WEST VALLEY CITY — Dec. 6, 2009, was the last day anyone saw Susan Powell. Now, a decade after the West Valley mother was first reported missing, her story still resonates with many people.

From the beginning, people were interested in Susan's story. Friends, family and strangers attended vigils for her, participated in searches, and spread her story across social media in hopes of finding her. But the official investigation into her disappearance went cold in 2013, a year after her husband killed their two children and himself amid lengthy speculation of his involvement.

Even after 10 years, interest hasn't waned.

The KSL podcast “Cold,” which details her story, has garnered millions of episode downloads from across the globe since launching in late 2018. It was even the most popular podcast on Apple Podcasts at points during its first season. Oxygen also produced a docu-series on the case, and there have been a few other television documentaries about it.

So why do so many people felt connected with Susan Powell's story all these years later?

Dave Cawley, “Cold” creator and host, believes it’s because hers is an all-too-common story that others have related to. Sure, the show dove into an unsolved mystery, but it didn’t just focus on Susan Powell's disappearance and the investigation into Josh Powell. It also focused on their relationship circumstances and the several domestic abuse red flags that were hidden prior to her disappearance.

Since the podcast began, Cawley said he’s received numerous messages from listeners who shared similar stories of abuse.

“From the outside, Josh and Susan’s relationship was not one, if you encountered them on the street, you'd think there was abuse taking place. It happened behind closed doors. It happened in ways that I think a lot of us didn’t think of as abuse,” Cawley said. “It’s sad to say, but I think some of those behaviors are far more pervasive in society than we realize — or at least what I realized — when we started telling this story.”

From that standpoint, Susan Powell’s parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, agree. In a recent interview with Cawley, Chuck Cox said his and his wife's circle of friends has increased drastically over the past decade, and the number of people who have reached out because of domestic violence is one of the reasons why.

“In one day, it's forever changed. And now we become spokespersons against domestic violence, and our path is kind of set out before us,” Chuck Cox said. “I'm going to keep doing what I can to help other people and help keep looking for my daughter; keep helping people that are in this situation escape domestic violence if possible, console the relatives of those victims and their families, and stuff, so they can deal with the situation that they’re coming to. And that’s a great thing to be able to do.”

Chuck Cox was featured on “Cold” throughout the podcast's first season. A bonus episode of "Cold" released Friday includes this latest interview with him, as well as Judy Cox’s first recorded interview for the podcast. In the bonus episode, the couple reflects on their lives over the past decade.

In addition to becoming spokespeople against domestic violence, they have remained hopeful that one day they will find closure in the case. But that’s been difficult after 10 years of questions and heartbreak.

“I keep living day-to-day, as we always do. And every time there's a body found, every time there's a cadaver found somewhere, we wait here,” Chuck Cox said. “You kind of start wondering, well is this the one? Is our wait going to be over? Will we be able to put whatever's left to her to rest with her children? I don’t know.”

Judy Cox added that not knowing has been the hardest part. Even when bodies found have turned out to be other missing people, she's happy for the families who do receive closure.

“We're thankful for whoever is found, that's good for the family,” she said. “It's always a good thing that someone was found, even though it's remains. It’s still a good thing.”

Friday events

Meanwhile, there will be two events honoring Susan Powell and her sons, Charlie and Braden, in Utah and Washington Friday.

The first is a panel discussion with friends and family of Susan Powell, as well as members of the media who have covered the case for the past decade. Domestic violence survivors and anti-violence advocates will also speak at the event, which is free to the public.

The event will be held at Hunter Junior High School, 6131 W. 3785 South, in West Valley City. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m.

In addition, there will be a vigil at the Angel of Hope statue at the hill above Charlie and Braden Powell’s grave at Woodbine Cemetery in Puyallup, Washington, Friday night. More information about either event can be found on the Susan Cox Powell Foundation's website.

Contributing: Dave Cawley, KSL Podcasts

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