Steven Powell arrested in Washington State

[Taminator]

This case reminds me a lot of the Laci Peterson case, as well. Like the Coxes, Sharon Rocha tried very hard to believe that Scott had nothing to do with Laci's disappearance. Scott barely lifted a finger when it came to trying to find Laci while her family feverishly hung posters, held vigils, searches, etc. Remember all the buttons and flyers found in his car when he was arrested? The stuff he was supposed to be hanging up and passing around. He knew where Laci was the whole time and I have no doubt that Josh knows where Susan is.

The thing I don't understand is, don't these guys ever see the pattern they are setting? The premise is almost always the same in these spousal murder cases. Hubby says last saw wife doing such and such. Doesn't participate in the search. Doesn't seem to be the least bit concerned that a mother (or pregnant woman in Laci's case) has just mysteriously left or decided to leave. Almost always has some deep, dark, secret (Scott had a mistress, but what is Josh's deep, dark, secret?)

I'm having a hard time remembering but, did Mark Hacking participate in any searches for Lori Hacking?

 

[Cheewawa007]

While I feel for the children being taken away from their father I hope Susans Dad gets custody of them. I have always felt Josh murdered Susan and then he wouldn't let Susans Dad even see the children. There is no reason for that action. I hope they find Susan and Josh pays for his crime.

BBM: there is if you don't want the kids talking about what happened to Mommy...

 

[HatesSociopaths]

http://media.trb.com/media/acrobat/2011-09/64969277-23105352.pdf

 

[Just-a-Guy]

I'm having a hard time remembering but, did Mark Hacking participate in any searches for Lori Hacking?

My recollection is he did. At least initially (back behind the house?). But that case went down pretty fast, as I recall.

 

[polevaultpower]

Nancy Cooper's family was also awarded temporary custody of her children - after her body was found, but months before her husband was arrested and charged with her murder.

That's the key, her body was found. A crime had definitely been committed. No one can say with absolute certainty that a crime has been committed involving Susan Powell. We all know in our gut that something horrible happened to her, but without evidence of that...

Those playing devils advocate could point to Nicholas Francisco as an example of a seemingly dedicated parent abandoning their family. I personally do NOT think that is the case here, but it's hard for the courts to act without evidence of a crime.

 

[polevaultpower]

I don't know that it will be that hard for the Coxes to get the boys. In Kyron Horman's case, Kaine got custody of his daughter from the mother because the mother is suspected of harming Kyron. The mother would have to defend herself in the court and she refused as she's said not to be cooperating in the investigation. Since they are saying Josh isn't cooperating, it might be the same scenario. And with them possibly being exposed to child *advertiser censored* in the home, even more so.

But he was a parent and the mom didn't fight it. This case is different with the dad fighting it and having an active restraining order or whatever against the grandparents who want custody.

As much as we all want to see the boys end up with the Coxes, I have a hard time seeing it happen as long as Josh fights it, unless he gets charged with a crime. I don't think they'll give him the boys until he moves out, but I can definitely see the courts leave them in foster care as opposed to placing them with a family member that the parent objects to.

 

[HatesSociopaths]

The question I would like an answer to is, "Why wasn't SP's ex Sandy's info acted on sooner?"

Also, "Why didn't the locked cabinet get opened in the initial search?"

Timeline:

Federal agents arrived at the home May 11, 2010, to retrieve a GPS tracking device they had secretly placed on Josh Powell’s minivan. Documents provided by Steve Powell show he gave agents permission to search his home that day.

Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/...ice-say-they-got-what-they.html#ixzz1YyrmTr3v

“It’s been long enough,” she (Sandy) said. “I originally called the police in January 2010, right after Susan disappeared, because I felt like I had vital information about the Powell family. They were contacted again in April 2010 and October 2010, and yet they never called me back until late July 2011.”

Last fall Sandy said Steve boasted that he still had the pair of Susan’s very sacred Mormon Temple Garment underwear that he stole from the dirty laundry when she and Josh lived at his house at the beginning of their marriage.

“Not only did he stash her underwear in his locked bedroom cabinet, he said he stashed her pictures, journals, and *advertiser censored* in there too,” Sandy said.

“In fact,” she said, “when police went to search his house last fall they missed it – Steve told me they never even looked in his locked cabinet so he still has her private belongings, including her underwear.

“From the beginning of Josh and Susan’s marriage Steve expressed very explicit fantasies about her,” she said.

Sandy said Steve was “madly obsessed” with Susan through the time of her disappearance. Now, he’s obsessed with his theory that Susan ran off with a missing Utah man, Steven Koecher.

http://www.examiner.com/missing-per...ox-powell-feared-her-father-law#ixzz1YsqvT6fL

Shorthanded:
1) Police search SP home in May 2010, somehow miss the locked cabinet (is this some kind of secret cabinet behind a wall or wall hanging or something? How was this missed?)
2) SP brags to Sandy that the police did not search the locked cabinet in the fall of 2010 (not stated, but likely before the date she contacts police in Oct 2010)
3) Sandy contacts police Oct 2010, which appears to be to tell them what SP told her about the locked cabinet. Per Sandy, police did not call her back. Why?
4) Police finally do call her in late July 2011, with the likely purpose to help obtain a search warrant of SP's home. Why the 9 month delay?

MOO.

 

[gitana1]

Ed Troyer told the Ron and Don show that they've only gone through 5% of the pictures. There don't seem to be any taken of the boys, or of little boys in general.

Here's my guess/opinion about the boys being taken away...

When the cops first found the pictures, they probably immediately skimmed through as many as possible to determine if the boys were being abused. No way would they have sat on this for a few weeks if that was the case.

Not finding any of the boys, the next step was to gather enough evidence to make sure he was off the street for a long time while they went through the rest. It sounds like they focused on the neighbor girls, because they could tell that there were pictures that could only be taken from Steven Powell's bedroom window, so between that and their age, the judge would set a high bail.

The justification CPS probably used was that the grandpa had kiddie *advertiser censored*, could get out on bail, can't say conclusively that the boys were't being abused, and Josh doesn't appear to have an easy way to move out. They've certainly taken away kids for less.

I'm not sure it will be a slam dunk for the Coxes to get them though. The restraining order against them could be a problem. The lack of charges against Josh is a huge problem. I think if he can somehow find alternate housing, he gets the kids back. We know he's broke, does he have any friends that would take them in? Extended family?

I don't know that it will be that hard for the Coxes to get the boys. In Kyron Horman's case, Kaine got custody of his daughter from the mother because the mother is suspected of harming Kyron. The mother would have to defend herself in the court and she refused as she's said not to be cooperating in the investigation. Since they are saying Josh isn't cooperating, it might be the same scenario. And with them possibly being exposed to child *advertiser censored* in the home, even more so.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will keep them from Josh.

In Kyron's case, the other party seeking custody was an actual parent. It is vastly different when the other party is NOT a parent and is seeking custody from someone who is.

I had forgotten about the RO against the Cox's. Apparently, it keeps them away from the boys as well. This IS going to be very problematic.

Two cases were cited here in which the victim's family was given custody over the suspect. In at least one of those, the dad/husband gave up the fight or chose not to fight, IIRC. I don't know about the other one.

It may not be nice to hear, but in my experience, this is going to be difficult for the Cox's. If CPS chooses to keep the kids from Josh, they have a better chance. Without the RO, I think in such a case, the kids could have gone with the Cox's on Wednesday. Now, we'll have to see.

And we have to see whether Josh can make alternate living arrangements, whether he can afford to support them without his daddy able to do so and whether he decides to fight hard for the kids.

I am just praying that the courts begin to see how dangerous it is to leave kids with such obvious suspects. If the court chooses to send those kids back to Josh, I can see a murder-suicide occurring in the future. They are in grave danger in his care, IMO.

 

[Jo in Calif]

Whoa - that picture! The man has aged 15 years in the past 2 days! That look of defiance and anger is something else. Kind of wild-eyed too - is he starting to lose it?

:floorlaugh:

IMO

I think he lost anything worth loosing, many, many years ago.

 

[pferrin]

I was looking at SP's web page family tradition and I clicked on the view button..it is the button on the top of the page next to file edit view favorites..

I clicked view then source..it give computer talk about page..About halfway down I found this..I think it is odd..


<a href="/Gallery/Gallery.aspx" class="AspNet-Menu-Link">
Photo Gallery</a>
</li>
<li class="AspNet-Menu-WithChildren AspNet-Menu-ChildSelected">
<span class="AspNet-Menu-NonLink AspNet-Menu-ChildSelected">
About</span>
<ul>


It says menu with children then child selected..knowing now what we know I find this creepy. I am not a computer person..maybe one of you computer folks knows better ..

 

[Donjeta]

I wouldn't think a court would allow Susan's children to remain in the home of a suspected voyeur, who might possibly also be a sex offender (did he send the photos of his private parts to a minor, for example).

Is photographing children's private parts not enough to make him a sex offender?

 

[TXredhead178]

That's the key, her body was found. A crime had definitely been committed. No one can say with absolute certainty that a crime has been committed involving Susan Powell. We all know in our gut that something horrible happened to her, but without evidence of that...

Those playing devils advocate could point to Nicholas Francisco as an example of a seemingly dedicated parent abandoning their family. I personally do NOT think that is the case here, but it's hard for the courts to act without evidence of a crime.

Point well-taken. However, there have been other recent cases where custody has been awarded to extended family when a parent is suspected of involvement in the other parent's disappearance (the Jacque Waller case, for example, who has not been missing nearly as long as Susan has). In this case, I'm sure JP's lack of cooperation with police, his being the only named POI and the environment he has had the children in for the last couple of years since his wife's disappearance will play a role in the decision. Not to mention his severely curtailing the children's contact with their maternal grandparents and other relatives from that side of their family. A change in custody is always a serious matter, and I believe well-warranted in this case at this juncture.

 

[HotLavaJavas]

I was looking at SP's web page family tradition and I clicked on the view button..it is the button on the top of the page next to file edit view favorites..

I clicked view then source..it give computer talk about page..About halfway down I found this..I think it is odd..


<a href="/Gallery/Gallery.aspx" class="AspNet-Menu-Link">
Photo Gallery</a>
</li>
<li class="AspNet-Menu-WithChildren AspNet-Menu-ChildSelected">
<span class="AspNet-Menu-NonLink AspNet-Menu-ChildSelected">
About</span>
<ul>


It says menu with children then child selected..knowing now what we know I find this creepy. I am not a computer person..maybe one of you computer folks knows better ..

I was just responding elsewhere about this one.

This is a web programming term used to denote a sub menu. The main menu is the parent menu, whereas sub-cats like the names of his songs are sub-menus, or children.

 

[SuziQ]

Susan Powell's father thinks answers are ‘close’

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52635195-78/powell-cox-susan-steve.html.csp

 

[TXredhead178]

Is photographing children's private parts not enough to make him a sex offender?

One would think so, but I'm not an expert in what constitutes that term. I'm not sure if it requires some kind of interaction with a child (online chat, email, etc.).

ETA: It does appear that voyeurism falls under sex offenses in Washington, and that someone convicted of such would have to register as a sex offender.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9a.44

 

[kikid]

I was looking at SP's web page family tradition and I clicked on the view button..it is the button on the top of the page next to file edit view favorites..

I clicked view then source..it give computer talk about page..About halfway down I found this..I think it is odd..


<a href="/Gallery/Gallery.aspx" class="AspNet-Menu-Link">
Photo Gallery</a>
</li>
<li class="AspNet-Menu-WithChildren AspNet-Menu-ChildSelected">
<span class="AspNet-Menu-NonLink AspNet-Menu-ChildSelected">
About</span>
<ul>


It says menu with children then child selected..knowing now what we know I find this creepy. I am not a computer person..maybe one of you computer folks knows better ..

Its just coding, it has to do with the page linking structure -- parent page, links to a child page and so on.

 

[HatesSociopaths]

Sometime around 2005 to 2006 Sandy said she stopped most contact with Steve, saw him again in 2007, and said it was shocking to hear that he was still obsessed with Susan.

She said she spoke with him again in August of 2009 before Susan went missing and he was still obsessed with Susan. He was still talking about her and how his life had never moved forward. He'd hardly ever dated another woman because of his love and infatuation with Susan, she said.

&#8220;The only time Steve talked about dating another woman was for a very brief period in 2002,&#8221; Sandy said Wednesday. "So, in the very year that Susan disappeared, Steve was still obsessed with her and had not moved on or found anyone else."

&#8220;And even after Susan went missing, he still talked about her and revealed he still had her underwear, photos, and personal teenage journals locked in his bedroom cabinet alongside his *advertiser censored* stash,&#8221; she said.



Continue reading on Examiner.com Finally &#8211; light shed on why Susan Cox Powell feared her father-in-law - National missing persons | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/missing-per...ox-powell-feared-her-father-law#ixzz1YyzUaE6h

The writing was on the wall that SP should be investigated for being involved in Susan's disappearance long ago. I speculate that JP was possibly too much the focus and the accessory was overlooked for a while perhaps? MOO.

Their dedication to solving this case is highly commendable, though.

 

[kikid]

I haven't followed this case all that closely, but in reading up on it these past few days -- I've had more than a few questions.

I'll start with this one: on SP's website (the SC music site) he states his father, grandfather, and grandmother abducted he and his siblings from his mother. Then, on another page of the same site he states he was raised by his single mother and they barely had money for food.

I understand I'm missing lots of info here. I assume (hate to do that) that the kids were eventually found and given back to his mom.

Does anyone know the whole story? TIA

 

[ynotdivein]

kikid--I too have only recently started following this (sordid) case, and was just wondering if there's a thread yet for all the, er, "inconsistencies" in the stories that Steve and Josh have told at various times. It would be enlightening to list them all.

 

[kikid]

kikid--I too have only recently started following this (sordid) case, and was just wondering if there's a thread yet for all the, er, "inconsistencies" in the stories that Steve and Josh have told at various times. It would be enlightening to list them all.

That would be very helpful!

I also visited the susan powell website and was aghast to see it was all about trying to connect Susan to Steven Koecher.

I found it dumbfounding all the time and energy Josh & whoever else helped with it spent trying to prove a connection.