The 15-Year Cold Case of Susan Powell: The Secret That Died in the Fire

On the morning of Monday, December 7, 2009, 28-year-old mother of two Susan Cox Powell failed to arrive for her shift at Wells Fargo Financial in Salt Lake City. When police broke into her West Valley City home, they found box fans blowing over wet living room carpets, two unattended cell phones on the counter, and Susan's purse locked inside the master bedroom. Hours later, her husband Josh Powell returned in the family minivan with their two toddler sons, Charlie and Braden. His explanation remains one of the most chilling alibis in criminal history: he claimed he had taken his two- and four-year-old boys "winter camping" at 12:30 AM in the middle of a sub-zero desert blizzard at Simpson Springs. For fifteen years, the disappearance of Susan Powell has haunted investigators. From secret safe-deposit box letters pleading for protection to the sick obsessions of Steven Powell and the unimaginable tragedy of February 5, 2012 in Graham, Washington—this is the complete, chronological forensic case file. CHAPTERS: 00:00 The Empty House on Sarah Circle (December 7, 2009) 03:33 Wet Carpets & Two Box Fans: The Staged Crime Scene 07:09 The 12:30 AM Blizzard "Camping" Alibi 10:45 The Minivan Inspection & The Handheld GPS Clues 14:15 Simpson Springs & The 100-Mile Desert Search 19:18 The Disturbing Influence of Steven Powell 21:53 The Safe Deposit Box: "If I Die, It May Not Be An Accident" 26:40 Financial Motives: The Million-Dollar Life Insurance Policies 31:10 The 2010 Relocation to Washington State 36:45 The Wiretaps & The Storage Locker Discoveries 41:22 February 5, 2012: The Supervised Visit in Graham 46:10 The Fire, The 911 Call & The Stolen Justice 51:30 Michael Powell & The Abandoned Minivan in Oregon 55:05 15 Years Later: The Legacy of Susan, Charlie, and Braden Subscribe to The Cold Record for weekly deep-dive investigative documentaries.