Husband of missing West Valley woman has left Utah

WEST VALLEY CITY — Josh Powell has left Utah — at least temporarily.

Powell attended a vigil for his missing wife, Susan, at an LDS Church in their hometown of Puyallup, Wash., Sunday evening. The vigil was also attended by Susan Powell's parents, grandparents and siblings.

Neighbors said Josh Powell went home to Washington state either Friday or Saturday to escape the media attention and be closer to family.

Josh Powell, who has been labeled a person of interest in the disappearance case, is not required to check in with police or report his movements, West Valley Police Capt. Tom McLachlan said Sunday.

"He's free to come and go. … He's not required to tell us where he's at or where he's going or what he's going to do," he said. "We always have an open, standing invitation to have Joshua come in and talk to us."

Friend and fellow member of the Powells' LDS ward, John Hellewell, said he talked to Josh Powell about 30 minutes before a pair of candlelight vigils held by friends and family members in Washington and Utah to pray for the safe return of their "beloved Susan" began Sunday night.

"He was wanting details about the vigil in Washington — when and where it was," said Hellewell, 32, who was a home teacher with Josh Powell before Powell stopped attending church two years ago. A vigil for Susan Powell was held at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Ridgecrest chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Puyallup, Wash., while another vigil was held at 8:30 p.m. at an LDS Church attended by about 30 of the Powells' friends and ward members in West Valley City.

Hellewell also said Josh Powell was telling people he had lost his job. The family had already declared bankruptcy before Susan went missing.

Hellewell, alongside neighbors and church members, prayed for Susan's safe return beneath a canopy set up near the Powells' ward house at 3665 S. 6000 West. But many questioned why Josh Powell would leave for Washington during the height of the police investigation.

"One of the biggest problems Susan had was that (Josh) talked to his dad for hours, more than he talked to her," said Tim Peterson, a friend and member of the Powells' ward who has been vocal in the past about Josh Powell and once called police on him. "And now guess where he's at. He hasn't been formally charged, but he's not that far from the border to Canada now."

Neighbors and ward members also wondered about problems the couple had been going through before Susan went missing.