Key facts
- Name: Susan Marie Powell (née Cox)
- Born: October 16, 1981, New Mexico
- Age at disappearance: 28
- Last seen: December 6, 2009
- Location: Home in West Valley City, Utah
- Height / build: 5’4″, ~130 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes
- Status: Still missing — believed murdered; remains never found
- Case number: West Valley City PD 09/054602
- Investigating agency: West Valley City Police Department
The midnight camping trip
On the night of December 6, 2009, during an active blizzard, Josh Powell told police he had taken his two young sons — ages 2 and 4 — on an impromptu midnight camping trip to the Pony Express Trail in Utah’s west desert. Freezing wind. Driving snow. Toddlers.
When he got back, he said, his wife Susan was gone.
Susan Powell, 28, a Wells Fargo broker and mother of two, vanished from her West Valley City home that night. Her purse, her identification, her personal belongings — all left behind. Her cell phone was found inside the family’s minivan.
Investigators noted, dryly, that it was an absurd time to take toddlers outdoors. The alibi never got less absurd.
Who Susan was
Susan Marie Cox was raised in Puyallup, Washington. She was 18, a cosmetology student, when she met 25-year-old Josh Powell. He proposed days after they met. They married on April 6, 2001, at the LDS temple in Portland, Oregon, and moved in with Josh’s father, Steven, in South Hill, Washington.
That household was poisoned from the start. Steven sexually harassed Susan — stealing her underwear, secretly filming her for a year until he confessed in 2003. When Susan confronted him, Josh sided with his father. Susan was ecstatic when the couple moved to West Valley City, Utah, in 2004. She gave birth to Charles in 2005 and Braden in 2007, and built a career as a broker while Josh cycled through jobs and spending — filing for bankruptcy in 2007 with more than $200,000 in debt.
Friends later described a marriage under severe strain. And Susan had written something down: a note suggesting that if she died, it might not be an accident.
The investigation
Police named Josh a person of interest within days. The investigation uncovered blood evidence in the Powell home and a pattern of financial moves by Josh after Susan vanished. Most damning were the children: statements from the boys indicated Susan had accompanied the family on the night of the supposed camping trip — contradicting Josh’s story that she’d stayed home asleep.
Investigators also turned their attention to Josh’s father, Steven, after finding voyeuristic recordings of Susan, young girls, and other women. Steven was arrested in 2011 on voyeurism and child pornography charges. Then to Josh’s brother Michael, who had abruptly abandoned a car at a wrecking yard in Oregon shortly after Susan disappeared.
Josh was never charged. In February 2012, after a court awarded temporary custody of the boys to Susan’s parents, Josh killed Charlie and Braden — ages 7 and 5 — and himself in a deliberate house explosion during a supervised visit. In 2013, Michael died by suicide.
That same year, West Valley City police closed their active investigation, stating their belief that Josh had murdered Susan and that Michael had helped him conceal her body. Despite searches, legal proceedings, and renewed efforts, Susan has never been found. Efforts to have her legally declared dead have continued — but no remains, no grave, no closure.
Theories: what might have happened
Murdered by her husband, body concealed with his brother’s help. This is the official police position, stated when the active investigation closed in 2013. Supports it: the impossible alibi, the blood evidence, the children’s statements, Josh’s financial behavior, Michael’s abandoned car, and Josh’s subsequent murder-suicide. Undercuts it: without a body, without a charge, without a confession, it remains a belief — albeit the belief of the investigating agency.
The body is in the west desert. The Pony Express Trail area — where Josh claimed to have camped — has been searched repeatedly. If he went there that night, it may have been to dispose of a body, not to camp. Searches have found nothing.
Could she have left voluntarily? Nothing supports it. Her purse, ID, and belongings stayed behind. She had two small children she adored. Her own note anticipated the possibility that her death “might not be an accident.”
Have information?
Contact the West Valley City Police Department at (801) 840-4000 and reference case number 09/054602. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- October 16, 1981 — Susan Marie Cox is born in New Mexico; raised in Puyallup, Washington.
- 2001 — Marries Josh Powell; moves in with his father Steven.
- 2004 — Couple moves to West Valley City, Utah.
- 2005 / 2007 — Sons Charles and Braden are born.
- December 6, 2009 — Susan vanishes; Josh claims a midnight camping trip in a blizzard.
- 2009–2011 — Josh named person of interest; blood evidence found; Steven Powell arrested on voyeurism charges.
- February 2012 — Josh kills his sons and himself in a house explosion during a supervised visit.
- 2013 — Michael Powell dies by suicide; West Valley City police close the active investigation, stating Josh murdered Susan with Michael’s help.
- Today — Still missing; remains never found.
FAQ
Is Susan Powell still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Susan Powell has been missing for nearly 17 years. Her remains have never been found.
Was Susan Powell ever found?
No. Despite extensive searches and a closed active investigation, no trace of Susan has ever been located.
What happened to Susan Powell’s husband?
Josh Powell was never charged in Susan’s disappearance. In February 2012, during a supervised visit after Susan’s parents won temporary custody of the boys, he murdered Charlie (7) and Braden (5) and killed himself in a deliberate house explosion.
How old would Susan Powell be today?
Susan was born October 16, 1981 — she turns 45 in October 2026.
Do police believe Susan Powell was murdered?
Yes. West Valley City police closed their active investigation in 2013 stating their belief that Josh Powell murdered Susan and that his brother Michael helped conceal her body. No one was ever charged.
How can I help?
Share this case file. Anyone with information should contact the West Valley City Police Department at (801) 840-4000, referencing case 09/054602.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: West Valley City Police Department (case 09/054602; 2013 closing statement).
- News: The Salt Lake Tribune; Deseret News; KUTV; Seattle Times.
- Reference: Wikipedia, “Disappearance of Susan Powell” (retrieved Oct 2026); Susan Cox Powell Foundation.
- Media: Cold Case with Alan Key, “Susan Powell” (2026); extensive true-crime podcast and documentary coverage.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.