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WEST VALLEY CITY -- It's been months since Susan Powell disappeared from her West Valley City home, and the case is still getting national attention.
Susan Powell's disappearance is featured this week in a popular magazine. A website, which has some of Susan's friends shaking their heads, also highlights the six-month mark of the case.
There's just this sense of weariness; this is just heavy to carry around. We're so worried and heartbroken.
–Shelby Gifford, Cox family spokeswoman.
While police say they are working hard to resolve this case. Susan's friends and family say it's getting more and more difficult to maintain hope when the reality that she may never be found is starting to sink in.
"It's really discouraging, and it's hard to keep up hope every day," says Susan's friend, Kiirsi Hellewell.
But that's all friends and family of Susan Cox Powell can do.
"There's just this sense of weariness; this just heavy to carry around. We're so worried and heartbroken," says Cox family spokeswoman Shelby Gifford.
Police say Susan's is still a missing person's case and the only person of interest remains her husband, Josh, who lives in Washington state.
• Dec. 7 - The day Susan Powell was reported missing
• Dec. 9 - Police call disappearance of Susan Powell suspicious
• Dec. 12 - Family of missing woman's husband speaks
• Dec. 16 - Josh Powell named person of interest
• Dec. 17 - 2nd search warrant served at Powell home
• Dec. 20 - Josh Powell attends Wash. vigil
• Jan. 3, 2010 - Friends of missing Utah mom launch Web media blitz
• Jan. 4 - Social media blitz kick off
• Jan. 9 - Josh Powell packs up West Valley City house
• Jan. 27 - Family, friends put up ribbon display at Powell WVC home
• Feb. 5 - Friends plan ‘Week of Service' in honor of Susan Powell
• Feb. 15 - Family accuses missing woman's husband of abuse
• March 1 - Susan Powell's family, former cop question new website
• March 6 - Vigils mark 3-month anniversary of Susan Powell's disappearance
• March 9 - Witnesses say they saw Josh Powell at a strip club just hours after Susan Powell was reported missing.
•March 16 - Volunteer search being organized for Susan Powell
•March 26 - Tooele County sheriff has concerns about search for Susan Powell
•April 2 - Search for Susan Powell closed to the public
•April 10 - Searchers comb West Desert for signs of Susan Powell
"The biggest frustration of all is that her husband, who was the last person to see her, doesn't speak up, doesn't talk to police," Gifford says.
The family suspects the website SusanPowell.org was created by Josh, or someone close to him. A new page, titled "Six Months," says Susan's family is still trying to cope with her absence. It says everyone hopes she will walk back through the door soon -- something friends say won't happen, because Susan didn't leave on her own.
"It's like a slap in the face to everybody who knows and loves Susan," Hellewell says.
West Valley police won't say much about the investigation. They've received test results on some of the evidence but are tight-lipped about it.
"We still have eight detectives assigned. They're still working very hard on it. We're following up on leads," says Capt. Tom McLachlan, spokesman for the West Valley Police Department.
Last month, Susan's parents, Charles and Judy Cox, came to Utah to meet with investigators. They visited the Simpson Springs area, where Josh told investigators he went camping with his two kids the night Susan disappeared.
Hellewell says Josh was also recently back in Utah, just for a day, but it's unclear what he was doing here.
Susan's disappearance is featured in this week's issue of People magazine. Friends hope that will renew interest in a case they so desperately want solved.
"Obviously, I hope for them to either find Susan or arrest the person who took her," Hellewell says.
A private company is planning a new search for Susan in the West Desert at the end of June. Friends also plan to post fliers at sporting goods stores so people who spend time outdoors this summer will keep an eye out for any sign of Susan.
KSL News tried to contact Josh Powell's attorney Tuesday for comment, but our call was not returned.
E-mail: syi@ksl.com
