Utah newspaper releases Susan Powell emails sent before disappearance

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Emails sent by Susan Powell were released by a Utah newspaper Saturday, and they revealed how her husband, Josh Powell, treated her before her disappearance.

The Salt Lake Tribune was provided nine emails a few days after Susan Powell disappeared in December 2009 in Utah, but the newspaper agreed to not publish them upon the request of the provider.

According to the newspaper, the provider feared their contents might be an invasion of Susan’s privacy or interfere with the police investigation.

The emails were dated from June 30 to Oct. 31, 2008.

Susan Powell emailed several co-workers, friends and members of her ward at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to pour out frustration with her husband and asked for advice, the newspaper reported. She said that the man she married in 2001 had changed.

The Tribune also reported that one of the emails described Josh Powell as a fun-loving, affectionate man, but had changed into a surly, moody, controlling person she feared could harm her.

In an email sent on June 30, 2008, Susan Powell described Josh Powell was “rude, yelling and barking commands.”

In her last email, Susan Powell stated, “My parents are ready to help pay any lawyer fees/mediator (since I think it’s required) and if I am supposed to divorce him, I will know with assurance and somehow the divorce won’t be as ugly as I fear.”

Click here to see the rest of the emails.

When Susan Powell vanished, Utah police considered Josh Powell the only person of interest in the case, but was never formally been considered a suspect or charged with a crime.

After Susan Powell’s disappearance, Josh Powell moved back to Washington with their two sons, 7-year-old Charlie and 4-year-old Braden.

Powell was denied custody of their children by a Pierce County judge in February.

Then a few days later, a caseworker took the boys to Powell's Graham home for a pre-arranged, supervised visit. Powell then killed himself and the boys in a house explosion.

KIRO