The search for Susan Cox Powell, a long-missing Utah mother of two in the Topaz Mountains, Wednesday turned up human remains, authorities said.
West Valley City police Lt. Bill Merritt told The Salt Lake Tribune he didn't know whether the remains were those of a female or male or how long they had been there. Still, he told the newspaper, "it's exciting that we've located this."
Searchers were looking for the remains of Powell, 28, of West Valley City, who disappeared the night of Dec. 7, 2009, UPI.com reported.
The remains were discovered with the aid of cadaver dogs about 1 p.m. It was too late in the day for medical examiner's office personnel to reach the site before dark so law enforcement officers were to be posted at the scene overnight.
Further excavation and searching of the area was to take place Thursday.
Powell's father, Chuck Cox, told the newspaper it is the fifth time the family has awaited word after remains were found in Idaho, Washington and Utah. In each of those instances, the family was disappointed.
Cox said it seemed unlikely these remains would turn out to be those of his daughter since the remote location would have been difficult to reach during a snowstorm that occurred the night she vanished.
Police have called Powell's husband Josh a "person of interest" in the case. Josh Powell told police he was away from home camping with their sons, ages 2 and 4, at the time she disappeared.
The search near Delta, Utah, began Tuesday and involved grid searches by all-terrain vehicles and an aerial search of the high-country desert.
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