By DAVE CAWLEY

Josh Powell struggled to connect with girls.

He chased a lot of romantic interests as a young man but met with repeated rejection. He had a habit of unnerving the women he pursued.

Josh had only two serious relationships in his adult life: his marriage to Susan Cox in 2001 and his relationship with a young woman named Catherine in 1998.

Yet little has been known about Catherine’s story before now.

Those two relationships bore some striking similarities. Catherine and Susan were each 19 when they started dating Josh. Both were active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and met Josh at church-related events.

Both soon found themselves trapped by a partner who controlled their personal lives, drained their bank accounts and seemed repulsed by physical affection.

Catherine’s relationship with Josh differed from Susan’s in one critical way: she escaped.

Imagine Catherine’s surprise, then, when she saw her ex-boyfriend’s face on the TV news 10 years later, in December of 2009.