Deal reached over insurance money for missing Utah mother Susan Powell

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The family of Susan Powell, a Utah woman who vanished in 2009 and whose husband later killed himself and the couple's two young sons, has reached a settlement with her husband's family over the couple's estate and life insurance money, court records show. The resolution was reached after a brief hearing in state court in Salt Lake City on Thursday, court records show. Details were not disclosed. A local broadcaster, FOX 13, reported that the settlement Susan Powell's parents reached with the mother and sister of her late husband, Josh Powell, related to more than $2 million in life insurance proceeds. Susan Powell went missing in 2009 and is presumed dead, although her body has never been found. Josh Powell, a prime suspect in her disappearance, killed his sons in 2012 by striking them with a hatchet, then blew up the family house in Washington state. He died in the incident. FOX 13, citing lawyers for Powell's parents, reported that Susan Powell's father, Chuck Cox, will remain in control of the estate under the settlement and will be able to decide when to ask a court to declare his daughter legally dead. Josh Powell's mother and sister had previously filed a lawsuit that sought to declare Susan Powell legally dead in order to claim a portion of life insurance money, FOX 13 reported. A federal judge in Washington state in 2014 awarded $2.3 million in life insurance proceeds to Josh and Susan Powell's trust and a related conservatorship under the Cox family's control, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Chuck Cox altered the trust in 2013 to eliminate Josh Powell's family as beneficiaries, and Josh Powell's family had asked the court to rule that Susan Powell died before Cox altered the trust, the newspaper reported. Lawyers for Cox and Powell's parents did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by David Gregorio)