Media Invited to Help Search for Missing Susan Powell
Aug. 19, 2011 — -- Police have invited the media to join them in searching near a Nevada town this morning for information about Susan Powell, a Utah woman who disappeared two years ago while her husband and sons were camping.
The West Valley, Uah, police that have led the investigation descended on Ely, Nev., today after receiving what they called "credible information" that directed them there. The town is over 200 miles southwest of West Valley, where Powell, 28 at the time, lived with her husband, Josh, and their two children, then ages 2 and 4.
At a press conference this morning in Ely, West Valley police invited the media along for the search. Sgt. Mike Powell, who is not related to the missing woman, told reporters that while he wouldn't share information about the tip that led them there or answer questions from reporters, but he wanted to include the media on the search.
ABC News affiliate ABC4 in Salt Lake City is en route to a gravel pit near Ely with West Valley investigators. The search may also include open, abandoned mineshafts. Police did not say what they expect to find there or how long they expect the search to take. Sgt. Powell said they will search multiple areas.
Detectives have been conducting searches and the media will be joining on "follow-up" searches, Sgt. Powell said.
New Information in Susan Powell Case
Josh Powell, 34, has maintained that he and his sons had been camping the night his wife disappeared, on Dec. 6, 2009, in the middle of a blizzard, and that Powell left on her own. He has described his wife to the Salt Lake City Tribune as "extremely unstable."
Josh Powell has since taken his kids to live with his father, Steven Powell, in Washington state.
Steven Powell also spoke to the Tribune, saying that the curious wet spot found by police on the carpet in his son and daughter-in-laws home after her disappearance was from a clean-up that Susan Powell had done on a red stain that he said was "probably juice or something."
In an e-mail to ABC News last year, Steven Powell also attributed Susan Powell's disappearance to mental illness.
"Clearly we think Susan decided to leave," Steven Powell wrote. "Susan had an occasional tendency to lose control ... much like her mother."
Susan's friends have previously denied this, saying that the couple would frequently argue and threaten each other with leaving.
