Who was Susan Powell? Body of missing Utah mom never found after husband killed sons, self in murder-suicide
WEST VALLEY CITY, UTAH: It has been 13 years since Susan Cox Powell disappeared from her West Valley City, Utah home. Although her case garnered national headlines and she was presumed to have been murdered by her husband, Josh Powell, no charges were ever filed against him.
Since her disappearance on December 6, 2009, her body has not been found, and there were a number of attempts by her family and relatives to declare her dead. The efforts finally came to fruition on November 14, 2019, when she was declared legally dead by the state of Utah. Susan's husband was named a person of interest in the investigation into her disappearance. On February 5, 2012, he killed himself and their two young sons, Charles Joshua and Braden Timothy, in a murder-suicide after custody of the boys had been awarded to Susan's parents, Charles and Judy Cox.
Her case will be revisited in the two-episode premiere of 'How It Really Happened with Hill Harper' season 6 on Sunday, March 14 from 9 pm - 11 pm ET/PT.
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When was Susan last seen?
On the morning of the day she disappeared, Susan took her two sons to services at her local ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After she returned home, a neighbor visited Susan and left at approximately 5 pm after which investigators believe that the Utah mom lied down for a nap. This is the last time Susan was seen alive by anyone outside of her family's home. It is believed that before she went to take a nap, Susan called a friend from her cell phone which was the last call she made or received on her phone.
Initially, it was believed that the entire Powell family was missing. The next day, after learning that the children had not been dropped off at daycare that morning, Joshua's mother, Terrica, and sister, Jennifer Graves, went looking for the family at the couple's house. The police were involved after the relatives failed to make contact with either Susan or Joshua. They broke into the house, fearing that the family was the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning, and found the house was empty.
At around 5 pm that day, Joshua returned home with the two boys and was taken to the police station for questioning. He claimed he had left Susan sleeping at home shortly after midnight on December 7 because she was tired and had taken his boys on a camping trip to Simpson Springs in western Utah. Investigators found it suspicious that Joshua would take his young boys out camping in below-freezing temperatures. On December 10, police visited Simpson Springs but found no evidence of the campsite that Joshua had described.
“As soon as I heard that he was back and Susan was not with them, I instantly said to myself, ‘What has he done?’” Kiirsi Hellewell, Susan Powell's friend, said. “Susan would have never allowed him to ever take the boys out in the winter to the desert, in the middle of the night. Never. I never believed his story at all.”
Evidence points to Joshua Powell being the killer
After executing a search of the Powell residence on December 9, investigators found traces of Susan's blood on the floor, life insurance policies on Susan for $1.5 million, and a handwritten letter from Susan expressing fear for her life. In 2013, DNA test results from the crime scene matched one blood sample with Susan, while another sample was determined to have come from an "unknown male contributor."
In August 2012, West Valley City police also released documents that showed that some of Joshua's actions were regarded as highly suspicious following Susan's disappearance. Joshua had liquidated Susan's retirement accounts and withdrew his children from daycare. He also discussed with his co-workers how to hide a body in an abandoned mineshaft in the western Utah desert.
The couple's eldest son, Charlie, who was interviewed by the police, confirmed that the camping trip did take place but added that Susan had gone with them and she did not return. Weeks after her disappearance, a teacher reported that Charlie had claimed that his mother was dead. Furthermore, Susan's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, claimed that while at daycare several months after the disappearance, Braden drew a picture of a van with three people in it and told carers that, "Mommy was in the trunk".
The persons of interest kill themselves
In February 2012, during a supervised visit, Joshua killed himself along with Braden, 5, and Charlie, 7, in a house explosion. He locked out social workers from the home upon their arrival. “Why take the kids, why? It makes absolutely no sense,” said Judy Cox.
After the house explosion, Chuck and Judy Cox sued the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in civil court, alleging that its negligence contributed to the deaths of their grandsons. “The fact of the matter is they're the only ones who could have protected the children at that point,” Cox said of the child welfare agency run by DSHS. “They're the ones with responsibility.”
It was believed by the investigators that Joshua murdered Susan and that his brother, Michael, had assisted him in concealing her body. Michael also killed himself in February 2013 after suspicion grew around him. On May 21, 2013, West Valley City police closed their active investigation into Susan's disappearance.