Susan Powell's disappearance - A complete timeline of events

Susan Powell was a woman living in West Valley City, Utah, who disappeared in December 2009 under mysterious circumstances. Authorities suspected that she was the victim of a murder, and the search for Susan's whereabouts gained national attention.

Investigators suspected Susan's husband, Joshua Powell, to be responsible for her disappearance, but he was never charged. Joshua and Susan Powell had two sons named Braden and Charles. However, it was on February 5, 2012, when Joshua killed himself with his two sons through a house explosion, after the custody of the children was given to Susan's parents.

Reportedly, authorities predicted that Joshua was responsible for Susan's murder, and his brother, Michael, assisted him in disposing of the body. Susan Powell was declared dead legally after investigators failed to find her remains.

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What happened to Susan Powell

Authorities reported to Susan Powell's residence and found the entire family missing (Image via Pexels)

As reported by the Desert News, on December 6, 2009, Susan Powell attended the church with her two sons, Braden and Charles. Reportedly, Susan was last seen by one of her neighbours, who visited her residence and left around 5:00 pm.

As reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, it was the following day that relatives of the Powell family reported the entire family missing. Reportedly, it was Joshua's mother, Terrica, and sister Jennifer, who went to check on the Powells' residence after it was reported that the kids, Braden and Charles, were not dropped off at their daycare.

Authorities found Susan Powell's purse, wallet, and IDs from inside the residence (Image via Pexels)

The police were contacted after neither Joshua nor Susan Powell picked up their calls. As reported by the Desert News, when police officers broke into their residence, they predicted that the family may have become victims of carbon monoxide poisoning.

However, there was no one in the residence, except for two box fans, which were blowing on a wet spot on the couch. While interrogating the crime scene, investigators found Susan's wallet, purse, and IDs inside the house. As reported by CBS News, Susan Powell did not appear at her job on December 7, 2009.

Joshua returned to the residence with his sons (Image via Pexels)

Her cell phone was retrieved from a Chrysler Town & Country minivan, which was the family's vehicle. As reported by the Desert News, around 5:00 pm on the same day, Joshua returned to the Powell residence with the two sons. They were taken to the police station for questioning.

During the interrogation, Joshua claimed that during the early hours of December 7, 2009, he went on a camping trip with Braden and Charles, along the Pony Express Trail in western Utah. As reported by Fox 13, it was on December 10, 2009, when officers visited the place described by Joshua, but failed to find any evidence of a campsite.

Joshua claimed that he went on a camping trip with his sons (Image via Pexels)

As per The Oregonian, authorities predicted that it was highly suspicious for Joshua to take the young boys out for camping, because there were blizzard conditions in the weather. Additionally, Joshua's boss was not informed that he was going to take a leave the next day.

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Investigation into the disappearance of Susan Powell

Investigators discovered patches of Susan's blood in the residence (Image via Pexels)

As reported by Fox 13, on December 9, 2009, while interrogating Powell's residence, authorities found patches of Susan's blood on the floor. Additionally, Susan's life insurance policies, worth $ 1.5 million, were found, along with a handwritten letter in which Susan claimed she had a fear for her life.

The blood found in the residence had the DNA sample of an unidentified male, along with Susan Powell. As reported by KSL, it was in August 2012 that the West Valley City Police released documents, which revealed that Joshua had committed certain suspicious actions before Susan's mysterious disappearance.

Investigators discovered that Joshua had liquidated Susan's retirement accounts before her disappearance (Image via Pexels)

It was reported that Joshua had cancelled Susan's chiropractic sessions, cancelled the children's daycare, and liquidated Susan's retirement accounts. Most importantly, one of Joshua's coworkers revealed that he was discussing how to hide a body at an abandoned mine shaft in the western Utah desert.

As reported by MSNBC, during police interrogation, Joshua's son Charlie revealed that they had gone camping that day, and Susan was also present with them. However, Charlie then claimed that his mother did not return from the camping trip. Some weeks later, one of Charlie's teachers revealed that he claimed that Susan was dead.

As reported by My Northwest, months after the disappearance, Susan's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, contacted the police and revealed that Braden had drawn a picture of a van where Susan was in the trunk.

Joshua Powell became the prime suspect behind Susan's disappearance (Image via Pexels)

As reported by Deseret News, by December 24, 2009, investigators declared Joshua the prime suspect behind the investigation. As reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, it was on January 6, 2010, when Josua permanently shifted to his family's residence in Puyallup. As per the Salt Lake City Tribune, Joshua eventually started living with family after losing his West Valley City job.

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The murders of Braden and Charles Powell

Braden and Charles Powell were killed in a house explosion (Image via Pexels)

As reported by My Northwest, it was on February 5, 2012, when social worker Elizabeth Griffin Hall made a 911 call. Reportedly, she took Braden and Charles to South Hill to visit Joshua's residence. Elizabeth reported to the police that right after the sons entered the residence, Joshua grabbed them, preventing them from getting out through the door.

As per KSL, the house soon exploded, resulting in the death of Joshua and both of his sons. As reported by Komo News, during the investigation, authorities predicted that Joshua had preplanned the murder. As reported by ABC News, Forensics revealed that both Braden and Charles had sustained multiple chopping injuries on the head and neck with a hatchet.

Investigators found gasoline spread around the crime scene, indicating Joshua committed the murder suicide (Image via Pexels)

Authorities retrieved two five-gallon cans of gasoline from the crime scene, which revealed that Joshua had spread gasoline throughout the entire house. The official cause of death was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning. As reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, it was on February 11, 2013, when Joshua's brother, Michael, committed suicide by jumping off the roof of a parking garage in Minneapolis.

As reported by the New York Daily News, police officials from Utah predicted that both Joshua and Michael were responsible for the murder of Susan Powell. As reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, it was on May 21, 2013, when the West Valley City Police closed the investigation of Susan Powell's disappearance case.

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Edited by Bharath S