A Look Back: The Susan Powell disappearance and investigation

Susan Powell's husband Joshua Powell during a candle light vigil at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ridgecrest Building in Puyallup, Washington Sunday December 20, 2009. Susan Powell has been missing since Dec. 7. Her husband Joshua Powell said he last saw her at 12:30 a.m. that day when he took their two young sons on a camping trip and left Susan Powell at home. West Valley City police have called Joshua Powell a person of interest and said he has not been forthcoming in two interviews with detectives.
Photo by Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune 1/26/2110
Friends and family of Susan Powell put purple ribbons around her home and signs saying that she is loved, missed and that she will be found.

Susan Powell's husband Joshua Powell during a candle light vigil at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ridgecrest Building in Puyallup, Washington Sunday December 20, 2009. Susan Powell has been missing since Dec. 7. Her husband Joshua Powell said he last saw her at 12:30 a.m. that day when he took their two young sons on a camping trip and left Susan Powell at home. West Valley City police have called Joshua Powell a person of interest and said he has not been forthcoming in two interviews with detectives.
Photo by Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune

SCOTT SOMMERDORF | The Salt Lake Tribune
Searchers coordinate at the command post with Ray Kelsey of the BLM, center, top, as they plan to scour the areas in and around Simpson Springs Saturday. The day-long effort turned up no trace of Susan Powell.

Chris Detrick | Tribune file photo
On Saturday, volunteers distributed around 4,500 'missing person' fliers around the Salt Lake Valley. Saturday December 12, 2009. Susan Powell, 28, was seen last Sunday at her home and was reported missing by her relatives the next day.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

A poster of Susan Powell and her kids, at the vigil at McKinley Park in Tacoma, Monday, February 6, 2012. Between 300 and 400 people were at the vigil.

Photo by Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Josh Powell moves his belongings out of his home in West Valley City into a Uhaul truck Saturday January 9, 2010. About ten people including friends, family members, and neighbors of Joshua Powell arrived at his West Valley City home Saturday morning to help him pack a moving truck headed for Washington.

Several people who began putting boxes into the truck shortly after 9 a.m. said they wanted to help Joshua Powell despite questions surrounding the disappearance of his wife, Susan, just over one month ago. Joshua Powell is the only person of interest investigators have identified in his wife's case so far, and police have criticized him for not being more cooperative with their investigation.

Kim Raff |The Salt Lake Tribune
Kaari Gale becomes emotional while standing with her two sons (left) Joshua and Ethan Gale at a vigil for the Powell family after the explosion at Josh Powells house that kill himself and his two sons, Charlie and Braden, at Oquirrh Hills Elementary in Kearns, Utah on February 5, 2012. Kaari is sisters with Kiirsi Hellewell who is a close friend of Susan Powell. Her two sons were the same age as Powell's sons who died in the explosion earlier in the day.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Law enforcement vehicles are parked off the road, lower right, as authorities continue to search, for Susan Powell, in the area around Topaz Mountain in Juab County about 40 miles north west of Delta, Utah Wednesday, September 14, 2011.

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Purple ribbons and family photographs of Susan Powell and her sons, Charlie and Braden Powell, cover a table during a vigil to commemorate the one year anniversary of the boy's death. The vigil included songs poems and a slide show at West View Park in West Valley City, Utah Tuesday February 5, 2013.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Investigators from the West Valley City police department search an abandoned warehouse in the Ward Mining District south of Ely, Nevada, on Friday August 19, 2011 as part of the investigation into the 2009 disappearance of Susan Powell,

Scott Sommerdorf | Salt Lake Tribune
SUSAN POWELL SEARCH
National Guard personnel point as they survey an area near Simpson Springs. Many people came together to help in the search for any sign of Susan Powel, Saturday 4/10/10.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Joshua Powell listens as Kirk Graves, his brother in law, (not pictured) speaks during a press conference Saturday at West View Park. His wife, Susan Powell, 28, was last seen Sunday at her home and was reported missing by her relatives the next day.

Scott Sommerdorf | Salt Lake Tribune
SUSAN POWELL SEARCH
Volunteer searcher Dan Despain (cq) flies his flying parachute over rough terrain as he helps scour the areas in and around Simpson Springs Saturday, 4/10/10.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
After two short speeches, balloons with cards asking for information as to the whereabouts of Susan Powell were released. People gathered to remember missing West Valley City mother Susan Cox Powell's birthday in West View Park in West Valley City, Saturday, October 15, 2011. Powell would have been 30 today.

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Susan Powell's husband Joshua Powell during a candle light vigil at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ridgecrest Building in Puyallup, Washington Sunday December 20, 2009. Susan Powell has been missing since Dec. 7. Her husband Joshua Powell said he last saw her at 12:30 a.m. that day when he took their two young sons on a camping trip and left Susan Powell at home. West Valley City police have called Joshua Powell a person of interest and said he has not been forthcoming in two interviews with detectives. Photo by Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune 1/26/2110 Friends and family of Susan Powell put purple ribbons around her home and signs saying that she is loved, missed and that she will be found. Susan Powell's husband Joshua Powell during a candle light vigil at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ridgecrest Building in Puyallup, Washington Sunday December 20, 2009. Susan Powell has been missing since Dec. 7. Her husband Joshua Powell said he last saw her at 12:30 a.m. that day when he took their two young sons on a camping trip and left Susan Powell at home. West Valley City police have called Joshua Powell a person of interest and said he has not been forthcoming in two interviews with detectives. Photo by Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune SCOTT SOMMERDORF | The Salt Lake Tribune Searchers coordinate at the command post with Ray Kelsey of the BLM, center, top, as they plan to scour the areas in and around Simpson Springs Saturday. The day-long effort turned up no trace of Susan Powell. Chris Detrick | Tribune file photo On Saturday, volunteers distributed around 4,500 'missing person' fliers around the Salt Lake Valley. Saturday December 12, 2009. Susan Powell, 28, was seen last Sunday at her home and was reported missing by her relatives the next day. Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune A poster of Susan Powell and her kids, at the vigil at McKinley Park in Tacoma, Monday, February 6, 2012. Between 300 and 400 people were at the vigil. Photo by Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Josh Powell moves his belongings out of his home in West Valley City into a Uhaul truck Saturday January 9, 2010. About ten people including friends, family members, and neighbors of Joshua Powell arrived at his West Valley City home Saturday morning to help him pack a moving truck headed for Washington. Several people who began putting boxes into the truck shortly after 9 a.m. said they wanted to help Joshua Powell despite questions surrounding the disappearance of his wife, Susan, just over one month ago. Joshua Powell is the only person of interest investigators have identified in his wife's case so far, and police have criticized him for not being more cooperative with their investigation. Kim Raff |The Salt Lake Tribune Kaari Gale becomes emotional while standing with her two sons (left) Joshua and Ethan Gale at a vigil for the Powell family after the explosion at Josh Powells house that kill himself and his two sons, Charlie and Braden, at Oquirrh Hills Elementary in Kearns, Utah on February 5, 2012. Kaari is sisters with Kiirsi Hellewell who is a close friend of Susan Powell. Her two sons were the same age as Powell's sons who died in the explosion earlier in the day. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Law enforcement vehicles are parked off the road, lower right, as authorities continue to search, for Susan Powell, in the area around Topaz Mountain in Juab County about 40 miles north west of Delta, Utah Wednesday, September 14, 2011. Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Purple ribbons and family photographs of Susan Powell and her sons, Charlie and Braden Powell, cover a table during a vigil to commemorate the one year anniversary of the boy's death. The vigil included songs poems and a slide show at West View Park in West Valley City, Utah Tuesday February 5, 2013. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Investigators from the West Valley City police department search an abandoned warehouse in the Ward Mining District south of Ely, Nevada, on Friday August 19, 2011 as part of the investigation into the 2009 disappearance of Susan Powell, Scott Sommerdorf | Salt Lake Tribune SUSAN POWELL SEARCH National Guard personnel point as they survey an area near Simpson Springs. Many people came together to help in the search for any sign of Susan Powel, Saturday 4/10/10. Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Joshua Powell listens as Kirk Graves, his brother in law, (not pictured) speaks during a press conference Saturday at West View Park. His wife, Susan Powell, 28, was last seen Sunday at her home and was reported missing by her relatives the next day. Scott Sommerdorf | Salt Lake Tribune SUSAN POWELL SEARCH Volunteer searcher Dan Despain (cq) flies his flying parachute over rough terrain as he helps scour the areas in and around Simpson Springs Saturday, 4/10/10. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune After two short speeches, balloons with cards asking for information as to the whereabouts of Susan Powell were released. People gathered to remember missing West Valley City mother Susan Cox Powell's birthday in West View Park in West Valley City, Saturday, October 15, 2011. Powell would have been 30 today.

The Salt Lake Tribune

· December 6, 2013 8:24 am

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Each Friday, The Salt Lake Tribune presents images from its archives in a special series called A Look Back. This week's installment features photos from the Susan Powell case on the anniversary of her disappearance. The young mother was last seen on Dec. 6, 2009, at her West Valley City home. No trace of her has ever been found. Her husband, Josh Powell, was the only person of interest ever named in the case, which came to a shocking end when he killed himself and the couple's two young sons.

Every year since Susan Powell's disappearance, friends and family have gathered to honor her. This year, to commemorate her and the deaths of her sons, Charlie and Braden, people are encouraged to join the vigil at the Christmas Box Angel in the Salt Lake City Cemetery on Friday night at 6 p.m. The vigil is part if a nationwide movement to remember abused children.

For more information, visit the Friends and Family of Susan Cox Powell Facebook page.

Every gallery of the series is available at http://www.sltrib.com/topics/lookback. Here is a sampling:

The career of John Swallow

Prominent artists from early Utah

Utah firefighters at the turn of the 19th century

Historic bars and saloons in Utah

Early settlers in Idaho

The 1988 Yellowstone fire

Early Utah mansions and homesteads

Pony Express, postal service and telegraph in Utah

The mining ghost town of Mercur

Construction of the Salt Lake Tabernacle

Historic buildings in Utah

30 years of iconic rock and roll in Utah

Hunting and fishing in the early 1900s

BYU, Utah football programs

Saloons, brewing companies in Utah around 1900

Historic photos of Temple Square