The [Unsolved] Murder of Susan Powell- Part 1

On December 7, 2009, 28-year-old Susan Powell didn’t show up to work. She never dropped her two sons off at daycare. Nobody could reach her and she hadn’t been seen since the night before. Her sons and her husband were also nowhere to be found. Within a few hours, Josh, Charlie, and Braden Powell had been located, but Susan was still missing. Josh said that he’d taken their boys on a spontaneous camping trip the night before. In a snowstorm. In Utah. In December. He said that they’d left Susan at home and had no idea where she was. The investigation that followed revealed a crumbling marriage weighed down by Josh Powell’s controlling and abusive behavior. Unfortunately, before investigators were able to determine Josh’s exact role in Susan’s disappearance, he made one last horrific play for power, giving a middle finger to his wife’s family and friends, taking the last pieces of evidence to his grave.

Who was Susan?

Susan Marie Cox was born October 16, 1981 to Chuck and Judy Cox in Alamogordo, New Mexico. She was the third of four daughters born to the Coxes, who moved from New Mexico to Alaska, before finally settling in Washington state when Susan was still a child. Her family said that she was a typical teenage girl, who rode horses and loved hanging out with friends. Her sister, Denise, described her as her partner in crime, a teenager who tried to be rebellious, but never could because she had too good of a heart. Her father, Chuck, said that Susan did well in school and church, had great friends, and loved choir. Susan was a beautiful girl, and took pride in how she looked. She liked having her hair and nails done, and loved wearing stylish clothes. After graduating from Rogers High School in Puyallup, Washington, Susan went to cosmetology school. She wanted to help others feel good about themselves.

Susan and her family attended the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints (LDS). She’d grown up in the church and her family was extremely dedicated to their religion. At 19-years-old, Susan occasionally attended social events at church. They had events dedicated to the young Mormons who were single, hoping to help them socialize with others who had similar beliefs to them. At the end of one event in November of 2000, Susan was heading out for the night, when a man told her to come back and talk with him for a little while. The man was 24-year-old Josh Powell. Susan asked Josh if he knew how to play piano. Josh seemed confused, but answered that he knew a bit about it. Susan said she remembered him coming over to her house a few years earlier and playing piano, while trying to woo her older sister Mary.

Who was Josh.. besides a piece of human garbage?

Joshua Powell was born to Steve and Terrica Powell in Puyallup, Washington. He was one of five children, including his brothers, Michael and John, and sisters, Jennifer and Alina. In 1992, after a rocky marriage, Steve and Terrica divorced. Terrica said that Steve disciplined Josh harshly and often attacked Josh specifically. Clearly Josh felt pressure from his parents and suffered from depression, as he attempted to hang himself as a teenager. As the divorce proceeded, both Steve and Terrica made accusations against each other and disagreed on almost everything. Steve was extremely against the religious beliefs of the LDS and he even accused his wife of witchcraft and devil worship. Both of them threw accusations of extramarital affairs at one another, and Terrica even accused Steve of possessing pornography that he’d show to their underage sons. She said that Steve was physically and verbally abusive to the children as well.

Josh’s aunt said that she blamed Steve for her nephew’s attitude that they could do whatever they felt like doing, along with their contempt for females. Following the divorce, the three Powell boys stayed with their father, while the two girls lived with Terrica. At one time, Steve’s parents got custody of all five children, where they all lived for about a year. After that, the Powell children returned to Terrica, but it seemed like the damage had already been done. The children were described as “traumatized”.

Steve’s disagreements with the LDS church led him to begin having extremist views, including polygamy. He reportedly had interest in another woman, who was married, while still married to Terrica. She said he wrote songs about the woman and his sexual fantasies about her.

All of these accusations and arguments were not kept secret from the children. Josh became withdrawn and socially inept. It became clear that his parents’ behavior was taking a toll on him.

In 1998, Josh began dating a woman named Catherine that he’d met at a church event. Catherine was 19-year-old and Josh was 22-years-old (sound familiar?) Things went downhill quickly. Catherine said later that she didn’t realize that Josh was keeping her on such a short leash at the time. He exhibited controlling behavior, wanting to make sure that she didn’t have anyone else to rely on but him. Josh controlled her budget and even had Catherine take out a school loan, of which none of the money went towards her education. She said that every time she received a check, Josh would have her sign it, then he’d deposit it into his account. At one point, Josh convinced her to move away from her family in Washington to Utah to live with his father. If she wanted to visit her family, Josh had to come with her. Later, they moved to Seattle and into an apartment together. One day in early 1999, Catherine traveled to Utah to visit a friend. Fortunately, Josh was unable to go to his classes. Catherine decided not to return to Seattle and broke up with Josh over the phone. It was perhaps the smartest decision she ever made. She later realized how toxic their relationship was and said,

“He could be so good, he could be so sweet and loving and then if things weren’t going his way, not so much…I didn’t realize at the time of course how isolated I had become because I think I’d built up in my mind that I was happy and that things could only better and eventually we’d get married and things would be better after that.” Catherine admitted that she’d been very naive, but it didn’t excuse how Josh treated her.

Josh’s behavior towards women was apparent in all aspects of his life. He seemed to want relationships with women, but then acted as though he didn’t know what to do or how to show interest. Then, of course, he strived for control over the women he did meet. A psychiatrist, David Reiss, analyzed Josh’s childhood and discussed why his family and upbringing had a significant influence on his attitude towards females.

“A child living within the family dynamics often tries to appease a parent who terrifies them by, usually subconsciously, adopting their beliefs and thought patterns. On some level, the child is going to align himself with the person he sees as a threat.”

Susan Cox however, knew none of this. What she saw was a cute, older guy, who seemed assertive and charming. He flattered her and Susan, who had a heart of gold, fell hard and fast.

Josh and Susan

Shortly after they began dating, Josh had proposed. The two married less than six months after meeting, on April 6, 2001. Their wedding and reception was at the LDS Portland Oregon Temple. At first, Susan’s friends said that Josh was very confident and seemed like he felt as though he could get any girl he wanted. He seemed ambitious and strong-willed, and said he could take care of Susan. At the same time, others described Josh as awkward and nerdy, with a head that was too big for his shoulders. Regardless, Josh had a job, his own place, and was going to college for business. He seemed to be a bright guy when he applied himself.

For a while, the couple was very affectionate. They appeared happy and in love, despite the fact that some of Susan’s friends were weary of the marriage since the two had known each other for such a short period. Susan told friends and family that she believed Josh and her wanted the same things in life. She seemed really happy. However, it was apparent from even early on in their relationship that Josh was less concerned about Susan and their new marriage than he was about himself. Josh and his father, Steve, spent most of the wedding reception using a new video recorder to make videos. As time went on during the reception, you can see that Josh drifts away from Susan, ignoring her while he took pictures on his new camera and hung out with family. Susan was clearly becoming irritated with her new husband’s behavior. She even told the story of how Josh tricked her into buying her own engagement ring. He told Susan that he was picking out a ring for his mother at the department store she worked at. He asked Susan to purchase it since she’d receive her employee discount. Josh paid her back later…supposedly.

By this point in his life, Josh had accumulated quite a bit of debt. He said that he lived with the mindset of getting what he wanted at the time, and not saving money. He noticed that Susan had great credit and was a very hard worker. During their courtship, Susan spent her days at cosmetology school, then went to her job at the jewelry counter at JCPenney. It was only the beginning of Susan financially supporting Josh.

Fucking Steve Powell

After their wedding, Susan and Josh moved in with Steve, since they were struggling to make ends meet financially. This was in early 2002. They’d been unable to pay rent at their apartment in Tacoma, so Steve’s home in South Hill, Washington seemed like a good option. Susan was the primary breadwinner, as Josh couldn’t seem to hold down a job. Living with Steve brought its own challenges. He became obsessed with Susan, making countless journal entries about his lust for her. He followed her around the house and was constantly videotaping her, both with her knowledge and without. He wrote about his revelation when they moved in with him:

“When Josh first brought her home, I didn’t think much of her. I didn’t think she was that pretty or anything. Now I can’t take my eyes off her.”

When Steve’s journals were later obtained by law enforcement, they revealed very concerning behavior. He would steal Susan’s soiled underwear and replace them with similar pairs. He would take used personal items out of her bathroom trash, including cotton balls, tampons, and wax strips. He had ziploc bags that he would put the items in and label them. Steve even tried to use a small mirror to watch his daughter-in-law while she was in the bathroom. He wrote in his journal, “I know some people would think I am strange or even sick for collecting articles of Susan’s lingerie. But try this one on for size: I just went to my Susan drawer and sniffed a small wad of hair I took from her hair brush.”

Thankfully, after a few months, Josh and Susan were able to move into their own apartment in Yakima, Washington. Josh still couldn’t hold down a job, while Susan continued to primarily support the couple. Despite Susan being out from underneath Steve’s roof, his obsession still grew. Once, when he visited his son and daughter-in-law in their apartment, he offered to give Susan a massage. She let him rub her shoulders and feet. He later made a video journal entry as he undressed, talking about how erotic the experience was. He seemed to be under the impression that Susan was silently giving her consent.

In July of 2003, Josh decided on yet another career change, wanting to become a long haul truck driver. When he went for training, he was set to be out for a while, so Steve offered to give Susan a ride back to her parents’ home. He was elated to have Susan alone in the car. His video camera was on, but in a bag in the backseat, so only audio was captured. He confessed his love for Susan, telling her that he felt she’d been giving him signals that she felt the same way about him. Susan’s discomfort was clear from the silence on the recording. She said that she was just supposed to be his daughter-in-law, a step below his children, and that’s where she was comfortable. After Steve dropped Susan off at her parents, he wrote a journal entry about the encounter:

“I am in so much pain right now. I don’t know where to turn with it. I spoke to Alina (Josh’s sister), who has been very supportive of my infatuation or obsession. Her advice was to accept that Susan is a ‘player,’ and that is what players do. They lead guys on.…This will probably be one of the last entries about Susan, my desire and love for her.” Spoiler alert…it was not.

While Josh initially thought his father was insane when Susan first told him about the encounter, the feeling wore off, and Josh’s relationship with his father returned to normal. This was incredibly frustrating to Susan. Finally, in December of 2003, Josh and Susan moved away from Steve and to West Valley City, Utah. They initially lived with Josh’s sister, Jennifer, her husband, and children. Jennifer was unlike the rest of the Powell family. She was in touch with reality regarding the truth about her father and siblings. She also saw what Susan and Josh’s marriage was truly like. She watched how controlling he was towards Susan, and how she had begun to fight back.

Utah

Susan and Josh were able to secure a home loan and purchase a house. They also both got jobs at Fidelity, where Susan excelled, eventually landing a full time job while Josh was fired. Josh was trying to obtain a job as a realtor and had dreams of becoming a millionaire from selling houses. Susan continued to support herself and her husband. She found a church congregation and quickly made friends. One of her closest ones was neighbor Kiirsi Hellewell, who saw Susan as a bit naive and immature when they first met, but nonetheless, a wonderful person who was outgoing and easy to get along with.

In June of 2004, Susan discovered that she was pregnant. It had always been part of her plan to have children and Susan was so excited. During her pregnancy, she studied and passed the tests to become a stockbroker. On January 19th, 2005, Susan went into labor. Josh wouldn’t drive her to the hospital and insisted that her parents take her because he had something to do. That something was to back up his computer hard drive. When he arrived at the hospital more than an hour later, he continued to mess around on his laptop. Finally, at Susan’s father Chuck’s urging, Josh came over to comfort his wife as she gave birth to their first child, a little boy named Charlie.

It was difficult for Susan to return to work after her maternity leave was over. She considered quitting her job to help Josh with his real estate, but he seemed to have lost interest in it. She wrote in her journal about how the church was covering their groceries and utilities and how frustrating it was that Josh always seemed to want to take the easy way out. Her church bishop suggested the two attend marriage counseling and advised Josh to show his wife more affection. Josh said that he couldn’t, because they couldn’t afford another baby. It had been quite some time since they two had been physical, and Josh didn’t seem to have any interest in doing so. The idea of divorce came up multiple times, but Josh wouldn’t let that happen. Susan wrote him a letter, promising to do everything she could to help the marriage and take care of Josh. She truly wanted things to get better, not just for Charlie’s sake, but for her and Josh as well.

Susan quit her job at Fidelity and soon after discovered that she was pregnant. Despite the stress this added to the family’s already-tight financial situation, Susan was excited and hopeful, wishing for a little girl. On January 2, 2007, Susan gave birth to a second little boy, Braden.

Similarly to how he acted after Charlie was born, Josh seemed unattached to Braden. He wanted to hold his boys when people were around, but didn’t want to help Susan with changing or feeding them. Jennifer, Susan’s sister-in-law, said that Susan loved those boys more than anything in the world.

Downhill

Not long after Braden was born, Susan and Josh filed for bankruptcy, which still left Josh with his student loans, but erased his credit card debt. Unfortunately, this didn’t change Josh’s attitude towards his own spending. He had grown even more controlling, not allowing Susan to spend money, despite it all being earned by her. She got a new job at a call center at Wells Fargo Investments, and quickly became popular with her co-workers due to her bright personality. He attempted to control her spending on food, clothing, and necessities, even for the boys. He insisted that Susan deposit her paychecks into a joint checking account, which she agreed to, until later in their marriage, when she began to secretly set some of her paycheck aside into an account that Josh didn’t know about. In an email to a friend, Susan talked about how bad their marriage had gotten:

“He is mainly emotionally, verbally, and financially abusive… Basically, I’m a single mother with this guy that lives with me and dictates to me what I can do in my spare time and takes my paycheck and spends the money.”

Susan made it clear to her close friends that she was considering a divorce. In another email, she wrote:

“I am so tempted to just find a lawyer, write up some papers and change the locks and have a police officer with me when he comes home from work. … Either he is that scared of counseling and I need to deliver the unspoken ‘counseling or divorce’ or he thinks he can weasel his way out and I’ll stupidly endure this miserable marriage. Well he is wrong.”

Despite Susan’s emails, she was scared to go forward with divorce. She knew that Josh was smart and calculating, and she was frightened that he’d take the boys with him. In June of 2007, Josh took out a half-million dollar life insurance policy on Susan. Less than a year afterwards, he increased it to 1 million. She told friends that she was worried about her safety. It seemed as though Susan’s concern for herself and her sons was growing. One day in June of 2008, Susan filled the front and back of a piece of notebook paper with what she titled, “The Last Will and Testament for Susan M. Powell”. In this letter, she wrote:

“I bike to work daily and have been having extreme marital stress for about three or four years now. For mine and my children’s safety I feel the need to have a paper trail at work which would not be accessible to my husband. … I want it documented somewhere that there is extreme turmoil in our marriage, he has threatened to ‘skip the country’ and told me straight out ‘if we divorce, there will be no lawyers, only a mediator, and I will ruin you. … Your life would be over and the boys will not grow up with a mom and dad.’

If something happens to me, please talk to my sister-in-law Jenny Graves, my friend Kiirsi Hellewell, check my blogs on Myspace… check my work desk, talk to my friends, co-workers, and family. It is an open fact that we have life insurance policies of over a million if we die in the next four years. Co-workers, family and friends hear me say this occasionally.

If I die, it may not be an accident, even if it looks like one. Take care of my boys. I want my parents Judy and Chuck Cox very involved and in charge of their lives. … I love my boys, I live for them and I choose not to cheat or do drugs because I wouldn’t want to risk losing them.”

Susan signed this and added a note for Charlie and Braden, telling them how much she loved them and that she would never leave them. In July of the same year, Susan made a video recording, saying that she was documenting their assets in case of emergency. She shows all of Josh’s expensive tools and computer accessories and talks about how he bought a lot of it on her credit. She shows his RC cars and remote control hovercraft. She gives a tour of the garden that she planted, with several different fruits and vegetables. At the end of the video, Susan says, “this is me. July 29th, 2008. It is 12:33 Mountain Time. Umm, covering all my bases, making sure that if something happens to me or my family or all of us that our assets are documented. Hope everything works out and we’re all happy and live happily ever after as much as that’s possible.”

Just a week after making the video, Susan got a safe deposit box at a Wells Fargo branch near her work. She filled it with documents that might be helpful in the event of a divorce. Documents that showed bank account summaries, social security cards, and birth certificates. Josh did not have access to this box.

One of Susan’s co-workers, Linda Bagley, said that Susan came to her sometime in 2009 and told her that if something ever happened to her, they should make sure they look at Josh. When Linda asked if he’d threatened her, Susan responded that no, he hadn’t, but “it’s just the way he talks.”

On November 16th, 2009, Josh dropped Susan off for work early in the morning. In emails to friends that day, Susan expressed her delight at the fact that Josh had said, “I love you” when she got out of the car. This was incredibly out of character for him, so she was understandably happy. The last three weeks had been better. Josh had attended church with Susan, they’d been working on projects for one another at home, and his attitude seemed better. To her friends, Susan sounded optimistic, like their marriage was finally turning a corner. 21 days later, Susan Powell disappeared. She was only 28-years-old.

FOR PART TWO, CLICK HERE!