The Disappearance of Susan Cox-Powell
Susan Cox-Powell went missing in December 2009 while living in West Valley City, Utah, with her husband Joshua and two young sons Braden and Charles. What would follow in the thirteen years since her initial disappearance would lead to heartbreak and agony for her parents, Chuck and Judy Cox.
The night Susan was reported missing, the entire family was initially considered missing. Afraid the family were victims of carbon monoxide poisoning, police officers forced their way into their home. Although police didn’t find anyone inside, they did find two box fans blowing towards a wet spot on their couch.
Later that day, around 5:00 p.m., Joshua Powell, Susan’s husband, claimed he’d gone on a camping trip with Charles and Braden. He told investigators that she’d stayed at home because she was tired. A friend of Susan’s, Kiirsi Hellewell, began wondering what Joshua had done. She said “Susan would have never allowed him to take the boys out in the winter in the desert, in the middle of the night. Never. I never believed his story at all.”
At the bank where Susan worked, investigators discovered a will and testament in a safe deposit box she owned. She described how her marriage to Josh had gone downhill, and that he’d taken out a $1 million life insurance policy on her. Her note had this chilling phrase written on it: “If I die, it may not be an accident.” Josh was declared a person of interest within a week by police.
Over the course of their marriage, Steven became increasingly controlling over her life. He dictated what she could and couldn't buy. He even sold the family’s second car so he could have complete control over her. In July 2009, Susan made a video showing all the damage he’d made to their belongings around their home.
A month after Susan disappeared, Josh took Braden and Charles and moved to Washington, where he was raised and where his father lived. Friends and close relatives noted how Josh never participated in search efforts to find Susan, nor showed urgency to find her.
Investigators soon learned of Josh’s father, Steve, and his obsession with Susan. Computers seized from Steve’s house revealed 4,500 pictures of Susan taken without her knowledge. This included zoomed-in pictures of her breasts, legs, and behind.
In September 2010, Steve was arrested on child pornography and voyeurism charges. Chuck and Judy Cox filed for custody of Charles and Braden, saying Steve’s home was unsuitable for his grandchildren. They would soon be granted temporary custody. Steve served seven years in prison and died of natural causes one year after his release.
The parameters of their custody agreement meant the state had official custody of Charles and Braden, and that Chuck and Judy were acting as foster parents. Josh was given weekly visitation with the children.
In February 2012, new evidence found by police found cartoon pornography on Josh’s computer in his Utah home. A judge ordered him to take a psychosexual evaluation and take a polygraph test. On February 5 during what was supposed to have been a supervised custody visit, Josh locked the caseworker out of his home.
Soon after the boys arrived, he incapacitated them with a hatchet and poured gasoline on them. He then poured gasoline around the outside of the home. Josh then caused an explosion killing himself, Charles, 7, and Braden, 5. One year later, Josh’s brother Michael committed suicide in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Utah authorities have said that they believe Michael and Joshua were accomplices in Susan’s death.
The Cox family eventually sued Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services. The department was found negligent in the wrongful death lawsuit. The Cox family was awarded $98 million in July 2021. Chuck Cox has said he wants to use the money to honor his daughter, grandsons, and help other families who may be going through similar situations. The judge has since reduced the reward to $32 million.
Susan still has not been found, although she is presumed dead. The search for her is still ongoing. In February 2022, bones were found in an abandoned Utah mine and tested to determine whether they were Susan’s. After DNA testing, it was revealed they were not human. Chuck Cox says they did find pants belonging to a male, and other possible fragments of clothing.
He remains “cautiously optimistic” about the possibility of one day finding Susan. The family started the Susan Cox Powell Foundation to give updates on her disappearance, as well as to help others find resources to escape domestic violence situations.
