Susan Powell, 28 years old and mother of two children, disappeared on the night of December 6 to 7, 2009. Closer returns to this mysterious case with a tragic outcome.
Susan Powell’s name probably means nothing to you. However, the disappearance of this 28-year-old mother held the entire United States in suspense at the end of the 2000s. It was in West Valley City, Utah, that this case took root. On the morning of December 7, 2009, Susan Powell’s mother, Terrica, was surprised to learn that her 4- and 2-year-old grandsons, Charles and Braden, had not been dropped off at daycare. Worried, Terrica and her daughter Jennifer go to the Powell family home, but no one answers. The police, informed, suspect carbon monoxide poisoning and break down the door. But inside, no trace of Joshua, Susan, Charles and Braden Powell.
It was only a few hours later, around 5 p.m., that part of the Powell family reappeared. Joshua, the father of the family, explains that he left for an impromptu camping night with his two sons the night before. He claims that Susan was already asleep when they left and states that he has no idea where she is. The police find it strange that a father took his children camping in the middle of the night, especially since the temperatures were freezing and he had not informed his employer of his absence on December 7. In addition, traces of blood belonging to the mother of the family are discovered in the family home, as well as a letter in which Susan declared to be afraid for her life.
“Mom was in the trunk”
Joshua Powell is quickly suspected of being involved in the disappearance of his wife. But in the absence of a body, the authorities are reluctant to charge him. The story of the couple’s sons, however, upsets the investigation. Charles, the eldest, confirms having gone camping with the family. He nevertheless states that his mother was present. “Dad and mom went for a walk in the desert and mom got lost”, he says. A few weeks later, he made new confidences, this time to one of his teachers, and affirmed that his mother would be dead. For his part, little Braden finds another way to express himself. At nursery, the boy draws a van with three people inside, as well as a wooden trunk. “Mom was in the trunk”he confides to general amazement.
On the sidelines of these testimonies, the noose is tightening around Josh Powell. In the house of his father, Steve Powell, where he has just moved in with Charles and Braden, a search leads to the seizure of numerous photos and videos of a child pornography nature. 4500 photos of Susan, including close-ups of certain parts of her body, are notably discovered. It appears Steven, Joshua’s father, harbored an unhealthy obsession with his stepdaughter.
From disturbing disappearance to familicide
1er February 2012, Joshua Powell permanently loses custody of his children. A legal decision which could have offered a happy ending to his sons, but which will ultimately cause tragedy. On February 5, only four days after the judge’s decision, the father of the family took advantage of an authorized visit to steal his sons from the social worker responsible for accompanying them. Worried, the young woman dials the emergency number, but it is too late. The Powell house explodes before his eyes, the father and his sons inside. An autopsy will reveal that Joshua Powell had beaten his sons with a machete before covering them in gasoline and setting them on fire.
Fourteen years later, we still don’t know what happened to Susan Powell. His body was never found, but the case remains open.