Co-worker: Steve Powell spoke of Utah camping trip

[April 06, 2012]  OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- A co-worker of Steve Powell says the father-in-law of Susan Powell planned to travel to Utah for a camping trip shortly before she disappeared in 2009, an attorney said Thursday.

Lawyer Anne Bremner said she has spoken to the co-worker in recent days and reviewed the statement the colleague sent to authorities. In the woman's account, she says Steve Powell talked about leaving around Thanksgiving 2009 for a camping trip in Utah with his son, Josh Powell.

The co-worker thought the camping trip was odd. She saw Powell a week or two later and he reported that the trip was cold but fun.

Susan Powell was last seen on December 6 of that year. Josh Powell had said that he took a late-night camping trip in Utah with his two boys on the night Susan Powell disappeared.

Nobody has ever been named as a suspect her disappearance. Josh Powell killed himself and the couple's two young children in a fiery home inferno earlier this year.

Bremner, who represents Susan Powell's parents Chuck and Judy Cox, said she herself has never really believed Steve Powell was involved in Susan Powell's disappearance, but is now reassessing her perceptions of the case.

"Chuck has always thought that Steve was very involved," Bremner said. "This just sort of confirmed that for him."

An attorney for Steve Powell did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The co-worker does not want to be named, Bremner said. She said she sent the information to authorities in Washington's Pierce County, asking them to forward the details to Utah investigators. The AP was able to review her email correspondence and verify that she did work with Steve Powell while he was still at the Department of Corrections and is among staff members copied on work emails with Powell.

Police in West Valley City, Utah, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Steve Powell called in sick from his job on Dec. 8 and 9 of that year. He did appear to remain engaged at work, continuing to send emails to colleagues around that time period, according to documents obtained by AP.

Authorities have said they want to talk with Steve Powell to see what he might know. He's currently in jail on charges of voyeurism.

Utah investigators described in documents released last week that Steven Powell had an apparent obsession with his daughter-in-law. A locked cabinet in Steve Powell's bedroom contained multiple images of Susan Powell, including some of her in her underwear. Other images showed nude female bodies with Susan Powell's face copied onto them.

Another image showed Steven Powell masturbating to an image of Susan Powell.

Susan Powell wrote in her personal journals that she did not want Steven Powell involved in her life and wished that Josh Powell would sever ties with him. She described Steven Powell as a pedophile.

[Associated Press; By MIKE BAKER and GENE JOHNSON]

AP writer Mike Baker can be reached at https://www.facebook.com/mikebakerap.

Johnson reported from Seattle.

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