SUSAN POWELL - 28 yo (2009) - Stockton (SW of Salt Lake City) UT

Another news report that I heard. The neck and head hatchet wounds did not cause the death of the two boys. Their COD was listed as smoke inhalation. I can only hope that they were in shock from blood loss and didn't experience any more horror than they were subjected to. A waste...such a huge waste.

What was the point of using the hatchet? When I first heard that the house "exploded" and the social worker smelled 'gas' I was thinking of natural gas, not gasoline, and thought "at least it was so quick the boys wouldn't even have known that their lives were over". It was some consolation regarding the children's murders, but to know that he chopped at them first and that there was a fire, they must have been horrified and terrified. What anger this beast must have had-maybe because Charlie was talking? There is just no understanding his horrific behavior. Prayers for the family.
May God grant them the "Peace that passes understanding" that can only come from Him.

As I understand it, the explosions were from multiple gas cans that were surrounding the area of butchery. Horrible to even imagine what those last minutes were like...

He has poured gas all over the house. There were 10 gas cans found in the house.

I cannot imagine the depravity in his mind as he planned the murder of his two precious little boys.

The only good think I have ever read about him is that he killed himself. And the POS tainted that with murdering his very own sons.

ladibug wrote:What was the point of using the hatchet? When I first heard that the house "exploded" and the social worker smelled 'gas' I was thinking of natural gas, not gasoline, and thought "at least it was so quick the boys wouldn't even have known that their lives were over". It was some consolation regarding the children's murders, but to know that he chopped at them first and that there was a fire, they must have been horrified and terrified. What anger this beast must have had-maybe because Charlie was talking? There is just no understanding his horrific behavior. Prayers for the family.
May God grant them the "Peace that passes understanding" that can only come from Him.

I think he had warned them not to talk, and they had just started talking as he had learned in court. I think he wanted them to know they were being "punished" before the house blew up. How cruel.

He was an evil POS

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- In a folder on his work computer labeled "Personal Pics," Steve Powell maintained a peculiar collection of photos: 55 depicting his daughter-in-law Susan but few if any showing his son.

Thousands of images and emails on his Washington state government-issued laptop provide a small glimpse into his increasingly scrutinized world. Authorities said this week that he is a person of interest in her 2009 disappearance in Utah.

The files, obtained by The Associated Press as part of a public records request, portray Steve Powell as a meticulous worker who gathered photos by the thousands and had his life upended by the constant inquiries that ensued after Susan vanished.

He is now in jail on voyeurism and child pornography charges -- and on suicide watch.

Powell's son and Susan's husband, Josh, killed himself and the couple's two young sons in a gas-fueled inferno Sunday that a prosecutor considers an admission that he killed his wife.

Until this week, authorities have only publicly discussed Steve Powell in relation to the charges he now faces. But a warrant and emails indicate that he has been dragged deeply into the Utah investigation surrounding his son, and police say they want to interview him to see if he knows anything about his daughter-in-law's disappearance.

"He may or may not have information that may be beneficial to us," said Sgt. Mike Powell in West Valley City, Utah, where Josh and Susan Powell lived at the time of her disappearance. Sgt. Powell is not related to the family.

The September warrant sought details specifically from Steve Powell's laptop, which he used in his job helping coordinate purchase and placement of school furniture. It also requested a search of state-owned vehicles that Powell may have driven.

Steve Powell said last year that he had a flirtatious and somewhat sexual relationship with Susan Powell. Her parents said she thought he was a creep and moved to Utah in part to get away from him.

In a search of Steve Powell's Washington state home last year, authorities found explicit images on his computers and images of people being photographed without their knowledge. Among them were pictures of Susan Powell.

Those findings led to the charges of voyeurism and child porn, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The state took custody of Josh Powell's boys and turned them over to Susan's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox.

Powell's work computer has a batch of photos of Susan Powell, though none appear to be sexual. They depict her and the kids opening Christmas presents and out during Halloween. A few show Susan Powell and the kids more formally dressed. It's not clear who the photographer is.

An attorney for Steve Powell did not return a call seeking comment.

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist, who is overseeing the voyeurism prosecution, said it's his understanding from the images collected that Susan Powell is the subject of much of Steve Powell's photographic attention.

He said the many images of Susan Powell might be of some interest to Utah authorities, but he has seen no evidence connecting Steve Powell to what he calls Susan Powell's murder.

Emails show that Powell was actively working in the days around when Susan Powell disappeared on Dec. 6, 2009. He responded to emails the next morning, even drawing praise from a manager for pointing out an oversight related to holiday cards.

A school district contact that he was scheduled to meet with that week said she never had any problems with Steve Powell and never realized he was Josh Powell's father until seeing him later on television.

"He was always professional and did what he was supposed to do," Susan Garthwaite said.

A couple weeks later, on Dec. 21, he wrote to a colleague about how Josh and the boys had moved back to live with him and that the children were traumatized by the bright lights of the media and "the searches."

"Even with Josh and the boys here, I am so numb much of each day that I have to put myself on auto-pilot to get things done," he wrote. "I know there are people with worse problems, but when it's yourself experiencing the suffering, you can't just tune it out."

He then added: "I still need to send a card to Susan's folks."

Her parents said no such card ever arrived.

Powell later described to a colleague in 2011 how he and Josh were baffled by the ongoing investigation in Utah.

The case appeared to take an increasing toll on him. He requested time off around the time of the search warrants and then later complained of harassing phone calls from Utah that accused him of "harboring a criminal, accusing my son of murder."

In the search warrant used to examine Powell's belongings, authorities said, they were investigating a murder in West Valley City, Utah, though nobody has ever been charged with a crime.

Utah investigators say the case remains open and they are still publicly calling it a "missing persons" matter.


Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/02/10/20120210utah-missing-mom-father-in-law-powell.html#ixzz1m4w1ZTZM

http://fox8.com/2012/02/11/blood-found-on-comforter-in-powells-storage-unit/

"Initial tests detected blood on a comforter found in a storage unit in Washington state belonging to Josh Powell, the man who police say killed his two sons and himself, according to a document filed Friday.

It was not immediately clear who the blood belonged to or how much investigators found on the comforter, which was among the items inside a unit at Western Self Storage in Sumner, Washington. The property report from authorities indicated succinctly that a “presumptive test” of the comforter had tested positive for blood.

Prior to setting a deadly fire last Sunday at his Puyallup, Washington, home, Josh Powell was the only person identified by law enforcement authorities in West Valley City, Utah, as someone they were investigating in the disappearance of his wife, Susan Cox-Powell.

According to a search warrant request by Pierce County, Washington, Sheriff’s Detective Ryan Salmon, last Sunday “several people began calling 911 saying they had received e-mails from Joshua Powell, telling them goodbye, that he could not live without his kids, and to take care of several things related to his finances.”

Before authorities arrived, Powell is accused of snatching his young sons from a social worker who was delivering them for a supervised visit, locking the door, hacking the kids with a hatchet and starting an explosive fire in the home.

The search warrant request noted that the medical examiner’s office found “sharp impact wounds … on the back of the head of the two children,” that a hatchet was recovered near their bodies, and that “accelerant was apparently used on the bodies.”

According to the detective, Powell last visited the storage unit on the day before he was accused of pulling off the double murder-suicide. That same day, he withdrew $6,500 in cash from a bank — money that is “unaccounted for,” the document said.

In addition to the comforter, authorities took two plastic bins with miscellaneous items, a box with blocks, a white garbage bag filled with children’s clothes and linens, another bag with toys and framed photos from the storage unit. Most of those items were handed over to relatives of Cox-Powell, the property report states.

Funeral services for the two slain boys — Charlie, 7, and Braden Powell, 5 — will be held Saturday.

Josh Powell had said that he last saw Susan in December 2009, after he and his two sons left after midnight to go camping in below-freezing weather in a desert area in Tooele County, Utah. Cox-Powell’s sister eventually reported the mother, who would now be 29 years old, as missing...."

Poster's Note: I could never understand why LE seemed to tip-toe around this investigation. There was so much circumstantial evidence that he
was guilty -imo especially his taking such young children on a midnight camping trip in freezing weather. Admittedly some folks are avid campers, but this was not usual behavior for this family. And when Charlie started remembering and talking, why, oh why weren't they able to search the storage shed, hold Josh for further questioning, KEEP HIS SONS AWAY from him?

A search in Washington of a recycling center near Graham recovered some papers, books and a map of Utah belonging to Josh Powell and his missing wife.

Volunteers combed through more than 10 tons of paper over the weekend looking for materials Powell dropped off the day before he killed himself and his two young sons in an explosive fire.

Searchers found what the Pierce County 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.

A Pierce County sheriff's sergeant told KIRO-FM (http://is.gd/nH4iw9 ) detectives are analyzing the materials for any value as evidence.

Investigators are still looking for the body of Susan Powell, who disappeared in 2009 in Utah.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jYHigmTU7OJXjawQNV-33I-CHeFw?docId=e099a19f9f7b45d4a5c62ba4608303ed

ladibug wrote:

Poster's Note: I could never understand why LE seemed to tip-toe around this investigation. There was so much circumstantial evidence that he
was guilty -imo especially his taking such young children on a midnight camping trip in freezing weather. Admittedly some folks are avid campers, but this was not usual behavior for this family. And when Charlie started remembering and talking, why, oh why weren't they able to search the storage shed, hold Josh for further questioning, KEEP HIS SONS AWAY from him?

The attorney was not given the info about the incestuous pornography despite the judge ordering it to be shared with him. Had he known he could have prevented the kids from seeing the monster and being murdered.

Even avid campers don't leave home at that time of night, in that weather, mid-week with two little boys and have a "camping trip". It was clearly a "dump mommy" trip. You are so right about the circumstantial evidence. He should have been arrested or tailed 24/7.

These horrendous murders could and should have been prevented.

This is so awful I still haven't fully taken it all in.

PUYALLUP, Washington—
The family of missing West Valley City mother Susan Cox Powell
acknowledged Monday they were contemplating a lawsuit against
Washington authorities over the child custody case that led to the
murder-suicide involving her children.

"Right now, we need to figure out exactly where the blame lays," Chuck Cox told FOX 13.

Cox cautioned that talk of a lawsuit is premature and there were no immediate plans for any litigation.

"There's a lot of questions about how they could have allowed visitation, knowing what they knew about Josh," he said.

Cox said Monday that he believed Washington state child welfare workers
pushed reunification between Josh Powell and the children, despite red
flags revealed in documents made public last week by Washington's
Department of Social and Health Services. (See related stories) For his part, Cox said he could not bring himself to read the documents because it would be too upsetting.

Josh Powell lost custody of his children after West Valley City police
gave Washington authorities hundreds of pornographic images found on his
computer in 2009, as they investigated the disappearance of Susan Cox
Powell. A judge ordered Powell to undergo a polygraph and psycho-sexual
evaluation. That hearing is believed to have sparked the murder-suicide
that killed Charlie, Braden and Josh Powell.

Cox told FOX 13
that West Valley City police have kept him updated on their ongoing
investigation into Susan's disappearance. He said they were testing a
blood-stained comforter found in a storage unit rented by Josh Powell.
Police also recovered some documents he dumped at a recycling center
just before killing his children.

But it may not help them
solve the mystery of Susan's disappearance. Cox told FOX 13 he believes
that Josh Powell's father, Steven, knows where Susan is. But Steven
Powell, who is jailed on voyeurism and child pornography-related
charges, has already told police he is not cooperating.

"They,
like us, know that Josh was the person who did something, took her away
or killed her or whatever he did. Did he have helpers? Where could she
be? Where could he have dumped her?" Cox said of West Valley City
police. "They have to decide where to go from here."
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-susan-powell-susan-powells-family-contemplates-lawsuit-20120220,0,3408817.story

Court documents: Susan Powell's blood, hand-written note expressing fear were found in Utah home

Amber Hardman / Hardman Photography via AP
Susan Powell, the Utah mom who went missing in 2009.

By The Associated Press
TACOMA, Wash. -- Authorities investigating the 2009 disappearance of a Utah woman found her blood in the family home and a hand-written note in which she expressed fear about her husband and her potential demise, according to documents unsealed Friday...

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/30/10945991-court-documents-susan-powells-blood-hand-written-note-expressing-fear-were-found-in-utah-home

This man should have been arrested and already serving time when he took his children's lives.

angelm07 wrote:This man should have been arrested and already serving time when he took his children's lives.

---Exactly my thoughts! What additional evidence did they need???
1) A missing devoted mother
2) Blood of the missing in the family home
3) Evidence of a fan on and pointed at a wet spot in the family living room
4) Allegations of kiddie porn and family history of sexual deviance

Hello??? Those children DID NOT have to die! They should have been kept miles away from this asshat.

Susan Powell's father-in-law skipped work at time of disappearance

By Isolde Raftery, msnbc.com

The tragic saga of a woman who disappeared two years ago in Utah and her husband who later killed himself and their two young sons in Washington State continued to unfold this week with even more puzzling details....


http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/05/11026453-susan-powells-father-in-law-skipped-work-at-time-of-disappearance?lite

Judge: Evidence seized in Powell home can be used at trial

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald E. Culpepper issues ruling a day after hearing arguments over the constitutionality of search warrant.

By melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 1 hour ago • Updated 1 hour ago

A Washington state judge on Tuesday ruled that certain evidence gathered last summer from the home of the father-in-law of missing West Valley City woman Susan Cox Powell can be admitted next month at the man’s pornography and voyeurism trial.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald E. Culpepper announced his decision at a morning hearing attended by defendant Steven Craig Powell, as well as the parents of Susan Powell, Chuck and Judy Cox. The judge found there was probable cause for police to search Steve Powell’s home and seize evidence from it.

Culpepper’s decision followed Monday arguments in which attorneys argued about the constitutionality of a search warrant served by a Pierce County Sheriff’s detective at Steve Powell’s home in Puyallup, Wash., last summer.

Powell, 61, is charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. His case is set for a jury trial May 7.

The judge’s decision sets the stage for the case against Steve Powell to proceed. Had the judge sided with defense attorneys, who argued that some or all of the items gathered at the home should be suppressed, prosecutors likely would have found themselves with a lack of independent evidence and difficulties in proceeding forward with the case.

In explaining his decision, Culpepper said it was "very reasonable to infer that Josh and Steven discussed the disappearance" of Susan and concocted an alternative story that she ran away with another man. Culpepper said there were "lots of good reasons" that Josh Powell was a person of interest in his wife’s case and said Steve Powell’s decision to show Susan Powell’s journals on The Today Show —where he claimed the writings were important to the investigation —gave police a reason to ask for a warrant to seek the materials.

At Monday’s arguments, defense attorneys Mark Quigley and Travis Currie claimed some evidence obtained by law enforcement — including a CD containing photos found in 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 argued that 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 investigating the case of Susan Powell already had one 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.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53971460-78/powell-journals-steve-search.html.csp

Steven Powell trial likely to proceed May 7 as scheduled

By Pat Reavy, Deseret News
Published: Thursday, April 26 2012 4:05 p.m. MDT

TACOMA, Wash — Steven Powell, who is charged with voyeurism and possession of child pornography, will likely stand trial as scheduled in less than two weeks.

Attorneys for both sides met with Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald Culpepper Wednesday to work out a final schedule for the trial. There was a concern that the trial would be postponed because the judge had another case also scheduled during that time.

But Grant Blinn, with the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office, said it has now been worked out and the trial will likely proceed as scheduled on May 7.

Earlier this week, Culpepper ruled that evidence collected out of Powell's house in August, which led to his arrest, would be admissible in court.

Powell, 62, has been in jail since his arrest in September on charges of 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possession of materials of minors engaged in explicit conduct.

Jury selection will start on May 7 and likely last about two days. Once attorneys start calling witnesses, the trial should last about a week. The entire court process should take a little less than two weeks.

The state has already submitted its list of potential witnesses for the trial. It includes more than a dozen people, including officers from the West Valley Police Department and Jennifer Graves, Steven Powell's estranged daughter and the sister of Josh Powell.

The defense had not submitted its witness list as of Thursday.

Steven Powell is is accused of taking pictures of two neighbor girls, then ages 8 and 10, through an open window into their bathroom without their knowledge in 2006 and 2007. The pictures were taken secretly without the subjects' knowledge or consent.

The photographs were among thousands of other pictures, including some of his daughter-in-law, missing West Valley mother Susan Cox Powell, that police say they discovered when they conducted a search of Josh and Steven Powell's home for Susan's diaries. Investigators searched the Puyallup, Wash., home looking for information that would help them in the Susan Powell case.

Alina Powell, one of Steven Powell's daughters, believes the evidence collected against her father was fabricated. She said after a hearing earlier this week that she doubted her father would be able to get a fair trial.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865554757/Steven-Powell-trial-likely-to-proceed-May-7-as-scheduled.html

In emails, missing Utah woman Susan Powell detailed problems with husband

Published April 30, 2012
Associated Press

Before she disappeared, Susan Powell told friends and co-workers her husband had become moody and controlling, and she feared he could harm her.

The insight into Susan Powell's family problems were revealed in emails provided to The Salt Lake Tribune, which published them on Sunday.

Nine emails were provided to the newspaper after Susan Powell disappeared in December 2009. But at the request of the provider, the newspaper held back on publishing them until now.

The newspaper reports that Susan emailed several co-workers, friends and members of her ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to pour out frustration with her husband, Josh Powell, and to seek advice on how to proceed with the relationship.

The emails were sent between June 30, 2008, and Oct. 31, 2008, and show Susan Powell's disappointment with her husband's lack of affection, saying the couple's marriage had changed since its early stages.

"I want him in counseling, on meds, I want my husband, friend, lover BACK no more crazy, outrageous, outlandish beliefs/opinions," she wrote in an email to friends dated July 11, 2008, as she described stress and depression related to her crumbling marriage.

Josh Powell killed himself and their two young children in a gas-fueled inferno in February in Washington state. His father, Steve Powell, is in jail, facing several voyeurism charges and one count of possession of child pornography. His trial is scheduled to start May 7.

Susan Powell's father, Chuck Cox, told The Associated Press on Sunday that he had been aware of the struggles in his daughter's marriage and that she had sent several emails to friends before her disappearance.

An email requesting comment from West Valley City police spokesman Sgt. Mike Powell in Utah was not immediately returned.

"I know everyone else will support me in whatever decisions, even if that means I crash anyone's house in the middle of the night with my boys in tow. (Hope that never happens) or stay with him. But believe me, my bottom line is he WILL DO COUNSELING," she added in another email, dated July 28, 2008.

"I'm sure if he fixes himself, everyone else will see a much closer version of the guy I married. And it will be easy enough to forget the hell and turmoil he's put me through."

She wrote of a trip to Washington state for her sister's wedding where she described Josh as "being his usually `rude, yelling and barking commands at me' -self" as the couple spent time with family.

She wrote of being uncomfortable with a song that her father-in-law, Steven Powell, wrote about her. She also wrote that Steve Powell once tried to console her about her problems with Josh.

"His dad told me the entire family KNOWS how much I put up with," Susan wrote on June 30, 2008.

In another email, Susan wrote about an argument the couple had where she made a list of things that Josh wanted her to change. She wrote that Josh accused her of having "utter contempt" for him because he wasn't working a regular job at the time. She also wrote that her husband had criticized her for spending too much money on groceries.

He told her not to spend money on counseling or other items, including make-up or yarn, according to an email Susan Powell sent on July 5, 2008.

She also wrote about leaving a makeshift will in her desk at work because she worried her husband might hurt her or kidnap her children if she tried to leave him. But she also expressed hope that the two could somehow reconcile.

"Every moment I step back and take stock of what I'm dealing with, it feels like a never ending cycle but I'm too afraid of the consequences (sic) losing my kids, him kidnapping, divorce or actions worse on his part, if I take a stand on one of his ultimatums like spending $20 on the counseling co-pay or cutting off access to my pay check," she wrote.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/30/in-emails-missing-utah-woman-susan-powell-detailed-problems-with-husband/?test=latestnews#ixzz1tZBfnpVY

May 16, 2012

Updated May 16, 2012 at 3:01 PM PDT

A jury found Steven Powell guilty Wednesday on 14 counts of voyeurism for
taking pictures of girls and women in various states of undress for the
purpose of sexual gratification. The charges stemmed from an
investigation into his missing daughter-in-law.

Defense attorneys had argued that there was too much
reasonable doubt in the case to convict Powell, but jurors disagreed,
finding him guilty on all counts.


Powell is the former father-in-law of Susan Powell, who has been missing since
December 2009. Her husband, Josh Powell, who is Steven's son, was a
person of interest in her disappearance. He killed himself and the
couple's two children in an explosion in Graham, Wash., earlier this year.

Steven Powell's sentencing hearing was scheduled for June 15.
He faces a standard sentence of about four years, but the state has
alleged aggravating factors that could result in a longer term.

Authorities brought the voyeurism charges last year after
searching Steve Powell's home during their investigation into the
disappearance of Susan Powell in Utah.

Evidence used by prosecutors included photos of young girls
in bathrooms, girls changing clothes and at least one video of Powell
allegedly touching himself. The photo corresponding to each charge was
shown once again to jurors during the prosecution's closing arguments.

The photos were found on Powell's computer last fall when
police searched his Puyallup home. At the time, Powell's former
daughter-in-law, Susan Powell, had been missing for nearly two years.
Officers were looking for her journals.
http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/Missing-Utah-Moms-Father-In-Law-Found-Guilty-of-Voyeurism-151789365.html

Father-in-law of missing Utah mom may be released in year

7:43 PM, Jun. 29, 2012


Steven Powell also faces three years of supervised release. / AP

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.

http://news.cincinnati.com/usatoday/article/55929616?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

this MONSTER should know NO PEACE in his pathetic life EVER. He knows damn well where Susan's body is, IMO. He's a pedophile that should be locked up forever. CREEP. I sure hope his neighbors keep their kids FAR away from him. It will only be a matter of time before he strikes again. CREEP. I can't even stand to see his picture. He is evil.

Susan Powell’s parents try again for West Valley City police files
Records
» West Valley City Council will make final decision.

By brooke adams, The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 1 minute ago • Updated 1 minute ago

The family of Susan Cox Powell has filed a third request with West Valley City for documents related to the missing woman’s case.

Anne Bremner, a Washington attorney who represents the missing mom’s estate and her parents, filed an appeal on Friday with the West Valley City Council after the police department and city manager rejected her request for "any and all investigative files" related to the disappearance of the young mother on Dec. 7, 2009.

Bremner requested the records from the West Valley City Police Department in April. West Valley Police Sgt. Mike Powell denied Bremner’s request in May. City Manager Wayne Pyle upheld that denial in June.

In the appeal sent to the West Valley City Council, which is charged with hearing records appeals, Bremner asked for all incident and investigative reports, forensic and evidence reports, witness and suspect statements, audio, video and surveillance recordings, photographs and reports and communication from any other law enforcement agencies.

Bremner is seeking the documents for use in potential civil litigation and has assured the city that the material would not be released "to other parties or the general public," according to her written request. Bremner also argues that releasing the material will not compromise any investigation, violate anyone’s right to privacy and is allowed under Victims’ Rights Acts in both states.

"Release of the information we are seeking would further the interests of justice because it would allow us to better represent our clients, the victim in this case," Bremner said in the April request.

The West Valley City Council will set a date for a hearing where Bremner or another representative of the Cox family can make oral arguments. City attorneys will have the opportunity to respond.

Joshua Powell, the only publicly named person of interest in Susan Powell’s disappearance, killed himself and the couple’s two young sons in February by setting fire to his rented home in Graham, Wash. Susan Cox Powell remains missing and her parents have said publicly they believe she is dead.

The Salt Lake Tribune was unable to reach Bremner for comment on Monday.

In a separate action, Chuck and Judy Cox, Susan’s parents, are seeking proceeds to insurance policies issued in the names of their daughter and grandsons, Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5. A trial in that civil dispute is currently set for October 2013.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54589779-78/bremner-valley-west-powell.html.csp

Journals reveal Steven Powell's obsession with missing daughter-in-law

08/09/2012
Nearly 3,000 pages from journals kept by Steven Powell have been
released to the public, revealing in intimate detail his obsession with
his daughter-in-law, who disappeared in Utah in 2009.
Steven
Powell is the father of Josh Powell, who in February used a hatchet to
chop at his two young sons before blowing up the house that contained
the three of them. Josh Powell’s wife, Susan Cox-Powell, remains
missing.
“The fact is, I can hardly control myself when it comes to her,” Steven Powell wrote in his journal.

In passages from 17 spiral notebooks, which spanned more than a
decade, Powell allegedly wrote of sexual fantasies and expressions of
love for his daughter-in-law as early as January 2003.
He admitted he secretly recorded Susan and watched the videos while
masturbating. In some entries, he admitted to "looking at her naked body
under the bathroom door (using a mirror)."
The journals also
included photographs of Susan and parts of her body. Powell confessed to
secretly stealing her private belongings, like her underwear and the
discarded strips she used to wax her legs, and even wrote songs about
her.
"She is an amazing woman. I hope I am right, that she is in love with
me, but of course there is the problem of her being married to my son,"
Powell wrote.
The journals reportedly indicated Powell believed Susan felt the same
way, but when he told her about his feelings, she didn't speak to him
for months.
When Susan Powell disappeared in December 2009, Steven Powell called
in sick to work for two days, according to police reports. Some suspect
he was involved in her disappearance, but in his journal he claimed she
ran off with another man and was certain he would see her again.
"I would be devastated were I to find out Susan was dead from any cause," he wrote.
Powell talked about being in despair at one point when he thought
Susan was dead. He wrote that he lost 20 pounds and said she was his
reason for living.
Court documents released Tuesday also revealed
that investigators in Utah almost immediately began classifying Susan
Powell’s 2009 disappearance as a murder and kidnapping probe. It was largely focused on her husband, Josh Powell.
Last
year, authorities got a warrant to search the Puyallup home of Steven
Powell. Josh Powell and his sons were living there at the time.
Investigators found explicit images of underage neighbor girls on Steven
Powell’s computers during the search. He was convicted in May on 14
voyeurism counts and sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison.
During the trial, prosecutors described a 2004 diary entry in which
Powell wrote, "He is a voyeur and Susan's an exhibitionist and they're a
perfect match."
Authorities said Steven Powell has been
uncooperative in their investigation into the disappearance of his
daughter-in-law, who he claims he had a flirtatious relationship with,
something her family denies.
The two children were placed in the
care of Susan’s parents, but Josh Powell was later allowed to see them.
Police discovered hundreds of images of disturbing cartoon sex and
graphic depictions of incest on Josh Powell's home computer something
Utah authorities investigating his wife's disappearance kept private for
about two years.
Cops: Josh Powell murder-suicide house was sham set up for social worker visits
In
February, a Washington state psychologist altered her assessment after
reviewing the images and ordered Josh Powell to undergo a psycho-sexual
evaluation. That conclusion came just six days before Josh attacked the
boys with a hatchet, then lit his Washington rental home ablaze, killing
himself and his sons.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/08/13188933-journals-reveal-steven-powells-obsession-with-missing-daughter-in-law?lite

'My mom is dead': What Susan Powell's son told his teacher after she disappeared as police files reveal husband Josh took out $1.5m life insurance policy on her

• Charlie Powell told police his mom went on camping trip and didn't come back

• Authorities treated case like murder and kidnapping from the start

• Susan Powell's blood found on the couch and carpet of her home

• Wrote a letter to family saying she feared Josh would kill her and if she died it would 'not be an accident'

• Josh Powell would talk about how to kill someone and dispose of the body forever

• Youngest son said his mom was 'in the trunk'

By Rachel Quigley
PUBLISHED: 12:43 EST, 9 August 2012
UPDATED: 12:43 EST, 9 August 2012

The eldest son of missing Utah mother Susan Powell told his teacher 'my mom is dead' after her disappearance and also told police she went on the camping trip with them but 'did not come back'.

This is just some of the shocking evidence released in sealed court documents about the initial investigation into the mother's disappearance, who went missing in December 6, 2009. Her body has never been found.

The documents also revealed that authorities immediately classified the case as a murder and kidnapping probe, according to the heavily redacted court documents released on Tuesday.

Despite what seems like overwhelming evidence against her husband Josh Powell, he was never arrested or even labeled a suspect, leaving him free to kill himself and his young sons at their home in Washington state earlier this year.

The eldest son of missing Utah mother Susan Powell told his teacher 'my mom is dead' after her disappearance and also told police she went on the camping trip with them but 'did not come back'.

This is just some of the shocking evidence released in sealed court documents about the initial investigation into the mother's disappearance, who went missing in December 6, 2009. Her body has never been found.

The documents also revealed that authorities immediately classified the case as a murder and kidnapping probe, according to the heavily redacted court documents released on Tuesday.

Despite what seems like overwhelming evidence against her husband Josh Powell, he was never arrested or even labeled a suspect, leaving him free to kill himself and his young sons at their home in Washington state earlier this year.

The affidavit, which is just a part of a large number of sealed documents in the missing mother's case, also reveal that when police searched Josh Powell's van after he returned from the late-night camping trip with his sons, they found a generator, blankets, a gas can, tarps, circular saw, humidifier, utility knife, latex gloves, rake, sleds, and a shovel.

They also found Susan's cellphone with no SIM card in it.

When questioned about his impromptu late-night camping trip, Powell told authorities he was testing out a new generator, according to the documents.

As well as eldest son Charlie telling investigators his mother had gone camping with them but 'decided to stay and not come home', Susan's other son Braden, who was just two at the time, said his mother was 'in the trunk'.

On January 3, 2010, Charlie Powell was attending church in Puyallup, Washington, when the teacher said she was going to have to get his mom or dad because he was misbehaving.

He answered with 'no emotion and without hesitation' that 'my mom is dead', according to documents which were released by the Salt Lake Tribune.

After interviewing many of Susan's friends as part of the investigation, authorities were told about bizarre comments Josh Powell made at his wife’s Christmas work party regarding 'how to kill someone, dispose of the body and not get caught'.

Information was also received during this investigation that Josh Powell was the beneficiary of several life insurance policies totaling $1.5million on Susan Powell.

He also said he liked to go camping in Utah's west desert because it was filled with mine shafts and tunnels and was the perfect place to 'dispose of someone and no one would ever search for the body', one of the recently released documents states.

After detectives seized the family van, Josh went that evening to the Salt Lake City International Airport to rent a car. He kept the car for two days and drove it 800 miles.

He subsequently refused to speak with police or to take a lie detector test. Within ten days of his wife’s disappearance, Josh Powell had cancelled Susan Powell’s upcoming chiropractic appointments, told their day care provider the children would not be returning and withdrawn all the money in his wife’s IRA accounts.

On December 6, the day Susan disappeared, her friend Jovanna Owings told police she was at the Powell home and Susan 'became very tired after eating a meal Josh had prepared for her'. That was the last time she would see her.

Utah authorities maintain the investigation remains active and open, but said the documents reveal their painstaking efforts to close the case and find Susan.
The records help 'make the public aware, to some extent, of what's been going on', West Valley City police Sgt Mike Powell said on Tuesday.

'We've been working diligently and very hard on this investigation.'

Publicly, they would only say the case remained active while sharing little else, and they never specifically labeled Josh Powell a suspect.

Anne Bremner, an attorney for Susan Powell's parents, said that's not good enough. She has been fighting for the release of the entire case file under a Utah law that provides victims the same rights and access to investigative records as criminal defendants.

'We'll keep making attempts to get the full measure of the records,' Bremner said on Tuesday. 'Until I'm satisfied that I have everything, my clients have instructed me to keep going forward.'

Other documents released this week chronicle Steven Powell's uncontrollable love and spiraling obsession with Susan.

In passages from 17 spiral notebooks written over more than ten years, he wrote of his sexual fantasies about and urges towards Susan, how he believed she loved him too and hopes they would be together.

He wrote: 'She is an amazing woman. I hope I am right, that she is in love with me, but of course there is the problem of her being married to my son.

'The fact is, I can hardly control myself when it comes to her.'

He also wrote: 'My biggest problem as well as my greatest pleasure lies in the fact that for over a year I have been madly in love with my daughter-in-law, Susan.

'I have never lusted for a woman as I do for Susan.'

He admitted in the passages that he secretly recorded his daughter-in-law from as early as January 2003 and would watch videos of her while masturbating.

He admitted 'looking at her naked body under the bathroom door (using a mirror)' though recognized this was a 'sick' thing to do.

His obsession with her, he said, 'represents the first time I’ve mentioned fetishes and what might be considered sociopathic. I mean, who looks under the bathroom door with a mirror?'

The journal included countless photos of Susan and different parts of her body. He also revealed he stole some of her belongings including her underwear, her hair and even discarded wax strips.

He was jailed in June for 30 months on charges of voyeurism against his neighbor's children.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2186148/Susan-Powells-son-told-teacher-mom-dead-new-court-documents-reveal.html#ixzz239Ab7U1A

wow - I knew the guy was creepy but this seems to hit a new level, even for him. I hope they can keep him locked up forever.

Attorney for Cox family to address West Valley City Council
Powell case» Anne Bremner says documents may help prepare her for a lawsuit in the case of Susan Powell

By melinda Rogers, The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Aug 19 2012 07:29 pm
Last Updated Aug 19 2012 10:50 pm

An attorney representing the family of Susan Cox Powell on Tuesday will ask the West Valley City Council to release documents related to the missing woman’s case.

Anne Bremner, a Washington attorney who represents Powell’s parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, is set to argue her appeal at a 6:30 p.m. meeting at West Valley City Hall. The Coxes won’t be in attendance, she said.

Bremner last month filed an appeal with the West Valley City Council after the police department and city manager rejected her request for "any and all investigative files" related to Powell’s 2009 disappearance.

"I hope they grant my request," she said Friday, noting its her third request to the city for information. "We want all the records, the full measure of all the records, so that we can find Susan and understand the depth and breadth of the investigation. I personally don’t want Chuck and Judy to have to continue to hear jarring and upsetting information from the case piecemeal via sporadic public disclosures and via the media. They need to hear the remainder all at once. "

Bremner requested the records from the West Valley City Police Department in April and filed a similar request with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office at the same time.

West Valley Police Sgt. Mike Powell, who is no relation to the missing woman, denied Bremner’s request in May. City Manager Wayne Pyle upheld that denial in June.

Bremner said that Pierce County told her it wanted to delay a response until after it finished prosecution of Steven Powell, Susan’s father-in-law, on voyeurism charges and pending a lawsuit filed on behalf of his victims. Steve Powell was sentenced in June.

In the appeal sent to the West Valley City Council, the governing body that hears records appeals, Bremner asked for all incident and investigative reports, forensic and evidence reports, witness and suspect statements, audio, video and surveillance recordings, photographs and reports and communication from any other law enforcement agencies.

She will argue the documents are essential for preparing a potential lawsuit and has promised not to release information received to the general public. Bremner has said that releasing the material will not compromise any investigation, violate anyone’s right to privacy and is allowed under Victims’ Rights Acts in both states.

"Release of the information we are seeking would further the interests of justice because it would allow us to better represent our clients, the victim in this case," Bremner wrote in her original April request.
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City attorneys will have the opportunity to respond to Bremner’s arguments at Tuesday’s meeting.

Bremner said that in the event the city council denies the request, her clients have authorized her to pursue a lawsuit against the council.

Bremner’s pending records fight is the latest development in the controversial search for Powell.

Earlier this month, 3rd District Court Judge Judith Atherton released 84 search warrants and subpoenas executed in the case by West Valley City Police and the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. The pages have added to questions of why West Valley City police did not arrest, and Salt Lake County prosecutors did not charge, Josh Powell with a crime in his wife’s disappearance.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54717632-78/powell-valley-west-bremner.html.csp