Still Missing CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #85

[CGray123]

I recall that some sleuths noted BM's receipt of pandemic relief for his business, and wondered whether he misreported his "independent contractors" who were paid in cash as "employees" in order to qualify, and whether the "employees" ever saw any of this money. IIRC, the amount was in the vicinity of $50,000.00. I wondered if the government would even look at that small amount of money with all they have on their plate.

I shouldn't have wondered. Here's a case where they are prosecuting a Georgia man for misusing $58,000.00 of pandemic relief money.

Man spent $57,789 in coronavirus relief aid on a Pokemon card, the feds say

If anyone has reason to believe that BM lied to get pandemic relief money, or misused it in violation of the law, please contact the FBI. Colorado businesses who are cheating taxpayers deserve to know the heat is on.

 

[CGray123]

The owners. If you ever lived in a small town owners do all kinds of things outside their “hours” and especially during Covid when business owners were incredibly accommodating about all kinds of things. The jurors will decide if the owners were befuddled about when they were at their store. Prosecutors say they weren’t there, they say they were…jury decides.

Neither the store eyewitnesses nor the DNA evidence matters. Digital evidence proves BM was at Puma Path when SM disappeared. When confronted with the evidence, he admitted he was there at that time with a gun in his hand, shooting "chipmunks." He had previously set up his alibi and subsequently staged the bike accident and lied his tight little butt off to investigators, among the mass of other evidence against him.

The jury doesn't need to know how she was killed or where he hid her remains to conclude that he murdered her after deliberation. The defense reminds me of the sword-wielding Egyptian mercenary who confronts Indiana Jones in Cairo, making expert moves with his scimitar. After watching his would-be assassin for a few seconds, Jones rolls his eyes, pulls his pistol, and shoots him dead.

E&N may be experts in petifoggery and PR, but don't be distracted by all the flashy moves. The jury won't. The evidence is the pistol that will put BM away.

 

[Leader6518]

Sure and the question is did investigators follow up or were they so focused on Barry they didn't follow up anything but what they needed/wanted to arrest Barry. I can't decide if the entire prosecution is sloppy or covert. They could have covered their rears by getting an alibi from a named suspect no matter how far fetched they thought it was. But they didn't...so sloppy or covert? It's really anyone's guess.

I seem to remember testimony at the PH from LE about contacting PHX LE. There was also a link to Chicago. It was in the tweets but I don’t remember which reporter(s) so IMO applies here.

I agree with MassGuy. This is a publicity stunt to sway potential jurors.

 

[CGray123]

I've read it in its entirety ....

One reason it may be filed is because the letter of intent, or subsequent lawsuit, behooves Barry in the eyes of Suzanne's children by declaring all investigators were out to get Barry arrested while overlooking possible exculpatory evidence. In fact, the daughter(s) may have instigated this lawsuit.

Jmhoo

I'm all but certain the daughters did not "instigate" (bring about) this lawsuit, but if what you mean is that the notice of claim letter reflects his urgent need to preserve an image of the persecuted innocent for his daughters - and maybe to support his own deflection defense against shame and guilt - ITA.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Hold it, what?

The DNA of a sex offender would not change anything, as it does not explain the mountain of damning details and facts here. The great news is that if the defense is telling the truth, the prosecution now has an actual person to exclude, as opposed to some phantom.

Some predator didn’t kidnap Suzanne, enter her car, leave her purse, stage a bicycle, dump a helmet, force Barry to lie about when he woke up, put Barry outside when he should have been sleeping, put Barry in the vicinity of the bike, shut down Suzanne’s phone at the precise moment Barry needed it to, force Barry to chase elk towards the helmet location, force him to dump 5 bags of trash, force him to lie about working, force him to lie about where he was when he got that call, force him to lie about the state of their marriage, and Suzanne wanting a divorce.

He didn’t cause Suzanne’s footprint to cease to exist on that afternoon, put Barry’s phone on airplane mode, disappear her journal, scratch Barry’s arms.

From a jury perspective, if its a high probability match than the prosecution will need to prove beyond the realm of possibility (not reasonable doubt) that this person could not have committed this crime. Something like he was in jail at the time, etc... I would go as far as to say that if the DNA is a high probability match to a known sex offender than LE might also have to prove how it got there to convince a jury. e.g. he worked at the car dealership, he repaired cars. All the other evidence, which I totally agree with you about, will not matter to at least 1 out of 12 people.

I don't think that is what it is. We wouldn't be here if that were the case. This person would have been brought in for questioning, perhaps arrested. It's a low probability (partial) match that is of no scientific consequence.

 

[al66pine]

CARES ACT FRAUD? Pokemon Card or 5th Horse in 4th Race?

.... prosecuting a Georgia man for misusing $58,000.00 of pandemic relief money.
Man spent $57,789 in coronavirus relief aid on a Pokemon card, the feds say
If anyone has reason to believe that BM lied to get pandemic relief money, or misused it in violation of the law, please contact the FBI....

@CGray123 sbm bbm Thx for your post. Using fed. pandemic relief $ to buy Pokemon card? Maybe kinda sorta like a racetrack tip for the fifth horse in the fourth race? A sure thing?/ sarc

"Working alongside law enforcement partners and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Fraud Section has charged over a hundred defendants with fraud connected to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)."* bbm A list of cases follows, but not seeing anything for Colorado
released yet.

Pleased these criminal doofuses are being prosecuted.

If FBI is the approp. agency to contact, I missed it in the npr.org link. Looks like intake could be done thru DoJ Fraud Section enforcement and/or U.S. Attorneys' office. my2ct.

{ETA: Bonus points to you for use of "petifoggery."}
* Fraud Section Enforcement Related to the CARES Act

 

[Curiousobserver]

My guess- they got enough DNA to get a Y-STR Haplotype and the Y-haplotype matches some sex crimes in Arizona. Y haplotype simply means that somewhere back in history the perpetrator in Arizona and the contributor in Colorado have a inherited the same segments of one gene on their Y chromosome. This could be because they are the same person or because they have a common male relative. That common relative could be 10 generations back.

This is usually the first test you do when you perform human identification via DNA.

 

[Seattle1]

I'm all but certain the daughters did not "instigate" (bring about) this lawsuit, but if what you mean is that the notice of claim letter reflects his urgent need to preserve an image of the persecuted innocent for his daughters - and maybe to support his own deflection defense against shame and guilt - ITA.

I know more outlets reporting since CM's exclusive with the Gazette. Is there a link available now that cites BM's daughters behind the lawsuit? TIA.

 

[CGray123]

I know more outlets reporting since CM's exclusive with the Gazette. Is there a link available now that cites BM's daughters behind the lawsuit? TIA.

I don't believe BM's daughters are actively instigating BM's civil suit, and I haven't seen any evidence supporting such speculation. OP's suggestion to that effect led to my post.

 

[CGray123]

From a jury perspective, if its a high probability match than the prosecution will need to prove beyond the realm of possibility (not reasonable doubt) that this person could not have committed this crime. Something like he was in jail at the time, etc... I would go as far as to say that if the DNA is a high probability match to a known sex offender than LE might also have to prove how it got there to convince a jury. e.g. he worked at the car dealership, he repaired cars. All the other evidence, which I totally agree with you about, will not matter to at least 1 out of 12 people.

I don't think that is what it is. We wouldn't be here if that were the case. This person would have been brought in for questioning, perhaps arrested. It's a low probability (partial) match that is of no scientific consequence.

ITA that the DNA is not a high probability match, and that it has no consequence. I agree that in the unlikely event that it is, a jury will want to know why LE eliminated the match as a potential suspect and arrested BM. But it's important to remember, as the jury will be instructed, that the burden of proof on the prosecution does not change. The jury can accept or reject what LE did, but it will be in the context of all the evidence taken as a whole, not an isolated LE decision. JMO.

 

[Scootie98]

I am leaning towards that he buried her, given his comment to his friend that ‘I could bury a body and no one would ever find it’

It took some serious thought to arrive at that conclusion.....about burying a body no one could find. I wonder how many hours Barry pondered that scenario?

 

[MassGuy]

Nothing new.

Barry Morphew plans to sue DA, investigators for malicious prosecution

 

[marylamby]

If the woman at the Wednesday-dumpster-meeting was someone other and wasn't Suzanne, then where was Suzanne at that time? Of course, if the cleaning lady didn't know Suzanne and her face/hair colour, she could have thought of BM with woman at his side, it was BM and his wife. On the other hand, the cleaning lady certainly later saw news and the many pictures of Suzanne and would have noticed at a certain point, that her Wednesday encounter wasn't the wife at BM's side. Maybe, meanwhile LE know?
In any case, the evening walk on Wednesday right to the dumpster and there allegedly asking the unknown cleaning lady, why she was dumping things (as if she did it the first time!), is somehow ominous, IMO. Wednesday a peaceful little walk and Friday already a BM in trouble?? Do I remember well, that MG said something about him, how he acted and so on?

Not sure how to parse this but I found the original post here where Lauren Scharf was quoted. The housekeeper she interviewed was Bridget Bulker.
I'd like to thank @Error505 for her post, which I can no longer 'quote' so I c/p from July 25th, 2020 from the old Suzanne Morphew thread #22, p.1.

"Posted by Lauren Scharf on her FB account as a follow up answer, the following statement from the housekeeper Lauren interviewed who says she saw the Morphews on Wed before MD.

The housekeeper didn’t want to go on camera as she had been cleaning the rental units in Morphews neighborhood.

Quoting:
Bridget Bulker (housekeeper)
"I went there (dumpster) it was late up in the evening and when I throw the thing over, she and her husband came to see who was throwing trash in there and I had like seven bags to throw in. They didn't know who I was. They asked why I was dumping? I said I manage properties up the road and they said oh okay! Now that we know who you are.

When I heard that she went missing, I said dang, I just talked to her a couple of days ago. People come and camp and they put things in the dumpster, so they were wondering if that was the case. That's all it is. They were going for a walk, on an evening walk."

When I asked if I could do an interview on camera she said NO I'm a mess... I've been cleaning. Can I report what you've said she replied yes.

"I think it was a Wednesday afternoon before she went missing. I had some guests that were here that had to leave because of corona. But then I came up here to take out all of the food that was inside, to take everything out. I was throwing things out because I didn't know so that's why I was there.

Those two is rental properties and their house and around here there are two people who live there. All of the people who live in this area are friendly. They'll talk to you because they all know each other. As I said, the dumpster they all pay for it. So it is a community. They all know each other."
End Quote.
There is no media link to post.""

I've been left with a few questions. I tried to find Lauren Scharf's post on facebook (took me long enough to find this WS post) but I wasn't going to spend a few hours doing so.
Although BB stated it was late in the evening, that's subjective. I will assume it was dark. She was recalling the Wednesday before Suzanne went missing so early May.
Is there a street light nearby the dumpster? Did she actually get close up with 'Suzanne'. Did BM 'say' that was his wife? Did she assume it was? Who did she actually speak to? I'm also going to presume that Suzanne wasn't the one to be confrontational about BB dumping garbage. What two people walk up to a dumpster to take out household garbage bags? Even if I were to take a walk with a husband, I'd wait behind in the street.
It could have been Suzanne taking a walk with the man she was divorcing but for many reasons, I'm not so sure.
****ETA: This would be after Suzanne saying/texting that she was afraid of being alone with him.
Let's not forget how Shoshona said how people 'think she looks like Suzanne'.
What the what? I can't imagine anyone saying that in daylight. When something doesn't make sense, there's a reason.
IMO

 

[marylamby]

I understood that the person Barry and Suzanne encountered at the dumpster was a woman who managed properties (not a house cleaner) in the area and was tossing food from said properties, due to covid cancellations. I have no doubt that woman correctly identified Suzanne and Barry both. I mean... I think we'd know long before now if she was shown Suzanne's pic and she said no, that wasn't her.

jmo

I understand your questioning my query, I do too. However, there can be mistaken identities. Please see my most recent comment. Of course, I don't know anything but I still question Suzanne taking a walk with Barry. Maybe they did but I still have my doubts. Doubt does not mean I don't entertain a possibility.

 

[DeDee]

I'm all but certain the daughters did not "instigate" (bring about) this lawsuit, but if what you mean is that the notice of claim letter reflects his urgent need to preserve an image of the persecuted innocent for his daughters - and maybe to support his own deflection defense against shame and guilt - ITA.

We may never learn who initially prompted the civil suit. This is merely my thoughts on the matter.

My opinion was formed when recalling there's a Private Investigator involved. I believe the daughter(s) are desperately trying to discover someone, other than the father, who may be responsible for the murder of the mother, Suzanne Morphew. It appears they've hired a PI in order to assist them in this fruitless endeavor.

Hence, imo, they are attempting to find blame elsewhere. It is an unfortunate plight for them. Also, since Barry is willing to spend Suzanne's fortune on his Murder 1 defense, it would behoove the heirs to win a civil lawsuit in order to recoup a portion of their inheritance.

Saving his reputation while also recovering funds from extravagant defense fees are perhaps strong motivators for Suzanne's children.

https://twitter.com/laurenscharftv/status/1440190152568020992?s=21
12:44 AM · Sep 21, 2021
"There are two videos: 1. Leaving the detention center 2. Leaving the probation office. In the first video the Private Investigator named Abby Jefferson is driving Mallory truck. In the second video Mallory gets in the drivers seat. Hope that clears up confusion."

https://twitter.com/LaurenScharfTV/status/1438988930603487233
5:11 PM · Sep 17, 2021
#BarryMorphew must surrender his passport. He can't reside outside of Chaffee County. It is this court that has to monitor him. #MalloryMorphew just left the courtroom with a private investigator. "I want you here in Chaffee County that I know that you are close by."
.

 

[marylamby]

We may never learn who initially prompted the civil suit. This is merely my thoughts on the matter.

My opinion was formed when recalling there's a Private Investigator involved. I believe the daughter(s) are desperately trying to discover someone, other than the father, who may be responsible for the murder of the mother, Suzanne Morphew. It appears they've hired a PI in order to assist them in this fruitless endeavor.

Hence, imo, they are attempting to find blame elsewhere. It is an unfortunate plight for them. Also, since Barry is willing to spend Suzanne's fortune on his Murder 1 defense, it would behoove the heirs to win a civil lawsuit in order to recoup a portion of their inheritance.

Saving his reputation while also recovering funds from extravagant defense fees are perhaps strong motivators for Suzanne's children.

https://twitter.com/laurenscharftv/status/1440190152568020992?s=21
12:44 AM · Sep 21, 2021
"There are two videos: 1. Leaving the detention center 2. Leaving the probation office. In the first video the Private Investigator named Abby Jefferson is driving Mallory truck. In the second video Mallory gets in the drivers seat. Hope that clears up confusion."

https://twitter.com/LaurenScharfTV/status/1438988930603487233
5:11 PM · Sep 17, 2021
#BarryMorphew must surrender his passport. He can't reside outside of Chaffee County. It is this court that has to monitor him. #MalloryMorphew just left the courtroom with a private investigator. "I want you here in Chaffee County that I know that you are close by."
.

I must've missed the private detective hired by Mallory. Thanks. I find that disturbing but maybe that's me, if it's true that 'she' did hire him.
Pretty pricy for a college student.
Another thing I question is (beside the grabme acct) whether BM had taken out insurance policies - we've never heard anything about that.

 

[sk716]

We may never learn who initially prompted the civil suit. This is merely my thoughts on the matter.

My opinion was formed when recalling there's a Private Investigator involved. I believe the daughter(s) are desperately trying to discover someone, other than the father, who may be responsible for the murder of the mother, Suzanne Morphew. It appears they've hired a PI in order to assist them in this fruitless endeavor.

Hence, imo, they are attempting to find blame elsewhere. It is an unfortunate plight for them. Also, since Barry is willing to spend Suzanne's fortune on his Murder 1 defense, it would behoove the heirs to win a civil lawsuit in order to recoup a portion of their inheritance.

Saving his reputation while also recovering funds from extravagant defense fees are perhaps strong motivators for Suzanne's children.

https://twitter.com/laurenscharftv/status/1440190152568020992?s=21
12:44 AM · Sep 21, 2021
"There are two videos: 1. Leaving the detention center 2. Leaving the probation office. In the first video the Private Investigator named Abby Jefferson is driving Mallory truck. In the second video Mallory gets in the drivers seat. Hope that clears up confusion."

https://twitter.com/LaurenScharfTV/status/1438988930603487233
5:11 PM · Sep 17, 2021
#BarryMorphew must surrender his passport. He can't reside outside of Chaffee County. It is this court that has to monitor him. #MalloryMorphew just left the courtroom with a private investigator. "I want you here in Chaffee County that I know that you are close by."
.

I must've missed the private detective hired by Mallory. Thanks. I find that disturbing but maybe that's me, if it's true that 'she' did hire him.
Pretty pricy for a college student.
Another thing I question is (beside the grabme acct) whether BM had taken out insurance policies - we've never heard anything about that.

MM1 is all team Barry all the time, it's painfully obvious throughout the AA.

MM2 told her mother to leave him and get a restraining order. There is also a pretty long text from her phone on May 10th about not wanting to be stuck in the house with the constant fighting. At this point, I suspect the MM2 is going along to get along and trying very hard not to think about it. What options does she have really? If she turns on Barry, she's as good as gone, like her mother.

“I’m just so sad and REDCATED and I texted mom for Mother’s Day and she still hasn’t answered and I’m scared her and dad probably got in a big fight and I don’t even know it just made me want to be gone even more because I don’t want to be around them it hurts me and I know if REDACTED is working I might have to be home a lot more and it’ll probably be the worst summer of my life.”

- Page 40 of 129

 

[Seattle1]

We may never learn who initially prompted the civil suit. This is merely my thoughts on the matter.

My opinion was formed when recalling there's a Private Investigator involved. I believe the daughter(s) are desperately trying to discover someone, other than the father, who may be responsible for the murder of the mother, Suzanne Morphew. It appears they've hired a PI in order to assist them in this fruitless endeavor.

Hence, imo, they are attempting to find blame elsewhere. It is an unfortunate plight for them. Also, since Barry is willing to spend Suzanne's fortune on his Murder 1 defense, it would behoove the heirs to win a civil lawsuit in order to recoup a portion of their inheritance.

Saving his reputation while also recovering funds from extravagant defense fees are perhaps strong motivators for Suzanne's children.

https://twitter.com/laurenscharftv/status/1440190152568020992?s=21
12:44 AM · Sep 21, 2021
"There are two videos: 1. Leaving the detention center 2. Leaving the probation office. In the first video the Private Investigator named Abby Jefferson is driving Mallory truck. In the second video Mallory gets in the drivers seat. Hope that clears up confusion."

https://twitter.com/LaurenScharfTV/status/1438988930603487233
5:11 PM · Sep 17, 2021
#BarryMorphew must surrender his passport. He can't reside outside of Chaffee County. It is this court that has to monitor him. #MalloryMorphew just left the courtroom with a private investigator. "I want you here in Chaffee County that I know that you are close by."
.

The investigator (AB) cited by LS works for the defense. This is typical of defense (and prosecutor) teams to have their own "Investigator" on their team and should not be confused with a PI hired by the daughters. There's no evidence to assume the daughters have hired anybody.

Please take note the author of the AA, Alex Walker, was the "Investigator" for District 11 District Attorney's Office for more than a decade before leaving to take a job with the CCSO. Both sides retain "Investigators" -- it's the norm.

I also recall that BM alleged to CBI/FBI that he previously hired an investigator to search for SM but that doesn't make it so. The truth and BM are not exactly friends.

MOO

 

[swedeheart]

Has this been posted?

Yikes. It's getting messy.

DA claims former Barry Morphew prosecutor was previously fired for incompetence, but some former employees say otherwise

The former top prosecutor in the high-profile murder case against a southwest Colorado man was fired from his previous position in Colorado Springs because the incoming district attorney believed he could not “competently perform” his duties, according to legal documents.

But Jeff Lindsey — until earlier this month the lead prosecutor in the Chaffee County case against Barry Morphew, accused of murdering his wife over Mother's Day weekend last year — alleged he was fired because incoming DA Michael Allen believed he had supported his opponent in the 2020 Republican primary.

 

[Scootie98]

two ways to look at this....if the stories about his termination were floating around with him still on the case....that would not look good either....All that has to happen is for Stanley to bring in a competent, professional prosecutor...and that story is irrelevent to current events. Lindsey didn't bring the charges....Stanley did.