Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors Read Online Free Page B
Author: Ann Rule
Tags: Fiction, nook, True Crime, Retai
insisted that Susan stop cutting hair and follow him wherever he moved,” her father said. “But Josh went to the Oregon seminar and began to tear down management in front of those attending. And of course he got fired again.”
Even if Josh Powell had taken only a few courses in business administration at the University of Washington, it was obvious that nothing had sunk in. He was at an entry level in all of his short-lived jobs, but he could not keep his mouth shut. His own ego was his stumbling block, and he acted as if he were smarter than anyone.
Chapter Two
In 2004, Susan Powell was pregnant with their first son, Charlie. This gave her even more reason to want her marriage to succeed. Josh and Susan decided to make a fresh start in Utah. Although Susan didn’t go into details with her family, they knew that she felt uncomfortable around her father-in-law and believed he intruded on her marriage too much. She hoped that moving out of state would lessen his impact on their lives. Susan and Josh hoped to find job opportunities in the Salt Lake City area and get themselves on a solid financial program.
Chuck and Judy Cox worried about Susan, who was more than eight months pregnant and living far away in Utah.
“We didn’t know if she could count on him when she went into labor or after the baby came home,” Judy recalls. “So we made a trip down there in January.”
Charles Braden Powell was born on January 19, 2005. Susan’s parents’ instinct that she might need them was right on target. When she went into labor, Josh inexplicably said he couldn’t drive her to the hospital because he had something important to do. He asked Chuck and Judy to take her. They were happy to do that but hoped her husband would at least show up for his first child’s birth.
When Josh did show up at the hospital two and a half hours later, he brought his laptop computer with him. What had been more important than being with his wife as she labored to deliver? Josh explained that he had to back up the hard drive on his computer!
Indeed, he sat in a corner of the labor room and worked at his computer, barely noticing what his wife was going through. Chuck Cox watched, silently fuming.
“When she was in transition and really in pain, I went over to Josh and told him to put his computer down. Susan needed him to hold her hand and comfort her. He kept delaying, I finally said, ‘Put your computer down, now !’ ”
Josh finally complied when Susan was only a few pushes away from delivering, and she gave birth to Charlie in a few minutes. “See,” she told her father. “Josh was here when I needed him!”
Chuck didn’t have the heart to tell her what really happened.
Susan was thrilled to be a mother, and Josh appeared to be genuinely pleased with baby Charlie. He held the infant proudly, but he refused to let either Judy or Chuck hold him.
“Charlie was his possession—he belonged to Josh,” Judy said. “And he shut us out completely.”
* * *
At first, Susan and Josh’s move seemed to be a good idea. They had bought a nice home in the 6200 block of West 3945 South in West Valley City. A close southwest suburb of Salt Lake City, West Valley City has a population of something over 130,000 and is the second-largest city in Utah. There were plenty of job opportunities there in 2004.
Susan and Josh made friends with their neighbors, Kiirsi and John Hellewell, who were members of the Mormon church, and they connected with other members of the closest LDS stake.
The Powells and Hellewells spent a lot of social time together, sharing picnics, barbecues, and movies. Kiirsi and Susan were soon best friends, and Kiirsi’s husband accepted Josh, saying, “If you’re friends with Susan, Josh is part of the deal.”
Both Josh and Susan were hired by a brokerage firm, Fidelity Investments. She quickly became a trusted employee popular with her coworkers. But, once again, Josh Powell became too verbal in his
Even if Josh Powell had taken only a few courses in business administration at the University of Washington, it was obvious that nothing had sunk in. He was at an entry level in all of his short-lived jobs, but he could not keep his mouth shut. His own ego was his stumbling block, and he acted as if he were smarter than anyone.
Chapter Two
In 2004, Susan Powell was pregnant with their first son, Charlie. This gave her even more reason to want her marriage to succeed. Josh and Susan decided to make a fresh start in Utah. Although Susan didn’t go into details with her family, they knew that she felt uncomfortable around her father-in-law and believed he intruded on her marriage too much. She hoped that moving out of state would lessen his impact on their lives. Susan and Josh hoped to find job opportunities in the Salt Lake City area and get themselves on a solid financial program.
Chuck and Judy Cox worried about Susan, who was more than eight months pregnant and living far away in Utah.
“We didn’t know if she could count on him when she went into labor or after the baby came home,” Judy recalls. “So we made a trip down there in January.”
Charles Braden Powell was born on January 19, 2005. Susan’s parents’ instinct that she might need them was right on target. When she went into labor, Josh inexplicably said he couldn’t drive her to the hospital because he had something important to do. He asked Chuck and Judy to take her. They were happy to do that but hoped her husband would at least show up for his first child’s birth.
When Josh did show up at the hospital two and a half hours later, he brought his laptop computer with him. What had been more important than being with his wife as she labored to deliver? Josh explained that he had to back up the hard drive on his computer!
Indeed, he sat in a corner of the labor room and worked at his computer, barely noticing what his wife was going through. Chuck Cox watched, silently fuming.
“When she was in transition and really in pain, I went over to Josh and told him to put his computer down. Susan needed him to hold her hand and comfort her. He kept delaying, I finally said, ‘Put your computer down, now !’ ”
Josh finally complied when Susan was only a few pushes away from delivering, and she gave birth to Charlie in a few minutes. “See,” she told her father. “Josh was here when I needed him!”
Chuck didn’t have the heart to tell her what really happened.
Susan was thrilled to be a mother, and Josh appeared to be genuinely pleased with baby Charlie. He held the infant proudly, but he refused to let either Judy or Chuck hold him.
“Charlie was his possession—he belonged to Josh,” Judy said. “And he shut us out completely.”
* * *
At first, Susan and Josh’s move seemed to be a good idea. They had bought a nice home in the 6200 block of West 3945 South in West Valley City. A close southwest suburb of Salt Lake City, West Valley City has a population of something over 130,000 and is the second-largest city in Utah. There were plenty of job opportunities there in 2004.
Susan and Josh made friends with their neighbors, Kiirsi and John Hellewell, who were members of the Mormon church, and they connected with other members of the closest LDS stake.
The Powells and Hellewells spent a lot of social time together, sharing picnics, barbecues, and movies. Kiirsi and Susan were soon best friends, and Kiirsi’s husband accepted Josh, saying, “If you’re friends with Susan, Josh is part of the deal.”
Both Josh and Susan were hired by a brokerage firm, Fidelity Investments. She quickly became a trusted employee popular with her coworkers. But, once again, Josh Powell became too verbal in his
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