Missing family returns without Mom

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Susan Powell, 28, has been missing since Monday.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A young mother has not been seen or heard from since she and her family were reported missing on Monday, investigators in Utah said.

Susan Powell’s husband, Joshua Powell, and two small children, returned home Tuesday after he said they spent two days camping in a remote part of the state, according to investigators.

Mr. Powell told authorities he does not know where his 28-year-old wife is, police said. They also said Mr. Powell told them he last saw her on Sunday night.

The West Valley City Police have labeled the missing persons case suspicious.

“We’ve contacted friends and family members,” West Valley Police Captain Tom McLachlan told CNN. “According to them, this is not Susan’s normal activity, to leave her children without telling anyone and not let someone know where she is going.”

“We just don’t know if she left on her own accord, or what other potential situation may be,” he said.

McLachlan went on to say that Mrs. Powell’s cell phone and bankcards were found in her home.

“There are items that most people would take with them if they were going to go someplace,” he said.

McLachlan provided a detailed timeline of the case to CNN. He said Mr. Powell’s mother contacted authorities on Monday after repeated attempts to locate the family.

“She allegedly checked with both Susan and Joshua’s employers, neither had shown up for work, and had not notified their employers that they were not coming into work that day, McLachlan told CNN.

He also said their 4 and 1-year-old sons had not, as was routine, been taken to day care on Monday.

Officers called to the home to investigate found the door locked and the car gone, McLachlan said. A missing persons case for the entire family began that day.

On Tuesday, police said Mr. Powell returned home with the children and told them they went camping about 120-130 miles away. “He indicated some locations where he went with the children, unfortunately they are quite remote and not populated at all, McLachlan said. “That’s unusual in my mind, to go camping in this type of weather.”

He added that the temperature in the area drops to single digits or below zero at night.

“We’ve checked locations to verify that he could have been there, or would have been there,” McLachlan said. “We are trying to verify everything that he told us but still Susan is missing and we have no other information.”

Police described Mr. Powell as being cooperative. “He is not a suspect,” McLachlan said, “but he is the husband. He is an individual that we fully plan on interviewing in the future.”

The couple’s 4-year-old son has been interviewed but authorities said they are trying to be extremely careful given his age.

Susan Powell is 5’4” and weighs 130lbs. She has brown hair and blue eyes. The West Valley City Police Department is asking anyone with information on her whereabouts to call 801-840-4000.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.