The Utah mother Susan Marie Powell in December of 2009 caught the country’s attention when she mysteriously vanishes. Powell, 28, went missing in West Valley City.
Susan Cox, who was born in Alamogordo, New Mexico, met her husband-to-be, Joshua Powell, when he lived in Tacoma and attended the University of Washington. They met at a local dinner party while attending an LDS Church Institute of Religion class with other students. They started dating and were married in April 2001 at the Portland, Oregon Temple.
Upon completion of his business degree, Joshua held a string of jobs, whereas Susan, who was a professional cosmetologist, was employed by Wells Fargo. The move to that job occurred as the family made the move to West Valley City, Utah, a suburb immediately west of Salt Lake City.
The Powells had two sons: Charles on January 19, 2005, and Braden on January 2, 2007. The family life was full of issues, especially after Joshua’s dad, Steven, proclaimed his eternal love for Susan, including writing love songs for her.
Video filmed by Susan Powell where she states she’s “covering her bases” incase something bad happens to her. Just over one year later, she vanished and is presumed to have been killed by her husband, Josh.
In December of 2009, 28-year-old Susan Powell went missing outside of… pic.twitter.com/AxzcTqC4WG
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) May 15, 2024
The couple soon started having conflicts because Joshua was against attending church and his due to his overly “extremely controlling” behavior towards Susan. Financial problems was yet another reason for their problems, which led to Joshua’s bankruptcy filing in 2007, after he accrued debts topping $200,000.
The situation was so alarming that Susan recorded a video in July 2008 documenting property damage she blamed on Joshua. She also penned a secret will containing the chilling words, “I want it documented that there is extreme turmoil in our marriage” and, “If I die, it may not be an accident, even if it looks like one.”
Unfortunately, Susan’s worst fears became reality when she disappeared on the afternoon of December 6, 2009. Initially, no one could find the entire family, prompting Joshua’s relatives to look for them after discovering the boys had skipped nursery. Joshua’s mother and estranged sister alerted the authorities, who broke into the Powell home, fearing a carbon monoxide leak.
The residence was empty, but officers noticed two fans pointed towards a damp patch on the couch. When Susan failed to show up for work on December 7, her purse, wallet, and ID were located at home. Her mobile was discovered in the family’s Chrysler Town & Country minivan, which Joshua had been driving.
Joshua was questioned again on the evening of December 8, just before renting a car from Salt Lake City International Airport. His movements after leaving the airport remain unknown, but approximately 18 hours later, at 4 p.m. on December 9, he called his mother from a new phone while travelling south on Interstate 84 in Tremonton, returning to the state capital. The authorities then discovered that Joshua had added 807 miles to the rented car’s odometer.
On December 9, traces of Susan’s blood were discovered on the Powell house floor. In late September 2011, Jennifer Graves publicly stated that her brother Joshua was “responsible for his wife Susan Powell’s disappearance.”
In December of 2009, 28-year-old Susan Powell went missing outside of Salt Lake City and was never seen again. Her husband Josh claimed he was camping with the couple’s two young sons on the night she vanished.
During the search of the Powell residence on December 9,… pic.twitter.com/OHT6sowMDu
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) October 26, 2023
A court injunction was imposed, prohibiting the Powells from spreading content from Susan’s journals and ordering them to return or destroy any published extracts. On September 22, Steven was arrested on allegations of voyeurism and child pornography.
According to records, Joshua had withdrawn $7,000 from his bank account and donated his son’s toys and books to local charities the day before the incident. The two children are buried at Woodbine Cemetery in Puyallup, Washington, which also has a memorial to their mother. Joshua’s remains were cremated.
Susan has been missing for almost 15 years, but considering the fates of her sons, it is largely thought that she was murdered by her husband Joshua. In March 2018, there were calls to declare her legally dead, citing homicide as the cause.
