Cold

A persistent theory surfaced in the days immediately after Susan Powell disappeared: perhaps Josh Powell had hidden her body in Nutty Putty Cave. The narrow passage on the fringe of Utah's West Desert had been the site of a high-profile caving accident. A spelunker named John Edward Jones became trapped in Nutty Putty just days before Susan Powell's disappearance...

West Valley City police did not act alone in their investigation of Susan Powell's disappearance. This bonus episode of Cold, first released in 2019 on the Wondery+ subscription service, focuses on the work of U.S. Marshal Derryl Spencer. He played "good cop" to Josh Powell and his father, Steve Powell, hoping to earn their trust during a pivotal period of the investigation...

Josh Powell's audio journals provide unique insight into his mindset during a formative time of his life: the period when he first met and married Susan Cox. Josh's secret audio diaries had never been heard before by anyone but police before they were uncovered in Cold. This bonus episode, first released in 2019 on the Wondery+ subscription service, is a deep dive into one of those audio journals with clinical psychologist Matt Woolley...

Nearly 10 years have elapsed since Susan Powell's disappearance. Her body has still not been found. The investigation remains a cold case. In recent years, Susan's friends and family have focused their effort on sharing the story as a cautionary tale. They hope showing the warning signs of domestic abuse can help others safely escape dangerous relationships. In this season finale for Cold, Dave shares his theory on what he believes happened to Susan...

West Valley City police made one final push before declaring the Susan Powell case cold in 2013, interrogating Josh Powell's uncle Maurice Leach in Oregon. Meanwhile, Susan's family fought for change, both in the courts and at the Washington statehouse. Josh's mom, Terri Powell, went to court in Utah to argue for her share of the life insurance money. Twice-convicted sex offender Steve Powell died alone from heart failure...

A jailhouse informant calling himself "Cowboy" provided police with a promising tip early in the search for Susan Powell. He said Josh Powell had spent time with an elusive stripper named Summer. Find Summer, find Susan. Detectives launched an all-out hunt for Summer that stretched on for years, yet failed to turn up any new information. It was just one among hundreds of tips in the Powell investigation that wasted time and resources, never bringing police any closer to finding Susan...

After the deaths of Josh, Charlie and Braden, West Valley police refocused their investigation on Josh Powell's youngest brother. The mercurial Michael Powell made a play for Josh and Susan Powell's life insurance, ending up entangled in an interpleader lawsuit. During a civil deposition, he lied about his encrypted emails and Facebook snooping with Josh...

Josh Powell carries out his final act, killing his sons Charlie and Braden by setting fire to his rented home in Graham, Wash. during a court-authorized visit. In the wake of the fire, Susan Powell's family and friends find comfort in their community. West Valley police and Pierce County sheriff's deputies seek clues in the charred remains of the house, hoping that Josh might at last point them to Susan's final resting place...

Josh Powell went to court in Washington in a bid to get his sons, Charlie and Braden, returned to him. West Valley City police warned the social workers they'd found incestuous cartoon pornography on Josh's computer. After reviewing those images, forensic psychologist James Manley suggested Josh undergo a psychosexual evaluation. Meantime, detectives puzzled over why Josh's brother, Michael Powell, sold his 1997 Ford Taurus to Lindell Auto in Pendleton, Ore...

With the wiretap winding down, West Valley police returned to Utah's West Desert with cadaver dogs. They found what at first appeared to be a grave site, but soon discovered it held no sign of Susan. Meantime, digging of a different sort on Josh Powell's computers and digital devices turned up new leads. The FBI and U.S. Secret Service encountered one encrypted hard drive that resisted every effort to view its contents...