Family: Missing mom's Facebook support page disappears
PUYALLUP, Wash. – A Facebook page devoted to missing mom Susan Powell has disappeared, and now her family and friends are asking the social networking site to restore the page.
The Facebook page contained information and an extensive photo gallery of Susan Powell, a 28-year-old mother of two from Puyallup who moved to Utah with her husband Joshua after their marriage.
Susan was last seen Dec. 6, 2009, by her husband at their home in West Valley, Utah. He told police he saw her just before he took their two young children on a midnight camping trip in snowy conditions. When they got back, he says she was gone.
Police now consider Joshua a person of interest in her disappearance.
The "Friends & Family of Susan Powell Facebook page" was launched to aid in the effort to find her, and had attracted more than 45,000 members, said Shelby Gifford, spokeswoman for the family.
The page contained information about Susan and her disappearance, and was a place where members of Facebook could come for up-to-date information about the case.
"An entire database of people willing to help with searches and provide other services was deleted from Facebook as of approximately 2 p.m. Friday," Gifford said.
She says Susan's Facebook page has also been plagued by a "troll" who visited the page under assumed identities, even pretending to be Susan Powell herself at one point.
She said Susan Powell's family and the page administrators have made repeated complaints to Facebook and have not received a response.
"Obviously, our reason for using Facebook is that it can reach such a large audience quickly," said James Hofheins, social media coordinator for the Friends & Family of Susan Powell group. "Their lack of response is causing great frustration among Susan’s friends, family and supporters."
In the meantime, a new page called "Friends & Family of Susan Powell Part Two" has now been launched to replace the original page, but it lacks much of the photos, information and membership.
The Facebook page vanished a day after police in suburban Salt Lake City searched a minivan belonging to Susan Powell's husband. There was no word on what, if anything, was found.
Joshua Powell moved back to Puyallup after his wife disappeared and is selling the couple's home in Utah.
The Facebook page contained information and an extensive photo gallery of Susan Powell, a 28-year-old mother of two from Puyallup who moved to Utah with her husband Joshua after their marriage.
Susan was last seen Dec. 6, 2009, by her husband at their home in West Valley, Utah. He told police he saw her just before he took their two young children on a midnight camping trip in snowy conditions. When they got back, he says she was gone.
Police now consider Joshua a person of interest in her disappearance.
The "Friends & Family of Susan Powell Facebook page" was launched to aid in the effort to find her, and had attracted more than 45,000 members, said Shelby Gifford, spokeswoman for the family.
The page contained information about Susan and her disappearance, and was a place where members of Facebook could come for up-to-date information about the case.
"An entire database of people willing to help with searches and provide other services was deleted from Facebook as of approximately 2 p.m. Friday," Gifford said.
She says Susan's Facebook page has also been plagued by a "troll" who visited the page under assumed identities, even pretending to be Susan Powell herself at one point.
She said Susan Powell's family and the page administrators have made repeated complaints to Facebook and have not received a response.
"Obviously, our reason for using Facebook is that it can reach such a large audience quickly," said James Hofheins, social media coordinator for the Friends & Family of Susan Powell group. "Their lack of response is causing great frustration among Susan’s friends, family and supporters."
In the meantime, a new page called "Friends & Family of Susan Powell Part Two" has now been launched to replace the original page, but it lacks much of the photos, information and membership.
The Facebook page vanished a day after police in suburban Salt Lake City searched a minivan belonging to Susan Powell's husband. There was no word on what, if anything, was found.
Joshua Powell moved back to Puyallup after his wife disappeared and is selling the couple's home in Utah.
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