Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 #80 *arrest*

[Seattle1]

So I guess the point is that the 22 rifle was capable of shooting the dart, but you would also need blank cartridges to propel it? I wonder if they found any of those? Either way, according to Barry he was tranquilizing deer a few weeks before, so he must have had a way to shoot the darts. Unless the dart gun only broke recently.

I have a hard time connecting the shell found in the MB to the scenario though. If the prosecution's theory is that he darted her and she fled and hid in the MB and he broke the door down, then he would have had to load the 22 with the dart a long time before breaking into the MB.

I didn't get that there was any evidence to allege that the master bedroom door frame was fractured on May 9-10 but rather that the state wanted it on the record that sometime during their residency, the door was forced open and the door lock no longer operable and/or secure. I think there were probably several incidents of unrest in that home including the night SM was allegedly pinned to the floor by BM. It was important enough that investigators contacted the previous owners to confirm the broken door frame did not exist prior to BM/SM purchase (two years earlier). MOO

 

[MassGuy]

And a .22 is what BM says he uses to shoot chipmunks iirc. Or did I dream that @MassGuy? Lol

Yes. That’s why it’s potentially super important.

 

[NoSI]

Thank you so much @NoSI. We sure appreciate all the time and effort that you put into these reports.

It is nice to read the additional information that you provide. Now hopefully you can get some rest.

No problemo! I appreciate that you guys are so patient with me. I definitely didn't plan on this being so delayed.

 

[gliving]

Maybe they didn't want to give too much away. She asked Harris if HE looked into it and he said HE did not. Do we know if any other investigator did?

Thanks @Bluebythec Loose ends bother me. I wanted to know what that was all about. Hopefully if/when this goes to trial we'll find out more. It seemed the judge was going to allow its discussion.

It's really hard to stay objective with this case.

#JusticeforSuzanne

 

[Momofthreeboys]

Well, you're right of course, but so far the Gone Girl theory makes more sense than any other, and the defense has to try and sell something. They can attempt a spaghetti defense, but at the end of the trial, they'll need to counter all the prosecutor's evidence with something more than spaghetti - and try to hope that one juror buys their "reasonable doubt" due to Gone Girl.

I can theorize that if JL is put on the stand and he says that Suzanne would never have left without keeping in touch with him and had absolutely no plans to do so, it might help demolition that.

The point about the charger is a good one, but a person can simply unlock their phone and buy a new SIM and be on their way - totally incognito to all those who once knew. It's a simple matter to change one's phone number. Of course that's not what she did - but I don't think even the FBI can say that Suzanne's device has never shown up again on the planet. The idea that Suzanne hitchhiked herself away from Barry and into a world without her daughters or JL...is bizarre. But there is a witness who said they saw an unusual car up that way, that day. This "witness" has gone on record, on video, but not MSM. However, it is not rumor to say that this person exists, can be seen in the crowd at the first presser, and talked about the case a lot in the early days - radio silence recently. I do believe he was interviewed by some reporter in CO (briefly, in the first 10 days after Suzanne went missing), maybe someone else will remember exactly where to find that.

I agree on the phone. There is nothing that says Barry took her phone except conjecture. Same with the journal in the fireplace-conjecture. And why did they not find Suzanne’s meds that she had just filled? My point is simply that LE has a tough road ahead of them and anything they know defense knows. It is truly bizarre to think she might have bolted but I personally think the defense is on the 30 yard line in terms of proving she is deceased let alone Barry did it. I am a very patient person but the prosecution is giving me more frown wrinkled.

 

[Error505]

Yes. That’s why it’s potentially super important.

Grusing talked about knowing that a 22 could fire a tranquilizer dart. From what I can gather on YouTube, it utilizes a blank round to propel the dart towards the target, as opposed to using a standard dart gun.

"During questioning in November of 2020, Barry indicated he was shooting chipmunks. Grusing asked him if he was using a .22 caliber rifle, which he said was important because investigators found a tranquilizer dart cap in the Morphew’s dryer, and knew that a .22 caliber rifle would also fire that. Barry confirmed it was the .22 he was using to shoot chipmunks."

This would explain your notes, while also explaining the apparently inoperable dart gun in the garage.

So I’m intrigued.

BM & his .22 vs chipmunks
10 most damning pieces of evidence against Barry Morphew - Latest News Today
Bullet by the bed

“Rohrich testified that a .22 caliber round was found on the floor of Suzanne Morphew’s bedroom next to her side of the bed.

Barry owns a .22 caliber pistol which he says he uses to shoot chipmunks.”

BM should have hired an attorney for his 27 hours of questioning by LE. Damn glad he didn’t! Moo
EBM to quote another post by @MassGuy regarding .22 evidence

 

[Seattle1]

And a .22 is what BM says he uses to shoot chipmunks iirc. Or did I dream that @MassGuy? Lol

If I recall correctly, the Agent was first to inquire if BM used a 22 to shoot the chipmunks specifically because he was aware that a 22 could be used to shoot tranquilizer darts.

Reportedly, it was sometime in March 2021 that BM approached the Agent in his vehicle and voluntarily handed over the 22 rifle. I believe this was the same illegal short gun that BM now faces charges for possessing. MOO

 

[Momofthreeboys]

So I guess the point is that the 22 rifle was capable of shooting the dart, but you would also need blank cartridges to propel it? I wonder if they found any of those? Either way, according to Barry he was tranquilizing deer a few weeks before, so he must have had a way to shoot the darts. Unless the dart gun only broke recently.

I have a hard time connecting the shell found in the MB to the scenario though. If the prosecution's theory is that he darted her and she fled and hid in the MB and he broke the door down, then he would have had to load the 22 with the dart a long time before breaking into the MB.

There may be no connection. Could have bern there for awhile or fallen out of a pair of pants. It was I think on Suzanne’s side of the bed. Did she shoot either for hunting or at a range?

 

[marylamby]

I've not been quick to literally cease on the phrase "I'm the ATM" to mean SM had no access to bank funds because this phrase is used in my own family to imply "I'm the sole breadwinner." Also, I recently heard on one of the recaps that after the May 6 announcement, SM implied she would continue to help BM with his invoicing. This confirmed my long belief that SM was probably the bookkeeper for his business. I find this very typical if not expected in a relationship where one partner allegedly struggles with impulse control. From what we've seen -- why wouldn't SM be the brains behind BM's business. Lastly, how else would SM be able to put money away for her pending departure per SO's advice? MOO

BM was a control freak. What she could do and what she could wear - via the spy pen. This wasn't new.
The reason this was even a thing was due to her lack of compliance to his wishes. This would not have been an issue if she'd 'behaved' as she normally would have - per his wishes. She'd had it and wasn't having it any longer, thus the recent argument.
He'd lost his control and wasn't taking it well, to say the least.
I do believe Suzanne did all of the business paperwork (or so she thought) but I'll bet my relatively new car that he looked over every single invoice, both accounts payable and receivable and, as I've said, every single receipt she spent HIS money on, including groceries etc even though they were living in a house that she bought but he felt entitled to because she was HIS wife, his property. All part of his plan but she wasn't having it anymore.

 

[windrower]

Also this part is sort of interesting. I guess the defense is going to argue that BM took the range rover to Salida Stove & Spa that afternoon, and that's why the F350 shows no movement and isn't on the cameras? Or maybe that Suzanne was alive and driving it at that point. But hard to understand why it would be moving west on 50 instead of east if it was coming from Puma Path, unless I've got my directions bungled.

All movement described with this white Range Rover is east to west: Loaf and Jug, Collegiate Peaks Bank, and Salida Auto Sales are east to west along Hwy 50. Should be just a minute or less between each business, so apparently this Rover stopped somewhere between Loaf and Jug and the bank for 13 minutes or so.

 

[RIPRM]

I was reading back to past threads that I missed. Prior to the PH there was a lot of talk about this friend of SM that was having a wedding and supposedly SM was so sad she couldn't virtually attend. The collective WS wisdom* was that the interrupted conversation on SM's phone was with this friend and related to that wedding. At the PH, I believe we learned that the interrupted conversation was between SM and her lover. Does anyone think differently? Is there any reason to believe the wedding friend interrupted conversation scenario is still possible?

*collective wisdom because I don't want to call any one person out; also, its not clear to me that this was ever more than pure speculation, but it sure was persistent

 

[gliving]

The defendant is pushing the envelope on this one. What is a ‘partially matched’ DNA and why three people, unlikely all three, if any were in the car…

Regarding the finger prints on the camera wire in the garage, they state it was not BM, MM or MM so it was likely SM. If it was SM they would be hammering it home…

They collected a single partial DNA profile from the glove box that connected to three different CODIS cases. I don't think it was three different people. One guy = three SA

Barry Morphew hearing: 3 unknown DNA matches found in vehicle | 9news.com

Earlier Tuesday, Barry Morphew's attorneys called Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Agent Joseph Cahill as a witness to question him about a DNA sample taken from the glove box of Suzanne Morphew's vehicle after she went missing.

The sample resulted in three unknown matches in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national DNA database used by law enforcement. The matches were connected to sexual assault cases in Arizona and Chicago, according to testimony.

According to the defense, Cahill was listed as the CBI contact in letters sent to law enforcement agencies in Tempe, Ariz., Phoenix and Chicago, notifying them of DNA matches between a swabbed sample taken from the glove box of Suzanne Morphew’s vehicle and unsolved sexual assault cases in those cities.

 

[Mimi in London]

I also recall it reported that despite the state's objection, the defense brought up SM's two secret bank accounts. Although I don't know the reason for the objection, we do know that SO suggested to SM to begin putting money away that she could leave. I believe the state was aware of the new bank accounts but more important was aware that SM had no activity in any account - joint, secret, or other, since the date of her disappearance.

Perhaps the state objected to the defense wanting to put out that SM had deposit activity close to the date she disappeared to dismiss any notion that SM left voluntarily.

Defense attorneys alleged in court Tuesday that Suzanne Morphew also had a secret bank account, which received money on April 23, 2020, at 4:31 a.m.

Colorado dad charged with murdering wife found her texts with lover, prosecutors say

SUZANNE MORPHEW: Preliminary hearing in Barry Morphew trial reveals new details | FOX31 Denver

I’ve been toying with the idea he may have known about Suzanne’s affair but wanted other people to discover it. Just like he arranged for others to discover she was missing and make the call to LE. It’s a pattern with him. In his mind, it would not only distance him from motive, but it would also add to his victimhood.

If the prosecution didn’t want the subject of her secret bank accounts raised at the PH, that makes me wonder whether actually a deposit WAS made after she went missing. Did BM know about the accounts and deposit money (say, $70k) on or after 10 May?

 

[Error505]

I was reading back to past threads that I missed. Prior to the PH there was a lot of talk about this friend of SM that was having a wedding and supposedly SM was so sad she couldn't virtually attend. The collective WS wisdom* was that the interrupted conversation on SM's phone was with this friend and related to that wedding. At the PH, I believe we learned that the interrupted conversation was between SM and her lover. Does anyone think differently? Is there any reason to believe the wedding friend interrupted conversation scenario is still possible?

*collective wisdom because I don't want to call any one person out; also, its not clear to me that this was ever more than pure speculation, but it sure was persistent

Per AM (SM’s brother) as discussed in PE, SM was very much planning on attending the virtual wedding of her BFF’s daughter(SO) scheduled for Sunday. There were text conversations (? Not sure if it was FB messenger) btw SM & SO according to AM on Saturday, May 9, 2020. Initially AM said the conversation was abruptly ended. Of course, SM didn’t attend the virtual wedding of BFF’s daughter on MD. We later learned in the PH, SM had conversations with JL that day. Prosecution hasn’t disclosed messages btw SM & SO dated May 9, yet. Iirc. Not to say they didn’t happen moo. I think this is right video. I know it’s in the media links.

 

[Seattle1]

And how the heck would they know that it was a 'secret' account in the first place?
Does that mean an account to which Barry is not on? Did Barry SAY he didn't know about it? Again, his lips were moving somewhere in there.

I think by identifying the two accounts (Green Dot and Compass Group Fund) the defense determined they were online-only banks, opened in SM name only. I think the only way they could call them "secret accounts" is if the accounts were referenced in communication between SO and SM as her freedom from BM accounts. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

I’ve been toying with the idea he may have known about Suzanne’s affair but wanted other people to discover it. Just like he arranged for others to discover she was missing and make the call to LE. It’s a pattern with him. In his mind, it would not only distance him from motive, but it would also add to his victimhood.

If the prosecution didn’t want the subject of her secret bank accounts raised at the PH, that makes me wonder whether actually a deposit WAS made after she went missing. Did BM know about the accounts and deposit money (say, $70k) on or after 10 May?

As far as what's been reported from the PH, there was only one deposit reference and that was on 4/23/20 (no dollar amount reported). See my earlier link.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Well, you're right of course, but so far the Gone Girl theory makes more sense than any other, and the defense has to try and sell something. They can attempt a spaghetti defense, but at the end of the trial, they'll need to counter all the prosecutor's evidence with something more than spaghetti - and try to hope that one juror buys their "reasonable doubt" due to Gone Girl.

I can theorize that if JL is put on the stand and he says that Suzanne would never have left without keeping in touch with him and had absolutely no plans to do so, it might help demolition that.

The point about the charger is a good one, but a person can simply unlock their phone and buy a new SIM and be on their way - totally incognito to all those who once knew. It's a simple matter to change one's phone number. Of course that's not what she did - but I don't think even the FBI can say that Suzanne's device has never shown up again on the planet. The idea that Suzanne hitchhiked herself away from Barry and into a world without her daughters or JL...is bizarre. But there is a witness who said they saw an unusual car up that way, that day. This "witness" has gone on record, on video, but not MSM. However, it is not rumor to say that this person exists, can be seen in the crowd at the first presser, and talked about the case a lot in the early days - radio silence recently. I do believe he was interviewed by some reporter in CO (briefly, in the first 10 days after Suzanne went missing), maybe someone else will remember exactly where to find that.

Francis Bach at :34 seconds said he saw the car up on the road.
Authorities cordon off home of missing Chaffee County woman | FOX31 Denver

 

[gliving]

I think by identifying the two accounts (Green Dot and Compass Group Fund) the defense determined they were online-only banks, opened in SM name only. I think the only way they could call them "secret accounts" is if the accounts were referenced in communication between SO and SM as her freedom from BM accounts. MOO

LE found the accounts through a statement in her email account. They don't mention email date. Account opened in April.

@AshleyKKTV
and
@KKTV11News
Defense now asking SA Harris about a statement sent to #SuzanneMorphew email about her alleged secret bank account. It was a GreenDot account. Defense says you can access the account and withdraw money without having to go to a bank.
@KKTV11News

9:01 AM · Aug 10, 2021

@LaurenScharfTV
In April, #SuzanneMorphew opened up an account with GreenDot bank and Royal Compass Management. Eytan asked Agent Harris he had looked into this and he said he hadn't. The state is now asking Agent Harris more questions.

9:03 AM · Aug 10, 2021

 

[marylamby]

I think when the defense tries too hard to show many different theories it backfires. I think of the case of Christian Rivera, in the murder of Mollie Tibbits. They kept saying all kids of things and their big alternative theory is 2 masked men came into his house and kidnapped him and made him drive around while they adducted her and killed her, then told him to drive to a corn field where they got out and he had to dispose of her body. Oh and one of them said Jack (which happened to be the last name of Mollie's boyfriend) and then also tried to show that her boyfriend was an awful person and ran him through the mud. It didn't go well for the defense. I wish this type of thing wasn't allowed. It should be that they have to have proof of whateever story they are selling if they are presenting an alternative theory. Barry should have to explain all his lies if they are going to claim she just ran off or someone else did it and framed him or whatever else they come up with. Presenting a good defense with evidence that actually supports your theory is one thing, but this partial match stuff and insinuating his prints aren't on something, but someone else;s is (unknown) is somehow indicative of someone breaking in, no sign of a struggle, but not stealing anything, her money her car, just a ninja showed up and planted her bike and threw the helmet out, because a random ninja would know she bikes often and that her husband was also up to shady stuff so he would look guilty. It just doesn't sit well with me when they do this type of thing.

From your lips to the potential jury's ears. That won't stop the defense from pulling out any and all slapstick shoelace eating comedy they can think of.

 

[Seattle1]

BM was a control freak. What she could do and what she could wear - via the spy pen. This wasn't new.
The reason this was even a thing was due to her lack of compliance to his wishes. This would not have been an issue if she'd 'behaved' as she normally would have - per his wishes. She'd had it and wasn't having it any longer, thus the recent argument.
He'd lost his control and wasn't taking it well, to say the least.
I do believe Suzanne did all of the business paperwork (or so she thought) but I'll bet my relatively new car that he looked over every single invoice, both accounts payable and receivable and, as I've said, every single receipt she spent HIS money on, including groceries etc even though they were living in a house that she bought but he felt entitled to because she was HIS wife, his property. All part of his plan but she wasn't having it anymore.

I also think we'd be remiss not to factor in that BM was dealing with the new version of SM that according to BM, he'd never seen act so "ballsie." I think it was the same with her wardrobe. SM was working out, feeling good about herself, and had probably started dressing for JL and not BM. SM was moving on and not looking back. She told BM and this time he knew that it was true. Only death could stop her now. MOO