Dateline has been preparing this story for almost two years.  We are so grateful to them for working so hard to tell Susan’s story.

 
Jennifer Graves being interviewed by Dateline’s Keith Morrison

Local Utah station KSL ran a story on Dateline this week.  Also, Dateline has two previews of the show.

Dateline Preview 1

Dateline Preview 2 (aired on the Today Show this morning)

Dateline’s website is here; show times include 10pm Eastern/9pm Central.  In Utah the show will air at 9pm.

Josh Powell’s Declaration

You can read more on this story from KSL TV, the Salt Lake Tribune, the Seattle Times, KIRO TV, and KOMO News.

As many people online have noticed, the timing of this new declaration is not lost on anybody.  This week marks the 2-year anniversary of Susan’s disappearance.

To friends and supporters of Susan and her family,

Next week it will be two years since December 6, 2009—the day that Susan Cox Powell was taken from her home, her family, and all those she loves and cares about.

The past two years have been a terrible ordeal of grief and heartbreak, but we have not given up hope: we know the police are doing everything they can. We believe they will find her and find the answers we all so desperately need.

But they’ve also brought surprising blessings. We have seen Susan’s life touch the hearts of many thousands of people all over the world. We’ve been the recipients of so much love, so much prayer, so many kind thoughts and wishes. We are so grateful for every person who has spread the word of Susan’s disappearance in any way, whether online or in person. The outpouring of support has helped us keep going.

Now that Susan’s beloved little boys are finally in a safe and stable environment, many people have asked what they can do to help her boys. The boys’ needs are being taken care of, but there are so many other children in need of help.

We know Susan always loved to serve and help others and she especially loved children. We’ve chosen to remember her in Utah at this 2-year anniversary by making donations to the Christmas Box House and the adjacent Group Homes for teens. This wonderful organization takes care of children who are in protective custody of the state, just as Susan’s boys were last month. Please see their website for more information about this organization.

We will be gathering donations for the Christmas Box House and group homes this Monday, December 5, from 7pm-8:30pm in the meeting room at Hunter Library in West Valley City (4740 West 4100 South).

Donated items must be NEW; donation needs include the following:

* clothing
* blankets
* toys
* games
* stuffed animals
craft kits and art supplies
* books
* hygiene products
* gift cards for community activities (movie passes, Lagoon tickets, fast food, etc.)
* gift cards to stores like Target or WalMart are very useful so items can be purchased as needed

Please see this link for a complete and detailed list of needs for the Christmas Box House.

Older children also in state protective custody are in need of many items, as well.  Here are links to donation needs for Salt Lake County Youth Services and their Christmas Wish List.

If you don’t live near Salt Lake City or can’t make it on Monday, but would like to donate, the Christmas Box House has a place to make online financial donations. 

They also accept donations at these locations:

Salt Lake City:
3660 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84115

Ogden, Utah:
1181 Christmas Box Lane (950 E.)
Ogden, UT 84404

Moab, Utah:
180 South 300 East
Moab, UT 84532

You could also find an organization or shelter in your own local area and donate things to help others, in Susan’s honor.

Susan has a loving and compassionate heart and she would love to participate in a cause like this, if she were still here.  Please join us in helping other children and honoring Susan as we serve others.

Like last year, Susan’s family and friends are once again holding a balloon release event in both Utah and Washington to remember Susan’s 30th birthday.

In Utah:

Saturday, October 15, 11am at West View Park.  West View Park is located on the north-west corner of 4100 South and 6000 West in West Valley City, Utah.  West Valley’s Mayor Mike Winder will be attending and speaking at the event. 

In Washington:

Sunday, October 16, 4pm at Bradley Lake Park.  Bradley Lake Park is located at 531 31st Ave SE in Puyallup, Washington.

We would love for the public in both locations to attend and celebrate Susan’s birthday with us. We hope to see you there!

If you would like to post a comment here of support for Susan, we will be attaching messages to the balloons before releasing them.  You can also leave a comment at the Facebook page “Friends and Family of Susan Cox Powell” or group “Friends and Family of Susan Powell.”

Josh Powell was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation along with a parental assessment.  He is allowed a 3-hour visit with the boys each Sunday, supervised by the state.

Articles about the custody decision here:

Salt Lake Tribune

KOMO News article about Steve Powell’s divorce many years ago, and the child porn investigation that played a factor in Josh losing custody of the boys

KSL-TV video and article

Video from Seattle’s Q FOX 13

At the same time, police took Susan’s two little boys, Charlie and Braden, into protective custody. 

Friday morning Susan’s parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, went before a judge to request custody of their 2 grandsons.  Josh Powell has not allowed Susan’s parents to see their grandsons in over a year and a half.

Another hearing was set for this coming Wednesday.  The boys remain in protective custody at least until then.

The judge banned their publication.  The Coxes were very pleased with this decision, and so was the online community of those who love and care about Susan’s right to privacy of her own teenage thoughts, feelings and dreams.

At the same time, Josh and Susan’s two little boys, ages 4 and 6, were taken into protective custody by the police. 

Steve Powell was charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and 1 count of child pornography.  In the August 25 search of Steve Powell’s house, police seized computers and other evidence and later found that Steve had thousands of pictures and videotapes of young girls and women. Some of these little girls were his neighbors, and it appeared that he had taken them with a telephoto lens from his bedroom window looking into his neighbor’s bathroom.

Here is a statement from the Pierce County prosecuting attorney about Steve Powell’s arrest.

Other pictures were taken at parks and places frequented by kids, focusing on female body parts in the pictures and videotapes.

Currently the police have only gone through 5-10% of the pictures (about 2,000 they’ve looked at so far) and they believe Steve Powell’s “collection” spans the last 10 years.  There were also several pictures of Steve Powell’s daughter-in-law, Susan Cox Powell.  The police stated that Susan was clothed in the pictures but they appeared to be taken without her knowledge.  The pictures police have seen so far focus on girls’ and women’s intimate body parts. 

Bail was set at $200,000 Friday during Steve Powell’s arraignment.  He is currently sitting in a Pierce County jail, unable to make bail.  His next hearing is October 11.

On Wednesday (day 2) they discovered an area that appeared to be some type of “shallow grave.”  11 cadaver dogs “hit” on this area, indicating that some type of human remains was buried there.

Police brought in an anthropologist to see if the area was an old burial site—possibly a pioneer, or maybe Native American.  The anthropologist said the site was more recent: probably anywhere from the past 2 months to 10 years.

Police began excavating the site, with a forensics team carefully sifting through each shovelful of dirt for any type of suspicious matter.  By late Saturday afternoon, they discovered what the dogs were interested in: approximately 100 pieces of charred wood ranging in size from dimes to golf balls.  This wood was buried about 2 1/2 feet below the surface.  The wood pieces were sent to a forensic lab for analysis.

Chuck Cox, Susan’s father, arrived on Thursday, day 3 of the search, to see the area for himself and to support police in their efforts.  He flew back on Wednesday morning, September 21, to prepare for a court hearing.

The search continued on Sunday with help from 5 Utah counties…personnel and search and rescue (SAR) teams on foot, ATV, horseback, plane and helicopter scoured the desert in specific grid patterns, looking for any sign of Susan Cox Powell. 

Monday morning three more counties joined the search. 

The search officially ended on Friday, September 23.  Police found various items of clothing, which were photographed and sent to labs for analysis.  They said the search was “successful” and “accomplished what [they] set out to do.” 

Susan’s family and friends want the West Valley Police Department, the SAR personnel, the volunteers, the horseback riders, the pilots, the cadaver dogs and their handlers and everyone who was involved in this search to know how deeply grateful we all are for their determination to find Susan.  We have full confidence that the WVPD will find Susan, solve this case, and bring us the answers we so desperately need.

Dori Monson makes an excellent point: if Josh and Steve Powell are completely innocent in Susan’s disappearance, what reason would they have for trying to trash Susan and her character? 

Good question.

Here’s two radio shows Dori did last week about Susan’s case: first one here with an interview with Steve Powell; second one here with an interview from Kiirsi Hellewell.