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WEST VALLEY CITY -- The search for a missing Utah mother is entering its fourth week, with still no clues as to where she is. Meanwhile, Susan Powell's family and friends continue to do everything they can to keep attention on the search for her.
West Valley City police detectives said Sunday leads to her whereabouts were few. "The more time that passes, it may not be in her favor," said West Valley police Capt. Tom McLachlan during a press conference last week.
Another week has passed since that statement, but it hasn't stopped Kiirsi Hellewell from still trying to find Powell. She says Powell is her best friend.
"Christmas was very hard," says Hellewell at her West Valley home Sunday. "I've been trying to keep my hopes up every single day, but every morning when I wake up, it gets a lot harder to get that hope and keep that hope that she's still alive."
Hellewell says she hasn't seen Powell since the day before she disappeared on Dec. 6. Ever since, she and other friends have been passing out fliers in parking lots throughout the Salt Lake Valley, holding candlelight vigils and working social media Web pages as much as possible.
Already, more than 10,000 people have signed onto the Friends and Family of Susan Powell Facebook page.
Still, with nothing new for weeks, even Hellewell admits she's not sure what else she can do.
I've been trying to keep my hopes up every single day, but every morning when I wake up, it gets a lot harder to get that hope and keep that hope that she's still alive.
–- Kiirsi Hellewell
"It's really frustrating, and what's even more frustrating is that people are constantly saying 'Why aren't you searching? Why aren't you searching? Why are you sitting at home on your computer? Why aren't you out and searching?'" she says. "I understand the frustration and how hard it is to sit home and wait and not be out doing something, but at the same time, she could be anywhere. It's like a needle in a haystack."
So far, West Valley police detectives have only named Josh Powell, Susan's husband, as a person of interest in the case. He is currently in Washington with his two sons visiting family.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
