Journal entries reveal sexual obsession in Powell case

Personal journal entries just released to the public reveal the extent of Steven Powell’s sexual obsession with his daughter-in-law, Susan, who remains missing from her Utah home.

Powell even admits in his writings that others might find some of his actions “sick.”

Starting in 2003, Powell writes at length about his growing obsession for the woman his son, Josh, married. An early entry has Powell admitting that falling in love with Susan Powell is his greatest problem and greatest pleasure, adding “I can hardly control myself when it comes to her.”

Powell’s thoughts and fantasies take up 17 spiral notebooks that were among evidence seized from his Puyallup home last year during a search in connection with the 2009 disappearance of Susan Powell. Excerpts have been published in the News Tribune.

The journals, to a limited extent, were evidence in the recent voyeurism case against Powell in Pierce County and were among more than 2,700 pages of evidence and reports just released by the sheriff’s department.

Among the more disturbing entries are Powell’s admission that he made secret videos of Susan that he used for sexual gratification and that he slid a handheld mirror under a bathroom door to watch her. He concedes in his journal that others might find that “sick,” asking: “who looks under the bathroom door with a mirror?”

Powell also writes that he made copies of Susan’s journals and also had a drawer where he kept items that he took from his daughter-in-law.

Powell writes about his desire to marry Susan, his concerns about their age difference and the possibility of dying his gray hair.

At some point, Powell told Susan about his love for her and she responded by refusing to talk to her father-in-law for several months. Eventually, Josh and Susan moved to Utah and Steven Powell’s journal entries take on an angry tone, criticizing Susan for leaving after she essentially made him fall in love with her.

Also, just released to the public are about 800 pages of police files linked to the investigation into Susan’s disappearance. Even though West Valley City, Utah police never named Josh Powell as a suspect in his wife’s disappearance, the files make it clear that Powell was a suspect and the case was considered a kidnapping and murder right from the start.

Anne Bremner, an attorney for Susan Powell’s parents, said that’s not good enough. She has been fighting for the release of the entire case file under a Utah law that provides victims the same rights and access to investigative records as criminal defendants.

“We’ll keep making attempts to get the full measure of the records,” Bremner said Tuesday. “Until I’m satisfied that I have everything, my clients have instructed me to keep going forward.”

The December weekend that Susan disappeared, Josh told investigators that he took his two young sons camping to test out a new generator.

By now, we all know the story ended tragically for the boys when Josh attacked them with a hatchet during a supervised visit, set a rental house on fire and then killed himself, too.

Bremner and attorney James S. Rogers filed a claim Tuesday against Washington state’s Department of Social and Health Services on behalf of Susan Powell, who went missing in 2009. A guardian ad litem has been appointed to present her.

The claim alleges that the state agency failed to monitor, investigate and act in the children’s best interest and that two boys suffered abuse, neglect, mistreatment and death while under the care of DSHS.

We still don’t know what happened to Susan Powell and police in Utah say it’s still an open case.