Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #59 *ARREST*

[elmomom]

I see it differently. A raccoon who is raised in captivity likely could not be released into the wild and would die anyway as a result. Also, raccoons are illegal to have as pets in many states. I am sure he was trying to cover his own a$$ but it's not as nefarious as it sounds. Yes, BM is a callous jerk, but I don't think this is the reason.

ETA: I have some experience with raccoons. As babies, they are very sweet and fun to have. As they grow, they become very territorial, displaying irrational and dangerous behavior at times. It can be quite scary. Trust me, I get the outrage here. I am an animal lover too, but I also eat meat and understand using animals for food and pelts.

I understand using animals for food. I have no issue with fur. I have no issue with hunting, trapping etc. what I do see in the story about BM and his pet raccoon is a failure of his emotional capacity to bond, to develop and maintain a nurturing and loving role, and his inability to put other’s needs before his own. Killing an animal is one thing, but killing a pet is usually, and should be, another matter entirely. Most people would be emotionally gutted to have to get rid of an animal that they raised from birth. They would choose any other option, and certainly wouldn’t find a mercenary use for the animal’s remains. The fact that he could choose this outcome when others are available proves to me that BM is lacking in the emotional attachment department. It is very similar in my mind to killing a spouse and then dismembering their remains to facilitate getting away with it. It just adds an extra layer of “my needs trump all else”, as well as demonstrate there is no sentimentality there, no real respect for the life that they chose to end. Killing because it is easier than dealing with problems is bad enough, but lacking the emotion about the pet/spouse enough to use the remains for further benefit just seems so cold.

 

[SoBu]

I really don’t know what to make of the raccoon story. Probably only people who know the culture of that region, hunter mentality and other relevant factors (as in do we have the whole story?) can really fairly draw conclusions from it.

Conclusions about Barry I feel confident about are his intense drive about money, work (maybe that’s all about the money), hunting, some of his possessions, control, his physique/appearance, etc. He stands out as pretty extreme/obsessive by, I believe, most people’s standards.

 

[Error505]

I understand using animals for food. I have no issue with fur. I have no issue with hunting, trapping etc. what I do see in the story about BM and his pet raccoon is a failure of his emotional capacity to bond, to develop and maintain a nurturing and loving role, and his inability to put other’s needs before his own. Killing an animal is one thing, but killing a pet is usually, and should be, another matter entirely. Most people would be emotionally gutted to have to get rid of an animal that they raised from birth. They would choose any other option, and certainly wouldn’t find a mercenary use for the animal’s remains. The fact that he could choose this outcome when others are available proves to me that BM is lacking in the emotional attachment department. It is very similar in my mind to killing a spouse and then dismembering their remains to facilitate getting away with it. It just adds an extra layer of “my needs trump all else”, as well as demonstrate there is no sentimentality there, no real respect for the life that they chose to end. Killing because it is easier than dealing with problems is bad enough, but lacking the emotion about the pet/spouse enough to use the remains for further benefit just seems so cold.

Perfectly Stated! Could never have said it better! Agree with everything you said. I have no problem with furs or eating meat from a hunt. Taxidermy doesn’t bother me. But your statement to about - Killing because it’s easier than dealing with the problem is bad enough, but lacking the emotional attachment is bad. Agree 100%

 

[waldojabba]

You made me look! Very interesting per google search who and what amounts were for the top 11.

11 Highest Bail Amounts in US History | Bail Agent Network

Real estate heir Robert Durst received the highest bail ever in the United States at $3,000,000,000. In 2003 he was charged with the murder of his wife and given a $1 billion dollar bail, which he posted. Durst skipped on his bail and was then rearrested and given new criminal charges of tampering with evidence. As a result, the judge set bail at $3 Billion.

IIRC Fotus Dulos’ bail in CT murder of his wife 2 years ago had bail of 6m. Imo

 

[Error505]

I really don’t know what to make of the raccoon story. Probably only people who know the culture of that region, hunter mentality and other relevant factors (as in do we have the whole story?) can really fairly draw conclusions from it.

Conclusions about Barry I feel confident about are his intense drive about money, work (maybe that’s all about the money), hunting, some of his possessions, control, his physique/appearance, etc. He stands out as pretty extreme/obsessive by, I believe, most people’s standards.

The story was told to Chris McDonough and his wife when they were in Indiana recently. CM met with a group of Barry’s old friends. They were the ones who relayed the raccoon story. They thought it was odd or they wouldn't have remembered it and told CM.
CM also went to dinner with some of Suzanne’s very good friends while he and his wife were there.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

Who is the old man that BM evicted? Who/where is the source of this information?

I believe that was another one of Chris’ tidbits. Maybe it is more common in the Midwest but I personally know two people who “bought” homes and gave lifetime leases to the original owner so they could stay in the home until they died or had to move to a care facility. So the story did not seem unheard of to me. I have personally been approached by someone who wanted to do this with my mother and her home in the Midwest but I said thanks but no thanks as she doesn’t need the money.

 

[NuttMegg]

Just saying, a typical act of the SS in WWII, to test the loyalty of the recruits was to have the young man raise a wonderful dog from puppy hood then to instantly snap its neck upon command of the officer.

 

[Error505]

Just saying, a typical act of the SS in WWII, to test the loyalty of the recruits was to have the young man raise a wonderful dog from puppy hood then to instantly snap it's neck upon command of the officer.

I “liked” your post but don’t like the content. Hope that makes sense. How horrid to do that to young people.

If we had a pet die or had to put one down due to illness, I couldn’t leave the vet without either the ashes or the body of the pet so my children could give it a proper burial.

 

[TKG]

I understand using animals for food. I have no issue with fur. I have no issue with hunting, trapping etc. what I do see in the story about BM and his pet raccoon is a failure of his emotional capacity to bond, to develop and maintain a nurturing and loving role, and his inability to put other’s needs before his own. Killing an animal is one thing, but killing a pet is usually, and should be, another matter entirely. Most people would be emotionally gutted to have to get rid of an animal that they raised from birth. They would choose any other option, and certainly wouldn’t find a mercenary use for the animal’s remains. The fact that he could choose this outcome when others are available proves to me that BM is lacking in the emotional attachment department. It is very similar in my mind to killing a spouse and then dismembering their remains to facilitate getting away with it. It just adds an extra layer of “my needs trump all else”, as well as demonstrate there is no sentimentality there, no real respect for the life that they chose to end. Killing because it is easier than dealing with problems is bad enough, but lacking the emotion about the pet/spouse enough to use the remains for further benefit just seems so cold.

RBBM:
Couldn't agree more!!

 

[Orgona]

I don’t see how it would be necessary to kill the pet raccoon in place of giving it a chance to try to survive in nature. If necessary he could have left food somewhere outside for it even teaching it first where to find it in case instinct wouldn’t kick in. But everybody is different.

To show how different people can be I’ll tell a little OT story:
I saw a program on TV yesterday. There was a little boy on a farm between the horses. He was telling about an old horse he used to be close to. The horse was very old, IIRC about 31? years when it died, but the boy couldn’t say goodbye to it. The parents didn’t know what to do. Offered to give him another horse but he refused. Next picture was in the living room. Low and behold there was the taxidermied head and neck of the horse hanging from the wall and the skin of the horse as a carpet on the ground in front of it. The head and neck was huge.
This seems abnormal and stuff of nightmares to me, but to them it was completely normal and perfectly acceptable.
This is how different people can be.

 

[10ofRods]

But Barry was so sure in his own mind that everyone would believe him, as an upstanding Saliva citizen ,that he never thought his mountain lion story would be questioned. I think he really believed local L.E would take minimal time questioning him about his alibi and would take his word he was out of town and Suzanne went out on Sunday morning for a bike ride . I think he would have been totally shocked to have been prevented from entering his home and the subsequent LE investigation. He then was on the backfoot trying to cover up what happened over the whole weekend and answer questions he never thought he would be asked

I think you're on the right track about Barry's state of mind, but I think it goes very deep into his past. He's used to mixing problematic truths with outright lies and having his family (particularly the women) simply believe and trust him. Others out in the world sometimes do the same, but I think he really fails to realize how often people see right through him. His crowd of admiring women and girls keep him from seeing that others find some of his statements bizarre.

So yeah, he's still shocked and blown away by not being able to use his usual tactics of getting away with increasingly antisocial behavior.

For example, he admits to the FBI that yeah, he sent in Suzanne's ballot. He doesn't lie. He gives an excuse that he thinks they'll find acceptable. After a week or so without further contact from the FBI, he figures things are going his way - as usual. He was wrong, he is probably lying in his cell thinking over all the things he did actually admit to...and wondering why he did that. He does it because he knows that truth telling (especially trickle truthing) has worked for him in the past, many many times. I bet he has a whole history of not being where he says he's going to be, not showing up for jobs and making excuses (which he thinks people are believing - they're not).

Only his mom, perhaps his sisters and his wife/daughters were believing all of it. The way loving people do.

As far as I can recall, I have the details straight. It was reported in MSM that he was seen going through the trash, then he knocked on the window after he was seen.

So yes I think he did that in CYA mode to make up some excuse as to why he was there, after hours, going through the garbage can. It couldn't have been a very big secret op since the trash can is directly in front of the store, in full view of the public.

Either way this all went down, I sure do hope we learn what the heck he was really doing there, and how or even if it means anything. It's just another very curious part of the puzzle that still doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense yet.

jmo

@OldCop found the media article you reference - yes, the young man did see him first. But he still did this unusual thing of knocking on the window to talk to them. The way I hear the woman's words is that only then did she realize it was Barry Morphew. Was he that paranoid that he felt he needed to offer an explanation?

From what we can tell via the first reporter on scene (Lauren S has a fairly recent interview with that reporter - I can't remember her name), almost no one in Salida knew Suzanne was missing at that point. So Barry's best bet, were he doing something nefarious in the trash can, would have been to skulk off and hope they didn't properly remember him (maybe he thought they had cameras? maybe they did - but I can't see any on pictures of their store).

Your question about what the heck he was *really* doing there, well, I immediately thought of all the meth heads I've interviewed who dug through trash to recover drugs they'd thrown away in a panic (meth heads are paranoid and tend to think there are cops everywhere - the throwaway event, at the time, is usually part of a sudden desire to overcome their addiction - because they are high at the time; when they come down, they really really *really* want those drugs back).

Obviously, that's a pretty outlandish guess, but it's as good as any guess because the behavior makes no sense. Did he in fact recover something (the helmet?) from the trash can without either employee noticing, take it to his truck, stow it, then come back and knock on the window?

If so, I sure hope they have CC cameras in their parking lot (but I'm not optimistic at all about that).

 

[SoBu]

The story was told to Chris McDonough and his wife when they were in Indiana recently. CM met with a group of Barry’s old friends. They were the ones who relayed the raccoon story. They thought it was odd or they wouldn't have remembered it and told CM.
CM also went to dinner with some of Suzanne’s very good friends while he and his wife were there.

I see your point that Barry’s own friends thought it was odd, but once things are second and third hand, they start to get unintentionally less accurate in translation. A lot of time has elapsed and it surely makes a good “story”.

For example, I really appreciated TO’s last interview but when he mentions Barry and Suzanne graduated from college (innocently enough, and it may not really matter whether he did or didn’t). I’m thinking TO maybe never gave it a second thought as he didn’t live in the area anymore and knew they’d moved on after several years at Purdue so just assumed. Certainly Barry himself wouldn’t be pointing out to people that he didn’t actually earn the degree, if that is the case. CM and viewers were asking questions of TO, who clearly cared very much about Suzanne but went long periods of time without contact with each other, partly because of their geographic distance.

It’s SO easy for inaccuracies to become “facts”.

 

[NuttMegg]

I “liked” your post but don’t like the content. Hope that makes sense. How horrid to do that to young people.

If we had a pet die or had to put one down due to illness, I couldn’t leave the vet without either the ashes or the body of the pet so my children could give it a proper burial.

Me too, I buried a turtle about 70 years ago in a band-aid can, with my whole family being there. I saw the dog story in a WWII newsreel long ago, about testing loyalty that way, now I know it's coming when I see it in a documentary and know to not watch.

I sleep with 2 dogs under the covers.......I just can't imagine anyone killing a pet if he really did that.

 

[fcavanaugh]

As someone who has been following Suzanne's case from day 1, I have to concur that you are indeed correct. I do think it comes down to this:

She did something that made him mad, he did something he can't take back, then he went on to attempt to cover his tracks, and throw blame around. I have a hunch he regrets what he did, but not enough to stop him from taking tropical vacations and such. He knows there's no going back, so I think he had as much fun as you can, after you kill your spouse of 26 years and spend their inheritance on your skanky new lifestyle. And now he sits in a cage. Where he should be.

jmo

I agree, in a nutshell yes.
As for regrets, IMO, BM doesn’t regret what he did to Suzanne or the fact that she is no longer here. His behavior, actions/non-actions, do not add up to someone that misses his wife and truly sorry/regretful for what he did. I think the only regret BM has is for the mistakes he made that led to him getting caught/actually getting caught. His mugshot really says it all to me. IMO, that’s not the look of someone full of sorrow, grief, regret but of someone in shock, disbelief, annoyance, I can’t believe I got caught! look.

IMO, if he was truly sorry and regretted what he did, he’d man up, confess, and give up location of Suzanne’s remains so his daughter’s and Moorman family can have some semblance of peace and be able to put Suzanne to rest properly with the dignity and respect she deserves. Since he recently hired some of the best defense attorneys money can buy, I’m still doubtful he’ll confess even if offered a plea deal with lighter sentence in exchange for Suzanne’s remains, especially if Suzanne isn’t in one piece (really don’t like thinking about or typing that). If is the case, imo he can’t/won’t be able to face/admit that to his daughter’s. Hope I’m wrong and he gets stricken with a moment of conscience, but not holding my breath for that to happen. I mean this is BM we’re talking about here who has done nothing but play the victim, and shown it’s all about BM to BM.

Not once in the past year has he said anything endearing about Suzanne, humanized her, or shown/voiced one iota of concern for her, which speaks absolute volumes.

Two more days and counting for next steps...

Hang on sweet Suzanne, justice is coming.

IMHOO

#FindSuzanne
#BringSuzanneHome
#JusticeForSuzanne

 

[10ofRods]

Just saying, a typical act of the SS in WWII, to test the loyalty of the recruits was to have the young man raise a wonderful dog from puppy hood then to instantly snap its neck upon command of the officer.

Yes, and that's what the mafias (cartels) in Mexico do, too. This is why I think America's attitude toward children and guns is askew. It's so strange that children are taught to hunt and kill. Mostly boys. Some people are so compassionate and empathic that they'll never take to the practice, but for those who lack compassion, hunting has a much stronger pull - and for many, a very morbid fascination.

I grew up among hunters and taxidermists. In Colorado and California.

As an anthropologist, I'm well aware of how "different people can be," but these differences come with strong. correlations to other behaviors - worldwide and across all times and places.

 

[sunflowerchick]

I understand using animals for food. I have no issue with fur. I have no issue with hunting, trapping etc. what I do see in the story about BM and his pet raccoon is a failure of his emotional capacity to bond, to develop and maintain a nurturing and loving role, and his inability to put other’s needs before his own. Killing an animal is one thing, but killing a pet is usually, and should be, another matter entirely. Most people would be emotionally gutted to have to get rid of an animal that they raised from birth. They would choose any other option, and certainly wouldn’t find a mercenary use for the animal’s remains. The fact that he could choose this outcome when others are available proves to me that BM is lacking in the emotional attachment department. It is very similar in my mind to killing a spouse and then dismembering their remains to facilitate getting away with it. It just adds an extra layer of “my needs trump all else”, as well as demonstrate there is no sentimentality there, no real respect for the life that they chose to end. Killing because it is easier than dealing with problems is bad enough, but lacking the emotion about the pet/spouse enough to use the remains for further benefit just seems so cold.

I understand what you are saying here and I even sort of agree with you. My issue is that we have heard this story second and third-hand. We don't know what really happened. We don't know if BM cried over the corpse of the racoon as he was skinning. We don't know if he told his friends because he was upset about it. Maybe he wasn't bothered at all, and then yeah, it's a problem. But we just don't know.

 

[Melsworld]

I see it differently. A raccoon who is raised in captivity likely could not be released into the wild and would die anyway as a result. Also, raccoons are illegal to have as pets in many states. I am sure he was trying to cover his own a$$ but it's not as nefarious as it sounds. Yes, BM is a callous jerk, but I don't think this is the reason.

ETA: I have some experience with raccoons. As babies, they are very sweet and fun to have. As they grow, they become very territorial, displaying irrational and dangerous behavior at times. It can be quite scary. Trust me, I get the outrage here. I am an animal lover too, but I also eat meat and understand using animals for food and pelts.

I totally understand what you’re saying here. To me though it’s another selfish act on his part. He always puts himself first – he killed the racoon’s mom, took the baby, then when it wasn’t acting appropriately, he got rid of it. Very much like what he did to his loving wife. It’s a pattern of controlling self-serving behavior.

Off topic – I love sunflowers and grow them from seeds every year. They makes me very happy and I’m sad when they die. once they got too much water and when I arrived home, they were laying on the ground... I was pretty hysterical - it was the first time my husband looked at me like I might have some screws loose. We are still together and after they dried a bit they all stood back up!

 

[Error505]

As far as I can recall, I have the details straight. It was reported in MSM that he was seen going through the trash, then he knocked on the window after he was seen.

So yes I think he did that in CYA mode to make up some excuse as to why he was there, after hours, going through the garbage can. It couldn't have been a very big secret op since the trash can is directly in front of the store, in full view of the public.

Either way this all went down, I sure do hope we learn what the heck he was really doing there, and how or even if it means anything. It's just another very curious part of the puzzle that still doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense yet.

jmo

I think the Poncha Market stop BM made is really going to end up being no big deal in the whole scheme of things. I think if CCSO or CBI were very interested in the incident, they would have at a minimum viewed and collected the CCTV. But, I could very well be wrong. Hopefully we find out someday just to satisfy our curiosity if nothing else. MOO

 

[sunflowerchick]

I think the Poncha Market stop BM made is really going to end up being no big deal in the whole scheme of things. I think if CCSO or CBI were very interested in the incident, they would have at a minimum viewed and collected the CCTV. But, I could very well be wrong. Hopefully we find out someday just to satisfy our curiosity if nothing else. MOO

Wasn't the CCTV footage deleted before they could collect? I thought they tried to? Anyone know or have a link?

 

[SouthAussie]

Wasn't the CCTV footage deleted before they could collect? I thought they tried to? Anyone know or have a link?

I saw a video yesterday where a female employee was saying that by the time the police asked for their CCTV footage, two weeks had gone by, and it had been overwritten.

Shame that they weren't proactive enough to save it, without being asked. If their hinky meter was going off. Though I guess some people don't think about video evidence for strange happenings.

How long after the event were they speaking to the media about it? Probably after the 'overwriting' time frame, I presume.

(Just looked back through my history, but not able to identify which video it was, to provide the link. But I am pretty sure it was a video that was linked by someone else in this thread.)