158 replies to this topic

[Lori Davis]

http://www.fox13now....0,1188310.story

Neighbors Say Husband Possibly Involved in Disappearance of Susan Powell
Nineveh Dinha, Anchor/Reporter and Jared Preusz, Web Content Producer FOX 13 News
2:02 PM MST, December 23, 2009

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - Neighbors of Susan Powell are now saying they believe her husband, Josh, was somehow involved in her disappearance. The 28-year-old woman was reported missing on Dec. 7, 2009 when she failed to appear at work and her children were not dropped off at day care. Josh, the only person of interest in the case, told police he took his two sons, ages 2 and 4, camping that day at about 12:30 a.m. in subfreezing temperatures and returned in the evening.

One family friend of the Powell's, Jim Peterson, said Josh came over just days after his wife was reported missing, acting very odd, avoiding any conversation about Susan and talked about some new clothes that he purchased. Peterson also said police took Josh's cell phone and he purchased a new one at Wal-Mart. Authorities are not confirming the phone, but they said Josh rented a car and drove it several hundred miles in a matter of days while his van was being searched.

Peterson said he developed a close relationship with Susan and feared for her life. He said that Susan would confide in him about their marriage and would e-mail him from her workplace because Josh was "possessive and controlling." Peterson said Josh would not allow Susan to have any access to the computers at her home.

"I believe that he was involved in her disapperance," Peterson said.

Peterson said Susan tried to work hard on her marriage, but Josh continually grew more withdrawn.

Josh is currently in Washington State with his two sons spending the holidays with his family. He attended a candlelight vigil there, while another similar vigil was held in West Valley City.

"It's really strengthening and uplifting to know that everybody, all these millions of strangers that we don't know are praying for Susan and for her family and hoping for the best it's really something that's help keeping hope alive," said Susan's friend, Kiirsi Hellewell.

Police still want to question Josh since he was the last person to see Susan.

"We would still dearly love to have an interview with him and have an open request, invitation, whatever you want to call it...for him to do that," said McLachlan.

Police searched the area near Simpson Springs, where Josh said he took his two sons camping, but they found nothing. Police are calling the case "highly suspicious" and ask anyone with information on Susan's whereabouts to call 801-840-4000.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.examiner....fe-went-missing

Susan Powell case: Husband Josh Powell put hundreds of miles on rental car after wife went missing
December 23, 5:03 AM
Crime Examiner
Cindy Adams

Josh Powell, the husband of missing Utah woman, Susan Powell, put hundreds of miles on a car he rented after police took his van as part of the investigation into his wife’s whereabouts.

Powell rented a car at the Salt Lake Airport for the day, according to ABC News. West Valley Police Captain Tom McLachlan said “We do know a car was rented in his name and several hundred miles were put on it. Unfortunately, we don’t have any GPS data. The company that rented the car doesn’t store that data.”

Powell, 34, alleges that the night his wife disappeared he and his two young sons—ages 2 and 4—were on a camping trip in freezing cold temperatures at around midnight on Dec. 6. He claims they slept in a minivan and that when they returned home the next day, Susan, 28, was gone.

Powell’s neighbor, Tim Peterson, said Powell showed up at his home when it was time to return the rental car and retrieve his van from police. According to Peterson, Powell’s hands were so badly wind burned, he though they had been frost bitten. He also noted that Powell had a bottle of lotion with him that he kept putting on his hands.

Peterson speculated that Powell may have put several hundred miles on the car he rented by returning to the campground he claimed he had been with his two young boys the night Susan went missing. He said “I just kind of speculate if he went out there again. And I wonder why would someone do that?”

Anyone with information regarding Susan Powell's whereabouts or her disappearance is urged to call the West Valley City Police Dept. at 801-840-4000.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.localnews....asp?S=11727272

Relative: Missing woman's husband has said little

Associated Press - December 24, 2009 8:05 AM ET

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The sister-in-law of a missing Utah woman says the woman's husband has said little to his family since his wife disappeared.

Jennifer Graves told NBC's "Today" on Thursday that her brother Josh Powell has told his family no more than what he's told police about the disappearance of his wife, Susan. She was last seen Dec. 7. Powell has told police he left her at home about 12:30 a.m. that day to go camping with their 2- and 4-year-old sons in freezing temperatures.

Graves is Josh Powell's sister. She says she is close to Susan and they frequently spent time together. She says she is saddened that her brother won't "speak up more on behalf of his wife."

Police say the case is still a missing persons investigation but have labeled Josh Powell as a "person of interest."

[Lori Davis]

http://www.people.co...0333194,00.html

Neighbor Calls Susan Powell's Husband a 'Crackpot'
By Cathy Free
Thursday December 24, 2009 06:15 PM EST

A neighbor of missing Utah mother Susan Powell says days after friends reported her disappearance on Dec. 6, her husband, Joshua Powell, dropped by his house with "wind-burned hands" and acted very strangely.

"We kept asking about Susan, but all he could talk about was the new clothes and phone he'd gotten at Walmart after the police took his stuff for evidence," the neighbor, Tim Peterson, tells the Salt Lake Tribune in a new interview.

Peterson says that neighbors tried to call Joshua all day Dec. 7 after his wife was reported missing, but it took him two hours to get home when they finally reached him. "He just said he was driving around West Valley City," Peterson said. "He wasn't in a big hurry to get home to find his wife. This guy was absolutely a crackpot and there was just something wrong with this whole situation."

Peterson said Joshua Powell had the worst wind burn he'd ever seen on the back of his hands and he kept pulling out a bottle of lotion and reapplying it as they spoke. "He was pretty unfazed," Peterson told the newspaper. "It's just a really crappy situation."

Susan Powell was last seen by friends on Dec. 6 – the same night her husband says he took the couple's young sons camping in freezing conditions along the Pony Express Trail in Utah's west desert. Joshua Powell, who is the only person of interest in the case, according to police, is spending Christmas at his father's home in Puyallup, Wash., with his boys. Police still hope to interview him at some point about his whereabouts on Dec. 6 and 7.

In the meantime, police are scaling back their investigation until after Christmas so that detectives, who have worked around the clock since the Utah mother of two disappeared, can spend some time with their families. At the same time, family and friends of the West Valley City woman are asking people to step up and do something nice for someone else in Powell's honor.

"Susan is a shining example to others and [her family] is gratified by the acts of service being performed on their behalf," says Shelby Gifford, spokesperson for Powell's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox. "They hope, in some small way, they will be able to bring peace and comfort to those whose lives are affected by Susan's disappearance."

[Lori Davis]

http://www.fox13now....0,7945122.story

Social Media Blitz Planned to Help Find Susan Powell
Ben Winslow FOX 13
5:07 PM MST, December 25, 2009

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - The search for Susan Powell is going viral. A social media blitz is being planned for the first week in January to bring awareness to the missing West Valley City mother.

A Facebook group set up by supporters of Susan Powell's family has doubled in the number of followers in just a week. A Twitter account has also been set up to help publicize the search efforts, as well as a new YouTube channel with video slideshows of Susan Powell.

"They're things that can really take off," said James Hofheins, who created the @FindSusan twitter account and helps to manage the Facebook group. "They're things that can get the message out to so many people so fast."

Hofheins has never met Powell, but he felt compelled to help. This week, Susan Powell's family asked people to go out and perform a good deed between now and New Year's in the missing woman's name.

Powell vanished December 7 from her West Valley City home. Since then, her husband, Josh, has been labeled a "person of interest" in the suspicious disappearance. That has led to considerable speculation on the Internet. Hofheins told Fox 13 News that they try to keep the focus on finding Susan.

"We find ourselves sometimes getting a little overshadowed by the suspicions, by the speculation," he said. "But we're strong in our message, 'Find Susan' and that's what it's about."

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information that helps to find Susan Powell. Anyone with information is urged to call West Valley City police at 801-840-4000.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.tmcnet.co.../25/4549657.htm

Social media plays a big role in Susan Powell search: YouTube videos, Facebook pages spread word about woman beyond Utah borders.
[December 25, 2009] 

(The Salt Lake Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Frostie the Dancing Cockatoo is on the Susan Powell case.

The 20-year-old white cockatoo is the star of what his owner says is YouTube's 10th most-popular pet video ever. The owner, Karla Larsson, recently edited the video, in which Frostie dances to a song sung by Ray Charles, to include a graphic promoting the $10,000 reward for finding the missing West Valley City woman.

"I just thought he would be able to spread the word," Larsson said.

Larsson and Frostie, whose video has been viewed 1.55 million times since it was posted in February, illustrate how the search for Powell has been a virtual, social-networking experience.

No one is climbing over red rocks, up mountains, through sagebrush or knocking on doors like so many other Utah searches. Instead, the searchers are creating videos, posting messages on Facebook and sending blurbs on Twitter.

"One of the parts I have been amazed with is the social media aspect," said Damon Talbot, the acting president and director of operations of the Destiny Search Project. "I've never seen it in any search before." Talbot, too, is evidence of how the Powell search has taken a telecommuting-like quality. Although his organization was founded in Utah and named for the abducted and murdered 5-year-old Destiny Norton, he recently moved to Muskegon, Mich., because his father developed health problems.

So Talbot has been working from the shores of Lake Michigan updating a Facebook page called "Friends and Family of Susan Powell." As of Friday afternoon, it had 9,474 members.

A Facebook page dedicated to Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan had 1,335 fans. A page dedicated to LDS President Thomas S. Monson had 1,271 members.

Timing is influencing Powell's attention online. There was no Facebook or Twitter during the Elizabeth Smart or Lori Hacking searches, and the Powell search has lasted longer than that for Destiny.

And while social media hasn't yet lead police to Powell, Talbot believes it is producing results. It has helped spread the word about Powell and been a place people can download fliers to distribute, Talbot said. Talbot believes social media also helped increase the turnout at vigils for Powell.

Plus, if police and the Search Project get clues of where in Utah to look for Powell, social media has helped organize volunteers, Talbot said.

"We already know we have a couple hundred people ready to go," Talbot said.

There has been some disagreements about what should be said about Powell. On the Facebook administered by Talbot and Larsson, members are not allowed to post "speculative, accusatory or hurtful" statements, according to the page's description.

Talbot said those prohibitions also have been applied to some discussions of evidence or facts not yet confirmed by police. The page administrators deleted links to news stories about the fans blowing on wet spots in the Powell house. Talbot said administrators stopped deleting those posts when police discussed the wet spots publicly. Larsson said a few posts with possible tips have been forwarded to West Valley City police.

"That page is primarily for the family to have a lot more hope and good thoughts," Talbot said.

Leslie Bleak, of St. George, did not like those terms. So Bleak started her own Facebook page dedicated to Powell with no restrictions on speech.

That page had 871 members as of Friday afternoon and much more discussion of Powell's husband, Joshua Powell, the only person of interest identified by police in the disappearance.

"I just thought that was kind of weird that people didn't have freedom of speech and couldn't say what's on their mind," Bleak said.

The alternative Facebook page hasn't sat well with everybody. Bleak said she has received about 20 messages, some from people identifying themselves as Powell friends and family, who have written to complain and ask her to change the terms of posting on the page. Bleak has declined.

Bleak, Larsson and Talbot do not know the Powells nor have another connection to them. And that's been another thing that has impressed Talbot about the people following the Powell case online.

"One of the things that's been really unique is I see posts from people in Mississippi, New York," Talbot said. "The other day during the vigil, we had a guy in Ireland who got up early in the morning so he could take part in the vigil at the right time." Larsson lives in Magalia, Calif., and says she is on her computer "from dawn until dusk." She learned about the Powell case from a Google News alert and decided she would help administer the larger Facebook page and organize YouTube videos, like the one of Frostie, to give the Powell family time to tend to other business.

"I'm just trying to do whatever I can to get this story out there," Larsson said.

[Lori Davis]

http://abcnews.go.co...tory?id=9426783

Grandpa: Kids of Missing Utah Mom in Good Spirits
Father of missing Utah mom spends Christmas with her sons, but says holiday felt empty
December 26, 2009 (AP)

SALT LAKE CITY
The parents of a missing Utah woman spent an unhappy Christmas together with her two young children, the woman's father said Saturday.

Chuck Cox said he and his wife were with the boys, ages 4 and 2, for several hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Both boys were in good health and spirits, Cox said in a posting to a Facebook page dedicated to the disappearance of his daughter, Susan Powell.

"We went through the motions of Christmas, but it didn't fill the emptiness," he said.

Powell, 28, has been missing since Dec. 7. Her husband, Josh Powell, has told police he last saw her at 12:30 a.m. on that day as he left their suburban Salt Lake City home with the two boys for a camping trip.

Josh Powell failed to show up at work that day. Police consider him to be the sole person of interest in her disappearance.

Cox, of Puyallup, Wash., said the last few days have been very difficult. But his grandsons seem to be unaffected by their mother's disappearance and the national attention it has brought, he wrote.

"We have pictures of Susan and her family up, so I was a little concerned," Cox said. "But the boys just went on playing, so I feel they are doing well."

Josh Powell traveled with his sons to Puyallup a week ago to spend the holiday with family. Susan Powell grew up in the city south of Seattle and met her husband there.

There were no new major developments in the case Saturday, said Tom McLachlan, a police captain in West Valley City, the Utah town where the Powells live.

[Jenn]

http://www.foxnews.c...test=latestnews

Search Warrants Sealed in Susan Powell Case

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

SALT LAKE CITY —  Search warrants in the case of a 28-year-old Utah woman missing for three weeks have been sealed.

Susan Powell was last seen on Dec. 7, when husband Josh Powell says he left their suburban home in West Valley City about 12:30 a.m. to take their two boys camping in freezing conditions.

She was reported missing the same day when she failed to show up for her stockbroker job and her kids weren't dropped off at day care.

Josh Powell returned later that evening to find his wife missing. He has been named a person of interest in the case, but not a suspect.

Police have searched the Powell home and van. The 3rd District Court clerk's office said Monday that the search warrants have been sealed by a judge.

[Jenn]

http://www.examiner....-Elizabeth-home

Interview with Ed Smart: ‘Keep Susan Powell’s face out there, it’s what brought Elizabeth home’

December 30, 11:56 PM Seattle Headlines Examiner Isabelle Zehnder

December 30, 2009 – In an exclusive phone interview with Ed Smart I asked what he believes the public can, at this time, do to help Susan Powell and he said, “Keep Susan’s face out there. It’s very, very important. It’s what brought Elizabeth home.”

Susan Powell, 28, has been missing for over three weeks. Police continue to aggressively investigate the case, following “a continuous stream of leads”. Elizabeth Smart, Ed’s daughter, went missing in June 2002 and was found alive 9 months later.

When asked if he believes police are doing everything they can to find Susan, Smart said he supports the police one-hundred percent to “develop a case that will be compelling.”

He went on to say, “Circumstantial evidence will not hold up in court. The diary found at Susan’s work, for instance, can be a pertinent piece of the puzzle when putting together this case, but alone, it’s not enough. So far, there doesn’t appear to be enough to nail this case down.”

He continued, “Not all information can be released during an investigation such as this one, especially when there are extenuating circumstances. If information is released prematurely it could cause damage to the case.”

When asked what Smart thinks about the two young children who have been without their mother for more than three weeks, he said it is his understanding Josh’s sister was helping with the kids when they were in Utah.

Now Josh Powell, Susan’s husband and the only person of interest in this case - called a ‘missing person’s case with suspicious criminal undertones’ - has moved his children just over 850 miles northwest of where the Powell family was living before Susan disappeared.

Recent news reports revealed Josh is staying with his father in his hometown of Puyallup, Washington.

Smart said, “The kids raise an interesting concern. If it’s not Josh then he has every right to have his children.” He paused and said, “But it’s troubling he left the state.”

The Internet and Social Networking – a tool or a hindrance

When asked what he thought about the social networking side of this case Smart said it is an important tool in keeping the case alive and can be used to spread information about Susan.

While the Internet can be a powerful tool, it can also be used to harm. And, if allowed, it will do harm in the Susan Powell case.

We discussed how irresponsible people can be when using the Internet. Emotions run high and they say things they would never consider saying to someone face-to-face. Yet behind their computer screens and in the comfort of their own homes they somehow feel powerful. Kind of like the driver of a Hummer who flips you off.

A few have chosen to take this dark path and have begun turning their frustrations against those closest to Susan – her friends and family.

The message is clear, Smart and I agreed. There simply is no time for this. Instead, it is time to remain focused on the task at hand – finding Susan.

No one knows where Susan is or what happened to her. She has left behind two beautiful young children who desperately need their mom.

Questions that continue to be raised

There are two main questions that continue to be asked. One, why have the police not yet arrested Josh Powell? And, two, why don’t they make him to talk, take a lie detector test, something?

Smart said he believes police have not gone after Josh because they don’t yet have the case they need - another important reason to let police take their time with their investigation into what happened to Susan Powell.

Rushing the process can lead to errors, which would not be in the best interest of those closest to Susan. But most importantly, Smart agreed, it would not be in the best interest of Susan Powell.

[Kelly]

Families of the missing want solace
Disappearances » Utah's official database lists 56 persons, including Susan Powell.

By Brooke Adams

The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 01/02/2010 07:34:49 PM MST

  For 15 years, Stephanie Amandia Cook has marked her mother's disappearance by writing her a letter and sending it skyward with a bunch of balloons.

The letters detail Cook's life and things she wishes they could have shared together. This year Cook, who was 5 when her mother Bobbi Ann Campbell vanished on Dec. 27, 1994, wrote about her wedding.

"Every year that goes by is just another year that people put it behind them," said Cook, 20. "It is just harder to keep the hope."

And every time there is news that a mother is missing, the heartache intensifies. This time, it is Susan Powell's story that has riveted Cook. Powell, mother of sons ages 4 and 2, was reported missing from her West Valley City home on Dec. 7.

"I just hurt for those little kids," Cook said. "I pray that they don't have to grow up with no answers like I did."

That pain is shared by families throughout Utah who have had loved ones disappear with few clues to what happened to them or why. The Utah Missing Persons Clearinghouse, the state's official database, now features Powell in addition to 55 others.

Of those, 42 are adults ages 19 or older. A majority -- 26 -- of those adults are men. A number of cases on the list involve suspicious circumstances that suggest foul play. Names are added only with permission of family or law enforcement.

It's not a complete list, acknowledges Gina McNeil. Across Utah, missing persons reports pour in

daily. In Salt Lake County, for instance, the sheriff's office had received 157 reports in 2009 as of Dec. 30 -- a count that doesn't include runaway children.

Spokesman Don Hutson said most cases are resolved quickly after a person returns or is located and relays they left by choice. Those that make the state database stay there until a person is found or a body recovered. Kiplyn Davis of Spanish Fork is listed, for example, though authorities and her family believe she was killed after she disappeared in 1995.

The oldest case dates to the 1970s: Jennifer Klein, 3, disappeared in May 1974 while camping with her family in Moab near a river. Klein's entry notes her family doesn't recall anyone at the campground being interviewed or vehicles searched.

Since then, investigative techniques, technology and media have vastly altered efforts to locate missing persons. Information about Susan Powell, for instance, spread worldwide via the Internet within days of her disappearance.

Advances in DNA matching have allowed investigators to rework old cases, as has age progression imaging.

Bobbi Ann Campbell's case is one that received new attention earlier this year after the group "Project Jason" released a photograph that showed how she might have aged.

Campbell was 24 when left her daughter with a friend while she picked up a paycheck from SOS Staffing Services in Salt Lake City, went to the bank and then the grocery store. She never picked up her check. Investigators believe Campbell, who had struggled with drugs, was spotted about six months later at a park.

That fall, Campbell's vehicle was found abandoned in front of a home near the Jordan River. Inside the vehicle, family found her makeup, purse, clothes and even Christmas presents from the previous year.

Cook, who was raised by her great-grandparents, said they did everything they could to find her at the time. Several years ago, Cook took up the charge and contacted every missing persons Web site she could find to spread word about her mother. Cook also submitted a DNA sample that could be compared to any unidentified bodies found.

"I pass out fliers once every so often," Cook said. "I did it this summer at Liberty Park because that is where we would hang out all the time when I was little. That is all I can do.

"I hope that something happened and she is just confused and scared to come home," Cook said. "I honestly don't think she could have left me because of how close we were."

Occasionally, a missing adult resurfaces -- or Sarah Jensen of Orem.

Jensen left home on May 25 to camp for a few days in southern Utah. Jensen's family reported the 31-year-old mother missing a week later when she failed to return home. As a search began, Jensen's parents said their daughter would "never, never" have left her 5-year-old son for so long, said Hutson.

Three weeks later -- as Jensen's family prepared to hold a candlelight vigil -- Jensen was pulled over during a routine traffic stop in New Mexico. Jensen told police she had been staying with friends and had not wanted to be contacted for a while, though she did return to Utah at that point.

In such cases, there is little police can do, Hutson said.

"It is not a crime to walk away from your marriage, to walk away from your job or leave your family behind," he said.

Sometimes, there are sad discoveries.

In November, 51-year-old Katherine S. Doutre of Hooper disappeared after dropping off her son at Roy High School. Doutre did not take her cell phone, wallet, car or keys and was distraught; she had taken off in the past for hours but always returned. When a day passed, family contacted police. Searches turned up nothing, though there were several credible sightings of Doutre.

A month later, Doutre's body was found in a previously searched field near West Haven. Police determined she had died of exposure, probably not long after she disappeared.

Often, though, a missing person is never found.

Family are left with unanswered questions and, at some point, the sad tasks of cleaning out homes, disposing of possessions, ending marriages, taking care of estates and other legal matters.

Lee "Bill" Frost never got over the disappearance of his daughter Debra, who was 17 when she vanished in 1984. She was last seen around 10 p.m. in downtown Salt Lake City, at the Mountain Bell Plaza.

Frost, a taxi driver, died in 2005. His obituary noted that Debra's disappearance "sadly altered Bill's life forever." Later that year when his estate was settled, a court ordered that Debra's shared be given to her siblings.

The daughters of Janis Stavros, missing since Jan. 3, 2001, had their mother declared legally dead last year, said Stavros' ex-husband Mike.

Mike Stavros and his ex-wife, her boyfriend and daughter Meghan Laudie had a dinner together on Jan. 2.

He said that "at some point things got weird" and Stavros and her boyfriend left about 10 p.m. to return to her Millcreek home.

The next day, Stavros' daughter could not reach her and sounded the alarm. Her boyfriend told police Stavros was home when he left for work earlier that morning. Police found her vehicle, purse and cell phone in her home, but Stavros was gone and searches turned up nothing.

"There is absolutely nothing new," Mike Stavros said. "I wish there was.

"It's impossible to not endlessly wonder what happened," said Stavros, who now is remarried. "We know she's gone, that is all we know. When you get no answers, there is an empty feeling that goes with that."

Hutson said Stavros' case haunts him. He was a sergeant when Stavros disappeared and worked on the investigation.

"It was literally as if she was wiped off the face of the earth," he said. "Nothing was taken. It wasn't like she was in a bad marriage. There were no signs of a struggle in the home and all her belongings were left at home."

Dennis Montague, whose wife Lark Mosher Montague disappeared in September 2007, said that search also "hit a dead-end street." She drove off in the early morning and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

"We can't find the car or anything," he said. "We can't find nothing."

Meantime, her family has marked time and family events without her, including the death of her youngest son last year. His obituary listed his mother, but did not mention that she is missing.

Hutson said it becomes more difficult to solve cases as times passes without new information or evidence.

The one thing that doesn't change?

"There are families who would appreciate having some answers," he said.

[Jenn]

http://www.washingto...0010300325.html

Susan Powell friends to launch social media blitz

The Associated Press
Sunday, January 3, 2010; 4:31 AM

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Friends and family of Susan Powell are launching a social media blitz in the search for the missing Utah mother of two.

James Hofheins, one of the organizers, says the three-day effort beginning Monday will use Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to information about Powell and her picture throughout the Internet.

He says there will also be a purple ribbon campaign and Facebook users are being asked to change their profile pictures to a purple ribbon.

Powell has been missing since Dec. 7. Police have labeled her husband Josh Powell as a person of interest. He has told police he went camping with the Powells' two young boys around the time she went missing.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.associate..._pg2.html?cat=8

Susan Powell Case: A Missing Mother from Utah Remains a Mystery

January 03, 2010 by Meg G.  Meg G. 

The Susan Powell case has taken the country by storm. A mother of two young children from Utah, Susah Powell, was reported missing on December 7th by her husband Josh Powell. Josh maintains that he and his young children went camping in subzero temperatures, and when they came home the mother was nowhere to be seen.

Josh Powell has not been arrested or charged in connection with his wife's disappearance, although he remains a "person of interest." Many would like to understand why this father thought it was okay to take his children out in freezing temperatures, and many more wanted to know why Susan Powell, who was known as a great mother, would allow him to do so.

Police have also obtained search warrants for the Powell residence, but so far there's no evidence in to the whereabouts of this Utah woman. Friends and family note that Josh hasn't done much to help investigators find his wife.

To make things even more suspicious, it's been said that Susan Powell was making plans to leave her husband. Her friends made statements that she had set up her own bank account, prepared a preliminary will, and even arranged to stay with friends shortly after leaving.

Susan's father and one of her best friends were on the Today show to discuss the case. Her father expressed that he doesn't like the way that Josh has been treated. Her best friend indicated that Josh was still part of their circle of friends, but that his "actions aren't doing him any favors." Her friend also indicated that while Utah was a big state, there were several states within a three hour drive of their home state. She also said that she has reason to believe that Susan left Utah - but didn't elaborate on the details.

So what is it? Was Susan Powell the victim of a random crime? Was she the victim of something perpetrated by her husband? Or did Susan Powell quietly leave her world behind to start new somewhere else? Police are still trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together and find out what happened to this young mother of two. Susan's father indicated that the family wanted to keep the privacy of the children private, and that they seem to be doing okay even though their mother is gone.

Friends of Powell are going to do a social networking blitz, plastering YouTube videos and bulletins on Facebook and MySpace. Hopefully their efforts will make a difference and Susan Powell will be found.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.fox6now.c...0,7334701.story

Friends, Family of Missing Utah Mom Launch Social Media Blitz
Katy Carlyle FOX13 Reporter
6:12 PM CST, January 4, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY - Friends and family of a 28-year-old missing West Valley City woman, Susan Powell, launched a social media blitz Monday in hopes of making her face familiar to people across the globe. "We want people to put it on YouTube, we want podcasts," said Susan's friend Kiirsi Hellewell. Loved ones believe technology could help them find answers.

"We feel like instead of rounding up 2,000 people to knock on doors in the city, we'd rather contact 2 million," said Hellewell. "And if there's 2 million eyes looking for her, that's a so much better chance for us."

Supporters of Powell launched the first day of a three-day social media blitz Monday using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, e-mails and blogs.

Friends and family hope that Susan's story will go viral and reach people unfamiliar with the missing woman.

"It seems like to us because we're so in the middle of it that everybody's got to know, but there's been at least two people that joined our Facebook group yesterday that said, I just barely saw this on the news for the first time," said Hellewell. "I want to do everything I can to help."

Powell disappeared on Dec. 7. Police have labeled her husband, Josh, a person of interest. Friends pray that she is still alive and that someone will step forward with information.

"We also have a brand new slide show we're making with pictures from Susan's childhood all the way through when she was married and as a mother," said Hellewell.

A purple ribbon campaign will run in conjunction with the social media blitz. Loved ones hope the ribbons will be a visual reminder for people in Utah, Washington and other possible whereabouts of Powell.

To participate in the social media blitz, send an e-mail to findsusanpowell@gmail.com. Organizers said volunteers will be provided with information on how to help.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.ksl.com/?...441&autostart=y

Family hopes online blitz will bring new leads in Powell case

January 4th, 2010 @ 1:10pm

SALT LAKE CITY -- West Valley City police have received several calls about the Susan Powell case, thanks to an online blitz that kicked off Monday morning.

It's been a month since the 28-year-old West Valley City woman disappeared. Supporters kicked off a "social media blitz" at 8 a.m. Monday, aimed at getting the attention of people who rely on the Internet for their news.

All morning, supporters have been sending out blast e-mails through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in hopes that someone will come forward with information about Powell.

Investigators say they've received e-mail from as far away as Bavaria. Some of the leads apparently are not credible, but some may be. Police say none of the tips Monday involves a sighting of the missing woman.

Susan's father, Charles Cox, said, "The more people that know about this, the more likely we're going to have somebody who has seen something or knows something come forward with a tip that's going to find her."

Through Thursday, every facet of online media will be tapped. E-mails, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs -- supporters say the more Susan's face is out there, the better.

Susan Powell's father, Charles Cox "I think a lot of people use Twitter, Facebook and e-mails and get their news online," Cox said. "This media blitz will get the word out to the rest of the people."

By flooding the Web, Susan's family and friends are hoping that her face and description will go viral, reaching millions worldwide. They're hopeful that someone has spotted her, or will at least come forward with information about her disappearance.

James Hofheins volunteered to coordinate the social networking aspect of the search. He said, "Somebody knows something. Somebody, somewhere, knows something. Wherever they are, I really hope that the social media blitz will help put a little pressure and maybe prick their conscience to come forward and speak up."

Even if Susan is not found alive, supporters are hopeful that someone will come forward with information about the location of her body. Her father says he's trying not to think about that, and instead has hope that she's out there somewhere needing help.

"As her father, I have no choice," he said. "I must maintain the hope that she's alive and the belief that she's alive until I hear differently. That's what I'm going to hang on to."

West Valley City police say they have had no further conversation with Susan's husband, Josh Powell, over the holidays.

[Jenn]

http://www.foxnews.c...test=latestnews

Husband of Missing Utah Mom Reportedly Selling House, Moving

Thursday, January 07, 2010

The husband of missing Utah mom Susan Powell is reportedly planning to sell his house and relocate his children to Washington, Fox13Now.com reported.

Joshua Powell is the only person police are calling of interest in his wife's disappearance. Susan Powell’s family said he is planning to sell the house after spending the holidays with his family in Washington state, Fox13 reported.

Powell was reportedly spotted pulling out of his Utah driveway at 3 p.m. local time Wednesday.

Tim Peterson, Susan Powell’s friend, knocked on the front door of the Powell house and shouted out for Joshua Powell. He was at the house to take back a playground set he had given to the Powell family, Fox13 reported.

"He doesn't want to talk about his wife, and you know, the whole world wants to know where his wife is," Peterson said, Fox13 reported. "And, uh, ask him, because you know, in my opinion, only he and God knows."

Utah police have said that Joshua Powell has not been cooperating with them throughout the investigation, Fox13 reported.

Powell, 28, was last seen on Dec. 7, when her husband says he left their suburban home in West Valley City at about 12:30 a.m. to take their two boys, ages 2 and 4, camping in freezing conditions. Police have named her husband as a "person of interest" in their investigation.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.foxnews.c...,582520,00.html
Missing Utah Woman's Husband May Be Moving Out of State
Thursday, January 07, 2010 

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah —  Police say it appears the husband of a missing Utah woman is moving out of the couple's Salt Lake City home.

West Valley City police Capt. Tom McLachlan says it appears relatives of Josh Powell are packing up items from the home and relocating the family to Washington state.

Susan Powell has been missing since Dec. 7. She was last seen by her husband, who has said he left on a winter camping trip with the couple's children at about 12:30 a.m. that day.

Police say Josh Powell is the only person of interest in the case. He has not been named a suspect.

The Powells have family in Washington state.

Joshua Powell's attorney, Scott Williams, will only say that the Salt Lake City area doesn't provide his client with the financial and social support his family needs.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.thenewstr...ry/1020225.html
With ties to Puyallup, husband of missing woman moving to area
MYSTERY: Husband, sons of missing Utah woman plan permanent move; police say he’s uncooperative

By Melinda Rogers and Sheena McFarland; The Salt Lake Tribune
Published: 01/07/10  4:55 pm  |  Updated: 01/07/10  5:14 pm

A month after a former Puyallup woman was reported missing in Utah, her husband began packing for a permanent move to Washington.

Joshua Powell, the husband of Susan Powell, returned to Utah from Puyallup to retrieve his belongings, say friends and a spokeswoman for Susan Powell’s parents. He and the couple’s two young sons, Charlie, 4, and Braden, 2, had been staying with Joshua Powell’s father in Puyallup since Christmas.

Friends of the Powells have said Joshua Powell was fired from his job as a computer programmer for a trucking and warehousing company and now plans to sell the family’s home.

Joshua Powell remains the only person of interest investigators have identified in his wife’s case. He gave police a DNA sample but has not spoken with investigators in detail about his wife’s disappearance since hiring an attorney to represent him.

Police in West Valley City, Utah, still are awaiting state crime lab reports on the DNA tests and fiber evidence taken from the Powell home.

“We are not at a standstill by any means,” police Capt. Tom McLachlan said, noting the DNA results generally take four to eight weeks to process. “At this point, with the information we’ve got and the resources we’ve got, we’re feeling the situation will be resolved.”

Last month, police took fingerprint evidence off the front door of the Powell home and collected several items, including a bedspread and a carpet cleaner, according to neighbors.

Police have confirmed they found a large wet spot in the home with fans aimed at it to dry on the day Susan Powell was reported missing.

McLachlan said police are not concerned about the possible sale of the Powell home as evidence has already been gathered. But Joshua Powell’s limited responses during police interviews have hampered the investigation, he said.

“What we’ve tried to do is verify what he’s told us in the limited interviews that he’s given,” McLachlan said. “Without his cooperation, it does seem a little bit at odds. It doesn’t help move the investigation forward.”

Friends and family members of Susan Powell, including parents Chuck and Judy Cox, have detailed the couple’s financial and marital problems. They have also said the pair were in marriage counseling through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Steven Powell, Joshua’s father, said last month he believes his son has been vilified in the case.

The Coxes haven’t learned any new information about her disappearance from Joshua Powell, said Shelby Gifford, spokesman for the family. They last saw their grandsons on Sunday and hope to continue a relationship with the boys while they are in Washington, Gifford said.

The Coxes observed the one-month anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance by spreading the word through a social media campaign aimed at publicizing her face and story. The effort ended Thursday.

“We’re doing everything we can to find her,” Gifford said. “It’s hard to believe it’s been a month.”

[Jenn]

http://www.upi.com/T...80251262900183/

Husband of missing woman to leave Utah

Published: Jan. 7, 2010 at 4:36 PM

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Joshua Powell, a "person of interest" in the disappearance of his wife, is planning to leave Utah for a gated community in Washington, a former friend says.

Tim Peterson told The Salt Lake Tribune he ended up in a confrontation Wednesday with Powell's brother when he drove to the Powell home to retrieve a playground set he lent the couple. Joshua Powell was not at the house.

Powell plans to move to Puyallup, Wash., to live in a gated community with his father, Peterson said.

Susan Powell disappeared in early December. Her husband told police she was gone when he returned from a short camping trip with their two young sons.

Peterson said Michael Powell refused to let him have the playground set without clearance from his brother and then called police. Peterson left after talking to police.

"I said, this playground was for Susan and the kids and for their enjoyment. I said, she's not here anymore and you guys don't appear to be looking for her. So just in case you haven't noticed, Susan's gone," Peterson told the Tribune, describing his end of the conversation.

[Jenn]

http://www.nytimes.c...g-Mom-Utah.html

Missing Utah Woman's Husband Moving to Washington

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 9, 2010
Filed at 5:09 p.m. ET

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) -- The husband of a missing Utah woman was moving out of the couple's home in a Salt Lake City suburb to Washington state Saturday, and police said they couldn't prevent the move.

West Valley City Police have named Josh Powell the only person of interest in the Dec. 7 disappearance of Susan Powell, but he has not been named a suspect.

''We cannot and are not limiting his ability to move freely,'' police Capt. Tom McLachlan told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Susan Powell has been missing since Dec. 7. She was last seen by her husband, who said he left on a winter camping trip with the couple's children at about 12:30 a.m. that day.

''He has not been cooperating with us very much up to this point,'' McLachlan said. He said they're watching the move, ''and we're interested in it, but we can't prevent it.''

McLachlan declined to comment on whether his department has been in contact with Washington state authorities.

Asked by reporters if he wanted to say anything before he briefly left his home around noon Saturday, Josh Powell replied ''no.'' Powell has not said specifically where he is moving. His father and Susan Powell's parents live in Puyallup, a city south of Seattle where the couple met.

Powell's sister, Jennifer Graves, told KUTV on Friday that she was disappointed about her brother's decision to move.

''We are supposed to be focused on trying to find Susan and I think his place is here with us in Salt Lake, looking for Susan,'' she said.

Friends said Powell has been fired as a computer programmer for a trucking and warehousing company and may be financially unable to keep the home.

''Without a normal income and Susan's income, there's no way he can hang onto the house,'' neighbor Ron Stagg, who helped with the move, told the Deseret News.

Following Susan Powell's disappearance, friends and family said the couple were having marital difficulties and undergoing counseling. Court records show the couple had declared bankruptcy.

[Jenn]

http://www.todaysthv...97525&catid=288

Josh Powell moves to Washington state

Amanda Terrebonne    11 hrs ago

It's been more than a month since mother of two Susan Powell disappeared from her Utah home.

But if she tries to return home, she'll find her house empty.

Her husband has packed up the family's things, and is relocating to Washington state.

His decision to relocate isn't sitting well with everyone.

The packing goes well into the night, as Josh Powell prepares to move away.

It's just before ten in the morning and the moving trucks roll in.

And Powell shows his face, at least to the media, for the first time in weeks.

Along with his brother, Powell's neighbors, a dozen of them, come out to pack and load the truck.

Kiirsi Hellewell, Susan's best friend, focused on the missing woman's closet.

"Every item of her clothes that I packed up, I could see her wearing it," she says.

Susan Powell has been missing for more than a month. Police have named her husband a Person of Interest.

Now he, hounded for weeks by police, the media and even some of his neighbors, is moving to Washington state.

Some have said that he should stay here, given the fact that his wife is still gone.

Powell's own sister, Jennifer Graves, told two news that she thinks her brother shouldn't move at all.

"At this time, we're supposed to be focusing on trying to find Susan and I think his place is here. With us. In salt lake. Looking for Susan," Graves said.

Josh, appearing tired, interacts somberly with helpers.

A surreal moment in this West Valley neighborhood, as these people come out to help, despite the circumstances.

Police say there's nothing they can do to stop Josh Powell from leaving town.

But they say it won't make much difference in the investigation into his wife's disappearance, because he hasn't been very cooperative with investigators anyway.

[Jenn]

http://www.washingto...0012703220.html

Supporters of missing Utah mother decorate home

By JENNIFER DOBNER The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 27, 2010; 6:36 PM

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Friends and family of a Utah woman missing since December have decorated her empty home with purple bows and hearts in hopes of renewing public interest in the case.

Susan Powell, 28, was last seen at home on Dec. 7. Her husband, Josh Powell, told police he saw his wife about 12:30 a.m. as he left with the couple's young sons for a winter camping trip on the Pony Express trail west of Salt Lake City.

Josh Powell, 34, has been called the sole person of interest in the case, but has not been arrested. He moved away from Utah weeks ago to stay with family in Washington state. His sister, Jennifer Graves, says the West Valley City house will eventually be sold.

Messages taped to the house Wednesday expressed love for Susan and promised a continued effort to find her and bring her home.

"If she comes back here, at least she'll have a warm welcome," said Graves, one of about two dozen who helped with the decorating project. "We'll keep hoping. We'll keep praying. We'll keep her name out there."

Police contend that Josh Powell has not been forthcoming with information in interviews with detectives.

"We have an open invitation to Joshua to come down, or invite us up there, to clear up some questions from his initial statements and help us verify what he has told us," West Valley City Capt. Tom McLachlan said.

New information and tips from the public have recently slowed, so investigators appreciate efforts by family and friends to keep Susan Powell's story in front of the public, McLachlan said.

Josh Powell's attorney, Scott Williams, disputes that characterization and has said his client is cooperating with police, but has never been asked to take investigators to the place he camped.

On Wednesday, Williams said keeping the public focused on helping to find Susan Powell is consistent with Josh Powell's wishes.

Graves and her husband said they were in Washington last Friday and had dinner with Josh Powell and his children - Charlie, 5, and Braden, 3 - at her father's home. The couple declined to provide any details of their conversation with Josh Powell about his missing wife or his cooperation with police.

"I've been disappointed with his efforts," Jennifer Graves said. "He's chosen to walk away. His job right now is to talk to the police."

Graves said her nephews - both of whom celebrated birthdays in January - are doing well under the circumstances.

"They are aware that (Susan) is 'lost,' that's what they have been told," she said.

Graves said the family remains hopeful that Susan Powell is alive and will be found.

"Just keep looking, keep looking for her," she implored.

[Jenn]

http://www.examiner....to-Susan-Powell

‘We love you, we will find you, we will bring you home’, message to Susan Powell

January 27, 8:59 PM Seattle Headlines Examiner Isabelle Zehnder



January 27, 2010 - A little life and a lot of hope was brought back to the vacant house that was once the home of Joshua and Susan Powell, hope that she will still be found alive and that when she returns she will know that her friends and family love her and have not lost hope.

Susan Powell’s friends and family can’t seem to shake the feeling that she’s still alive. They are not ready to give up hope that their friend, their sister, their neighbor is coming home.

"We want Susan to come home and the best thing is to keep her face and her name out there … just like Elizabeth Smart," Susan's sister-in-law, Jennifer Graves, told the Deseret News.

So they spent a cold winter’s day adorning the house and yard with purple ribbons, fliers, and posters. A symbol of their devotion and love for her, a symbol they’re not giving up hope.

Conspicuously missing today was her husband, Joshua Powell.

If walls could only talk, we’d know what happened to Susan Powell the night she went missing from her West Valley City home in Utah.

The house that was once a home stands vacant – there is no pitter-patter of little feet, no more children’s laughter, no more baking pumpkin pie.

Broken glass on the ground underneath the porch where police broke in was a harsh reminder of the dreaded discovery Dec. 7 that Susan Powell had mysteriously disappeared from her home.

During an intensive investigation into his wife’s disappearance, and even before lab results were in, Josh packed up the family home and moved himself and his two children to his hometown of Puyallup, Washington, to live with his father.

Josh is the last known person to see Susan around midnight Dec. 6. He says after Susan went to sleep he packed up his kids and decided to go on an impromptu camping trip.

He was supposed to be at work the next morning and when asked why he would leave to go camping in the middle of the night on a Sunday night, he said he forgot what day it was.

He said he drove the boys to a remote part of the West Utah Desert and spent the night in the family van in sub-freezing temperatures. When asked why he would do that, he said he liked to do S’mores and things with his boys.

Josh has come under fire for his story.

In laymen’s terms, Criminal Defense Attorney Raymond Giudice said Josh’s story “stinks.”

“It’s not the kind of story I’d want to spin to a jury. It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“His story was so bad out of the box,” Guidice said, “There’s no way to clean it up.”

Police are calling Susan’s disappearance a missing person’s case with suspicious overtones, Josh is the only person of interest in the case. He has been less than cooperative with police.

Police are not the only ones who have grown weary from Josh’s non-cooperation. Friends and family believe he knows something and only wish he would open up and talk.

But a man who was at one time talkative stands silent.

Kirk and Jennifer Graves, Josh’s sister and brother-in-law, went to visit Josh and his two boys in Washington Friday and said that there was no mention of Susan or her disappearance during dinner. When asked if the conversation turned to Susan after dinner, brother-in-law Kirk Graves declined to answer.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.ksl.com/?...148&sid=9507165

Husband of a missing Utah woman back in Utah
January 29th, 2010 @ 4:00pm
By Sandra Yi

WEST VALLEY CITY -- The husband of missing woman Susan Powell is back in Utah.

Josh Powell returned to his West Valley City home Thursday night after moving to Washington earlier this month.

A close friend said Josh Powell is planning to rent out the house where he and Susan lived.

Friend and neighbor John Hellewell has kept in touch with Josh and talked to him on the phone several times last week. He gave Josh a ride from the airport around 9:30 Thursday night.

Time line
• Dec. 6 - The last time anyone saw Susan Powell
• Dec. 7 - The day Susan Powell was reported missing
• Dec. 9 - Police call disappearance of Susan Powell suspicious
• Dec. 12 - Family of missing woman's husband speaks
• Dec. 16 - Josh Powell named person of interest
• Dec. 17 - 2nd search warrant served at Powell home
• Dec. 20 - Josh Powell attends Wash. vigil
• Jan. 3 - Friends of missing Utah mom launch Web media blitz
• Jan. 4 - Social media blitz kick off
• Jan 9 - Josh Powell packs up West Valley City house
• Jan. 27 - Family, friends put up ribbon display at Powell WVC home Hellewell said Josh was concerned there would be reporters waiting for him outside his home and was happy when there was no media there.

He said when Josh saw the decorations for Susan outside the house, he said he thought they were a good idea.

Hellewell explained why Josh was back in town. He said, "His plan is to finish his deck and to try and get his basement worked on so he can get renters into the house. When I asked how long he would be here, he said as short as possible, so as quickly as he can get the work done."

On Wednesday, friends and family gathered at the Powell home to put up ribbons, streamers and signs to remind people that Susan is still missing and possibly alive.

Susan has been missing since the first week of December, and family and friends don't want people to forget about her.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.ksl.com/i...148&sid=9507165

Police impound car of missing Utah woman's husband for second search

January 29th, 2010 @ 6:10pm
By Sandra Yi

WEST VALLEY CITY -- Family and friends of Josh Powell -- the husband of missing woman Susan Powell -- told KSL News that Josh's car was impounded by police early Friday evening. They say investigators took the car for a second search on an existing warrant. Police have not yet confirmed this information.

Meanwhile, Josh is back in Utah. He returned to his West Valley City home Thursday night after moving to Washington earlier this month.

A close friend said Josh Powell is planning to rent out the house where he and Susan lived.

Friend and neighbor John Hellewell has kept in touch with Josh and talked to him on the phone several times last week. He gave Josh a ride from the airport around 9:30 Thursday night.

Hellewell said Josh was concerned there would be reporters waiting for him outside his home and was happy when there was no media there.

He said when Josh saw the decorations for Susan outside the house, he said he thought they were a good idea.

Hellewell explained why Josh was back in town. He said, "His plan is to finish his deck and to try and get his basement worked on so he can get renters into the house. When I asked how long he would be here, he said as short as possible, so as quickly as he can get the work done."

As for Josh's reasons behind renting the home, Hellewell told KSL, "[Josh] needs the money, and he said that he hopes that Susan will be found and that they'll be able to go back to living in that house afterwards."

Hellewell says that was the only thing Josh has said about Susan.

Josh's homecoming was a bit of a surprise to his family. Brother-in-law Kirk Graves says he knew Josh planned to come home to work on his house but didn't expect him so soon.

Graves says Josh has shown no emotion. Their relationship, he says, has been strained, partly because of that. "We wish he would be more open, that he would talk to the press, that he would get his story out there," he said.

Graves was in Washington last week and spent time with Powell's two boys. He says they seemed to be doing all right, considering the circumstances. According to Graves, one of Susan's boys did say his mom was missing.

On Wednesday, friends and family gathered at the Powell home to put up ribbons, streamers and signs to remind people that Susan is still missing and possibly alive.

Susan has been missing since the first week of December, and family and friends don't want people to forget about her.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.localnews....asp?S=11907386

Police return van to husband of missing Utah mom

Associated Press - January 30, 2010 7:15 PM ET

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) - Police have returned a minivan to the husband of a missing Utah woman after searching it.

West Valley City police Capt. Anita Schwemmer today declined to comment on the purpose of the search and whether it netted any evidence.

She says officers picked up Josh Powell's van Friday afternoon and returned it to him Friday evening.

Schwemmer says investigators impounded Powell's van after obtaining a search warrant.

Susan Powell was last seen at home on Dec. 7. Josh Powell told police he saw his wife about 12:30 a.m. as he left with the couple's young sons for a camping trip in the remote Utah high desert.

Josh Powell has been called the sole person of interest in the case, but has not been arrested.