WEST VALLEY, Utah, May 31 (UPI) -- A Washington judge named the parents of missing mom Susan Cox Powell special administrators of their daughter's estate, making them owners of her Utah home.
Under a provision for missing person's cases, a Washington probate judge named Chuck and Judy Cox special administrators of Susan's estate, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Wednesday.
Susan's husband, Josh Powell, killed himself and the couple's two sons, Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5, in February by setting fire to a home he rented in Graham, Wash. At the time of Josh's death, the West Valley home was still listed in the couple's names, though he was renting it out.
"Technically, Susan has never been declared dead," said Stephan Downing, one of the Washington attorneys representing the Coxes. "Everyone assumes she might not be alive, but even West Valley continues to assert that this is nothing more than a missing person's investigation."
Downing said a Washington judge also named the Coxes administrators for the estates of their grandsons, including policies in their names worth $500,000. Josh also had $1 million insurance policies in his and Susan's names -- the policies are now in dispute between Josh's siblings and mother and the Coxes, the newspaper said.
