Attorney: Parents of Susan Cox Powell want change

The attorney for Chuck and Judy Cox said her clients do not want what happened to them to happen to another family. (AP Photo/file)

Josh Powell was never charged in the disappearance of his
wife in 2009 and just two months ago, killed his two sons.
Recently unsealed evidence has many saying those events
could have been prevented had the West Valley City, Utah
Police Department acted on information they’d collected
on Powell.

Seattle Attorney Anne Bremner, who represents Susan
Powell’s parents Chuck and Judy Cox, said the police
definitely had enough to charge him.

“It is clear there was probable cause. It’s clear there
was enough to charge, and it’s clear there was enough to
prosecute,” said Bremner. “My feelings have been echoed
by the prosecutor in Pierce County, Mark Lindquist, and
also (Detective) Ed Troyer.”

Pierce County spokesperson Detective Ed Troyer told 97.3 KIRO FM’s Ron and Don
Show if the same evidence would have been available in
Pierce County, Josh Powell would be in jail.

“It’s not from [police] doing a lack of great work over
there at West Valley and getting the information and
putting a case together – it’s just, where is the
disconnect and why wasn’t he charged?” questions Troyer.

Josh Powell killed himself and his two young children in a
gas-fueled inferno two months ago. But before that, he
had been a person of interest in the disappearance of his
wife. The West Valley City Police Department never named a
suspect or filed charges in her disappearance.

The evidence collected by West Valley Police, unsealed
Friday,
indicated that shortly after Susan Cox Powell disappeared,
investigators found Powell’s blood on a floor next to a
sofa Josh told police he cleaned the night before Susan
was reported missing.

Investigators also found several life insurance policies
on Susan Powell that totaled $1.5 million and determined
that Josh Powell had filed paperwork to withdraw her
retirement account money about 10 days after she was
reported missing.

Utah detectives also found a letter written by Susan
Powell in a safe deposit box at a bank in Salt Lake City.
In the letter, Susan said she did not trust her husband
and said he had threatened to destroy her if they got
divorced. She also said that if she died, it may not be an
accident, even if it looks like one.

“I’ve prosecuted murder cases on a lot less than this,”
said Bremner.

West Valley Police continue to treat the investigation as
a
missing persons case, but Bremner said the odds of her
being alive, “are about zero.”

“She would have seen her children. She loved her
children. She would have seen my clients, her parents,”
said Bremner. “She’s gone, unfortunately. We may never
find her, but we know she’s dead.”

Bremner said the West Valley City Police Department has
been consumed with finding a body, but that considering
the evidence the department had, a case against Josh
Powell could have moved forward.

“They kept saying we need to find Susan Powell, and
they’re saying it to this day, ‘We need to find her. We
need to find her.’ But they didn’t need to find her. They
didn’t need to find her to prosecute.”

Bremner said if the Cox family pursues action against the
department, the claim would likely be for negligent
investigation.

She said her clients’ main concern is keeping this from
happening to another family.

“My clients want change. That can come through legislation
that they back. That can come through victim advocacy
groups. That can come through litigation,” said Bremner.
“I’m talking to my clients as to what they want to do to
effectuate some change.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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