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Puyallup, Wash. • In the wake of Josh Powell's death, West Valley City police say they have received several new email tips about the case of missing woman Susan Cox Powell.
West Valley City Police Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen, who spent Tuesday meeting with local law enforcement, said the information is "new stuff coming out." Officers are reviewing them to see if they yield any credible leads.
"When we get back from this, we're going to debrief what's happened up here, what we have," he said Tuesday at the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. "It will probably take about a month and we'll reassess what we're going to do. But we're going to keep it active and open."
As far as Nielsen was aware, no one in law enforcement received an email from Josh Powell, the only publicly named person of interest in his wife's Dec. 9, 2009 disappearance.
"He hasn't been in touch with us before, I don't suspect he is now," Nielsen said. "He's not been cooperative ever during the last two years."
The chief said that while police had circumstantial evidence about what happened to Susan Cox Powell , it hasn't met a "threshold" yet to take to a prosecutor.
Nielsen said his main purpose in coming to Washington was to meet with the Coxes and offer them comfort.
"That's the reason I'm up here, is to talk to them about that," said Nielsen, who had not yet met with the missing woman's family.
As for what Josh Powell did Sunday, no one could have predicted or stopped it, Nielsen said.
"He pulled the situation. He made that decision, not us," Nielsen said. "Josh did not know where we were at in any investigation on this because he didn't cooperate with us. It had nothing to do with our criminal investigation."
Nielsen said West Valley City officers have not attempted to meet with Josh Powell's father, Steve Powell, during their trip to Washington because he has been uncooperative in the past.
"Steven Powell will be somebody we'll eventually want to talk to," Nielsen said. "Right now he's not cooperating, doesn't want to talk to us. The important thing with Steve is, we do not want to interfere with the criminal investigation that Pierce County has. So whatever we do on that end up here, we'll do through Pierce County."
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