Steven Powell,Father-In-Law of Susan Cox Powell,convicted on all 14 charges of voyeurism/Breaking:The Sicko ONLY Gets 2.5 years in Prison. Released from prison on March 23, 2014.

I wonder if Steven Powell is pissed at Josh. Steve would probably still be peeking in the bedroom and bathroom windows of his neighbor's homes, taking photos of young girls and getting away with it if it wasn't for Susan going missing and Josh being a person of interest in her disappearance. He can thank Josh for the fact that he's getting three hots and a cot!

BJ wrote:I wonder if Steven Powell is pissed at Josh. Steve would probably still be peeking in the bedroom and bathroom windows of his neighbor's homes, taking photos of young girls and getting away with it if it wasn't for Susan going missing and Josh being a person of interest in her disappearance. He can thank Josh for the fact that he's getting three hots and a cot!

I'll bet he is good and pissed. His activities were halted because of the investigation of Josh in the disappearance of Susan.
Plus, he can no longer have his little peep-show involving Susan.

three hots and a cot

lindamarie wrote:three hots and a cot

I like that also BJ!

Or......meds, threads, and beds.

How about just a cold slab on the floor!

By MARK GREENBLATT
April 1, 2012
Newly unsealed court documents have convinced Denise Cox, the sister of Susan Powell, that police could have prevented the death of Susan's two children.

Susan Powell went missing in 2009. Within hours of her disappearance, police in West Valley City, Utah, honed in on Susan's husband Josh Powell as a lead suspect. When they failed to make an arrest, Powell eventually moved to Washington state along with the couple's two children to be with his family.

This February, Powell murdered the couple's two children and took his own life when he had the children on what was supposed to be a supervised visit.

However, the documents unsealed in Pierce County, Wash., Friday, reveal police in Utah had compiled far more evidence on Powell's involvement in his wife's possible murder than ever previously known.

Cox blames police for not acting to protect the children.

"Look what it did -- it killed my nephews, by not putting (Josh Powell) behind bars when he should have been," Cox told ABC News. "They didn't act on anything that they should've acted on."

The documents reveal that police found Susan Powell's blood "on the tile floor next to the carpet adjacent to the sofa" in the couple's home.

When police initially encountered the sofa soon after Susan's disappearance, "two fans were set up and blowing" onto it and the documents say it "appeared to have just been cleaned."

Cox says she is also deeply disturbed by something else she says police did not tell the family about: A folded letter they discovered inside Susan's safety deposit box.

The letter had been "stapled around the edges addressed to her family and friends specifically asking that it not be shown or given to her husband Joshua Powell, writing that she did not trust him," according to the court documents

Chillingly, the documents say that letter also said that if Susan Powell dies "it may not be an accident, even if it looks like one."

Cox says police should have used this type of evidence to make sure the Powell children were never left alone again with Josh Powell. She also feels the family should have been told about the letter, as it was addressed to them.

"They were foolish in keeping it from us," Cox said. "All the signs were there and the police didn't act on it."

Late Sunday, reacting in part to Denise Cox's interview which was initially broadcast on "Good Morning America," West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder told The Associated Press he stands behind his police department.

"It is easy to Monday morning quarterback these things. It is easy for those of us who watch TV to say, 'Hey, there is plenty of evidence,'" Winder said. "It is a different matter if you are in the legal community to have enough evidence to go in for an arrest."

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

B to the S!! What more "Evidence" did this poorly run police dept Need????

Utah mayor defends police in Susan Powell case
Posted at: 04/01/2012 4:05 PM

(AP) WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - A Utah mayor is defending his police department’s handling of the Susan Powell case, insisting it did everything it could to resolve it.

After Friday’s release of court documents linking Josh Powell to the 2009 disappearance of his wife, her family and prosecutors in Washington state questioned why he wasn’t arrested for her murder before he killed himself and their two young children two months ago.

West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder told the Deseret News (http://bit.ly/H5aPZq ) that it’s easy to second guess police decisions, but police didn’t want to make a "premature arrest and let someone slip through."

West Valley City police say they still don’t have a body, and no firm answers on where and if a murder took place. IF?????? OMG!!!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

To those of you who live in this area, feel free to murder anyone you want because you'll most surely get away w/it!

Chuck Cox hopes warrant release leads to answers

Posted on: 9:56 am, March 31, 2012, by Ben Winslow, Brittany Green-Miner, and Nineveh Dinha, updated on: 11:06pm, March 31, 2012

PUYALLUP, Washington — The father of missing West Valley City mother Susan Cox Powell said he hopes the release of warrants detailing police’s investigating into her disappearance provides more answers and helps solve the case.

In remarks broadcast on FOX 13′s Good Day Utah Weekend Edition on Saturday, Chuck Cox acknowledged that his daughter is likely dead, but said he continued to hope that police would recover her body.

“I want them to keep looking,” Cox said. “I want to look around here, I want to look down there (in Utah). I want to look anywhere where Steve or Josh would have access. They’ve had two years to move the body. She could be anywhere.”

The warrants were unsealed Friday in connection with the criminal case pending against Steven Powell, Susan’s father-in-law. They reveal that investigators had found Susan’s blood on the tile floor of the Powell home, and that Josh Powell had Susan’s cell phone in a car he rented days after her death.

Investigators also found a hand-written letter titled “Last will & testament of Susan Powell” in a safe deposit box. In that letter, Susan said she didn’t trust Josh, that he had threatened to “destroy her” if she left him and a warning that if she died, it was probably not an accident.
Cox told reporters in Washington that he wonders why Josh Powell hadn’t been charged if the circumstantial evidence him was so strong.

“He should have been arrested a long time ago,” said Cox. “Obviously something was dropped somewhere, the judge should have never allowed the visitation.”

Steven Powell is in jail facing voyeurism and child pornography-related charges. He is accused of taking inappropriate images of girls and woman. Police have alleged Susan was also among the victims. Cox said he believes Steven Powell knows something about Susan’s disappearance.

“I think Steve Powell knows where she is,” he said. “This may help push him along because he still thinks he’s going to get away with something and this is another thing that he can no longer deny.”

It was Steven Powell’s arrest that led to Josh Powell losing custody of his children. On Feb. 5, he killed himself and Charlie and Braden in a house fire and explosion.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

video of Mr. Cox's interview at above link.

WEST VALLEY CITY — Police Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen is defending his department after a spate of criticism that West Valley Police did not do enough to arrest Josh Powell before he murdered his children and then killed himself.

"We didn't do this in a bubble," Nielsen tolk KSL following a NAACP meeting on a subject other than the Susan Powell case.

"We had multiple agencies, federal agencies that have helped us work on this for two years. So, they can Monday morning quarterback when it's over."

Nielsen warned, though, that the case is far from over.

"We still need to know, where is Susan? What happened? Was there an accomplice? Who helped them? Who refuses to talk to us?"

Nielsen said that police don't necessarily need to find Susan's body but need to have a clear understanding of what happened to her.

"No, [you don't need a body] but you have to have a real strong case without a body," he said.

Experts weigh in on whether there was enough evidence to arrest Josh Powell in the light of new evidence from unsealed search warrants, as well as accusations of mishandling by Chuck and Judy Cox.
More than two years after Susan's disappearance and her husband's recent suicide, the police chief says between seven and nine detectives continue to follow up leads on the case.

In addition to Josh Powell and his father, Steven, he said investigators are looking at a "few others" in connection with Susan's disappearance.

Regarding the Powell family, Nielsen said, "We do want to talk to them, absolutely. They've refused to cooperate also."

Over the course of this investigation, Nielsen said the police department did not have enough clear and convincing evidence to arrest Powell or even get a conviction.

"Have we presented our case for screening? No," Nielsen said adding that the police department hasn't reached that point.

When asked whether Nielsen's department could have done anything differently to have saved Susan Powell's two sons from being killed by their father, he paused and said: "I don't think so. I think Josh had it planned out."
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Sounds like the Chief is trying to save face and is getting a little sensitive.
I think he's FOS about 'others' being involved in Susan's disappearance!
And he doesn't think his dept could have done anything different so that those two boys weren't murdered by their Father? OH BS!
MOO.

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A lawyer for Susan Cox Powell’s parents is considering a lawsuit. Attorney Anne Bremner says West Valley City’s handling of the case “defies logic.”
Chuck and Judy Cox say something was dropped somewhere. Based on court documents unsealed Friday, the Cox family says Josh should have never gotten visitation of his children and he probably should have been arrested.
“I’ve been on the police side of this thing through the investigation, on their side. You think how many ex-wives or people have had issues with their spouses have said ‘watch out for this guy or person, she’s going to do this’ and I can see where that wouldn’t be a smoking gun to them either. They really need her body,” says Chuck Cox.
In search warrants unsealed by a judge in Washington State, FOX 13 learned how close West Valley City Police were to implicating Josh Powell in his wife’s disappearance and possible murder.
Inside the report, police say they found Susan’s blood in the couple’s home. Josh Powell had taken steps to conceal cell phone activity and they recovered a handwritten letter from Susan expressing fear for her life.
The Coxes believe police had enough to arrest him. Josh Powell lost custody of his kids after his father Steve was arrested for voyeurism and child pornography. He killed himself and his children back in February. Steve Powell had the documents unsealed as part of an upcoming evidence fight in his criminal case.
“I don’t think he should have been let loose when he started giving them bad answers at the station and they knew he was lying,” said Chuck Cox.
But just because police write their suspicions down in these court documents, it does not necessarily mean there is enough to convict anyone in a court of law.
West Valley City Police have defended their actions saying the case against Josh Powell was circumstantial. The district attorney who handled the case at the time of Susan’s disappearance — Lohra Miller — has declined FOX 13’s requests for comment on the case.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

There's a video at the link of Chuck Cox talking, I can't embed!

I hope they do sue. I have been thinking a lot about how KC was arrested and charged with out a body. Thank goodness Caylee body was found but her NOT MOM was already jailed and charged with murder before she was found. Why not in a case like this where strong evidence was found supporting the claim Josh murdered Susan? I say BS to the Chief who claims that they could NOT have done anything different to save Susan Powell's two sons from being killed by their father.

Nielsen said that police don't necessarily need to find Susan's body but need to have a clear understanding of what happened to her.

"No, [you don't need a body] but you have to have a real strong case without a body," he said.

How much evidence are they going to get from a body now anyway? I would think that after all this time, they could have proceeded with what they had...I really think that a jury would have considered that it was enough to find him GUILTY!

Powell case needs answers

By Editorial Board
Standard-Examiner
Tue, 04/03/2012 - 1:59pm

Court documents how evidence piled up in Susan Powell disappearance

Why wasn't Josh Powell arrested by West Valley City police soon after his wife, Susan, disappeared? It's a question that needs to be answered by that city's police.

With the information that has been released in recent days, there doesn't seem to be a reason why Josh Powell could not have been arrested by police. The released search warrants in the case show that police found Susan Powell's blood in their West Valley home, evidence that Josh Powell was trying to clean it. The police found Susan's cell phone in Josh's car, absent its SIM card. Police knew that Charlie Powell, 4, had told them that Susan Powell had gone camping with them but had not returned.

Three weeks later, Charlie told a Sunday School teacher, "my mom is dead." Police were also told by Susan Powell's family that she was afraid of her husband, and police had a signed letter from Susan -- left in a safe deposit box -- in which she warned others that she might be harmed. Police knew that Josh Powell had lied to his sister, Jennifer Graves, about his activities at the time Susan disappeared. Police knew long ago how sexually obsessed Josh Powell's father, Steve Powell, was with his daughter-in-law, Susan. Police knew Josh's last call prior to Susan's disappearance was to his father. Yet, this information was unknown to Susan's parents.

What were the West Valley City police waiting for to arrest Josh Powell -- gift-wrapped invitation? Law enforcement authorities in Washington state, where Powell eventually slaughtered his sons Charlie and Braden, say they would have arrested Powell. On Monday, speaking on NBC's Today Show, Susan's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, expressed their displeasure that Josh Powell was not arrested.

We agree with Kirk Graves, Josh Powell's brother in law, that the West Valley Police Department needs to provide solid, legal reasons as to why there was never an arrest in the case. The police department needs to provide answers as to why it never even presented a case for prosecutors in Salt Lake City to screen.

As mentioned, Pierce County, Washington law enforcement professionals strongly disagree with how the case was handled. Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist told the Associated Press, "There is direct evidence. There is circumstantial evidence. There is a motive. There is everything but the body." The sheriff's spokesman in that county, Ed Troyer, told a Seattle television station that someone in Utah "dropped the ball."

There are still search warrants that are sealed by West Valley authorities. They need to be opened. We understand that Susan Powell's disappearance is still an open case. But the subsequent murders that occurred have led to a reasonable examination of how West Valley City handled the case. West Valley City police need to provide an explanation for an investigation that ended so tragically for two little boys.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

West Valley City Council meets with police chief to discuss Powell case

By Pamela Manson And Melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 7 hours ago • Updated 2 hours ago

West Valley City • Amid growing criticism of the police investigation into the disappearance of Susan Powell, city council members on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen to discuss the case.

The council members voted at a study meeting to go into executive session to discuss "pending or reasonably imminent litigation."

No lawsuits have been filed against the city. Susan Powell’s relatives have generally said they are considering a lawsuit, but they have not identified whom they could sue or what legal claims they believe they might have.

The motion did not identify what case would be privately discussed by the council, but afterward, Mayor Mike Winder said the city’s elected officials will not comment on the Powell investigation.

Susan Powell vanished on Dec. 6, 2009. Her husband, Josh Powell — the only person of interest in her disappearance — claimed he took his sons on a midnight camping trip to Utah’s west desert and had no idea what happened to his wife.

On Feb. 5, Josh Powell fatally attacked his sons, Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5, with a hatchet and then used gasoline to set his Puyallup, Wash., house on fire, killing himself.

City Attorney Eric Bunderson and Assistant City Manager Paul Isaac attended the closed council meeting. Bunderson on Wednesday declined to discuss it, including what made officials believe that a lawsuit might be imminent.

In general, he said, "filing a lawsuit is a really easy thing to do" and the city must be prepared to defend itself even against a meritless claim.

Officials in Washington state, where Josh Powell moved in 2010, released search warrants last week that contained new details on the investigation into Susan Powell’s disappearance. The warrants said, among other information, that the woman’s blood was found on the floor of her West Valley City home on the day after she vanished and that her then-4-year-old son told a police investigator that she had gone camping but did not return home with them.

The Washington officials received the search warrant information while investigating voyeurism accusations against Josh Powell’s father, Steve Powell.

Susan Powell’s parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, had publicly supported police efforts to solve her mysterious disappearance until the search warrant information was released. Chuck Cox said Sunday that police should have arrested Josh Powell.

Nielsen has said there was not enough evidence to win a case, and without a body, Powell could have escaped conviction at trial or pleaded to a lesser charge.

The Coxes’ Washington attorney, Anne Bremner, met with them on Wednesday to discuss potential action, including filing lawsuits. Bremner said they are still evaluating what to do next, and there are several ways they could go.

"What they have always wanted is something positive to come out of this, some change, so this doesn’t happen to anyone else," Bremner said. "That could come through legislation, victim’s rights groups, advocacy, litigation ... we just don’t know. Those are things we are talking about to see if there is some way they can help to make sure this doesn’t happen to other families."

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Nathan Leach is first family member to voice support of Josh Powell following release of search warrants.
By Melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Apr 03 2012 04:17 pm • Last Updated Apr 04 2012 10:17 am
A cousin of Josh Powell on Tuesday spoke out about newly released search warrants in the disappearance of Susan Cox Powell, saying the documents prove law enforcement didn’t have enough evidence to link the missing woman’s husband to a crime.

"My initial reaction was that if they had evidence to support a murder, they should have arrested Josh outright and began due process. Instead the police sat around and did nothing while the Facebook Stasi harassed, stalked and performed acts of questionable legality against Josh," said Nathan Leach, of Texas, who along with other family members, say they understand in part what led to Josh Powell’s decision to kill himself and his two children in a fiery inferno in Washington on Feb. 6.

"I believe it is quite possible that the evidence as not very strong, thus the failure to make an arrest," Leach said. "There is unfortunately no way to put Josh on trial now so that a jury of his peers can decide if the evidence supported the conclusion of murder."

Leach is the first Powell family member to speak out in defense of Josh Powell following the release of search warrants Friday by a Washington court judge.

The warrants detail the evidence West Valley City police have in the case of Susan Powell, including her blood on floor tile near a wet carpet and sofa in her home the day after her Dec. 6, 2009, disappearance and a safe deposit box note in which she warned her death may not be an accident.

Leach previously has asked police to pursue an investigation into people who posted Facebook pages related to the search for Susan Powell. Leach has claimed that Josh Powell was a victim of a relentless "cyberbullying" campaign by people who wanted to see him convicted of his wife’s murder without proper evidence. The constant scrutiny of the public played a role in pushing Josh Powell over the edge and into a murderous act, Leach has said.

He reiterated that belief Tuesday, and said his family is also standing by to learn more in the case of Steve Powell, who awaits trial on May 7 in Tacoma, Wash for alleged voyeurism.

In regards to Josh Powell, Leach said, "I would have accepted a trial with three live people rather than the social media circus that was a factor in pushing Josh to end it all and take his boys with him."

Steve Powell is charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He has requested a jury trial, slated to be heard by Judge Ronald E. Culpepper.

The Washington attorneys representing Powell earlier this month filed a motion to suppress evidence at the trial, arguing some evidence obtained by law enforcement — including a CD containing photos from a locked compartment in Powell’s bedroom — was gathered through an "overly broad" search warrant that violated his constitutional rights. An April 23 hearing has been scheduled on the motion.
Some of the photos taken from Steve Powell’s home included disturbing images involving his daughter-in-law, including a folder with pictures of nude women that he had pasted the head of his daughter-in-law onto and footage he filmed by sneaking a camera under Susan Powell’s dress while she was sitting at a table. Steve Powell also filmed himself masturbating to photos of his daughter-in-law, the search warrants state.

Leach said he is disturbed so many judged Steve and Josh Powell before either landed at a trial.

"I think we’ve always supported an "innocent until proven guilty" approach as support to Josh and Steve. Though this doesn’t appear to be the case for many people, we aren’t willing to watch someone’s life thrown away without knowing the facts behind what they’ve been accused of doing," Leach said.

"I think at some point the taxpayers of Utah and Washington need to call the authorities and the politicians that supported them on the carpet and demand an explanation. This had to be an expensive investigation, and it looks like it is about to get much more expensive given some of the statements from various parties I’ve read in the news," Leach said.

Meanwhile, others connected to the case continued to contemplate what the evidence in the search warrants convey about Josh Powell’s overall guilt or innocence in the disappearance of his wife.

Jennifer Graves, of West Jordan, who is Josh Powell’s sister, said Tuesday that she’d rather not point fingers in the case when it comes to law enforcement. She said after reviewing the search warrants that she sees "an awful long list of circumstantial evidence" that may not have been enough to land her brother behind bars.

"What good is 20/20 hindsight? You can’t change anything in the past," she said.
ves said she is working on a book about her life that will focus on growing up with her father, Steve Powell, and the trauma surrounding the disappearance of her sister-in-law, Susan Powell. She is working with writer Emily Clawson, and hopes the book will be finished in a few months. So far, the two have completed six of twenty some chapters, she said.

Other members of the Powell family, including Josh Powell’s brother Michael, his sister Alina and mother Terri, have remained silent in the wake of the search warrants. Terri Powell remains in Puyallup, Graves said Tuesday.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
This ticked me off so bad that I even commented on it. I hope this jerk reads the comments, they're pretty brutal against him, as they should be!

By Isolde Raftery, msnbc.com

The tragic saga of a woman who disappeared two years ago in Utah and her husband who later killed himself and their two young sons in Washington State continued to unfold this week with even more puzzling details.

Adding yet another wrinkle to the story, the Salt Lake Tribune learned Tuesday that Josh Powell’s father, Steven Powell, called in sick to work for two days a day after his daughter-in-law Susan Powell disappeared in Dec. 2009. He worked for the Washington State Correctional Industries at the time, selling furniture made by inmates.

The days Steven Powell took off coincide with when Josh Powell rented a Ford Focus and drove it 800 miles before returning it, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

West Valley City police in Utah would not comment on the absence, but said investigators believe Steven Powell may have had a role in the disappearance, KING 5 TV in Seattle reported. Susan Powell's body has not been found.

At the time of the disappearance, Josh Powell told police officers that she had run off from a midnight family camping trip. He later moved their two young sons to Washington State, where his father lives. What?? I thought he told police Susan did not go on the camping trip!!!

And then the story exploded. In early February, during a supervised visit with his sons in Puyallup, Wash., near Tacoma, Josh Powell hacked at them with a hatchet and blew up their home. All three died.

Details started pouring out: Susan Powell had written a letter to family and friends, which she had stored at a bank near their home, warning that if she died, it might not have been an accident. Blood was found in the family home. A search warrant revealed that Josh Powell had given police his wife’s cell phone with the memory card removed. The children had started to talk to people about their mother, but then had been promptly shut up by their father.

Steven Powell is currently serving a sentence for possession of child pornography and for secretly videotaping women and girls. He has not cooperated with police in this investigation.

Josh Powell took the lives of his two sons in a house fire. Powell was a 'person of interest' in his wife's 2009 disappearance. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.

Last week, Mark Lindquist, the Pierce County prosecutor in Washington State, said that he did not believe that Steven Powell was involved, according to KING 5. He did, however, say that he would have charged Josh Powell with murder given the evidence that has come out in the last two months.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

What is going on here? Talk about mixed messages. The media and LE has stated Steven (perv) Powell IS a POI and now they are saying he isn't? He took off work for 2 days at the same time Susan went "missing." If this doesn't make him a POI, I don't know what does!!

Steve Powell’s two sick days coincide with his son renting a car and putting 800 miles on it.
By Brooke Adams | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Apr 03 2012 07:34 pm • Updated 1 hour ago
Steve Powell called in sick to work a day after his daughter-in-law Susan disappeared from her West Valley City home, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned.

Powell was absent from his Washington state job on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9, 2009, his former employer confirmed Tuesday.

The days coincide with the period that his son Josh Powell, Susan’s husband, rented a Ford Focus from the Salt Lake International Airport, putting more than 800 miles on the vehicle before returning it around 7 p.m. on Dec. 10, 2009.

West Valley City police Sgt. Mike Powell, who is not related, declined to comment Tuesday on what investigators know about Steve Powell’s work absence, saying he "wouldn’t be addressing that question at all" because Susan Powell’s case is "an active investigation that is progressing."

The officer said investigators want to speak with Steve Powell but he "has been uncooperative from the onset," and police haven’t attempted to speak with him for some time.

"It’s useless at this point," the sergeant said. "He’s made it very clear that he doesn’t want to speak to law enforcement." Useless? That sure says a lot about WV PD!

West Valley City Police Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen was asked in February whether Steve Powell might have been an accomplice in Susan Powell’s disappearance or death and he replied: "Absolutely."

On Monday, Nielsen reiterated that sentiment.

"The question is what happened to Susan because we represent Susan," Nielsen said. "Where is she? What happened? Who else was involved? And who refuses to help us in finding that?" Asked if that included Steve Powell, Nielsen nodded his head and said, "A few others probably, too."

A spokeswoman for the Washington Department of Corrections confirmed to The Tribune that Powell sent an email to his supervisor requesting sick leave on both days immediately after Susan’s disappearance became public. Steve Powell was an account executive with Washington State Correctional Industries; he sold furniture made by inmates to school districts, nonprofit organizations and government entities. He was fired from his $53,468 a year job after his arrest Sept. 22, 2011, on 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Last summer, Steve Powell publicly acknowledged having an inappropriate infatuation with his daughter-in-law. A police search at his home in Puyallup, Wash., in May 2010 uncovered indecent photographs he took of Susan without her knowledge; police found other images during another search in August 2011.

Travis Currie, an attorney representing Powell, did not return a telephone call Tuesday from The Tribune. Mark T. Quigley, who also represents Powell, was out of town.

According to search warrants unsealed by a Washington judge on Friday, Josh Powell called his father at 12:14 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, about the same time Susan and their sons Charlie, then 4, and Braden, then 2, returned home from church.

JoVanna Owings, a neighbor, spent that afternoon with Susan at the Powell’s home and joined the family for a late pancake and egg brunch prepared by Josh Powell. After the meal, Susan said she was tired and needed a nap. Owings left, as did Josh Powell, who said he was taking their boys sledding.

A neighbor saw the Powell’s van return about 8:30 p.m. that night. Josh Powell later told police he left again around 12:30 a.m. to take his sons camping in Utah’s west desert, leaving Susan at home.

Debbie Caldwell, the Powell’s daycare provider, tried to reach Susan and Josh Powell the next morning, Dec. 7, after they failed to drop the boys off at her home. She contacted relatives, who called police about the missing couple.

According to the search warrants, Josh Powell did not use his cellphone again until he answered a call at 3:03 p.m. from Owings. Josh Powell told Owings he was driving around West Valley City with his sons and did not know that Susan had failed to show up for work.

Police, using cellphone tower-location data, say Josh Powell then drove 20 miles south of West Valley City and called his own voice mail at 3:34 p.m. He next called Susan’s cellphone and left her a voice message saying he had returned from his camping trip and asked if she needed a ride home from work.

Police interviewed Josh Powell twice, first on Dec. 7 after he returned home that evening with his sons and again on Dec. 8, 2009. During the first interview, detectives searched Josh Powell’s van and found Susan’s cellphone. It was missing the digital SIM card. During the second interview, police took Josh Powell’s cell phone and found its SIM card was missing, too — and they also did a second search of his van.

Josh Powell initially waited at the police station during that search, but he left before detectives finished, according to the documents. Police learned later he went to the airport and rented a car about 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2009. He also bought a new cellphone, which was activated Dec. 9, 2009, in Tremonton, Utah, 80 miles north of Salt Lake City.

Josh Powell left Utah on Dec. 19, 2009, and spent two weeks at his father’s home in Puyallup, Wash. He came back to Utah in early January, packed up his home and moved to Puyallup, where he and his sons resided until his father’s arrest last September. Washington authorities took custody of the two boys after Steve Powell’s arrest and had temporarily placed them with Chuck and Judy Cox, Susan’s parents.

Josh Powell subsequently moved to a rented house in Graham, Wash. He set fire to the house Feb. 5 shortly after the boys were dropped off for a supervised visit, killing them and himself.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The West Valley City Police Department contacted law enforcement in Minnesota —the state where Josh Powell’s brother Michael relocated to in 2010 — to inform police there about the investigation into the disappearance of Susan Powell.

A Minneapolis Police Department spokesman confirmed Wednesday that West Valley City police contacted a Minneapolis homicide lieutenant about the case.
continue reading at: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
This is well worth the read. The whole Powell family sounds the same as Josh and Steve. Unbelievable! JOO.

I posted an article re: his brother on JP's thread but that's OK. That family is so f\'d up!!

Posted: Apr 05, 2012 11:11 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 06, 2012 11:51 AM CDT
By GENE JOHNSON and MIKE BAKER
Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A co-worker of Steve Powell says the father-in-law of Susan Powell planned to travel to Utah for a camping trip shortly before she disappeared in 2009, according to an attorney.

Lawyer Anne Bremner said Thursday she has spoken to the co-worker in recent days and reviewed the statement the colleague sent to authorities. In the woman's account, she says Steve Powell talked about leaving around Thanksgiving 2009 for a camping trip in Utah with his son, Josh Powell.

The co-worker thought the camping trip was odd. She saw Powell a week or two later and he reported that the trip was cold but fun.

Susan Powell was last seen on December 6 of that year. Josh Powell had said that he took a late-night camping trip in Utah with his two boys on the night Susan Powell disappeared.

While authorities never named a suspect in the case, they had consistently called Josh Powell a "person of interest." Utah's West Valley City police Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen has said Steve Powell was "absolutely" being considered as an accomplice in Susan Powell's disappearance.

Josh Powell killed himself and the couple's two young children in a fiery home inferno earlier this year.

Bremner, who represents Susan Powell's parents Chuck and Judy Cox, said she herself had never really believed Steve Powell was involved in Susan Powell's disappearance, but is now reassessing her perceptions of the case.

"Chuck has always thought that Steve was very involved," Bremner said. "This just sort of confirmed that for him."

An attorney for Steve Powell did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The co-worker does not want to be named, Bremner said. She said she sent the information to authorities in Washington's Pierce County, asking them to forward the details to Utah investigators. The Associated Press was able to review her email correspondence and verify that she did work with Steve Powell while he was still at the Department of Corrections and is among staff members copied on work emails with Powell.

Police in West Valley City, Utah, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Steve Powell called in sick from his job on December 8 and 9 of that year. He did appear to remain engaged at work, continuing to send emails to colleagues around that time, according to documents obtained by AP.

Authorities have said they want to talk with Steve Powell to see what he might know. He's currently in jail on charges of voyeurism.

Utah investigators described in documents released last week that Steven Powell had an apparent obsession with his daughter-in-law. A locked cabinet in Steve Powell's bedroom contained multiple images of Susan Powell, including some of her in her underwear. Other images showed nude female bodies with Susan Powell's face copied onto them.

Another image showed Steven Powell masturbating to an image of Susan Powell.

Susan Powell wrote in her personal journals that she did not want Steven Powell involved in her life and wished that Josh Powell would sever ties with him. She described Steven Powell as a pedophile.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

This was a pre-meditated act, carried out by both JP and his perv father! Why? Insurance money. I think also that it's possible Susan knew about the porn and had threatened to go to LE w/it. MOO.

And it's curious that Josh made Susan lunch the day (Sunday) that the neighbor was over and Susan had to excuse herself after eating because she was 'tired'.

He probably put cyanide in it. Wish he had gotten then confused and eaten it instead!

By Melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 5 hours ago • Updated 2 hours ago

The son-in-law of Steve Powell said he’s doubtful of the story brought forward by a new witness who claims Steve Powell was in Utah when his daughter-in-law, Susan Cox Powell, disappeared.

Kirk Graves, the brother-in-law of Susan Powell who lives in West Jordan, said Friday it seems unlikely Steve Powell could have been in Utah on the night of the Dec. 6, 2009, disappearance because Steve Powell was at his Puyallup, Wash., home the next day.

Graves said his wife, Jennifer Graves, called her sister, Alina Powell, on Dec. 7, 2009, to inform her that Susan Powell was missing and to ask if she had heard from Josh Powell. Jennifer Graves called Alina Powell at the home Alina Powell shared with her father, Steve Powell. As Jennifer Graves spoke with her sister on Dec. 7, she could hear her father in the background, Kirk Graves said.

Kirk Graves said police have said they know where Steve Powell was on Dec. 6, 2009, but haven’t disclosed that information publicly. He said he’s doubtful police would have withheld Steve Powell’s location if he was in Utah and was with Josh Powell the night Susan Powell disappeared.

The Washington state Department of Corrections has confirmed that Steve Powell was at work the morning of Dec. 7, 2009.

Graves’ statement Friday came after an attorney for the parents of missing West Valley City woman Susan Powell clarified a claim that Steve Powell told a coworker he went camping in Utah’s west desert the night of his daughter-in-law’s disappearance.

Anne Bremner said Friday a female co-worker of Steve Powell’s reported to police Steve Powell had said he planned to travel to Utah for a camping trip around Thanksgiving 2009 and stay a week or two. Bremner said she spoke to the co-worker in recent days and reviewed a statement she gave to Washington law enforcement officials, who were asked to pass along the information to West Valley City police.

"This trip could have been in late Nov 09 per descriptions. ‘On or about time’ surrounding disappearance," Bremner posted on her Twitter account Friday and told The Salt Lake Tribune in a separate email.

The co-worker recalled hearing Steve Powell talk about the camping trip with his son Josh, the only person of interest police have named in his wife’s case. According to Bremner, the co-worker believes the trip Steve Powell described was the midnight camping trip Josh Powell claims he took his boys — then ages 2 and 4 — on in Utah’s west desert the night his wife disappeared on Dec. 6, 2009.

The co-worker thought it was strange the family would camp at that time of year, but when Steve Powell returned from the trip, he told the co-worker the trip was "cold but fun," Bremner said.

On Thursday, Bremner posted on Twitter that "Steve Powell, according to a new witness, said he went camping with the boys and Josh Powell when Susan went missing." Bremner wrote that the witness informed police of Steve Powell’s activities "long ago."

West Valley City police Sgt. Mike Powell, who is no relation to Josh or Steve Powell, said Friday the department will not be commenting on the witness account.

Chuck Cox, the father of Susan Powell, said Thursday he has always believed Steve Powell, who was sexually interested in his daughter-in-law, somehow helped Josh Powell kidnap and murder her. Josh Powell earlier this year killed his sons and committed suicide in a gasoline-fueled blaze at his Graham, Wash., area home.

Bremner’s claim followed a revelation earlier this week that the 61-year-old called in sick to work a day after Susan Powell went missing. Powell was absent from his Washington Department of Corrections job on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9, 2009, his former employer has confirmed.

Those days coincide with the period that Josh Powell rented a Ford Focus from Salt Lake City International Airport, putting more than 800 miles on the vehicle before returning it around 7 p.m. on Dec. 10, 2009.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

OK, he MAY not have been with JP on the initial "camping trip" but I would bet he was with him when he rented the car..probably went back to the scene of the crime in daylight so they could "cover their tracks" to ensure she is never found. MOO.

Motions filed in advance of April 23 hearing in Steve Powell case.
By Melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 3 hours ago • Updated 1 hour ago

Washington state prosecutors on Thursday filed court documents arguing the majority of evidence taken from the home of the father-in-law of missing West Valley City woman Susan Powell should be used at the man’s upcoming voyeurism trial — disputing arguments that a search warrant was overly broad.

"The warrant is valid and there is no basis to suppress the evidence seized," wrote prosecutor Grant Blinn in his motion. "There is probable cause for the items to be seized, there is a nexus to the crimes being investigated and the search warrant is particular in what is being sought."

Three subpoena returns filed in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma, Wash. on Thursday suggest three witnesses who may be called at the May 7 trial of Steve Powell.

Adam George Anderson, Franz Louis Helmcke and Richard Anthony Scaniffi have been ordered to appear in court to testify on behalf of the prosecution at Powell’s trial, court records show. All three are employed by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.

Thursday’s filing comes in advance of an April 23 hearing scheduled on the defense motion to suppress evidence.

Steve Powell, 61, is charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He is scheduled for a week-long jury trial beginning May 7 before Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald E. Culpepper.

The Washington attorneys representing Steve Powell claim some evidence obtained by law enforcement — including a CD containing photos from a locked compartment in Powell’s bedroom during an Aug. 25 search of his Puyallup, Wash. home— was gathered through an overly broad search warrant that violated his constitutional rights.

The search warrant allowed law enforcement to seize journals belonging to Susan Powell, digital media that contained copies of her journals, as well as "any other fruits or instrumentalities determined to be evidence of kidnapping, homicide and obstruction of justice."

Quigley and Currie argue taking the CDs violated Steve Powell’s Fourth Amendment rights since law enforcement didn’t explain why the journals would have any evidence of criminal conduct, what type of information may be in the journals, or how that information may be evidence of a crime or assist in providing investigative leads. BS!!

Law enforcement had one Susan Powell journal written from January 2002 to October 2009, which included entries during the time she was married to Josh Powell — the only publicly named person of interest in the case before he killed himself and his two sons in February in a blaze set at his Graham, Wash., rental home.

In his Thursday motion, Blinn stated the search warrant wasn’t overly broad and that the journals seized tied into the Susan Powell investigation.

"As the journals were written by the victim of the homicide investigation who has yet to be located, their content was very relevant and could develop further leads as to who to talk to or where to search. There is a nexus to the crimes," Blinn wrote.

"The search warrant lists out real crimes that are being investigated. The search warrant does not depend on generalized statements about people who commit murders or kidnappings and does not just ask for the seizure of a computer to see what is on it," Blinn wrote.

The search warrant specifically sought access to devices that could contain digital copies of the journals, Blinn wrote.

"... the digital images were known to exist but the investigators did not know the extent of the digital copies or precisely what device they were stored on. The paragraph was as specific as it could be given the information that the investigators knew at the time," Blinn wrote.

Steve Powell’s attorneys have said he was cooperative with police — consenting to two searches of his home, which he had been sharing with his sons and grandsons, before the August search warrant was issued. Steve Powell also gave multiple interviews to law enforcement and told them about the journals in a November 2010 email, they argue.

Blinn wrote that while Steve Powell consented to a May 11, 2010 search of his home, his cooperation with investigators did not continue.

"Defendant did not turn over the journals. Instead, defendant and his son tried to bargain with the investigators...they would release a copy of the journals and would only release that if the investigators turned over to them the journal that investigators had in their possession," Blinn wrote.

Steve Powell later withdrew his offer to release the journals, Blinn wrote.

During an initial court hearing for Steve Powell last fall, Blinn said Steve Powell took images over a 10-year span, although the court case focuses on voyeurism episodes from 2006 and 2007. Powell, who has pleaded not guilty, is being held in the Pierce County jail on a $200,000 bail.

Sheriff’s deputies from Tacoma, Wash., arrested Steve Powell on Sept. 22 after detectives from West Valley City returned to search the home Powell shared with Josh Powell; his grandsons; and his adult children Alina Powell and John Powell.

Prosecutors’ response in Steve Powell case: Motion to suppress evidence
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The search warrants, unsealed earlier this month, detail Steve Powell’s sexual interest in his daughter-in-law and also state he secretly filmed underneath her skirt.

An attorney for Chuck and Judy Cox, Susan Powell’s parents, has previously said the Cox family is hopeful Steve Powell’s trial may possible bring forth answers in the case of their missing daughter.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Washington state attorneys will square off in a Tacoma courtroom Monday during a motion hearing that will determine the course of the pornography and voyeurism trial for the father-in-law of missing West Valley City woman Susan Cox Powell.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald E. Culpepper will hear arguments over whether certain evidence can be admitted at the May 7 trial of Steven Craig Powell, 61, who is charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Twelve of the 28 people listed as potential witnesses by prosecutors are employed by West Valley City. Another eight are Pierce County Sheriff’s Office employees. Some witnesses on the list are identified only by their initials — presumably the victims whom Steve Powell is accused of surreptitiously filming.

West Valley City Police Department witnesses are Detective Ellis Maxwell, John Dietrich, John LeFavor, Mike McPhie, Michael Schwemmer, Michael Fossmo, Phil Quinlan, Steven Katz, William Merritt, Robert Bobrowski, Todd Gray and Tracy Catmull, an evidence technician.

Jennifer Graves, Steve Powell’s estranged daughter who lives in West Jordan, is also on the witness list.

At issue is the constitutionality of a search warrant obtained by law enforcement and served on Powell’s home last summer.

Defense attorneys Mark Quigley and Travis Currie claim some evidence obtained by law enforcement — including a CD containing photos from a locked compartment in Powell’s bedroom during an Aug. 25 search of his Puyallup, Wash., home — was gathered through an overly broad search warrant that violated his constitutional rights.

The search warrant allowed law enforcement to seize journals belonging to Susan Powell, digital media that contained copies of her journals, as well as "any other fruits or instrumentalities determined to be evidence of kidnapping, homicide and obstruction of justice."

Quigley and Currie argue taking the CDs violated Steve Powell’s Fourth Amendment rights since law enforcement didn’t explain why the journals would have any evidence of criminal conduct, what type of information may be in the journals, or how that information may be evidence of a crime or assist in providing investigative leads.

Law enforcement had one Susan Powell journal written from January 2002 to October 2009, which included entries during the time she was married to Josh Powell — the only publicly named person of interest in the case before he killed himself and his two sons in February in a blaze set at his Graham, Wash., rental home.

Prosecutors have fired back that the majority of evidence taken from Steve Powell’s home should be used at his trial.

"The warrant is valid, and there is no basis to suppress the evidence seized," wrote prosecutor Grant Blinn in a recent motion. "There is probable cause for the items to be seized, there is a nexus to the crimes being investigated and the search warrant is particular in what is being sought."

Blinn stated the search warrant wasn’t overly broad and that the journals seized tied into the Susan Powell investigation.

"As the journals were written by the victim of the homicide investigation who has yet to be located, their content was very relevant and could develop further leads as to who to talk to or where to search. There is a nexus to the crimes," Blinn wrote.

"The search warrant lists out real crimes that are being investigated. The search warrant does not depend on generalized statements about people who commit murders or kidnappings and does not just ask for the seizure of a computer to see what is on it," Blinn wrote.

The search warrant specifically sought access to devices that could contain digital copies of the journals, Blinn wrote.

"The digital images were known to exist, but the investigators did not know the extent of the digital copies or precisely what device they were stored on. The paragraph was as specific as it could be given the information that the investigators knew at the time," Blinn wrote.

Steve Powell’s attorneys have said he was cooperative with police — consenting to two searches of his home, which he had been sharing with his sons and grandsons, before the August search warrant was issued. Steve Powell also gave multiple interviews to law enforcement and told them about the journals in a November 2010 email, they argue.

Blinn wrote that while Steve Powell consented to a May 11, 2010, search of his home, his cooperation with investigators did not continue.

"Defendant did not turn over the journals. Instead, defendant and his son tried to bargain with the investigators ... they would release a copy of the journals and would only release that if the investigators turned over to them the journal that investigators had in their possession," Blinn wrote.

Steve Powell later withdrew his offer to release the journals, Blinn wrote.

During an initial court hearing for Steve Powell last fall, Blinn said Steve Powell took images over a 10-year span, although the court case focuses on voyeurism episodes from 2006 and 2007. Powell, who has pleaded not guilty, is being held in the Pierce County Jail on a $200,000 bail.

Twelve of the 28 people listed as potential witnesses by prosecutors are employed by West Valley City. Another eight are Pierce County Sheriff’s Office employees. Some witnesses on the list are identified only by their initials — presumably the victims whom Steve Powell is accused of surreptitiously filming.

A ruling from Culpepper could significantly impact how the case against Steve Powell proceeds, said Anne Bremner, a Seattle attorney who represents Chuck and Judy Cox, the parents of Susan Powell.

If defense attorneys successfully argue that some or all of the evidence gathered with the search warrants should be suppressed, prosecutors could find themselves with a lack of independent evidence and difficulties in proceeding with the case, Bremner said.

Monday’s hearing also holds other possibilities, Bremner said. In what is known as a CrR 3.6 hearing, Steve Powell could speak about the evidence against him, she said.

"We may hear through testimony more about what led the police to seek the warrants," said Bremner, who plans to attend the Monday hearing with Chuck Cox. "We could even hear from Steven Powell himself if he elects to testify ... both sides can present evidence and testimony."

Sheriff’s deputies from Tacoma, Wash., arrested Steve Powell on Sept. 22 after detectives from West Valley City returned to search the home Powell shared with Josh Powell; his grandsons; and his adult children Alina Powell and John Powell.

The search warrants, unsealed earlier this month, detail Steve Powell’s sexual interest in his daughter-in-law and also state he secretly filmed underneath her skirt.

Chuck and Judy Cox have previously said the Cox family is hopeful Steve Powell’s trial may possibly bring forth answers in the case of their missing daughter.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

BY MIKE BAKER
ASSOCIATED PRESS

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The father-in-law of Susan Powell is seeking to suppress evidence used to charge him with voyeurism and possession of child pornography.

Steve Powell will appear in court Monday for a hearing on his motion. His attorney has argued that a search warrant used to collect files from his home last summer was illegal and that all evidence must be suppressed.

Authorities say they found thousands of images of females being videotaped without their knowledge, including Susan Powell. Some of the girls were as young as 8.

Steve Powell has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled to begin in two weeks.

Utah investigators say they are still interested in speaking with Steve Powell about the disappearance of his daughter-in-law. They say he has been uncooperative in that investigation.

Read more here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — An attorney for Steve Powell said Monday that investigators frustrated by their unsuccessful quest to find his missing daughter-in-law pursued an "illegal" warrant that eventually led to voyeurism charges.

Mark Quigley argued that evidence gathered during a search of Powell's home last summer should be suppressed, seeking to undermine the prosecution's case just a few weeks before trial. Powell's daughter-in-law, Susan, disappeared in 2009.

Authorities said the warrant uncovered thousands of images of females being videotaped without their knowledge, including Susan Powell. Some of the girls were as young as 8.

Steve Powell has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled to begin in two weeks.

Quigley said the warrant was a fishing expedition designed to gather general evidence against Susan Powell's husband, Josh, who eventually killed himself and the couple's two young children earlier this year.

"This investigation was stale," Quigley said. "The police were frustrated."

The warrant was focused largely on collecting some of Susan Powell's journals from when she was younger. Prosecutor Grant Blinn said the warrant was justified in part because investigators needed to pursue all aspects in their effort to find Susan Powell.

"They need to look into all the leads — look into who she had relationships with and the nature and extent of those relationships," Blinn said.

Judge Ronald Culpepper said he may rule Tuesday on the motion to suppress the evidence.

Steve Powell stood quietly during Monday's hearing, with sandals covering bare feet and shackles around his ankles. In the gallery, both sides of the divided family watched.

Alina Powell, Steve Powell's daughter, went further than his attorneys and argued outside of court that investigators simply fabricated the evidence against him. She has long defended her father and brother Josh, saying they had nothing to do with Susan Powell's disappearance.

Susan Powell's father, Chuck Cox, said outside of court that he believes Steve Powell's knows the location of Susan Powell.

Investigators have said they are still interested in speaking with Steve Powell about the disappearance of his daughter-in-law. They say he has been uncooperative in that investigation.

Authorities say that Steve Powell's bedroom also contained images of nude female bodies with Susan Powell's face copied onto them, according to court documents.

In a different set of journals that investigators have described in court documents, Susan Powell said that she wished her husband would sever ties with Steve Powell. She described Steven Powell as a pedophile.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Steven Powell will find out Tuesday morning if his warrant will be thrown out.
Lawyers for Powell argued Monday that evidence collected at his Puyallup home last fall was collected illegally, violating the Fourth Amendment.
Powell was charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing pictures of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct after police said they found thousands of illegal images of girls and women on his computers. Prosecutors said the images were found as police investigated his daughter-in-law Susan's disappearance.
Susan Powell went missing in December 2009. Her husband, Josh Powell, killed his two sons and himself by igniting his Graham home in February.
Powell’s attorneys argued Monday the search warrant should not have been issued.
A Pierce County judge had issued the search warrant for Susan Powell’s journals, originals and digital copies, because it might help locate Susan Powell.
Powell’s attorneys argued those specific journals were written more than 12 years ago, long before she met Josh Powell and would have had nothing to do with her disappearance.
The attorneys argued it was a “fishing expedition,” because the case had grown “stale.”
State prosecutors said the warrant likely would not have been requested had Steven and his son, Josh, gone on national TV saying the journals suggested Susan had boy problems, depression issues and had complained of abuse as a teen.
Prosecutors said the Powells would not share the journals with police and that’s why the warrant was requested/issued.
If (and a big if) Judge Ronald Culpepper rules the warrant was illegal, Powell would be released, according to prosecutors.
Alina Powell, his daughter, said that would be justice. She told KING 5 News there has been a lot of “illegal hanky-panky going on” with the investigation into Susan Powell’s disappearance.
Alina Powell said the evidence of child pornography and voyeurism was fabricated by police.
Susan’s father, Chuck Cox did not seem too worried the case would be dropped.
“I think their arguments are ridiculous,” said Cox.
When asked what he would think if Powell walked free, Cox said, “I think I’d be more concerned what it’d be like for him because of the neighbors.”
Steven Powell is accused of taking pictures and video of children in his neighborhood without their permission.
A decision will be made Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Josh's sister sounds as delusional as her brother and father. JMOO.

By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2:33 PM

TACOMA, Wash. — A state judge on Tuesday cleared the way for the voyeurism trial of missing Utah mother Susan Powell’s father-in-law, dismissing his request to suppress key evidence in the case.

Judge Ronald Culpepper determined authorities had a proper search warrant when they scoured Steve Powell’s home last year. In that search, they uncovered thousands of images of females being videotaped without their knowledge, including Susan Powell.

Steve Powell faces several voyeurism charges and one count of possession of child pornography. His trial is scheduled to start May 7.

Powell’s attorneys had argued the warrant was illegal, saying it was essentially a fishing expedition designed to gather general evidence against his son Josh, who was Susan Powell’s husband. Josh Powell was living with Steve Powell at the time.

Prosecutors said the warrant was necessary for investigators who were trying to solve Susan Powell’s 2009 disappearance.

Culpepper determined there was probable cause to search the home and went even further to say there was “probable cause to believe that Joshua Powell, the subject of the investigation, was involved in the disappearance and very likely the death of Susan Powell.”

He also said it was “very reasonable to infer that Josh and Steven would have discussed the disappearance.”

Chuck Cox, Susan Powell’s father, said it was a relief to actually hear those kinds of remarks in court. Utah investigators have never declared Josh Powell a suspect.

Cox also believes Steve Powell knows details of what happened to Susan Powell, and he hopes the trial will put pressure on him.

“Every step in this process reduces Steve’s options,” Cox said. “As those are reduced, hopefully it will motivate him to tell us where Susan really is.”

While court documents indicate authorities were focusing on whether Josh Powell was involved in his wife’s disappearance, investigators have said they also are interested in speaking with Steve Powell about his daughter-in-law’s disappearance. They say he has been uncooperative in that investigation.

Alina Powell, Steve Powell’s daughter, previously said she believes the evidence against her father was fabricated. She said Tuesday she doubted her father would get a fair trial.

Steve Powell’s bedroom also contained images of nude female bodies with Susan Powell’s face copied onto them, authorities said in court documents.

In one set of journals that investigators have described in court documents, Susan Powell wrote that she wished her husband would sever ties with Steve Powell. She described Steven Powell as a pedophile.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
:cheering: :cheering: :cheering: :cheering: :cheering: :cheering: :cheering:

Of course I am sure the daughter cannot come to grips that her father is a pedophile, pervert, and all that. I would be shocked too, if it was me. But she surely must realize how idiotic she sounds when she defends her father when there is evidence he is a perv.
She needs mental help like the rest of that clan. JMO, they ALL make me sick. Poor Susan. Poor Braden and Charlie. Shame on Utah.

Steve Powell’s bedroom also contained images of nude female bodies with Susan Powell’s face copied onto them, authorities said in court documents.

What is the Very Important evidence about Josh that has been uncovered/ released/ revealed? I read back and can't find it. If anyone can let me know the nutshell version or point me to the place I can read this, I'd really appreciate it. TIA

hippy

NEVER MIND, I found it.

How sad is it that he was consistently lying to them, removing cell phones SIMS, etc and was still roaming free when he killed his children and himself. Jeez.

Yea and Utah didn't do a Damned thing about it!! I don't know what they were waiting for...all the evidence and Proof that he killed his wife was there all along and UNRELEASED until recently and AFTER he blew up the house and killed himself and those poor little boys!! West Valley PD has blood on their hands and I hope the Cox's sue them, although NO amount of money will EVER bring back their grandsons!

And JP's sister is nuttier than a fruitcake. The entire family, sans the one sister, are CRAZY. I feel for JP's mother. I can't imagine being married to that perv, Steve Powell.

Wrapitup wrote: I feel for JP's mother. I can't imagine being married to that perv, Steve Powell.

(respectfully snipped)

There's not enough soap and hot water to EVER make me feel clean again if I had been married to that creepy perverted man. Susan must have felt equally as dirty with that perv lusting after her. Poor girl.

Court » Trial for father-in-law of Susan Powell will start May 7.

By Melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 5 hours ago • Updated 1 hour ago

Two investigators will testify on Steven Powell’s behalf when the man’s pornography and voyeurism trial gets underway next week, court documents show.

Powell’s attorneys, Mark Quigley and Travis Currie, on Wednesday filed a preliminary witness list in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma, Wash.

Defense Witnesses
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Witness list in Steve Powell case
][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The attorneys list Glenn Glover and Dave LaTourette — both investigators — are their witnesses. Glover is employed by the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel in Tacoma while LaTourette is a private investigator with DL Investigations based in North Bend, Wash.

LaTourette’s company specializes in "criminal investigation, witness and associate interviewing, records and background checks, surveillance, and incident (crime, accident, traffic) photography," according to the company’s Facebook page.

Powell, 61, is charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Jury selection will start for Powell — who is the father-in-law of missing West Valley City woman Susan Cox Powell — on Monday. Judge Ronald E. Culpepper is presiding over the estimated eight-day proceeding, which is expected to draw media outlets from across the country.

Jury selection is expected to take one to two days, with about four days of trial after that. Jurors will then deliberate. QUICK!!

Culpepper set the stage for the trial to move forward last month when he ruled that evidence gathered from Powell’s home in Puyallup, Wash., could be admitted at trial.

Attorneys had debated the constitutionality of a search warrant served by a Pierce County sheriff’s detective at Powell’s home, with defense attorneys calling it "overly broad" and prosecutors claiming police had probable cause to obtain the warrant.

During an initial court hearing for Steve Powell last fall, prosecutor Grant Blinn said Powell took images of girls as young as 8 years old over a 10-year span, although the court case focuses on voyeurism episodes from 2006 and 2007.

Powell, who has pleaded not guilty, is being held in the Pierce County jail on $200,000 bail.

Sheriff’s deputies from Tacoma, Wash., arrested Steve Powell on Sept. 22, 2011, after detectives from West Valley City returned to search the home Powell shared with son Josh Powell, his grandsons and two other adult children, Alina Powell and John Powell.

The search warrants, recently unsealed, detail Steve Powell’s sexual interest in his daughter-in-law, including assertions that he secretly filmed underneath her skirt and pasted photos of Susan Powell’s head on images of nude bodies.

Prosecutors previously released a list of witnesses that they plan to call at the trial. Twelve of the 28 witnesses on the list are employed by West Valley City. Another eight witnesses are employed by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, the document shows.

Those identified on the list as employees of the West Valley City Police Department include Ellis Maxwell, a detective who has been working on the case of Susan Powell since her 2009 disappearance. John Dietrich, John LeFavor, Mike McPhie, Michael Schwemmer, Michael Fossmo, Phil Quinlan, Steven Katz, William Merritt, Robert Bobrowski, Todd Gray and Tracy Catmull — all on the West Valley City police force — also appear to be witnesses, the document shows.

Other witnesses on the prosecutors’ list are only identified by their initials — presumably the victims whom Steve Powell is accused of surreptitiously filming.

Jennifer Graves, Steve Powell’s daughter who lives in West Jordan, is also expected to testify against her father at trial.


Susan Powell, 28, disappeared from her West Valley City home in December 2009. Her husband, Josh Powell, 36, killed himself and his two young sons, ages 7 and 5, in February at his Graham-area rental home.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Steve Powell Voyeurism Trial: Girls testify against father-in-law of missing Susan Powell
By Crimesider Staff Topics Daily Blotter

(CBS/AP) TACOMA, Wash. - Two young Washington State girls who were neighbors of Steve Powell testified Wednesday in his voyeurism trial that they did not know they were being photographed by Powell while in their bathroom.

Powell, 62, whose daughter-in-law Susan Powell has been missing since 2009 and whose son Josh Powell killed himself and the couple's two boys in February, is on trial after police allegedly found hundreds of graphic, nude images of girls on his computer while looking for evidence about Susan Powell's disappearance.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the neighbor girls were eight and ten when the photos were taken in 2006 and 2007.

In his opening statement, Deputy Prosecutor Bryce Nelson said that Powell took the photos through a window, "invading their most private moments," and used the pictures for his own sexual gratification.

Among the photos found on a computer in Powell's home were images of the neighbor girls as they went to the bathroom and took baths, reports CBS affiliate KIRO.

Defense attorney Mark Quigley told jurors during his opening statement that Steven Powell doesn't have any burden of proof in the case and that it's up to prosecutors to provide enough evidence to convict him.

"What you're to consider in this case is the evidence you hear in this court only, not what this case is all about," Quigley said, apparently suggesting the prosecution has to do with the fate of the Powell family. He added that the defense "will challenge every piece of evidence the state presents."

Steve Powell is not expected to testify.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Jurors shown photos of 2 sisters allegedly taken by Steve Powell
By ADAM LYNN — Staff writer
Posted: 6:59pm on May 9, 2012;
Modified: 2:19pm on May 10, 2012
TED S. WARREN — The Associated Press

For 30 minutes Wednesday, a Pierce County sheriff’s detective narrated for a jury a series of digital images as they flashed across a video screen in Superior Court.

The shots – apparently still photos clipped from video recordings – showed two sisters, ages 10 and 8, in various stages of undress, taking baths, using the toilet.

One showed one of the girls in Care Bear pajamas getting ready for bed.

Several of the shots focused on the girls’ private parts.

Deputy prosecutors Grant Blinn and Bryce Nelson contend Steven Craig Powell took the photos. Powell, 62, lived adjacent to the girls’ home in 2006 and 2007. They also allege Powell, on trial on 14 counts of voyeurism, used the photos for sexual gratification.

“This case is about a secret,” Nelson told jurors during his opening statement in the case. “That secret is Steven Powell is a voyeur.”

Powell is accused of taking the girls’ photos surreptitiously from his bedroom window, which was in direct line of sight of a window in a neighboring house that, from a certain angle, afforded a view of the upstairs bathroom.

He has pleaded not guilty.

One of Powell’s attorneys, Mark Quigley, told jurors the defense plans to “challenge every piece of evidence” put forth by prosecutors but won’t put on a case of its own. Powell will not testify, Quigley said during his opening statement.

The case has attracted national media attention because of Powell’s connection to missing Utah mother Susan Cox Powell. She disappeared from her home in December 2009, and Powell’s son, Josh, was being investigated in her disappearance when he killed Susan’s and his two sons and himself in Pierce County in February.

Judge Ron Culpepper has severely limited how much prosecutors can talk about Susan Powell’s disappearance during her father-in-law’s voyeurism trial, noting she is not named as a victim in any of the Pierce County counts.

Blinn and Nelson had tried to get journal entries written by Steven Powell about his sexual obsession with his daughter-in-law admitted into the trial, along with photos he took of her, but Culpepper said no.

Lead detective Gary Sanders was the first witness.

He testified about overseeing the search of Steven Powell’s house in August 2011. Detectives were looking for clues in Susan Powell’s disappearance when they found a disc filled with hundreds of images of girls and women. The disc was in a cardboard box inside Steve Powell’s bedroom, Sanders said.

Some of the subjects of the photos were in various stages of undress, the detective testified. None appeared to know she was being photographed, he said.

Detectives homed in on images of two girls in particular, Sanders said. They were photographed in the bathtub or using the toilet. The images appeared to be taken through an open second-story window.

Investigators later tracked down a family who’d lived next door to Powell in 2006 and 2007. They learned the family included two daughters who often used the upstairs bathroom.

Sanders said he showed the mother of the girls some of the photos found in Powell’s house.

“She said, ‘That’s my daughter,’ ” he testified.

Sanders told jurors the images of the daughters could have been taken only from Powell’s bedroom, given the angles of the shots and the fact the girls’ bathroom was on the second floor of their house.

During cross-examination by Quigley, Sanders testified that Powell was not the only person living in the house at the time of the search. Several of his grown children, including Josh Powell, also were living in the house at the time, Sanders said in answer to one of Quigley’s questions.

The mother of the two girls and the girls themselves took the stand during the afternoon.

The woman, who was referred to in court by her initials, D.C., said her family moved into Powell’s Puyallup-area neighborhood in summer 2006.

She testified she often opened the windows in the house to try to beat the summer heat.

Her girls, she said, often left the upstairs bathroom door open while they were bathing or using the toilet because her youngest was afraid to be alone. She testified she didn’t think anything of it at the time because she didn’t think anyone could see inside the bathroom from outside the house.

She wiped at tears as she looked at photos of her girls, allegedly taken by Powell, whom she knew by sight but had never met.

“Did you ever give anyone permission to film your kids inside your house?” Blinn asked her at one point.

“Absolutely not,” the woman replied.

Under cross-examination by Quigley, she said she never saw Powell with a camera at his bedroom window.

She also said she remembered seeing another man at Powell’s house during that time period. The fellow was often outside in a bathrobe, she testified.

Her girls, now 15 and 13, testified they did not know anyone was photographing them as they used the bathroom back in 2006 and 2007. They also said they never gave permission for anyone to do so.

Blinn asked the youngest girl if she ever suspected anything was amiss while she lived near Powell.

“I felt safe,” she said.

“Why?” Blinn asked.

“It was my house,” she replied.

Quigley declined a chance to cross-examine either girl.

The trial is set to resume Monday. Prosecutors told Culpepper they expect to call their last witnesses and rest then.

Closing arguments could come as soon as Tuesday.

Read more here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

By Pat Reavy, Deseret News
Published: Thursday, May 10 2012 11:03 a.m. MDT

Attorney Anne Bremner, who represents both the family of Susan Powell and the family of two young girls who are the subjects of Steven Powell's voyeurism trial, wants West Valley police to release their records into the Susan Powell investigation to her.

TACOMA, Wash. — Attorney Anne Bremner wants West Valley police to release their records into the Susan Powell investigation to her. If they don't, she will consider filing a lawsuit.

In a letter dated April 26, Bremner filed public records requests of both the West Valley Police Department and the Pierce County Sheriff's Office in Washington for "complete copies of any and all investigative files concerning the disappearance of Susan Cox Powell." Both departments had 10 business days to respond.

Pierce County has agreed to hand over all of its police reports after Steven Powell's voyeurism trial has concluded, which is expected to be next week. As of Wednesday, West Valley police had not responded, Bremner said. Thursday marks the end of the 10-day period.

Bremner represents both the family of Susan Powell and the family of two young girls who are the subjects of Steven Powell's voyeurism trial, which is currently under way. Powell is charged with 14 counts of voyeurism. Both of the girls, who are now 13 and 15, testified against Powell on Wednesday saying they did not give anyone permission to videotape or photograph them while they were in the bathroom of their own home.

Powell's trial will resume on Monday with witnesses from Utah, including members of the West Valley Police Department, expected to take the stand. Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald Culpepper has all but eliminated Susan Powell from the trial, making multiple rulings the keep her name out of the proceedings so the jury won't be prejudiced hearing the high-profile name of the missing Utah mother.

But members of the Cox family say Susan was also a victim of Steven Powell's voyeurism and he should face additional charges based on what he allegedly did to her. Many of the pretrial motions in the Steven Powell trial dealt with numerous photos and videos he allegedly took of his daughter-in-law, and Steve Powell's own diary entries contained sexually graphic fantasies he had written about her.

The Cox family is hoping this won't be the last time Powell goes on trial for voyeurism.

When asked why charges weren't filed on behalf of Susan Powell, Bremner said at the time there were potential complications over the statute of limitations and also the fact that the missing woman couldn't be called to testify.

Bremner, a Seattle-based attorney who has worked several high-profile cases in the past, made the records requests on behalf of both the Cox family and the young girls.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

By Melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published May 06 2012 11:21 pm • Last Updated May 08 2012 08:09 am

Tacoma, Wash. • From a revelation that Steve Powell once admitted he’d been out of control sexually nearly his entire life to a judge’s decision to throw out a pornography charge filed against the man, the first day of trial for the father-in-law of missing Utah woman Susan Powell included a heavy dose of courtroom drama.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Ronald E. Culpepper on Monday ruled Powell will not go to trial on one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Steven Craig Powell faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of 15 counts against him.

If Powell is convicted on all counts, the judge could order him to serve consecutive sentences for a total of 75 years in prison.

Now the judge must decide if jurors still being selected to hear 14 remaining counts of voyeurism can consider journal entries in which Powell wrote he is a voyeur and detailed his sexual interest in his daughter-in-law.

Prosecutors have said Powell, 62, took images of girls as young as 8 during a 10-year span, although the court case focuses on voyeurism episodes from 2006 and 2007.

Culpepper’s ruling came after defense attorneys argued the pornography charge required proof Powell "initiated, contributed to, or in any way influenced the victim’s conduct" - something prosecutors couldn’t prove about images Powell allegedly filmed of two former neighbor girls bathing and using the toilet.

"It is my understanding that the state does not have any evidence that anyone posed or directed the girls," Culpepper said in his ruling from the bench.

The judge went on to say the depictions related to that count are not "depictions of minors engaged in explicit conduct."

Powell’s trial will determine whether he victimized young girls. But attorneys on Monday focused extensively on his relationship with Susan as they debated the merits of presenting the journal entries to a jury.

Defense attorneys Mark Quigley and Travis Currie want Culpepper to block prosecutors from using the entries, written in 2003, 2004, and 2010.

Prosecutors said in March 2004, Powell wrote he and Susan were a perfect match since he was a voyeur and she an exhibitionist. In December 2003, he wrote he had been stalking Susan and making secret videos of her.

In April 2003, Powell wrote Susan liked to be admired and that he was a voyeur, prosecutors said. In September 2010, he wrote he was going nuts and had been out of control sexually almost his entire life.

Prosecutors Grant Blinn and Bryce Nelson argued the entries are relevant because they show Powell’s history of voyeurism. Culpepper is expected to rule on the journals issue Tuesday morning.

Quigley and Currie also have requested limiting juror access to all of the images on a disc containing the images at issue in the court case. Images not at issue on that disc that could prejudice the jury include legal pornography, other images of women Powell filmed without their knowledge, and images of Powell "doing some things sexually," according to Currie.

Earlier Monday, just five potential jurors out of a pool of 70 brought into court said they couldn’t be impartial in the case. Three of them cited news reports and two pointed to personal connections with Susan or her parents.

Culpepper asked the remaining 65 jurors to fill out questionnaires which will be reviewed by attorneys before jury selection resumes at 10:45 a.m. MST Tuesday.

As Powell’s trial began, the parents of Susan Powell said they are hopeful the trial may yet reveal what happened to their daughter — especially if a plea bargain can be reached. Chuck and Judy Cox maintain Steve Powell and his son, Josh, were involved in their daughter’s disappearance.

The Coxes said they believe Powell enjoys the attention of the trial and is trying to hurt them by dragging out the case and not cooperating with police. Judy Cox said this is Powell’s way to "stick it" to them and the world.

"He thinks this is going to hurt me?" said Chuck Cox. "I already imagine he has done as bad as he can."

Still, Monday brought new surprises to the family when they learned for the first time that Powell had written extensive journal entries about Susan.

"It just shows how sick and obsessive he is," said Denise Cox, Susan’s sister, outside the courtroom. She said she was "fuming" as attorneys discussed the contents of Steve Powell’s journals.

Testimony in the trial is expected to begin Wednesday with Pierce County sheriffs Detective Gary Sanders to be the first called, Blinn said Monday. The mother of Powell’s two alleged victims, the victims themselves, and Detective Kevin Johnson will also take the witness stand, Blinn said.

Jennifer Graves, Steve Powell’s daughter who lives in West Jordan, is also expected to testify against her father.

The trial will then break on Thursday and Friday, resuming the following Monday when prosecutors say they anticipate resting their case.

Then the defense will make its case. Two investigators will testify on Steve Powell’s behalf, court documents show: Glenn Glover of the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel in Tacoma and Dave LaTourette with DL Investigations based in North Bend, Wash.

The trial is expected to end that Wednesday.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Tacoma, Wash. • Steve Powell, the father-in-law of missing Utah woman Susan Powell, scored another victory Tuesday when a judge barred discussion of most of his sexually-explicit journals.

Judge Ronald E. Culpepper said eight journal entries, in which Steve Powell discussed his obsession with his daughter-in-law and sex fantasies, were irrelevant to the case and could make jurors biased against Steve Powell.

Steven Craig Powell faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of 14 counts against him.

If Powell is convicted on all counts, the judge could order him to serve consecutive sentences for a total of 70 years in prison.

"This is all about stalking Susan," Culpepper said of one entry that Powell wrote about taking photos of his daughter-in-law in the driveway.

Culpepper admitted one journal entry where Steve Powell on Aug 17. 2004, states, "I enjoy taking video shots of pretty girls in shorts and skirts."

Steve Powell wrote in the same entry, "I sometimes use these images for self stimulation."

The ruling came minutes after attorneys seated a jury of 12 and two alternates to hear the voyeurism charges against Steve Powell. Opening arguments in the case are expected to begin Wednesday morning in Pierce County Superior Court.

Prosecutors wanted the journals shown to jurors as proof of Powell’s voyeuristic behavior. Defense attorneys maintained the journal entries were prejudicial, and that the disappearance of Susan Powell has nothing to do with the pending case involving alleged voyeurism involving Steve and two young neighbor girls.

Culpepper agreed with defense attorneys for the most part. In explaining his reasoning, Culpepper spoke of the entries, including a March 2004 entry where Powell wrote that he is a voyeur, Susan Powell is an exhibitionist and they would make "the perfect match."

"This doesn’t say anything about his relationship with the neighbor kids," Culpepper said, referring to the children Steve Powell is accused of photographing in various states of undress.

As for the journal entry jurors will see, Culpepper said Powell’s statement in that entry shows a motive behind his stockpile of photos of random women.

Culpepper remains undecided on whether a 2010 entry where Steve Powell wrote that he has been out of control sexually for the majority of his life should be admitted. The judge said he needed more time to decide on that entry before making a final decision on whether it can be admitted.

Jury selection wrapped up just before 5 p.m. Tuesday when seven women and seven men were chosen. While the charges against Powell do not involve Susan, much of Tuesday’s questioning of potential jurors centered on media reports surrounding her case.

Defense attorney Travis Currie asked how the intense media coverage of Steve Powell in connection with his missing daughter-in-law could affect their abilities to be impartial.

"The big pink elephant in the room is this other related matter," Currie said. "What you’re going to be asked to decide here has literally nothing to do with the case involving Susan Powell, Josh Powell, the children or anything else. We’re not going to be hearing about that. That’s not the case here."

One potential juror mentioned that during a 15-minute period last night as he drove to the grocery store, he heard three references to the Steve Powell case on the radio. He said he has served jury duty five times, but has never been on a case that has received so much media coverage.

Several potential jurors said they don’t have a problem tuning out prior media coverage of the case.

"Most reports are mostly for ratings," one said. "Police aren’t going to tell reporters everything that is going on. I’d rather hear all the facts from the people who are collecting them."

Potential jurors were excused for a number of different reasons: one referred to her job working with sexually abused children, while another pointed to her personal experiences as a victim of abuse. Another woman said she had been in a gem club with Steve Powell’s son, Josh.

Documents filed in Pierce County Superior Court on Tuesday show the extent of Steve Powell’s obsession.

Steven Craig Powell faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of 14 counts against him.

If Powell is convicted on all counts, the judge could order him to serve consecutive sentences for a total of 70 years in prison.


Steve Powell filmed Susan many times without her knowledge, focusing in on her private parts, according to the reports. One 8 mm tape he called "Secret Susan" shows Steve Powell speaking on tape as he touches Susan’s LDS undergarments and makes a statement about how they turn him on sexually.

In other recorded segments, he professes his love for Susan, recounts a time that he gave her a massage and became sexually aroused, and masturbates to her image. Steve Powell also filmed footage of himself smelling Susan’s underwear and discussing her body.

Investigators also found audio tape recorded by Steve Powell as he and Susan were in a car together. The report called the conversation "Steve’s clumsy attempt to find out what is on Susan’s mind, if she loves him." Susan told Steve she was married to his son.

Culpepper on Monday ruled Stve Powell would not go to trial on one count of possessing an image of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Prosecutors have said Powell, 62, took images of girls as young as 8 during a 10-year span, although the court case focuses on voyeurism episodes from 2006 and 2007. Among Powell’s alleged victims are two former neighbors he filmed bathing and using the toilet.

Defense attorneys Mark Quigley and Currie want Culpepper to block prosecutors from using the journal entries, written in 2003, 2004 and 2010. Blinn and prosecutor Bryce Nelson argued the entries are relevant because they show Powell’s history of voyeurism.

Quigley and Currie also have requested limiting juror access to all of the images on a disc containing the images at issue in the court case.

The parents of Susan Powell have said they are hopeful the trial may yet reveal what happened to their daughter — especially if a plea bargain can be reached. Chuck and Judy Cox maintain Steve Powell and his son, Josh, were involved in their daughter’s disappearance.

Susan Powell, 28, disappeared from her West Valley City home in December 2009. Police named her 36-year-old husband as a person of interest in the case. Josh Powell claimed he took the couple’s young sons on a midnight camping trip on the night of her disappearance.

Josh Powell killed himself and his sons, 7-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Braden, in February at his Graham-area rental home. Police say he used a hatchet on the boys before lighting the home on fire in a gasoline-fueled blaze.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Rick Egan | The Lake Tribune Steve Powell sits Tuesday, May 8, 2012, in a Pierce County Superior courtroom in Tacoma, Wash., on the second day of his trial for voyeurism charges.

EVERY journal he wrote, EVERY picture he took should be admitted as evidence. OMG, he is one sick f'd up pervert!!!

By Gene Johnson
The Associated Press staff
Wed, 05/09/2012 - 2:33pm

TACOMA, Wash. — The father-in-law of missing Utah woman Susan Powell is not expected to testify at his voyeurism trial in Washington state.

Defense attorney Mark Quigley told jurors during his opening statement Wednesday that Steve Powell doesn’t have any burden of proof in the case, and it’s up to prosecutors to provide enough evidence to convict him of charges that he secretly filmed two young neighbor girls in their home as they took baths, used the toilet and got dressed

Susan Powell disappeared from her home in West Valley City, Utah, in late 2009. In February, her husband, Josh Powell, attacked the couple’s two sons at a house near Puyallup, Wash., with a hatchet and then ignited an explosive fire that claimed the lives of all three. Josh Powell, Steve’s son, is believed to have been involved in Susan’s disappearance.

“You know about Josh Powell and Susan Powell, and we all know that’s not what this case is about,” Quigley told the jury. “What I want you to focus on is the sufficiency of the state’s evidence.”

Steve Powell faces 14 counts of voyeurism. Judge Ronald Culpepper threw out one charge of possession of child pornography, saying the state’s proffered evidence didn’t fit the definition of that crime.

In his opening statement, Pierce County deputy prosecutor Bryce Nelson told the jury that Steve Powell recorded the images for his sexual gratification.

“This case is about a secret,” Nelson said. The neighbor girls and her mother “didn’t know Steve Powell had a secret. But we do.”

Authorities searched Steve Powell’s home last year for evidence in Susan Powell’s disappearance. On Steve Powell’s computers, they said, they found thousands of images of women and girls apparently recorded without their knowledge — some as they walked dogs, strolled through parking lots, or entered their homes in Steve Powell’s neighborhood.

There were many images of Susan Powell that appeared to have been filmed without her knowledge. In thousands of pages of journal entries discovered by detectives, Steve Powell detailed his obsession with Susan Powell, prosecutors have said.

Much of that evidence has been barred from the trial as unduly prejudicial against the defendant. Steve Powell is not charged with acts of voyeurism involving Susan Powell because authorities can’t prove she didn’t know about the filming.

By contrast, detectives were able to identify the neighbor girls and their mother, and they are expected to testify that they knew nothing about the filming.

Susan Powell’s father, Chuck Cox, said it was obvious that Susan was unaware that she was being recorded by her father-in-law.

“Clearly their strongest evidence on anything is on Susan being a victim,” Cox said. “I don’t get it. Does she not count?”

The first witness to take the stand was Pierce County Sheriff’s Detective Gary Sanders, who described how investigators found the images and then displayed them for jurors, explaining what they were seeing in each one. The screen on which the images were displayed was turned to avoid showing them to spectators in the courtroom, but Sanders’ testimony sounded like a creepy slide show.

“You can see she’s using the bathroom, underwear down to mid-thighs,” he told the jurors. “Now another scene, both victims in the bath. ... And another bath scene. ... There she is putting on pajamas ....”

Powell faces a standard sentence of around four years if convicted, but the state has alleged aggravating factors that could result in a longer term.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

By Melinda Rogers | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published May 09 2012 06:46 pm • Last Updated May 09 2012 11:34 pm

Tacoma, Wash. • An attorney for the parents of Susan Cox Powell who filed a formal request with both the West Valley City Police Department and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department in Tacoma, Wash., to review all investigative files related to the missing woman’s case will soon receive the documents.

Anne Bremner, a Seattle attorney who represents Chuck and Judy Cox, filed formal requests last month under Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act and Washington’s Public Records Act for "complete copies of any and all investigative files concerning the disappearance of Susan Cox Powell."

Bremner said Wednesday that Pierce County has agreed to give her all the documents she has requested following the voyeurism trial in Tacoma for Steven Powell, Susan’s father-in-law. The trial is expected to end next week.

Bremner said she is still waiting to hear from West Valley City. The city’s 10-day deadline to respond to Bremner’s request was by the end of Wednesday.

Bremner considers Pierce County’s response a major victory, she said. And she plans to share information in the files with the public.

"Unless there is some kind of prohibition that I’m given that is specific and well-founded, then I plan to [share the information with the public]," she said.

Bremner is seeking the documents on behalf of the Cox family for "potential litigation in which they may seek civil redress in connection with Susan’s disappearance on Dec. 6, 2009," her request stated.

Bremner said recently that although West Valley City Police Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen told the Coxes in February that they could review files related to their daughter’s case, the family has not yet received any documents that give them insight into how West Valley City has handled the investigation.

Nielsen visited the Coxes in Puyallup, Wash., in February after the Coxes’ son-in-law, Josh Powell, killed himself along with his two young sons in a gasoline-fueled fire at his Graham, Wash., home. Josh Powell was the only person of interest named in the disappearance of his wife.

In her request, Bremner referenced laws that entitle crime victims, survivors and witnesses access to investigative files in some cases.

"Although public-disclosure laws exempt some police investigative files from disclosure, the exemption applies only where disclosure would compromise the investigation or violate an individual’s right to privacy," Bremner wrote in her request. "Neither factor is at issue here. The investigation into the disappearance of Susan Cox Powell has been a joint agency investigation between West Valley City Police and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. We believe Washington law applies to our request as well."

Bremner wrote that the Cox family seeks the investigative files to "further our representation."

"Release of the information we are seeking would further the interests of justice because it would allow us to better represent our client, the victim in this case," Bremner wrote.

West Valley City has denied a similar request from The Salt Lake Tribune, which asked the city to release all documents related to the investigation of Josh Powell.

The West Valley City Council last month denied the request, which had previously been denied by West Valley City’s city manager.

In a four-page document outlining the reasoning behind the denial, West Valley City officials wrote that Utah law allows the city to classify records as protected if the records "reasonably could be expected to interfere with investigations undertaken for enforcement, discipline, licensing, certification or registration purposes."

The city also stated that releasing the documents may "create a danger of depriving a person of a right to a fair trial or impartial hearing," among other reasons cited.

"As requested, ‘any and all documents pertaining to the investigation of Joshua Powell as a person of interest in the December 2009 disappearance of his wife, Susan Cox Powell,’ meet the criteria of protected records," the document states.

Terry Orme, managing editor of The Tribune, has said the council’s decision to deny the release of the records is not in the public’s interest.

"The Tribune thinks that the public has the interest and the right to have a glimpse into the investigation of Susan Powell’s disappearance. First, this investigation has been going on for more than two years without any discernible progress. Second, significant taxpayer-funded resources have been expended in this investigation.

"Citizens deserve to know how their money is being spent," said Orme.

"Third, the only individual named by police as a person of interest has killed himself and has killed two innocent children along the way. This all argues for West Valley City to open up its investigative documents to see how this process has been handled."

Clint Gilmore, West Valley City assistant chief prosecutor and police legal adviser, argued that disclosure of the requested records could interfere with the ongoing investigation into Susan Powell’s disappearance. He said records can be withheld if release would create a danger of depriving someone of a right to a fair trial or reasonably could be expected to disclose the identity of a source.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]