Powell was apparently in his Puyallup home on Dec. 6, the day when Susan Powell was reported missing. That information is based on a phone call his wife placed to the Puyallup home that day and Steven Powell was reportedly present at the time. Steven Powell took the sick time during the next two days.

During the last several years before Susan Powell went missing, Josh Powell would talk to his father on the phone "multiple times a week for multiple hours at a time," said Jennifer Graves, adding that it was something that was "very destructive" to Susan and Josh's relationship.

Steven Powell also had an obsession with Susan. Pictures of Susan Powell in her underwear taken without her knowledge were found during a search of Steven Powell's room at his Puyallup, Wash., home, according to court records.

Powell, who has been jailed since his arrest in September on charges of voyeurism and child pornography, told law enforcers after Josh Powell murdered his sons and killed himself that he has no interest in talking to them.

West Valley police have said they are interested in talking to Powell about what he knows about his daughter-in-law's disappearance. But Steven Powell isn't interested in talking to investigators.

Powell even filed a notice in court saying he "does not wish to discuss or make statements of any kind regarding any subject matter including, but not limited to, statements pertaining to any alleged or suspected criminal activity."

Steven Powell worked for the Washington Department of Corrections from March 1, 2006, until his arrest on Sept. 22, 2011. He was not a law enforcer. Rather, he sold furniture made by inmates to school districts and nonprofit agencies in Washington.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53902679-78/powell-search-steve-journals.html.csp

Steve Powell prosecutors: Evidence should not be suppressed
Court » Motions filed in advance of April 23 hearing in Steve Powell case.
By Melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 04/12/2012

Washington state prosecutors on Thursday filed court documents arguing the majority of evidence taken from the home of the father-in-law of missing West Valley City woman Susan Powell should be used at the man’s upcoming voyeurism trial — disputing arguments that a search warrant was too broad.

"The warrant is valid and there is no basis to suppress the evidence seized," wrote prosecutor Grant Blinn in his motion. "There is probable cause for the items to be seized, there is a nexus to the crimes being investigated and the search warrant is particular in what is being sought."

Thursday’s filing comes in advance of an April 23 hearing scheduled on the defense motion to suppress evidence.

Steve Powell, 61, is charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He is scheduled for a week-long jury trial beginning May 7 before Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald E. Culpepper.

The Washington attorneys representing Steve Powell claim some evidence obtained by law enforcement — including a CD containing photos from a locked compartment in Powell’s bedroom during an Aug. 25 search of his Puyallup, Wash. home— was gathered through an overly broad search warrant that violated his constitutional rights.

The search warrant allowed law enforcement to seize journals belonging to Susan Powell, digital media that contained copies of her journals, as well as "any other fruits or instrumentalities determined to be evidence of kidnapping, homicide and obstruction of justice."

Quigley and Currie argue taking the CDs violated Steve Powell’s Fourth Amendment rights since law enforcement didn’t explain why the journals would have any evidence of criminal conduct, what type of information may be in the journals, or how that information may be evidence of a crime or assist in providing investigative leads.

Law enforcement had one Susan Powell journal written from January 2002 to October 2009, which included entries during the time she was married to Josh Powell — the only publicly named person of interest in the case before he killed himself and his two sons in February in a blaze set at his Graham, Wash., rental home.

In his Thursday motion, Blinn stated the search warrant wasn’t overly broad and that the journals seized tied into the Susan Powell investigation.

"As the journals were written by the victim of the homicide investigation who has yet to be located, their content was very relevant and could develop further leads as to who to talk to or where to search. There is a nexus to the crimes," Blinn wrote.

"The search warrant lists out real crimes that are being investigated. The search warrant does not depend on generalized statements about people who commit murders or kidnappings and does not just ask for the seizure of a computer to see what is on it," Blinn wrote.

The search warrant specifically sought access to devices that could contain digital copies of the journals, Blinn wrote.

"... the digital images were known to exist but the investigators did not know the extent of the digital copies or precisely what device they were stored on. The paragraph was as specific as it could be given the information that the investigators knew at the time," Blinn wrote.

Steve Powell’s attorneys have said he was cooperative with police — consenting to two searches of his home, which he had been sharing with his sons and grandsons, before the August search warrant was issued. Steve Powell also gave multiple interviews to law enforcement and told them about the journals in a November 2010 email, they argue.

Blinn wrote that while Steve Powell consented to a May 11, 2010 search of his home, his cooperation with investigators did not continue.

"Defendant did not turn over the journals. Instead, defendant and his son tried to bargain with the investigators...they would release a copy of the journals and would only release that if the investigators turned over to them the journal that investigators had in their possession," Blinn wrote.

Steve Powell later withdrew his offer to release the journals, Blinn wrote.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/04/27/2500268/cox-powells-parents-seek-files.html#storylink=cpy

Cox Powell's parents seek files of Pierce, Utah law enforcement

POSTED: Saturday, Apr. 28, 2012
MELINDA ROGERS - The Salt Lake Tribune

An attorney for the parents of Susan Cox Powell has filed a formal request with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and the West Valley City Police Department to review all investigative files related to the missing woman’s case.

Anne Bremner, a Seattle attorney who represents Chuck and Judy Cox, filed the requests this week under Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act and Washington State’s Public Records Act.

She asked for “complete copies of any and all investigative files concerning the disappearance of Susan Cox Powell.”

The request states the documents are being sought “in potential litigation in which they (the Coxes) may seek civil redress in connection with Susan’s disappearance on Dec. 6, 2009.”

Bremner said recently that although West Valley City Police Chief Thayle “Buzz” Nielsen told the Coxes in February they could review files related to their daughter’s case, the family has not yet received any documents that give them insight into how West Valley City has handled the investigation .

Nielsen visited the Coxes in Puyallup in February after Susan Powell’s husband, Josh Powell, killed himself and their two young sons in a gasoline-fueled fire at his Graham-area home.

Josh Powell was the only person of interest named in the disappearance of his wife before his death.

In her request Bremner references laws that entitle crime victims, survivors and witnesses access to investigative files in some cases.

Bremner wrote that the Cox family seeks the investigative files to “further our representation, not for release to other parties or the general public.”

The agencies have 10 days to respond to Bremner’s request.

West Valley City has denied a similar request from The Salt Lake Tribune, which asked the city to release all documents related to the investigation of Josh Powell.

West Valley City officials wrote that Utah law allows the city to classify records as protected if they “reasonably could be expected to interfere with investigations undertaken for enforcement, discipline, licensing, certification or registration purposes.”

The city also stated that releasing the documents might “create a danger of depriving a person of a right to a fair trial or impartial hearing,” among other reasons cited.

Disclosing the requested records could interfere with the investigation into Susan Powell’s disappearance, said Clint Gilmore, West Valley City assistant chief prosecutor and police legal adviser.

On Friday, The Deseret News of Utah reported that Steven Powell, headed for trial in Pierce County on voyeurism charges, won’t get a favorable plea bargain from prosecutors in exchange for information about his missing daughter-in-law.

“There’s been absolutely no discussion of it,” Pierce County assistant prosecutor Grant Blinn told the newspaper.

Blinn said he has never personally spoken to the Cox family.

“Our focus is holding Steven Powell accountable for Pierce County,” Blinn said.

Family members of Susan Powell have said they believe Steve Powell might have been involved in her disappearance or knows what happened to her.

Prosecutors have alleged he surreptitiously took photos of Susan Powell and kept a stash of photos of him masturbating to her picture.

His trial is scheduled for May 7.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54036421-78/powell-list-witnesses-trial.html.csp

Defense attorneys for Steve Powell file trial witness list
Court » Trial for father-in-law of Susan Powell will start May 7.

By Melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 05/02/2012

Two investigators will testify on Steven Powell’s behalf when the man’s pornography and voyeurism trial gets underway next week, court documents show.

Powell’s attorneys, Mark Quigley and Travis Currie, on Wednesday filed a preliminary witness list in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma, Wash.
     
The attorneys list Glenn Glover and Dave LaTourette — both investigators — are their witnesses. The attorneys list Glenn Glover and Dave LaTourette — both investigators — are their witnesses. Glover is employed by the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel in Tacoma while LaTourette is a private investigator with DL Investigations based in North Bend, Wash.

LaTourette’s company specializes in "criminal investigation, witness and associate interviewing, records and background checks, surveillance, and incident (crime, accident, traffic) photography," according to the company’s Facebook page.

Powell, 61, is charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Jury selection will start for Powell — who is the father-in-law of missing West Valley City woman Susan Cox Powell — on Monday. Judge Ronald E. Culpepper is presiding over the estimated eight-day proceeding, which is expected to draw media outlets from across the country.

Jury selection is expected to take one to two days, with about four days of trial after that. Jurors will then deliberate.

Culpepper set the stage for the trial to move forward last month when he ruled that evidence gathered from Powell’s home in Puyallup, Wash., could be admitted at trial.

Attorneys had debated the constitutionality of a search warrant served by a Pierce County sheriff’s detective at Powell’s home, with defense attorneys calling it "overly broad" and prosecutors claiming police had probable cause to obtain the warrant.

During an initial court hearing for Steve Powell last fall, prosecutor Grant Blinn said Powell took images of girls as young as 8 years old over a 10-year span, although the court case focuses on voyeurism episodes from 2006 and 2007.

Sheriff’s deputies from Tacoma, Wash., arrested Steve Powell on Sept. 22, 2011, after detectives from West Valley City returned to search the home Powell shared with son Josh Powell, his grandsons and two other adult children, Alina Powell and John Powell.

The search warrants, recently unsealed, detail Steve Powell’s sexual interest in his daughter-in-law, including assertions that he secretly filmed underneath her skirt and pasted photos of Susan Powell’s head on images of nude bodies.

Prosecutors previously released a list of witnesses that they plan to call at the trial. Twelve of the 28 witnesses on the list are employed by West Valley City. Another eight witnesses are employed by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, the document shows.

Those identified on the list as employees of the West Valley City Police Department include Ellis Maxwell, a detective who has been working on the case of Susan Powell since her 2009 disappearance. John Dietrich, John LeFavor, Mike McPhie, Michael Schwemmer, Michael Fossmo, Phil Quinlan, Steven Katz, William Merritt, Robert Bobrowski, Todd Gray and Tracy Catmull — all on the West Valley City police force — also appear to be witnesses, the document shows.

Other witnesses on the prosecutors’ list are only identified by their initials — presumably the victims whom Steve Powell is accused of surreptitiously filming.

Jennifer Graves, Steve Powell’s daughter who lives in West Jordan, is also expected to testify against her father at trial.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/testimony-ends-in-washington-voyeurism-trial-of-father-in-law-of-missing-utah-woman/2012/05/14/gIQAIHrBPU_story.html

Testimony ends in Washington voyeurism trial of father-in-law of missing Utah woman

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, May 14, 5:53 PM

TACOMA, Wash. — Testimony in the voyeurism trial of Steve Powell, the father-in-law of missing Utah mother Susan Powell, came to an abrupt end Monday as prosecutors rested their case and defense attorneys declined to call their own witnesses.

The final volley of information explored a brief slice of Steve Powell’s personal journals, concluding a trial with a very narrow scope. Neither side examined Steve Powell’s relationship with Susan Powell, whose 2009 disappearance triggered scrutiny of the Washington man.

Steve Powell was never called to testify. He faces 14 voyeurism counts, including accusations that he filmed two neighbor girls using their second-floor bathroom.

A Utah investigator testified about an entry in Steve Powell’s journal, which prosecutors say was uncovered during a search of his home last year. West Valley City Police Sgt. Todd Gray said Steve Powell wrote how he enjoyed taking video of “beautiful women of every age” and that he took the images for personal use.

Defense attorneys have at times pointed out that other people lived in Steve Powell’s home, including Susan Powell’s husband for a time after her disappearance. Josh Powell was being investigated in her disappearance before he killed himself and the couple’s two children this year.

Susan Powell’s father, Chuck Cox, said he wished his daughter had been a larger focus of the testimony in Steve Powell’s trial. Authorities have said many images in Steve Powell’s files were of Susan Powell and were taken without her knowledge.

Cox said it appeared that prosecutors were trying not to prejudice the jury by referencing Susan Powell.

“I think they were being too cautious,” he said.

Steve Powell was arrested in the voyeurism case last year after authorities investigating Susan Powell’s disappearance searched his home and found the images. Prosecutors say two neighbor girls filmed by Steve Powell were about 8 and 10 when the images were recorded in 2006-07.

The girls, identified in court only by their initials, testified last week that it never occurred to them that someone might be filming them as they washed, got dressed or used the toilet in their second-floor bathroom.

After testimony ended Monday, defense attorneys moved to dismiss all but two of the voyeurism counts, arguing prosecutors had failed to prove the images were from separate instances. But prosecutors said the images showed different levels of daylight, different clothing and different items in the background.

Judge Ronald Culpepper dismissed the defense motion.

Steve Powell faces a standard sentence of around four years if convicted, but the state has alleged aggravating factors that could result in a longer term. Closing arguments for the case were set for Tuesday.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-06-29/father-in-law-of-missing-utah-mom-prison-release/55929616/1

Father-in-law of missing Utah mom may be released in year
June 29, 2012

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The father-in-law of missing Utah woman Susan Powell may be released from prison in less than a year, despite being convicted of 14 voyeurism counts.

Steven Powell was sentenced earlier this month to 2 1 / 2years in prison for recording images of two neighbor girls in their bathroom. After factoring for time served, good time and reductions because he is a nonviolent offender, the state has calculated his potential release date as May 23, 2013.

Prosecutors had asked for Powell to be sentenced to 10 years.

Susan Powell disappeared from her Utah home in 2009. Her husband, Josh, was a focus of the investigation until he killed himself and the couple's two children earlier this year. Steven Powell was arrested last year after authorities investigating her disappearance searched his home in Washington state.

Investigators said they found thousands of images of women and girls who seemed unaware they were being photographed, including images of Susan Powell. They filed charges based on video taken of the neighbor girls, who were about 8 and 10 years old when the images were recorded.

Powell also faces three years of supervised release following the sentence.

Authorities say they want to speak with Steven Powell about his daughter-in-law's disappearance.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/state/story/Susan-Powell-s-parents-to-sue-Washington-over/ksG41ZsA8k-UnTkKQ3dNEg.cspx

Susan Powell’s parents to sue Washington over grandchildren murders

Updated: 8/03 9:04 pm | Published: 8/03 5:40 pm
Reported by: Noah Bond

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) – Susan Powell’s parents filing a lawsuit against Washington State because of apparent breakdowns in the system designed to keep their grandchildren safe.

"They did have the warning signs and supposedly they're the professionals. It's their job to figure this stuff out,” said Susan’s father, Chuck Cox. "The children, we miss them, but we know they're with their mother.”

Chuck and Judy Cox worked with the West Valley Police Department and social workers in Washington, yet their two grandchildren were murdered by the hands of their own father, Josh Powell.

"There were errors made this should not have happened,” Chuck said.

“They did everything right and everything went wrong,” said the Cox family attorney, Anne Bremner.

A 13 page report compiled by a panel of experts suggests mistakes made by social workers in Washington. The first was on day one, when the boys were checked into Washington’s system.

According to the report, Washington social workers wrote an answer to this question about the Powell family, "Has anyone used or threatened to use physical force against an adult in the home?”

"...the intake workers answered "no"...", the report reveals.

The panel of experts investigating the system responsible for Charlie and Braden responded, "...social workers could have answered "yes”.

“This is a good start in this report in saying they should have put this in a domestic violence category like we were talking about off camera the best prediction of future violence is previous violence,” said Bremner. “If there's probable cause someone was involve in the disappearances of a spouse, killed them, they can't have the kids that easy. It's common sense,” she continued.

Chuck and Judy Cox want this apparent mistake fixed in Washington’s system. In fact Bremner says they’re pushing for an entire overhaul of the system responsible for children in Washington state custody.

West Valley Police are responding to this report with a news release. Part of it reads, "Josh is solely responsible for his horrific actions back in February of this year and individually responsible for the murders of Charlie and Braden."

Chuck Cox said, "They did have the warning signs and supposedly they're the professionals. It's their job to figure this stuff out, and be, take care of the children and I say it failed."

Washington required a waiting period of 60 days before filing a law suit against the state. Bremner says she’ll file this case as soon as possible.

[Shannon]

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/56273d11985e449b89f58f43940fd315/UT--Missing-Mom-Utah

Utah supporters release new song in advance of Susan Powell's birthday
 
October 14, 2012 - 8:13 pm EDT
 
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — Supporters of Susan Powell have released a new song in advance of what would have been her 31st birthday on Tuesday.

The West Valley City woman was reported missing Dec. 7, 2009. Authorities had been probing her husband, Josh, who maintained his innocence, then earlier this year killed himself and the couple's two young sons at a Washington state home.

Jennifer Graves, Josh Powell's estranged sister, stressed the importance of building healthy relationships through appropriate boundaries during a talk Saturday at the Ivy Girl Academy in Cottonwood Heights.

It ended with a performance of "Susan's Song, 'A Dream Away,'" written by a friend after the boys were killed in Graham, Wash.

Profits from the song's sale will go toward memorials for Susan Powell in West Valley City and Puyallup, Wash

[LoriDavis]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/55417721-78/powell-susan-josh-police.html.csp

West Valley City police scale back search for Susan Powell
Investigation » Three years later, case is “active but has been scaled down,” police say.

By Brooke Adams | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Dec 06 2012 04:03 pm

On Thursday, the third anniversary of the disappearance of Susan Cox Powell from her West Valley City home, police said the investigation "continues to be active but has been scaled down."

West Valley City police Sgt. Mike Powell said in a news release that the number of full-time investigators assigned to the case has been reduced.
     
"Some investigative tasks remain to be completed as follow-ups are coordinated," said Powell, who is not related to the missing woman.

"The department remains committed to this investigation," Powell added, noting there is still a $10,000 reward for information leading to Susan Powell’s whereabouts.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the West Valley City Police Department at 801-840-4000.

In recent months, a spokesman for the city has said ongoing work on the case justifies their refusal to release records related to the investigation.

In Washington state, the Associated Press reported Wednesday it received a folder containing nearly 4,500 images of Susan Powell in response to a records request for evidence used at the voyeurism trial of Steve Powell, her father-in-law. Many of the images of Susan were taken without her knowledge and focused on her crotch and backside.

They were among other evidence seized from Steve Powell’s Puyallup home in August 2011. Among that cache were images of young girls who lived next door, which were used to convict Steven Powell of voyeurism charges earlier this year.

Susan Powell was last seen at her home Dec. 6, 2009, a Sunday, when a friend stopped by to help the young mom untangle some yarn and then stayed through a later-afternoon pancake brunch.

A day-care provider raised an alarm early the next morning when the boys were not dropped off as scheduled and she could not reach either parent. Josh Powell, accompanied by the boys, finally arrived back at the couple’s home in the early evening of Dec. 7, 2009. Josh Powell told police they had left around midnight to go camping in Utah’s West Desert, while Susan stayed behind. He initially insisted he assumed she had gone to work.

But the story was full of holes from the moment Josh Powell offered it. Investigators found Susan Powell’s cellphone in her husband’s minivan, and Josh Powell could not explain why he called it after being informed his wife was missing. They identified her blood on a couch and nearby floor in the couple’s home. They also retrieved a statement Susan Powell, 28, prepared detailing the couple’s ongoing marital problems and her concerns that Josh Powell might harm her if she attempted to proceed with a divorce and sought custody of their sons.

The most innocent — and telling — observation of all came from Powell’s son Charlie, who was 4 at the time his mom disappeared. Charlie told a police investigator his mom had gone camping with them but did not come back with them and he did not know why.

The story shifted to Washington when, less than a month after his wife’s disappearance, Josh Powell, with his sons, moved into his father Steven’s home in Puyallup.

The case simmered until August 2011 when police searched the Puyallup home looking for clues. A month later, they arrested Steven Powell and charged him with voyeurism after finding sexually explicit photos he had taken surreptitiously of neighborhood children.

Washington authorities removed the boys — Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5 — from the home and placed them with their grandparents. The Coxes were engaged in a custody battle with Josh Powell, 36, when he carried out the murder/suicide on Feb. 5, 2012.

Moments after the two boys arrived for a supervised visit at Josh Powell’s rented home, the father started a fire that killed the boys and also claimed his life.