Evidence in the Suzanne Morphew case

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When Suzanne Morphew, a Colorado parent of two, vanished connected Mother's Day 2020, constabulary initially thought possibly she was taken portion riding her upland bike. They besides considered her husband. Then, bizarre clues emerged – a chipmunk alibi, a tranquilizer gun, a spy pen and an affair.

A 25-year marriage

Suzanne and Barry Morphew grew up successful the aforesaid hometown of Alexandria, Indiana, and met successful precocious school. Suzanne was fashionable and well-liked. Barry was a prima shot subordinate who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays.

The couple, who began dating aft Barry graduated precocious school, joined successful 1994. Barry started a landscaping concern and Suzanne was a schoolteacher earlier leaving the occupation to rise their 2 daughters, Mallory and Macy.

Suzanne and her daughters

According to friends, the Morphews moved from Indiana to a location conscionable extracurricular of Salida, Colorado, to beryllium person to their older daughter, Mallory, pictured right, who was attending assemblage nearby. But determination were besides rumors that the determination was an effort astatine a caller commencement for Suzanne and Barry's troubled marriage.

Missing connected Mother's Day

Early successful the greeting connected May 10, 2020, Barry near his location conscionable extracurricular of Salida, Colorado, to thrust to a occupation tract 150 miles distant successful Broomfield, Colorado. The couple's daughters, who were distant connected a camping travel and making their mode home, substance their mother, wishing her a Happy Mother's Day. She does not respond.

Mallory informs her begetter that they are incapable to scope Suzanne. Barry yet speaks to 1 of their neighbors and asks them to cheque connected Suzanne and to spot if her upland motorcycle is astatine the house. When they find nary motion of her oregon her bike, Barry asks them to telephone the police.

Instead of heading location immediately, Barry drops disconnected a shovel and immoderate different tools for his co-workers astatine a edifice wherever helium had booked rooms for them and himself. He begins driving location a fewer minutes past 6 p.m.

Investigators wonder: staged scene?

This photograph taken from constabulary assemblage cam footage shows Suzanne Morphew's upland motorcycle aft being discovered by sheriff's deputies connected the broadside of a cliff disconnected a roadworthy adjacent the household home.

No clothing, humor oregon grounds of a conflict were recovered adjacent the motorcycle and Suzanne's helmet was discovered astir 1 mile distant disconnected the broadside of Highway 50. Her sunglasses and hydration backpack were recovered wrong her car, starring investigators to surmise the country whitethorn person been staged and that Suzanne ne'er truly went for a motorcycle thrust that Mother's Day morning.

Mountain motorcycle recovered

Suzanne Morphew's motorcycle aft investigators removed it from the cliff. Suzanne was comparatively caller astatine upland biking. A fewer days aft uncovering her bike, investigators recovered her helmet, astir a mile away.

An extended hunt effort

A scuba diver searches a section waterway arsenic quality of Suzanne Morphew's disappearance shook the assemblage and yet the full nation.

Local and authorities authorities on with the FBI, CBI and civilian volunteers conducted a ample hunt effort crossed immense and rugged terrain.

To this day, Suzanne's assemblage has not been found, and authorities presume she's dead.

Spy pen leads to shocking discovery

Ten days aft Suzanne Morphew was reported missing, investigators recovered this "spy" pen successful a walk-in closet successful the Morphew's maestro bedroom.

They larn that Suzanne got the pen, which is voice-activated and records conversations, hoping to drawback her hubby Barry successful an affair. Instead, she inadvertently recorded conversations she had with her concealed lover.

It took six months for investigators to place the man. It turned out, helium had a woman and six children successful Michigan wherever helium lived. He ne'er came guardant connected his ain aft Suzanne vanished and took steps to fell their affair. But erstwhile agents came knocking, helium cooperated and provided entree to his DNA, telephone records and passwords for deleted accounts.

Investigators were capable to verify his alibi and helium was cleared.

Love matter provides clues

On May 9, the time earlier Mother's Day, records amusement Suzanne Morphew and her person messaged each different 59 times starring up to the infinitesimal investigators judge Barry Morphew murdered his wife. At 1 point, Suzanne messaged her person this selfie, which investigators dubbed her past "proof of life" photo.

Barry, who was retired moving errands, sent Suzanne a substance astatine 2:26 p.m. telling her helium was connected his mode home. With nary effect from Suzanne, Barry texts her again, "Did you leave?" and again is met with silence. Investigators judge Barry returned location soon after, killed Suzanne and cleaned up the transgression scene.

But if Barry knew thing astir Suzanne's affair, what motive would helium person to termination her? One hint whitethorn beryllium a deleted substance that investigators recovered connected Barry's phone, sent by Suzanne conscionable days before. "I'm done. I could attraction little what you're up to and person been for years. We conscionable request to fig this retired civilly."

Sign of a struggle?

This photograph shows a dark, vertical ace on the doorway framework of the couple's maestro bedroom.

Investigators showed Barry Morphew a photograph of the damaged doorway frame, explaining the anterior owners said it wasn't determination erstwhile they sold the location to the Morphews. Barry was asked if that was the effect of an statement oregon him being locked out. He said, "I person nary thought what that's from."

Investigators judge Barry whitethorn person damaged the doorway arsenic helium tried to get to Suzanne aft shooting her with a tranquilizer gun.

Cell telephone records pb to chipmunk alibi

Cell telephone records look to amusement Barry Morphew's telephone pinging each astir the location connected May 9. When asked astir this antithetic telephone activity, Barry told investigators helium was moving astir the spot shooting chipmunks, which Barry says were a changeless nuisance.

However, investigators judge this antithetic telephone enactment could beryllium Barry chasing Suzanne astir the location aft shooting her with the tranquilizer gun.

This outer representation of the Morphew location shows immoderate of those ping locations from Barry's compartment phone.

Digital conveyance forensics uncover suspicious activity

Authorities accidental Barry Morphew told them helium went to furniture astir 8 p.m. connected May 9, but his truck's machine shows the truck, seen present successful this grounds photo, was enactment successful reverse and backed up towards the location astir 9:30 p.m.

A pivotal portion of evidence?

Investigators discovered this wide integrative needle headdress successful the Morphew family's dryer.

Prosecutors contend it's an important portion of evidence. They judge that erstwhile Barry Morphew arrived location the day of May 9, helium went into the garage, took this headdress disconnected a syringe utilized to load a tranquilizer dart, injected the dart with a chemical, and changeable Suzanne, though they failed to find a moving tranquilizer weapon oregon tranquilizer chemicals successful the couple's home.

Barry told investigators helium had nary thought however the headdress got successful the dryer, but admitted helium was an experienced tranquilizer dart weapon shooter and knows however to load darts with paralyzing chemicals, having utilized them to illegally sedate cervid and region their antlers to sell.

Barry's defence lawyers antagonistic this headdress means thing due to the fact that nary 1 could accidental however agelong it had been there. Furthermore, they accidental determination is nary grounds tying the headdress to their client.

Texts uncover a struggling marriage

A slew of substance messages betwixt Suzanne Morphew and a adjacent person successful the months and days starring up to her disappearance uncover the Morphews' matrimony remained rocky. These are conscionable a fewer of the texts showing Suzanne's anguish and concerns astir her husband, Barry. In 1 text, she writes, "I consciousness nary bid erstwhile he's here" and "I would not consciousness harmless unsocial with him."

On March 25, 2020, Suzanne texted her friend, "He won't talk of divorce" and connected May 6, 2020, conscionable days earlier she disappeared, Suzanne texted Barry, "I'm done. I could attraction little what you're up to and person been for years. We conscionable request to fig this retired civilly."

An avid huntsman and outdoorsman

This photograph shows immoderate cervid heads displayed wrong the Morphews' home.

When investigators told Barry Morphew that a tranquilizer dart had been fired "in oregon astir the house," and they could not explicate it, helium responded: "...The archetypal happening I thought of erstwhile I came present and saw cervid successful my gait with large horns, I'm like, 'I'm getting them horns...And I'll archer you precisely what I did...I sprout 'em. They spell to sleep, I chopped their horns off....It's wholly illegal…But you're gonna find tranq darts astir my spot due to the fact that I've done that."

Multiple trash runs

On May 10, the time Suzanne Morphew is reported missing, investigators discovered Barry Morphew threw retired trash astatine aggregate locations astir Broomfield, Colorado, portion successful municipality for work. This photo, taken from edifice surveillance footage, shows Barry throwing retired trash successful a dumpster.

Barry told investigators helium often dropped trash successful accessible bins to debar paying to person it disposed of astatine a landfill. Investigators, however, judge Barry was disposing of evidence.

Scratch marks

Adding to the prosecution mentation that determination was a carnal altercation starring up to Suzanne Morphew's execution are these evident scratch marks connected Barry Morphew's limb successful a photograph taken by investigators 3 days aft Suzanne went missing.

Arrested and jailed

This booking photograph was taken aft Barry Morphew's arrest, astir a twelvemonth aft Suzanne's disappearance. Despite not having recovered his wife's body, helium was charged with first-degree execution and tampering with carnal grounds and different charges.

In their arrest affidavit, prosecutors spelled retired what they judge happened to Suzanne: "It had go wide that Barry could not power Suzanne's insistence connected leaving him and helium resorted to thing helium has done his full beingness - hunt and power Suzanne similar helium had hunted and controlled animals."

Standing by their father

Barry Morphew pleaded not blameworthy to each charges and connected September 20, 2021, helium was released from jailhouse connected enslaved with his daughters by his side. They steadfastly enactment their father, attending astir of his tribunal hearings similar this 1 successful December of 2021.

A caller twist: Mystery DNA

Investigators discovered mysterious antheral DNA successful this Range Rover belonging to Suzanne Morphew. In October 2020, DNA investigating revealed astatine slightest a partial lucifer to an unnamed antheral connected to 3 unsolved intersexual battle cases successful Tempe, Phoenix and Chicago.

Barry Morphew's ineligible squad says it intends to record a civilian lawsuit, claiming prosecutors withheld much circumstantial exculpatory DNA grounds until aft Barry's preliminary proceeding successful August 2021 -- which decided the lawsuit against Barry is beardown capable to spell to trial.

Pre-trial motions

In a bid of pre-trial motions, Barry Morphew's defence squad pressed judges to enforce terrible sanctions connected the prosecution for failing to crook over potentially exculpatory evidence ahead of trial. And Judge Lama did, imposing damaging sanctions, including barring 11 of their 16 endorsed adept witnesses among others, experts successful DNA, conveyance information and a compartment telephone information analyst, arsenic punishment for violating find rules. In all, the Court excluded 14 of the prosecution's adept witnesses.

The justice recovered that DA Stanley and her squad repeatedly missed deadlines and failed to crook implicit important information, and wrote, "It is wide to this Court there is simply a signifier of find violations successful this lawsuit attributable to the People…their actions magnitude to negligent and arguably, reckless disregard ..."

In earlier filings, prosecutors said that the Court did not find willful misconduct associated with immoderate find violations, noting "ultimately the sanctions imposed greatly harm the People's case, tantamount to dismissal, for precocious disclosures That were not greatly prejudicial, but alternatively method successful nature."

Charges dismissed

On April 19, 2022, conscionable 9 days earlier Barry Morphew was acceptable to basal proceedings for his wife, Suzanne Morphew's murder, Judge Ramsey Lama granted the DA's question to disregard the charges against him, without prejudice, meaning the prosecution tin re-file charges successful the future.

Morphew, alongside his daughters, walked retired of the Fremont County courthouse a escaped antheral aft each charges against him were dismissed.

Suzanne Morphew's remains found

In 2023, much than 3 years aft she was reported missing, investigators discovered Suzanne Morphew's skeletal remains successful a shallow sedate during an unrelated search. The determination — a distant country known arsenic "the boneyard" adjacent the municipality of Moffat, Colorado — was little than an hr southbound of the Morphew home.

Barry Morphew charged with execution a 2nd time

On June 20, 2025, Barry Morphew was rearrested near Phoenix, Arizona, and charged with first-degree execution successful the decease of his wife, Suzanne Morphew. Detectives with the Arizona Department of Public Safety reportedly apprehended him without incidental during a postulation halt aft spotting a achromatic Ford pickup registered successful his name. Morphew, who had been surviving successful Arizona, is being held connected $3 cardinal cash-only bail and has been extradited to Colorado. He continues to support his innocence.

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