E-mails from Susan Powell told of Marriage Struggles

[Jacie Estes]

Hollyblue, I have the same questions you have. I wonder why those emails were even released to the press. What purpose does it serve. Ratings? I felt somewhat like a voyeur reading them. I also wonder why the more recent emails have not been released. I read that Jennifer Graves is writing a book so maybe we will have to wait for the book to see those recent emails, assuming Graves was the recipient.
http://fox13now.com/2012/04/29/susan-powells-sister-in-law-writing-book-about-the-case/
I do think Susan was a bit out of line to complain about Josh over email and apparently to so many people. Side note about me: My husband and I live in a small town. He told three of his co-workers (not friends) some personal things about me and it got back to me. The co-workers had called the house to talk to my husband for one thing or another and they actually "tattled" on my husband and told me what he said about me! I felt so betrayed. Because of my experience, I really cringed when I read that Susan had taken notes, with Josh's knowledge(knowledge that she was going to email them to a friend?) and when Susan wrote that she had a friend that knew shorthand and "wrote down the crazy stuff he said". I bet that made Josh mad.
I got the impression from the emails that Susan did not mind riding a bicycle. She mentioned that they spent a family day bike riding to Walmart. Also, it sounded like Steven Powell was a shoulder to cry on about Josh. At what point in time did she get creeped out about Steven Powell? Sounds like Josh was a bit OCD about paperwork, organization and Susan disapproved of that, said Josh was avoiding her because he was cleaning/organizing.
RE: Susan's email 10/31/08 "Update on "that husband" Appears she threatened divorce if she was not allowed to pay tithing on her income. Prior email stated she got approval for a food order and said she talked to her Bishop about getting help with bills. I would not be happy with my husband if he insisted I pay a church tithing when we did not have enough money for food/bills.
IMHO, the emails that I read did not indicate that Josh Powell was physically abusive, or even mentally abusive. Looks to me that there were some problems with his employment, arguments on how money should be spent and church obligations. Obviously, things took a turn for the worse. I am just looking at and giving MOO on these emails on face value, ignoring the outcome of their dysfunctional marriage. They married five months after they met! I see her frustration with Josh but I do not see anything in the emails where she feared for her physical safety. She said she was going to ask the Lord if it was worth it to stay in her marriage and tolerate his constant manipulations. So, looks like vital emails are missing.
I wonder if WVPD will ever tell what evidence they had. I would love to hear it. From the comments I read on recent news articles, people are sick of hearing nothing of importance from WVPD and think WVPD really screwed up. I wonder if Ann Rule (love her) is still going to write a book about Susan.
I am not on Josh Powell's side whatsoever. He is a murderer. My above opinions are only about Susan's emails.

There is a big difference in distance riding bikes from Susan's house to the local WalMart and from her house to her job.

 

[Sulamith]

Bold by me.

Re: Susan taking notes and sharing with a friend:

When you are being emotionally abused and someone is twisting your words, changing his story, blaming you for everything to deflect attention from himself, you actually start to doubt your own perceptions. Having things in writing can help to remind you that he DID say those things and things WERE that bad. Also, you may need validation from another party for the same purpose. You begin to distrust yourself because you are constantly being manipulated, and you start to doubt your own perceptions.

Re: Steven Powell being a shoulder to cry on:

Steven probably played up consoling her to get close to her, this is not hard to imagine with the inappropriate interest he had in her. And Steven is most likely a guy with no real allegiances and would surely throw Josh under the bus to gain intimacy on any level with Susan.

Re: you statement that you don't see anything mentally abusive:

I definitely do. I have personal family experience with people such as Josh, and I am also am a master level clinican in mental health counseling. His behavior, his controlling, his telling her one thing and then saying the other, his extreme rules all indicate this. Often emotional abuse is so subtle, constant, and insidious it is difficult to pick out exact examples. It permeates daily life and wears a woman down who has lived with it for many years.

MOO.

Thank you for the insight. About doubting perceptions. Makes sense now that you have explained it. And, good grief, I never thought that Steven Powell would console Susan to get close to her. How freaking devious.

 

[diphi]

Doubting perceptions...Is it just me? Am I the one who's scr@wed up? Am I over-reacting? No, I'm ok, it's not that bad...

How many of us have been in THOSE shoes? Tough to be right in the middle of it all and still try to be objective AND THEN take action...

imo

 

[tezi]

Thank you for the insight. About doubting perceptions. Makes sense now that you have explained it. And, good grief, I never thought that Steven Powell would console Susan to get close to her. How freaking devious.

BBM: Well, SP got the market cornered on being devious. He taught Josh well, unfortunately for Susan and the boys...After hearing SP's "songs" to Susan, I had no doubt that he put the idea into Josh's head to kill her.:what:

 

[Mendara]

This is one of those cases that makes my blood boil. Especially now that I know her blood was found in that stain. LE knows there was blood, and he tried to clean it up, they know his alibi was pathetic and ridiculous, that he would take two toddlers camping at midnight in the winter, OR that any mother would ALLOW her husband to wake up her babies and take them out in that weather to 'camp.' Over my dead body is what most mothers would say about that.

And his story that she left him, but had no car, no money, no friends or lovers evident, that she ran off with. And they are supposed to believe she left her two boys, who she loved with all of her heart, with no forwarding address?

Come ON....I still cannot believe they let it go for so long...UUGGHHHHHHH

I just saw the E-Investigates episode last night with Lisa Lin. I CAN'T believe all the evidence they had! The shovel in the trunk, tarps, her blood the bloody comforter in the storage unit. She was feeling sick after eating the pancakes. Her safe deposit box with her will saying if she dies and it looks like an accident it is NOT. Her phone turned off in his car. His horrible alibi. The kids saying mommy went camping with them but did not come back with them. His refusal to cooperate. The photos of his father masturbating to a picture of her on his tv screen (yuck) and the many other photos of her taken by that sick man.

If this father could put a hatchet in his children and then burn them alive (there must have been a better way, less painful to take them) then he was capable of anything. SO SAD that the police did not arrest him sooner.

 

[thefragile7393]

I can look at these emails and easily see that she was being abused. Unless you have any experience with this type of person you may not see it. I don't fault her for complaining in her emails....she is the victim NOT JP-she clearly was trying to find some sort of rationale for his behavior, find help, find a way to figure out the man she lives with and asking thise who knew him may have, in her mind, been a good idea.
She was not in a bad marriage with a normal guy to begin with so I think she can get a pass on complaining to others about her marriage to a sicko. Also just because she didn't spell out that she physically feared for her safety does not mean she didn't fear for it in reality. Or at this time maybe she was just starting to realize what trouble she was in. Who knows? Either way, like I said, I am not going to fault an abused woman for complaining to others about her marriage. She was NOT out of line in trying to get help in a situation that was spiralling out of control.

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[Jacie Estes]

I can look at these emails and easily see that she was being abused. Unless you have any experience with this type of person you may not see it. I don't fault her for complaining in her emails....she is the victim NOT JP-she clearly was trying to find some sort of rationale for his behavior, find help, find a way to figure out the man she lives with and asking thise who knew him may have, in her mind, been a good idea.
She was not in a bad marriage with a normal guy to begin with so I think she can get a pass on complaining to others about her marriage to a sicko. Also just because she didn't spell out that she physically feared for her safety does not mean she didn't fear for it in reality. Or at this time maybe she was just starting to realize what trouble she was in. Who knows? Either way, like I said, I am not going to fault an abused woman for complaining to others about her marriage. She was NOT out of line in trying to get help in a situation that was spiralling out of control.

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BBM

It was so evident that there was abuse. We were traveling from California through Salt Lake City to South Dakota about a week after Susan went missing. The first time I saw the story on the news and saw jp I knew he was responsible for Susan going missing. IMHO The system failed Susan from day one. jp should have been questioned more vehemently from day one and LE should have known about his actions and the rental car trip. There were so many missed opportunities; Charlie, Braden and Susan paid a heavy price for those mistakes.

Salt Lake City is not exactly woman friendly when it comes to DV shelters. I would have loved to have seen Susan's case used as a catalyst for better DV shelter awareness and opportunities in SLC. I haven't seen it. So sad. How many more women have to die or go missing?