Husband of missing Utah woman Susan Powell, retains attorney

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091212/ca...aQ0TMl.NxgMQ--
This undated picture made available by Hardman Photography shows Susan Powell.
The 28-year-old mother from the Salt Lake City area was reported missing on Monday, Dec. 7, 2009.

Husband of missing Utah woman retains attorney
By Brock Vergakis And Jennifer Dobner, Associated Press Writer
1 hr 14 mins ago

SALT LAKE CITY – The husband of a 28-year-old woman who went missing a week ago without taking her purse or cell phone has retained an attorney.

Well-known Salt Lake City defense attorney Scott Williams said Monday he has been retained by Josh Powell, whose wife Susan Powell was reported missing Dec. 7.

Williams often represents high-profile defendants in criminal cases. Among his recent clients are Wanda Eileen Barzee, who has pleaded guilty to federal charges in the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping, and Christopher Jeppson, one of two men charged in the 1995 murder of Utah County teenager Kiplyn Davis.

Williams declined to say when he was retained and when Powell was going to be questioned again.

Josh Powell told police last week that he left his wife and took his boys, ages 2 and 4, on a camping trip around 12:30 a.m. Dec. 7 in subfreezing temperatures.

Authorities were notified the family was missing when neither Susan nor Josh reported to work and their children were not dropped off at daycare.

Police said Josh Powell told them that he and his children slept in a van and returned home about 5 p.m.

Police said they haven't been able to verify the camping trip because snow had covered the site — Simpson Springs on the historic Pony Express Trail in Utah's west desert.

West Valley City Police Capt. Tom McLachlan said the Powell home was locked when police arrived and they broke in, fearing the family had suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. They found no signs of forced entry.

Susan Powell's father, Charles Cox, said police found a wet spot in the house being dried by two fans when they entered. McLachlan declined to comment.

McLachlan said 30 detectives have been working on the case, fielding dozens of tips and leads. "Some of them appear to be relatively informative, and some of them are pretty wild," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091214/...VzYmFuZG9mbWlz

Very fishy.....:agree

Susan Powell's father, Charles Cox, said police found a wet spot in the house being dried by two fans when they entered. McLachlan declined to comment.

All they have to do is take a look-see at the wet spot with their handy dandy blue light to see if there is blood. My guess...yes.

What kind of idiot would take a 4 and 2 year old camping in sub zero temps? A man who needs an alibi from said kids maybe?

Its sad but I think he killed her. What mom or dad would get kids out of bed and take them camping at midnight and they said it was snowing or sleeting. And the place he showed them where they supposedly camped was covered in snow. I believe he took them to dispose of her body. If they find out where he went her body is somewhere near there. And the wet floor I believe is where he cleaned up after killing her. I bet he has a girlfriend or insurance on her.

Missing Utah mom's husband hinders search
By Brock Vergakis, Associated Press Writer
26 mins ago

SALT LAKE CITY – The husband of a missing Utah woman is hindering the investigation because he failed to show up for an interview on the advice of his lawyer, police said Tuesday. Josh Powell is not a suspect in the disappearance of Susan Powell, but his decision not to meet with detectives on Monday prevents them from moving ahead with the search for his wife, said West Valley City Police Capt. Tom McLachlan.

Despite the first public suggestion Josh Powell wasn't cooperating, photos taken of the family two days before Susan Powell's disappearance show a happy family.

Susan Powell, 28, was reported missing Dec. 7 when she didn't show up to work and her children weren't dropped off at day care.

Josh Powell told police he took his two boys, ages 2 and 4, camping around 12:30 a.m. that day, in freezing conditions, and returned in the evening.

McLachlan said police initially interviewed Josh Powell when he returned home and then again the next day. Police have also interviewed the Powells' older son.

Investigators said they haven't been able to verify the camping trip because snow had covered the site — Simpson Springs on the historic Pony Express Trail in Utah's west desert.

The Powell home was locked when police arrived and they broke in, fearing the family had suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. They found no signs of forced entry.

Susan Powell's father, Charles Cox, has said police found a wet spot in the house being dried by two fans when they entered.

McLachlan declined to comment on that but said Josh Powell's refusal to speak with police again is costing authorities valuable time in the effort to find his wife.

"We are very disappointed in that because he is not a suspect and this delays the investigation — it slows things down," McLachlan said. "His stated purpose is he wants to find Susan and that is also our stated purpose on this missing persons case, and this complicates the issue."

Josh Powell hired Scott Williams, a Salt Lake City defense attorney who often represents high-profile defendants in criminal cases. Williams did not immediately return a message left at his office Tuesday.

Kiirsi Hellewell, Susan Powell's best friend, said she has been in contact with Josh Powell on a daily basis but hasn't asked him specific questions about Susan in an effort not to interfere with the investigation or to lose his trust as a friend.

"He doesn't do a lot of talking. He mostly looks upset and confused and is crying most of the time," Hellewell said.

She said she sat next to Josh Powell at church on Sunday and that he cried through most of the service.

It was at that same church on Dec. 5 that the last known pictures of Susan Powell were taken. The couple and their children attended a Christmas breakfast, where one picture shows a smiling Josh Powell with a camera hanging around his neck, talking with his children while his wife stands a few feet away reaching for food.

"Susan and her family were very normal and seemed all happy to be there. We actually talked to them quite a bit. Josh seemed really happy to be there and he asked me to take a picture of he and the family, and yes he has the picture," Mindy Kay Perry Guzman, who took the picture, wrote in a message to The Associated Press.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091215/...ssing_mom_utah

If hes not guilty he needs to clear himself as a suspect so they'll quit focusing on him amd go after someone else. But I still believe he's guilty.

Police treating missing Utah mom as criminal case
By Brock Vergakis And Jennifer Dobner, Associated Press Writers
2 hrs 19 mins ago

SALT LAKE CITY – Investigators said Wednesday that they suspect foul play was involved in the disappearance of a Utah mother of two as they grew increasingly suspicious of her husband after he demonstrated an "unusual lack of cooperation" in the case.

Susan Powell, 28, was reported missing Dec. 7. Her husband, Josh Powell, has not been named a suspect but authorities are highly interested in him, said 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 (for Susan) and thus suspect foul play is involved," he said.

"Josh's unusual lack of cooperation for a husband looking for his wife with the police department, you know, it certainly causes us to ask questions as to why would he do things to exclude the resources that we can bring to the table to find Susan."

Susan Powell was reported missing when she didn't show up to work and her two children were not dropped off at day care. Josh Powell said he went camping with their boys, ages 2 and 4, in subfreezing temperatures about 12:30 a.m. that day and returned in the evening.

But Josh Powell has been uncooperative in providing any details that might explain what happened to his wife, Black said.

Among other things, Josh Powell hasn't specified where he went camping or where he was all day on Dec. 7, he said.

"That would be awesome if he would be willing to cooperate on that level and take us to his camp site," Black said.

Powell has told police he went camping in Simpson Springs on the historic Pony Express Trail in Utah's west desert — an area of thousands of square miles — that is now covered in snow.

Josh Powell on Tuesday did provide a DNA sample to police, as did several other family members.

Josh Powell's attorney, Scott Williams, a defense attorney who often defends high-profile clients, described the DNA testing as routine in such cases.

"On the possibility that some DNA of some evidentiary value is ultimately obtained, the police need a DNA profile from as many people as possible," he said.

Williams disputed allegations made by police on Tuesday that Josh Powell had been uncooperative.

"Despite our continued invitation to be contacted with questions we received no contact from the police today (Wednesday) and as to the nature of prior information, we have answered all questions posed to us since Monday morning," he said. "Josh continues to favor attention on finding Susan and has been cooperating and providing information to that end."

Black reiterated that Josh Powell has given them little information of value.

"What's being represented to the media is that he is staying in touch with us and he's cooperating with us. The involvement that he's giving us is helpful if we were to come across Susan and ID who she is," Black said.

"Any reason as to why she would've disappeared either of her own accord or because of some type of other foul play, he has not been cooperative with that."

The Powell home was locked when officers initially arrived and they broke in, fearing the family had suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Susan Powell's father, Charles Cox, said police found a wet spot in the home being dried by two fans, but police have declined to comment on that.

Investigators said there were no signs of forced entry at the home and they found Susan Powell's purse and cell phone there.

Susan Powell was last seen by someone other than her husband on Dec. 6 — a family friend who ate dinner with her at the couple's home following church.

Cox was traveling from Salt Lake City to his home in Puyallup, Wash., on Wednesday and was not immediately available for comment.

The family has planned a news conference in the Seattle area on Thursday, according to a posting on the Friends and Family of Susan Powell Facebook page.

Family spokeswoman Shelby Gifford said friends and family who normally speak to reporters would not comment Wednesday.

"The family will always be hopeful until we have reason not to be," she said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091217/...mom_utah/print

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gmyers

Its sad but I think he killed her. What mom or dad would get kids out of bed and take them camping at midnight and they said it was snowing or sleeting. And the place he showed them where they supposedly camped was covered in snow. I believe he took them to dispose of her body. If they find out where he went her body is somewhere near there. And the wet floor I believe is where he cleaned up after killing her. I bet he has a girlfriend or insurance on her.

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EXACTLY MY THOUGHTS!! who in their "right" mind would take kids "camping" at 12:30 AM!! thats half past MIDNITE!!!

I believe the reason he wont tell the exact place he went camping is because thats where he got rid of her body or he didn't go in the first place.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gmyers

I believe the reason he wont tell the exact place he went camping is because thats where he got rid of her body or he didn't go in the first place.

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I agree with you. Wonder if the four year old saw anything, kids talk. Are they still with dad? If so, that's scary.

Really heartbreaking for those two kids and her family. She's a pretty lady.

It occurs to me he may have planned to kill the children as well as himself and that may be why he took them off in the middle of the night. Perhaps he just couldn't go through with it. Note that it was a Sunday night and both husband and wife were expected at work on Monday morning ... most people leave for a "camping trip" on Friday or Saturday.

How far is Simpson Springs from Salt Lake ?