and Braden Powell, who did, indeed, appear to be in good shape.
But where was Susan? No one saw her get out of the minivan.
Detective sergeant Ellis Maxwell, who would soon be appointed the lead detective on the “missing person” case by West Valley City police chief Thayle “Buzz” Nielsen, asked Josh to get the boys settled and then come to police headquarters so they could talk more about where he’d been. And, of course, he also wanted to talk about where Susan Powell might be.
Josh agreed to come down, and that evening he and Maxwell talked.
Josh said he had taken Charlie and Braden out camping about midnight in the Simpson Springs area of the west desert, farther west than the Cedar Fort area in Tooele County.
Josh explained that he wanted to test his new generator to be sure it was working well. That seemed dangerous to Maxwell. What if the generator didn’t work well, or if dangerous fumes filled the minivan where boys only two and four were sleeping? Maxwell noted that, but he didn’t argue with Josh, who continued talking.
“I actually thought it was a little after twelve thirty A.M. on Saturday night—not Sunday,” he explained. “I was confused and I missed a whole day of work. That’s why I didn’t call my company—I believed that I’d be fired if I called in.”
That didn’t make a lot of sense, either, but Ellis Maxwell moved on to his next question, “Where do you think Susan is?”
Josh shrugged. “I have no idea. All I know is that she should have gone to work today.”
Maxwell observed that Powell showed very little concern or anxiety about the police questions concerning Susan. The detective found that strange.
* * *
After that first interview ended, Josh gave his consent to the West Valley City police to search both his house and his vehicle. The minivan did appear to be packed for camping. The investigators found the new generator, blankets, a gas can, tarps—and a shovel. They also found Susan Powell’s cell phone in the center front console. It was turned off. On further inspection, they discovered that the digital sim card was missing.
Asked why Susan’s mobile phone happened to be in the van if he had seen her last at home, Josh had no explanation. All he knew was that she was there, sleeping in their house when he, Charlie, and Braden went camping after midnight. Susan hadn’t felt well enough to join them so they had left without her.
“Why didn’t you guys check with Susan today?” Josh asked. “You could have asked her where the boys and I were.”
Josh appeared to be surprised when they told him that no one had been able to locate Susan, that she hadn’t shown up at the Wells Fargo offices.
As for his winter camping trip with Charlie and Braden, Josh made it sound as if it was the most natural thing in the world to have a late-night adventure with his boys on a snowy night in December. If they had been ten and twelve, that might be—but they were two and four.
Josh had no idea where Susan had gone. Her bicycle was still in the garage, but then she wouldn’t have been able to ride it with snow on the streets and sidewalks.
Although he was mystified about where Susan might be, he didn’t see why the investigators were asking so many questions about his camping trip.
That, in itself, struck detectives as peculiar.
Why anyone would take toddlers out to camp in a blizzard at midnight was the question on everyone’s mind. And it would keep coming back to niggle at investigators in the months to come.
After his van was thoroughly searched, the West Valley City investigators moved on to the Powells’ house. Susan Powell wasn’t there—sick, alive, or dead. Outside of Josh, Charlie, and Braden, there was no one there. But it wasn’t exactly normal inside, either. The couch was wet, as if it had just been shampooed. Two fans were pointed at the couch, whirling away, perhaps in an effort to dry it off. There were some unidentified stains on
But where was Susan? No one saw her get out of the minivan.
Detective sergeant Ellis Maxwell, who would soon be appointed the lead detective on the “missing person” case by West Valley City police chief Thayle “Buzz” Nielsen, asked Josh to get the boys settled and then come to police headquarters so they could talk more about where he’d been. And, of course, he also wanted to talk about where Susan Powell might be.
Josh agreed to come down, and that evening he and Maxwell talked.
Josh said he had taken Charlie and Braden out camping about midnight in the Simpson Springs area of the west desert, farther west than the Cedar Fort area in Tooele County.
Josh explained that he wanted to test his new generator to be sure it was working well. That seemed dangerous to Maxwell. What if the generator didn’t work well, or if dangerous fumes filled the minivan where boys only two and four were sleeping? Maxwell noted that, but he didn’t argue with Josh, who continued talking.
“I actually thought it was a little after twelve thirty A.M. on Saturday night—not Sunday,” he explained. “I was confused and I missed a whole day of work. That’s why I didn’t call my company—I believed that I’d be fired if I called in.”
That didn’t make a lot of sense, either, but Ellis Maxwell moved on to his next question, “Where do you think Susan is?”
Josh shrugged. “I have no idea. All I know is that she should have gone to work today.”
Maxwell observed that Powell showed very little concern or anxiety about the police questions concerning Susan. The detective found that strange.
* * *
After that first interview ended, Josh gave his consent to the West Valley City police to search both his house and his vehicle. The minivan did appear to be packed for camping. The investigators found the new generator, blankets, a gas can, tarps—and a shovel. They also found Susan Powell’s cell phone in the center front console. It was turned off. On further inspection, they discovered that the digital sim card was missing.
Asked why Susan’s mobile phone happened to be in the van if he had seen her last at home, Josh had no explanation. All he knew was that she was there, sleeping in their house when he, Charlie, and Braden went camping after midnight. Susan hadn’t felt well enough to join them so they had left without her.
“Why didn’t you guys check with Susan today?” Josh asked. “You could have asked her where the boys and I were.”
Josh appeared to be surprised when they told him that no one had been able to locate Susan, that she hadn’t shown up at the Wells Fargo offices.
As for his winter camping trip with Charlie and Braden, Josh made it sound as if it was the most natural thing in the world to have a late-night adventure with his boys on a snowy night in December. If they had been ten and twelve, that might be—but they were two and four.
Josh had no idea where Susan had gone. Her bicycle was still in the garage, but then she wouldn’t have been able to ride it with snow on the streets and sidewalks.
Although he was mystified about where Susan might be, he didn’t see why the investigators were asking so many questions about his camping trip.
That, in itself, struck detectives as peculiar.
Why anyone would take toddlers out to camp in a blizzard at midnight was the question on everyone’s mind. And it would keep coming back to niggle at investigators in the months to come.
After his van was thoroughly searched, the West Valley City investigators moved on to the Powells’ house. Susan Powell wasn’t there—sick, alive, or dead. Outside of Josh, Charlie, and Braden, there was no one there. But it wasn’t exactly normal inside, either. The couch was wet, as if it had just been shampooed. Two fans were pointed at the couch, whirling away, perhaps in an effort to dry it off. There were some unidentified stains on
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