Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #55 *ARREST*

[Herat]

Wouldn’t her sister have asked why and the messaging continue and SM elaborated why she was scared or did it end with “I’m scared” maybe there’s more to the text but it’s being held back by LE.

I'm quite sure her sister would have been checking on her very frequently, including that Saturday and Sunday, Mother's Day.

I am also quite sure her sister and LE are deliberately not releasing further information about their texting. It probably is critical to the real timeline of his attack on her and his activities on Saturday and Sunday.

If was was monitoring her phone, he would have to know her sister expected some followup and he would have to have come up with some reply or photo response.

 

[10ofRods]

That is what I was thinking. If a sibling texted me that they were scared, I’d drop everything and call or message back.

Perhaps that communication occurred and we don’t know about it. Or perhaps SM was killed that Friday and could not respond.

Not if you knew that everything had to be secret. The only time I communicated about the abuse in my life is when I knew, absolutely, that the person could keep a secret. And every time someone has come to me about their own abuse, I have kept it strictly secret. It's endangering the person's life to give any hints.

Which is why I believe that Suzanne, even if not planning to leave Barry immediately, said things in the text to her sister that made Barry want to silence her. Depending on how their phones were set up, she may have thought her messages were private.

I believe the message to her sister, all by itself, included references to recent scary events and that Barry found out she was now talking outside the house about him - a huge trigger for many controlling spouses.

If it is true that Suzanne also approached or thought about going to a DV group or did indeed go (I don't believe the source for this is approved here), but I am speculating based on Gene's obituary that it could have happened - there was a DV group associated somehow with the church they attended, then if Barry knew about that and then found out she was ratting him out (from his perspective) to her family, after all his attempts to separate her from them, that could be enough to send him into the action he had in mind.

"I'll kill her if she ever talks," is not an uncommon thought for controlling spouses. And they may go many steps further in planning how they'll do it. (This is based on my own jailhouse interviews with spousal abusers and with interviews with both abused spouses and their abusers, where the abuser has not been charged). Sometimes the spouse utters these words out loud, sometimes they keep it to themselves.

 

[JosieMae]

It was so obvious. You don't have to be an expert at reading body language. As he is pleading about his love for Suzanne and wanting her back and will to do anything to get her back, he is continually shaking is head NO. That shaking of his head and his fake concern in his 26-second tape shows me everything that I need to know about Barry.

JMO.

We all said the same thing, so I guess we are all "experts". If you watch his pathetic "plea" with the sound off, his tells are even more obvious.

 

[NCHydrangea]

Has Mike King left the Profiling Evil channel? I just see the other guy now.

Mike is still on PE. I believe you’re thinking of Chris.

 

[NuttMegg]

It wouldn’t surprise me if he started turning the girls against her years ago.

Me too. It could have started with "Don't wake Mommy, she's very weak now". Be careful being rambunctious around Mommy, let's go out and play on the 4 wheeler where we won't bother her, just let her rest. Mommy doesn't always make complete sense now, she's so very sick and we'll just humor her. Mommy's cooking is really good when she isn't so under the weather from cancer. Mommy might lose her hair, and she's getting kind of skinny and weak now, but we love her no matter how sick she is or how she looks. Look at that pretty waitress! She is so vivacious and healthy!! 10,000 paper cuts forming their opinion towards poor Mommy and bear-trappin' muscleman Dad, the person who is really important in their lives.

 

[Error505]

So I'm just going to say while I was married I inherited a good chunk of money. My ex was horrible and even though he wanted the divorce, I had to find a way to sneak to a lawyer. I had tons of money but I couldn't touch it! I had to ask the mailman to hand deliver any mail to me personally (bless him). I was only allowed 10 minutes of cell phone time per month. My aunt would write checks to a friend of mine and mail them to her.....she would cash the checks and bring the cash to me so I could sneak to the lawyer's office. It was terrifying, but I did it.
I won't go into it all, but there was A LOT of complex maneuvering that had to be done. A LOT. Not everyone can do it. I should be in the CIA...for real...it was a lot.
I was out of state like SM.

Thank goodness you had people close to you who you could rely on. So many women don’t have that type of support close by. Sweet Suzanne certainly didn’t have once BM moved her to CO. Statistics show the abused wife/girlfriend is in the most danger when attempting to leave the abuse event relationship. Also, I’m thankful you had the moxie to leave! Thank goodness!

 

[fcavanaugh]

The topic of children standing by their parent accused of murdering their other parent is an interesting and fascinating one. I can’t even imagine the pain and difficulty of being in such a position. In the cases I have followed, I’ve seen it go both ways. Some have stood by the accused parent all the way through the arrest, trial and eventual conviction. Others have painfully testified for the prosecution.
Some of the more notable ones I’ve followed:
-Michael Peterson, Author/Novelist (Kathleen Peterson). All of his adult children some of whom were his stepchildren iirc, stood by him/supported him throughout. Peterson was convicted in 2003 of murdering Kathleen and eventually got out after it was revealed a prosecution witness gave misleading testimony. He ended up submitting an Alford plea to lesser charge of manslaughter and was let go in 2017 for time served.
-Martin MacNeill, Physician (Michele MacNeill). A couple of his Adult Daughters bravely and agonizingly testified against him for the prosecution. He was convicted of Michele’s murder, obstruction of justice, identity theft, and sexual abuse of one of the older daughter’s who testified against him. Just learned recently that ole Dr. MacNeill died in Utah State prison about a month ago, reportedly from suicide.
-Cal Harris, Car Dealer/Owner, (Michele Harris). All of his Children stood by him. This dude Cal Harris was tried 4 times, and despite the sketchy circumstances surrounding his wife’s “disappearance”, blood evidence found in the home, and many other things pointing to the Husband’s involvement, Harris remains a free man to this day. His wife Michele’s body has never been found.
-Stephen DeMocker, Stockbroker (Ex-Wife Carol Kennedy). Interestingly there was a bike involved in nailing him, his bike.
Both Adult daughter’s stood by him. One of the daughter’s got in a little trouble herself via his manipulation/orchestration from behind bars of having her send an anonymous email to the Sheriff claiming gang members killed her Mother. He had 2 trials due to the Judge passing away during his first trial. He was convicted of Carol’s murder at his 2nd jury trial in 2013. Subsequent Appeals were made and in 2017, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the verdict. He remains behind bars where he belongs.

Of the many I’ve followed over the years, the above are just a few off the top of my head. Again, I cannot imagine being in this position. and freely admit I’m a bit puzzled as to the Morphew daughters silence about their Mother up to this point, it’s perplexing for sure. Personally, I am continuing to pray for Suzanne’s daughters and will hold off judgement until more info is revealed.

IMHOO

#FindSuzanne
#BringSuzanneHome
#JusticeForSuzanne

 

[Error505]

Very true but I still believe someone close to the investigation gave him information. Maybe not that Barry will be arrest but maybe a “hey something is about to happen, you might want to get down to Salida”

I agree CM was getting some kind of reliable info. CM is a little braggadocios (MOO) but everyone’s personalities are different. It’d be a boring world if everyone was alike. I commend CM for being one of several who have kept Suzanne’s name in the public, even if it was for personal gain, her name being kept in the media was important. All MOO
EBM to delete double post

 

[Error505]

Thank you @swedeheart for this post. Lauren is a gem! Always the professional!

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

We all said the same thing, so I guess we are all "experts". If you watch his pathetic "plea" with the sound off, his tells are even more obvious.

That's how I watched it. So obvious. It's said that Barry is a true crime fanatic. You'd think that he would have practiced his (fake) plea. Body language is often discussed as an important aspect to know if a person is lying.

I believe that police that are in another room observe people that are being questioned to pick up on body language "tells."

 

[Diddian]

That's how I watched it. So obvious. It's said that Barry is a true crime fanatic. You'd think that he would have practiced his (fake) plea. Body language is often discussed as an important aspect to know if a person is lying.

I believe that police that are in another room observe people that are being questioned to pick up on body language "tells."

I'm guessing that Barry is a student who breezes through his studies, so even though a true crime fanatic, he took that course "non-credit."

 

[Error505]

I wonder though, why was the youngest daughter so afraid of her dad that she was living with her boyfriend's family last year before her mom vanished? Why did she fear her father, and what changed?

I’m convinced that was all rumor. We are not suppose to sleuth/discuss the daughters. That said, the bf’s father has 100% refuted the claim of either daughter living with his family.

 

[skyedaze]

Thank goodness you had people close to you who you could rely on. So many women don’t have that type of support close by. Sweet Suzanne certainly didn’t have once BM moved her to CO. Statistics show the abused wife/girlfriend is in the most danger when attempting to leave the abuse event relationship. Also, I’m thankful you had the moxie to leave! Thank goodness!

I didn't leave, I had young kids. I kicked him out.
That's what I'm trying to say...it is difficult for a myriad of reasons to leave. Usually one cannot just leave, silly as that sounds. Mommies do not want to leave where their kids are, they do not want to uproot/upset children, and often do not have anywhere to go with children let alone the funds. I had considerable funds but could not access any of it without it being known.
Silly as it sounds, one cannot always just leave or drive off. Think Katie Holmes...she had to set up residency elsewhere over a period of time and actually wait until her husband was out of the country...on a different continent. She's rich with multiple homes and she did not just drive off or just leave. It takes time and help to get one's ducks lined up. SM did not have time for help to get her ducks lined up.
She got a one-way fake bike ride.

 

[JosieMae]

That's how I watched it. So obvious. It's said that Barry is a true crime fanatic. You'd think that he would have practiced his (fake) plea. Body language is often discussed as an important aspect to know if a person is lying.

I believe that police that are in another room observe people that are being questioned to pick up on body language "tells."

You are right - he needed more rehearsal. My feeling about that lame performance is that he never wanted to do it in the first place, but rather was pressured to do something by family and friends. So we get this piece of inept performance art that is 26 seconds long and 7 days late.

 

[10ofRods]

So I'm just going to say while I was married I inherited a good chunk of money. My ex was horrible and even though he wanted the divorce, I had to find a way to sneak to a lawyer. I had tons of money but I couldn't touch it! I had to ask the mailman to hand deliver any mail to me personally (bless him). I was only allowed 10 minutes of cell phone time per month. My aunt would write checks to a friend of mine and mail them to her.....she would cash the checks and bring the cash to me so I could sneak to the lawyer's office. It was terrifying, but I did it.
I won't go into it all, but there was A LOT of complex maneuvering that had to be done. A LOT. Not everyone can do it. I should be in the CIA...for real...it was a lot.
I was out of state like SM.

WSers need to hear these stories and all the variations, in order to understand a case like this one. I've mentioned before that I had a student who went into an FBI-directed protection program. They facilitated getting her a new identity (so that she could divorce without filing under her real name or in the jurisdiction where she lived). She had to notify her teachers of the procedures and expectations (he eventually did find out where she was living before she went completely into her new identity). I knew that she would disappear suddenly and she did.

I often think about her and hope she's having a wonderful life. What you went through is terrifying and yet, at the time, it was your actual day-to-day reality. My ex was not so far over the line into money control (he had insisted on separate accounts since Day 1 - so he had no access to my money nor I any access to his money - which was a problem when he failed to contribute to his part of expenses).

I was very very fortunate that we moved near my parents. And that my ex still had some basic decency from which to operate, he just couldn't control himself - so he had to control me.

Agreed !
Or threats ?

A person capable of killing the person he claimed to love and has been with for so many years is capable of just about anything else.
Imo.

Just the way he treated their mother was enough, I'm sure, to draw super-obedience and super-admiration (the currency in which Barry operates) from them.

I’m convinced that was all rumor. We are not suppose to sleuth/discuss the daughters. That said, the bf’s father has 100% refuted that claim.

Friends are often fed specific narratives by the controlling person. The rumored information came from elsewhere and I know from my own experience that people who live in controlling households try very hard to keep their experiences a secret. I have so many examples of this from my own research.

I'm guessing that, right now, that stepdad is pondering his own support of Barry and wondering whether he really knew the actual situation.

To me, it's very likely that many people feared Barry, but most people don't like to admit that. Instead they normalize the person's behavior, because regarding someone you know as an absolute monster, when you haven't actually seen them in monster mode, is usually not done.

 

[Knox]

The biggest signs for me were that he kept shaking his head and he didn't blink.

I'll add one more that grabbed my attention, the fake furrowed brow. Dumb as that sounds, it added to the level of disingenuous concern for Suzanne I saw in that video.

 

[Herat]

I'll add one more that grabbed my attention, the fake furrowed brow. Dumb as that sounds, it added to the level of disingenuous concern for Suzanne I saw in that video.

Oh yes, and he's trying SO HARD to hold it

 

[TKG]

I didn't leave, I had young kids. I kicked him out.
That's what I'm trying to say...it is difficult for a myriad of reasons to leave. Usually one cannot just leave, silly as that sounds. Mommies do not want to leave where their kids are, they do not want to uproot/upset children, and often do not have anywhere to go with children let alone the funds. I had considerable funds but could not access any of it without it being known.
Silly as it sounds, one cannot always just leave or drive off. Think Katie Holmes...she had to set up residency elsewhere over a period of time and actually wait until her husband was out of the country...on a different continent. She's rich with multiple homes and she did not just drive off or just leave. It takes time and help to get one's ducks lined up. SM did not have time for help to get her ducks lined up.
She got a one-way fake bike ride.

I’m so happy to read that you are with us, moved on and learned from a dangerous and scary situation.

You’re right, we never know how we will react in a certain situation. A few years ago I was attacked by my Kraft Maga instructor. Someone that for two years was training me how to protect myself from “bad” people. I reacted in a way that I never would have guessed. It’s easy to watch and give the most logical response. When you are in it it’s much harder to see a clear path.

 

[skystarr]

I am very much thinking about Suzanne today. It is extremely heartbreaking in every way. I have thought and prayed for her and her family - like each and everyone in here and way beyond has done for an entire year !!! But answers are coming and it will be very difficult to hear and process. I am from Colorado and have a very long history in the area of Salida. It is insanely gorgeous - just like Suzanne !! I truly believe that when she and BM moved there - it was to live in an area that is awesome and gorgeous. I imagine that she wanted to be close to her oldest daughter - who was going to college there. I also imagine that things started to spiral slowly downward. Probably with the huge house that was becoming harder and harder to afford. And I also can imagine that BM became even more controlling. She could have been seeing all of this from her own perspective - not knowing what to do. That is usually the cycle of abuse. As she was looking at ways out and probably doubting many things with BM - she was rather trapped. I have been through all of this. Once you even start to try and talk about it with a husband - they see it immediately. And with narcissists - they tend to become chameleons. On the surface they lead you to believe that everything is just fine. But behind the scenes - they are plotting and planning. Unfortunately, it usually revolves around money and power.

She was seeing the danger signs and starting to feel very scared. It takes a lot to finally share that with someone - her sister. Once you see that - you are in a very, very, very unsafe place. My message to any and all that feel unsafe - follow your gut instincts and do not waste time trying to figure it out. How I wish with every part of my soul - that Suzanne could have had the time to get out !!!

 

[MsBetsy]

That's how I watched it. So obvious. It's said that Barry is a true crime fanatic. You'd think that he would have practiced his (fake) plea. Body language is often discussed as an important aspect to know if a person is lying.

I believe that police that are in another room observe people that are being questioned to pick up on body language "tells."

I've never heard that Barry followed true crime. Andy described him as a workaholic, almost to the point of obsession. I don't know how he would have found the time. I think he just concentrated on looking like the sincere, grieving husband in that video.