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West Valley Police: Father-In-Law's Death Doesn't Change Status Of Susan Powell Case

File photo
Susan Powell, right, went missing in December 2009 with her husband, Josh Powell, who police named as a person of interest in her disappearance. The case garnered national attention.

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A Utah police department says its investigation into a woman’s 2009 disappearance remains open but that the case is cold with all leads exhausted and the death of her father-in-law in Washington state doesn’t change the case’s status.

The West Valley City Police Department said Tuesday that Steven Powell’s death Monday at a Tacoma hospital doesn’t make it more likely or less likely that the disappearance case of Susan Powell will be solved.

Steven Powell was the father of Josh Powell, who police named as a person of interest in his wife’s presumed death in Utah.

Josh Powell moved to Washington state, where he killed himself and his two young sons in an explosive fire at their Pierce County home in 2012.

Steven Powell died a year after he completed a prison sentence for possession of child pornography.

Investigators found the child pornography, consisting of images Steven Powell took of the neighbor girls in various states of undress, while searching his home as part of the investigation into Susan Powell’s disappearance.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said Steven Powell died Monday at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma. He was believed to be 68.

Listen to RadioWest's episode on the mysterious disappearance of Susan Powell. 

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