Investigators Suspect Foul Play in Disappearance of Utah Mother

12/18/09

According to her husband, Josh Powell, he last saw his wife on December 7, 2009 at 12:30 am when he left to take the couple's two boys, ages 2 and 4, camping in subfreezing temperatures. He reported that the trio slept in a van and he returned later that day at 5:00 pm. Police were unable to investigate Josh Powell's camping trip because snow has blanketed the alleged site in Simpson Springs, Utah on the Pony Express Trail in the state's west desert. Besides her husband, Susan Powell was last seen on December 6, 2009 when she dined with a family friend at the couple's home after church.

According to West Valley City Police Capt. Tom McLachlan, ''30 detectives have been working on the case, and several of them were on duty Sunday, fielding any tips or leads they can get from the family or friends.''

All in the last week in the last month in the last 3 months in the last 6 months in the last year

Search Career Advice

The Powell family has appointed Shelby Gifford as spokesperson and reported that the Powell's children ''are weathering the ordeal.''

Josh Powell has already been interviewed by police after the initial report of his wife's disappearance, however, Utah police are planning to interview Powell again.

McLachlan commented that ''it's still a missing-person case. We don't have any information or fact to move it from that classification. But it is very suspicious to us, given the circumstances.''

• Search Legal Jobs
• Search Articles
• Employer Listing

United States

Search jobs

All in the last week in the last month in the last 3 months in the last 6 months in the last year

Search Career Advice

Select In-House Law Firms Government Recruiters Public Interest

Search Employer

According to the latest news regarding the disappearance of Susan Powell, investigators suspect that foul play was involved after Powell's husband was deemed 'uncooperative' during the investigation. Powell is not a suspect yet, but authorities will continue to investigate his whereabouts on the day of his wife's disappearance.

According to West Valley City Asst. Police Chief Craig Black, ''every lead we've been offered so far would leave us to believe this is out of character, and thus suspect foul play is involved. Josh's unusual lack of cooperation, for a husband looking for his wife, with the police department, you know, […]certainly causes us to ask questions as to why [...]he [would] do things to exclude the resources that we can bring to the table to find Susan.''

Police investigating the case have obtained DNA samples from Susan Powell's family members and multiple people, including her husband, as part of their investigation.

According to attorney Scott Williams, he commented that ''on the possibility that some DNA of some evidentiary value is ultimately obtained, the police [will] need a DNA profile from as many people as possible.”