Susan Powell Search Turns Up Nothing, Investigation Could Close

The search for Susan Powell’s remains in rural Oregon failed to yield any evidence, leading authorities to day they are considering closing the investigation.

Despite the use of cadaver dogs and cops, the search on a farm in rural Oregon yielded only deer bones and other non-human bones. Powell’s disappearance from her home in West Valley, Utah, triggered a massive investigation.

The investigation focused on Powell’s husband, Josh Powell, who claimed his wife disappeared when he and the couple’s two sons went camping. Officials were uncertain of the man’s story, because temperatures in the mountains that night were below freezing from a winter storm.

The investigation into Josh Powell ended when he killed himself and the couple’s two sons by blowing his Washington state house up. Since then, authorities have had few clues into the search for Susan Powell.

The latest tip about the rural Oregon farm came from someone who called Susan’s father, Chuck Cox, and stated that Josh Powell’s aunt and uncle once lived on a 180 acre farm in a remote area of the state. They were sympathetic to Powell, according to the tipster, who suggested they may have hidden Susan’s body there.

Police responded to the tip and have spent three days searching for clues linking the area to Susan Powell. Despite turning up nothing useful so far, police stated on Thursday that they were continuing the search and interviewing neighbors in the area. Josh Powell’s relatives have since left the farm.

Wayne Pyle, the city manager for West Valley City, Utah, where the Powells once lived, stated of the search on Thursday, “The leads have become fewer and farther between. If nothing comes from it, we do feel like we are close to the end of the investigation.” The lack of evidence found was disheartening for Susan Powell’s father, who accompanied some of the search dogs on the hunt. He commented, “I’m disappointed. I just don’t know where she is, but we’ll keep looking for her.”

While her husband was never charged in Susan Powell’s disappearance, unsealed documents say authorities found the missing woman’s blood on a floor next to a sofa. It appeared to have been cleaned recently, with two fans set up to blow on it. Investigators also discovered life insurance policies on Susan and found that Josh filed paperwork to take money from her retirement account about 10 days after she disappeared.

Despite not finding much during the latest search for Susan Powell’s remains, Cox stated that he appreciates the amount of time investigators have spent on her case, adding that it showed dedication and determination to find Powell.