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| source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation |
Suzanne Morphew (49) vanished on May 10th, 2020. The mother-of-two disappeared on Mother's Day, after she left her Maysville, Colorado home to go for a bike ride. Suzanne never returned home, and a neighbor reported her missing later that evening.
Initial searches for Suzanne ended unsuccessfully. Reports state that search crews "of more than 100 investigators, eight tracking dogs and four drones, as well as members of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, South Ark Swiftwater Rescue and Reach Air Ambulance have been unable to find her." The only trace of Suzanne that was found was her bicycle, which was located in a nearby ravine shortly after she was reported missing.
Suzanne's husband, Barry Morphew, put a $100,000 reward in place for anyone with information about Suzanne's whereabouts. That reward was later increased to $200,000 after a friend donated money to the case. Barry told police and loved ones that he was in Denver on the day she vanished - which is an approximate 3-hour drive away from their home in Maysville.
However, in October 2020, new information about Barry's alleged alibi surfaced. It was originally reported that Barry was in the Denver area on the day Suzanne vanished. He said that he left the family's Maysville home during the early morning hours of May 10th, and then returned later that afternoon after learning of his wife's disappearance. Barry went to the Denver area to work on a landscaping job. He was hired by the president of the landscaping company, who also happens to be his close friend.
However, Barry's name is reportedly not on any documentation related to this specific job. Additionally, the job was reportedly scheduled for Monday, May 11th--not Sunday, May 10th. In fact, the city did not issue a special permit for the work to be completed on a weekend, which would have been required for this particular job.
All of this information leads to many questions. Did Barry actually go to the Denver area that day? And if so, why did he go a whole a day earlier than necessary? Why did he lie about the date of the job? Suspicions had been cast on Barry since the beginning of the investigation - especially when it revealed that Suzanne was unhappy in their marriage and was having an affair with another man. She had reportedly begun a relationship with this man two years prior, while she was going through chemotherapy.
In May 2021, Barry Morphew was arrested and charged with Suzanne's murder. At that point, loved ones of Suzanne felt they were one step closer to getting answers. Unfortunately, though, this would end up being far from true.
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Barry's arrest.
Barry's arrest.
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| source: Law and Crime |
Barry's arrest came nearly a year after Suzanne's disappearance. At the time, authorities did not disclose any other details, but they revealed that Barry is facing charges of first-degree murder, attempting to influence a public servant, and tampering with evidence.
The spy pen.
Meanwhile, more and more speculation about what happened to Suzanne began to surface. It was revealed that Suzanne had been using a spy pen prior to her disappearance. The purpose of the pen was for Suzanne to record Barry so she could potentially catch him in an affair.
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| source: CBS News |
However, the pen would reveal to investigators that Suzanne was actually having an affair herself. The man with whom she was having an affair was eventually located and questioned. His alibi checked out and he was cleared of suspicion.
Other speculation.
The main theories that began to surface involved Barry being responsible. Some speculated that Barry killed Suzanne after she asked for a divorce, or after he found out about her affair. Barry himself speculated that Suzanne was taken by someone else, or that she was harmed by something in nature - possibly a mountain lion.
April 2022 update: charges dropped.
Almost a year after the arrest, a judge dismissed the first-degree murder charges against Barry Morphew in April 2022. This ruling came after the prosecution filed a motion to dismiss the charges without prejudice - which means Barry can be charged again at a later date.
The prosecutor implied that they hoped to charge Barry again once after finding Suzanne's body. At that time, authorities said that they were close to finding her remains, but the snow is preventing them from doing so. Court documents state that authorities "zeroed in on a remote and mountainous area near the Morphew's home." Said area was covered in snow at the time this was reported. It's unclear if investigators ever got to search the area.
May 2023: Barry files a lawsuit, speaks out.
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| source: ABC News |
In May 2023, Barry filed a $15 million lawsuit claiming that he was falsely charged with his wife's murder. Shortly thereafter, Barry and his two daughters with Suzanne spoke to ABC News and proclaimed Barry's innocence. The daughters supported their father and stated that they never had a single inkling that he was involved in their mother's disappearance.
September 2023: Remains found.
During September 2023, it was reported that authorities searched "an area of Moffat in Saguache County on an investigation not related to the Morphew investigation" when human remains were found. Days later, those remains were positively identified as that of Suzanne Morphew.
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| source: KRDO Newschannel 13 |
This area is located approximately 45 miles away from the Morphew home - which means that investigators were incorrect about their belief that Suzanne's body was hidden in a mountainous area near their home. However, her body was found in a shallow grave, and it was obvious that someone else had placed her in such location. Other information about her cause/manner of death has not been released at this time.
Where the case stands today.
As of today, Suzanne's case remains unsolved. Barry has not been re-charged with anything related to her disappearance and/or death. The investigation into her case is ongoing.
If you have any information that could help solve Suzanne's case, please submit a tip.
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