Susan Powell Update: Were Her Remains Found?

Investigators announced an update this week in the case of Susan Powell, who has been missing since December 7, 2009 when she vanished from her Utah home.

The latest news in the case stems from a mine search in the west desert of Utah, according to Fox 13 Now. Evidence was collected and sent to a Salt Lake City lab. The results are still pending, and will determine whether Powell’s remains have been found.

20/20 is revisiting the case with a special update tonight, February 18, 2022 on ABC at 9 p.m. Eastern time. The episode first aired November 13, 2020.

Here’s what you need to know:

Bones & Clothing Were Collected From a Utah Mine & Results Will Determine Any Connection to Susan Powell

The evidence collected from a Utah mine include bones, a pair of pants that may be women’s pants, and other clothing scraps and trash, according to Fox 13 Now.

“It was a pretty emotional week last week,” Susan’s best friend Kiirsi Hellewell, told the news outlet. “Lots of back and forth. Is it her? Is it not her? Have they found a clue Susan’s disappearance?”

She told the news outlet she has been waiting for years for closure but that she is trying not to be overly optimistic that answers are close.

“I saw the pants myself, I touched them. I looked at them closely and I think that they were a pair of women’s dress pants. Why would someone throw a pair of women’s dress pants down to mine?” Hellewell told the news outlet. “I am trying not to get my hopes up. Because I’ve spent many hours crying over the last couple of weeks thinking, ‘Is this her? We really found her.’ And then ration will come back and we’ll say it, ‘It’s probably not. Don’t get your hopes up.’ We’ve been here so many times before.”

Powell’s Husband, Josh Powell, Killed His 2 Sons & Himself in an Explosion

During a scheduled supervised visit between Josh Powell and his sons, Susan Powell’s husband killed his children and himself. The boys, Charlie and Braden, were 2 and 4 years old. When a social worker arrived with the boys, he pulled the children inside and slammed the door in her face, according to an appeal filed in a Washington state circuit court.

The social worker pounded on the door until she smelled gas. Then, the house exploded. Josh Powell and the boys died from carbon monoxide poisoning. A secondary cause of death to the children were “chopping injuries.” Police believe he attacked his sons with a hatchet before the fire, according to The News Tribune.

Josh Powell told police he took his sons on a camping trip the night before his wife went missing. Police were suspicious of the story, because the temperatures were subzero.

Their older son later told police their mother was also on the camping trip with them, according to The News Tribune.

He said “his mommy went camping with them although she did not come back home with them and he did not know why.”

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