WEST VALLEY CITY — The Cox family has spent a lot of time waiting to receive news about their missing daughter. The fact that bones were discovered near Topaz Mountain in Juab County Wednesday really doesn't change the difficulty of waiting.

"Every time a new hope comes up, we think, 'Maybe this is the one.' That's what we live with every day. Maybe the next phone call will be the one they say, 'We found her,'" said Chuck Cox, Susan Powell's father.

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West Valley police find human remains in Powell search

Human remains have been found during the search for evidence in the case of missing West Valley mother Susan Cox Powell.

Still, Cox and some of Susan's other family members and friends say there are a few facts strengthening the possibility that this find might actually bring an end to their nightmare.

“It’s a hard thing to hear. It’s an emotional thing,” said Kirk Graves, Susan's brother-in-law. “One way or another, we will find some closure on this thing.”

Kiirsi Hellewell, one of Susan's closest friends, said the discovery "feels more ominous and a lot more emotional" than previous leads because the remains were found while police were searching the area for Susan.

"This is different from other cases where some person has been out in the wilderness and stumbled across some bones," she said.

Waiting for officials to determine the identity of the remains "is going to be tough," Hellewell said.

"If they're not Susan, we hope that maybe another family who's missing a loved one … will have some answers," she said. "We'll just continue on, just keep praying, keep hoping and keep trying to find her."

The family members and friends KSL News talked to Wednesday say the area where Josh and Susan Powell had gone camping together in the past. The location is also less than 30 miles from Simpson Springs, the area Josh Powell told investigators he went camping with his sons the night Susan disappeared.

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Written by Pat Reavy and Sarah Dallof.

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