Susan Powell is Missing: Husband Another Scott Peterson?

The Susan Powell disappearance reads like so many others before it. Susan Powell, a 28-year-old stockbroker from West Valley City, Utah, went missing sometime after her husband said he last saw her on December 7. Joshua Powell, the husband, told police that his wife had not been feeling well and he had left her early that morning and took his two children camping. He went camping with his two young children, ages 2 and 4, in freezing weather and came home rather conveniently after Susan Powell had been reported missing by the family babysitter who grew alarmed when the children weren't dropped off later that same Monday at their regularly appointed time.

Susan Powell's car, her purse and her cell phone were all found at the Powell home when police broke in looking for her. Common consensus maintains that Susan Powell would never leave without her cell phone while her children were gone. And why leave without her purse?

For that matter, why didn't Joshua Powell notify the babysitter that the children would not be dropped off at the babysitter's Monday? Was he relying on his wife to inform her?

Authorities have also noted Joshua Powell's reticence when speaking with them. He retained a lawyer after the second round of questions and missed a scheduled third session. Police became suspicious of Powell's camping story early and now consider him a "person of interest."

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, various media outlets are reporting that friends of Susan Powell's have expressed concern about the couple's marriage. The two had been weathering some financial and emotional storms of late, it would seem.

Unfortunately for Joshua Powell, the counter-intuitiveness of taking his children camping in subzero temperatures is working against him. And using it as an alibi is reminiscent of all the "I left and when I returned, she was gone" alibis that have proliferated in missing wife cases over the recent years. The Scott Peterson case may now be the most famous example of the "she-was-here-and-alive-when-I-left" alibi. Scott Peterson was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson. He told Modesto (California) Police that he had gone fishing on Christmas Eve, 2002, and when he returned, his wife was missing.

Many have also been reminded of the Lori Hacking murder in 2004. The Salt Lake City woman was reported missing by her husband, Mark, on July 19. He told police she had went out for a morning jog and never returned, nor did she show up for work. Lori Hacking's remains were later discovered in a local landfill. Mark Hacking, who confessed to the murder of his wife to his brothers, was sentenced to 6 years to life in prison, the maximum sentence that could be imposed at that time.

Still, as thin as the alibi may be, conveniently being absent when his wife went missing, Joshua Powell may also be telling the truth. Being a "person of interest" does not automatically confer guilt, nor does a seemingly ridiculous-sounding alibi. But if Susan Powell's story plays out like so many others before it, Joshua Powell will soon be arrested on suspicion of murder charges that will ultimately lead to a lengthy prison sentence.

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Sources:

SLtrib.com
CBSNews.com
TruTV.com