‘She said she can’t wait to see Susan’: Mother of missing Susan Powell dies after 15-year search for answers

The mother of Susan Cox Powell, whose 2009 disappearance drew national attention, has died after spending more than 15 years seeking answers in the case.

Judy Cox died early Wednesday morning, surrounded by family, according to her daughter, Denise Ernest.

“Mom always told me that she knew we wouldn’t find her while she was alive,” Ernest told KIRO Newsradio. “And she always wondered where she was, and has always been kind of down, pretty much after Susan went missing. It was somber for our family. We’ve always been, you know, wondering and not knowing, and it took a huge toll on mom.”

What happened to Susan Powell

Susan Powell was last seen on December 6, 2009, at her home in West Valley City, Utah. The next morning, she failed to show up for work, and her two young sons did not arrive at daycare, prompting concern from family members. Police launched an investigation after relatives discovered the family home undisturbed following a winter storm.

Later that day, Susan’s husband, Josh Powell, returned with the couple’s sons and told investigators he had taken them on an impromptu overnight camping trip in Utah’s West Desert in freezing temperatures. He said he believed his wife had gone to work and did not know her whereabouts.

Authorities quickly identified Josh Powell as the sole person of interest in his wife’s disappearance, but never filed charges. Days after she vanished, he left Utah with the boys and moved to Washington. On February 5, 2012, during a court-authorized visitation at a rented home in Graham, Washington, Josh Powell killed his two sons and himself by setting the house on fire.

In the years during and after those incidents, Judy Cox and her husband, Chuck, led a relentless charge for justice and to locate Susan. The couple became advocates for victims of domestic violence while continuing to press for information about their daughter’s fate.

The family was also involved in prolonged litigation over life insurance proceeds belonging to Susan and Josh Powell, with a federal court ultimately dividing the funds between the families.

Judy Cox never stopped hoping

In recent years, Ernest said her mother’s health declined, and she never recovered.

“She’s been in the hospital since the beginning of January, and this last week, when I came in to see her, she was lying down,” Ernest said. “And her final wish was to sleep and not wake up, which is ultimately what happened.”

Judy remained publicly hopeful that her daughter’s remains would someday be recovered, keeping her portion of the insurance proceeds in trust in case Susan were found alive. Her death marks the loss of one of the most persistent voices seeking answers in a case that continues to haunt the Pacific Northwest.

“She said that she can’t wait to see Susan and the boys … she couldn’t wait to see them again,” Ernest shared. “That was the last thing she said. She said that she couldn’t wait to see Susan, the boys, and then she informed my daughter and her two children … she’s going to be watching over them as well and all her grandkids.”

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