Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #11

[GordianKnot]

LE routinely claims suspects are "cooperative" and then they turn around and arrest and charge them. It means nothing.

JMO

"Well, exactly."

 

[MyBelle]

I see people saying it wasn't an attack because it appears, going by the statement of the Sheriff, that there wasn't evidence of one. I have no doubts that it happens, rare as they may be. I just don't believe in Suzanne's case, that this is what happened to her.

Of course such attacks do happen. I'm sure those who live in the area are well aware of the danger and take precautions. In my area, we are warned our pets are at risk of coyote attacks and mountain lion sightings are announced on the news.

If the area of Suzanne's disappearance was extensively searched by professional law enforcement and no evidence of a wild animal attack was found, why wouldn't LE rule it out? From BM's own words, he thinks the extensive search of the area ruled out this possibility weeks ago.

JMO

 

[Warwick7]

This is interesting.

I don't know much about digital footprints....

Heather Elvis, Frazee, were the first cases that I barely began to understand digital footprints. Still don't know a whole lot. This trial, when it happens, will be shocking with digital details.

 

[Steelslady]

ETA post above from Hatfield:
"The one thing I have been thinking about lately is if someone plants a bike scene and they want to be away from the home, then they need someone to discover that scene for them.

Enter a couple people that were supposed to come home that day but were running late. The person may have lucked out there was a friendly obligating neighbor to lend a hand."

My thoughts: I imagine that the bike would have been found reasonably early in the search for SM even without the neighbor going over to the house, if for no other reason than it was located relatively close to her house.

I really like the point you make about the stager needing someone to discover the scene. Hadn't really given this much thought till reading your post. But yes, I agree. Otherwise, the stager can't get their desired (alternative) narrative about the missing person out there quickly and, if they're an obvious POI from the get-go especially (vs some unknown or random abductor/murderer), it raises the likelihood of them becoming a suspect to LE. Hmm. There aren't many obvious POIs here (as far as we can tell), so to me, this adds credence to the theory that if the scene was staged, then BM was likely responsible for staging it.

I totally believe the staging backfired. Perhaps because the daughters were late getting back, and when they couldn't get a hold of their Mom, they immediately called the neighbor to check on Suzanne. I believe it was meant for them to find their mother missing while Dad was away on business.

 

[MyBelle]

Yes. I agree. Since he is basically claiming that LE obliterated any possible mountain lion evidence by trampling, bringing in dogs, searching for humans and not lions, etc, he's now directly opposing LE and LE is opposing him.

I sure do hope LE has some evidence from the house (I doubt there's blood evidence), or from his digital footprint.

Where on earth do you get the idea BM thought LE was "searching for humans and not lions"??? Please post a link. I've also not seen any evidence whatsoever the searchers did not scour the area for evidence of a mountain lion attack or that BM is now directly opposing LE and LE is opposing him. These are the kinds of baseless rumors and accusations that really are not helpful.

BM never said LE had obliterated mountain lion evidence that I'm aware. His complaint on the video I watched was about LE's failure to protect the integrity and securing the chain of evidence which, imo, is a legitimate complaint and BM strongly felt had not been done. That has and can become a contentious issue at trial.

JMO

 

[TruthIsStranger]

But what if one of the neighbor videos hold evidence of Barry’s guilt? That would seal the case for them.

Or, if there is some type of stranger abduction, they would be derelict in their duty not to review the videos. Just strange.

I can only guess they feel they have an airtight case against BM. If so, why not arrest him?

Why would we, the public, have any knowledge of what Law Enforcement is doing with regard to the videos or anything else in this case? LE's silence does not mean that they're not working very hard on this case. Why does this issue come up over and over again on Websleuths? It's frustrating.

 

[BeckyF]

Bolded by me- Wow, this makes me wonder exactly the last time those closest to her saw her in person or heard her voice on the phone. I don't know what to make of this.

If they were to go by her husband's last time he saw her alive, according to the video- wasn't it Mother's Day morning? Can someone help me here- I think he said he talked to her in the morning.

So other than her husband, who was the last to hear her voice on the phone or in person? They obviously don't want to know who texted with her, as that isn't proof that she was sending them.

Yes, he did say he left for Denver Sunday morning.

 

[BeckyF]

deleted- duplicate

 

[Steelslady]

Yes, he did say he left for Denver Sunday morning.

Thank you! I just wanted to make sure I heard that right. Much appreciated.

 

[BeckyF]

Tried for multi quote. FAIL still Both of you make great points and the red caused an aha moment for me, thank you both!
I am biased, not toward BM, rather biased toward SM. In S.C. WE have memories of a family’s involvement with a serial killer. Shari Fay Smith. Abducted(murdered)from a rural road, in the process of getting the mail at the end of their long driveway.
Even more tragic is that Shari was not the original victim! The guy( no name a..hole) had actually been stalking her older sister. He knew Shari was not Dawn, but it was an
Opportunity he couldn’t resist. 2 wks later, he abducted and murdered a 9 yr old.
This case is quite a well known story inSC, not sure if it remains in the nation’s memory, especially with passage of time.
Red lines...random tidbits, THE bike, jammed brakes, remarkable resemblance,
Random abduction vs stalking, probabilities?
Could SM have been borrowing a bike?would the neighbor have been asked simply to count the bikes?
JMO, This would be even rarer than drifter abduction. It actually happens often in tv shows....
Humor... Due to Covid, I have been forced to watch OLDtv reruns, etc...I do this while multi tasking...WS omg...guesstimate it happens in at least 10 % of Murder She Wrote, as they had to repeat plots, I will try to set up a research record...
MOO, rarest of rarest, even true events repeat, opens up a whole new suspect pool.
I need BM to be innocent, I want to remember Suzanne not as just another women murdered by the person she loved.
It is about Suzanne!

Wasn't there a made for TV movie about that case in SC? I think I remember seeing it.

 

[Steelslady]

Another thing that puzzles me- why would the neighbor assume she went on a bike ride?

If I went to a neighbor's house, knocked and didn't hear anything inside, I am not so sure I would go into anyone's garage to look for a bike, know what I mean? That house is in a remote area, and with no one else home most of the day with Suzanne, I would think the first thing I would do is call LE and not enter the home or garage, for safety sake.

I wonder if the front or back door was opened. Did she go inside or open the door to yell her name? Did she check the house to see if maybe there was a medical emergency that Suzanne needed help?

How did this neighbor know enough to look for her bike? Someone, in my opinion, had to put the bug in her ear to look for her bike, know what I mean? I think this is the part that bothers me the most. LE checked right away that trail and maybe found her bike (not a confirmed fact yet by LE) and eventually a personal item closer to home. I would be shocked if any of my neighbors went in my garage to look for my bike if they didn't see me.

It just seems like someone panicked to call LE so quickly.

 

[BeckyF]

I believe the OP was referring to the "perfect family" social media narrative that many dysfunctional family members attempt to create.
Only focusing on the best pics, the brightest smiles, the happiest of moments, etc.
It's EXTREMELY common. I think we all know folks that do this exact same thing.

jmo

Of course that is what the OP was referring to. Some people have to contradict everything. Not referring to you.

 

[MyBelle]

Mollie's mom's reward offer is no comparison here!! Crime Stoppers was offering a $2,000 reward for Mollie from the beginning and about 3 weeks later others suggested a fund set up to raise the reward.

In this case, we learned about both the $100,000 reward by the still unidentified husband at the time, and the crowd money fund set up by the nephew within 3 days of SM reported missing.

I'm not even sure if SM's missing person posters were out yet when the generous reward offered. MOO

BBM. Really? Why is there no comparison? And why is it important? Mollie went missing on July 18th, and the reward by her family was publicized on August 02nd, less than two weeks later. I'm not aware of a deadline a family is required to adhere to and am baffled why you think it has such significance and that it points to guilt of a member of the family. I'm also baffled why you hold the opinion BM was not identified as SM's husband until well after the fact. I do believe LE knew the couples' identity immediately.

Mollie Tibbetts reward fund established

"We believe Mollie is still alive, and if someone has abducted her, we are pleading with you to please release her," her mother, Laura Calderwood, said during a press conference Thursday morning.
The family of missing Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts pleaded for the return of their daughter Thursday. Donations have poured in over the past few days and the family is now offering a $172,000 reward for information that will lead authorities to her.

“It is our greatest hope that if someone has her, that they would just release her and claim that money we have raised for her freedom,” Tibbett’s mother Laura Calderwood said at a press conference Thursday.


Crimestoppers of Central Iowa, which offers a line for anonymous tips, helped to organize the press conference and will administer the reward money.

JMO

 

[Steelslady]

Of course such attacks do happen. I'm sure those who live in the area are well aware of the danger and take precautions. In my area, we are warned our pets are at risk of coyote attacks and mountain lion sightings are announced on the news.

If the area of Suzanne's disappearance was extensively searched by professional law enforcement and no evidence of a wild animal attack was found, why wouldn't LE rule it out? From BM's own words, he thinks the extensive search of the area ruled out this possibility weeks ago.

JMO

I think they have ruled it out. The Sheriff said it didn't seem likely. I have no doubt he has his reasons to come to such a conclusion. Nothing was found of Suzanne in that area. You can't tell me that the mountain lion dragged her other personal belonging 2000 feet from her house.

Or that the mountain lion possibly left evidence at her husband's work site under the concrete.

I do understand about coyote attacks and other wildlife and needing to take precautions with pets. I live in the country with plenty of wildlife.

 

[al66pine]

Bikes. LE Procedures.

Is there proof MB's bicycle cost more than her car? I find that very doubtful. I don't know that LE has a preferred tactic for family to provide a photo of the missing item. It seems to me, recovered evidence in a criminal investigation has a standard of proof a tad more definitive than an old photo. JMO

@MyBelle Thank you for the response. Briefly:
1. You find it doubtful that SM's bike cost more than her car? Agreeing, I find it doubtful too. Respectfully, I did not say SM's bike did cost more than her car, so not offering proof of a claim I did not make.
2. My post said: "LE's preferred tactic is often for fam to provide pic of missing item." It said "often." I did not say in this particular instance how LE addressed identification of bike, or what standard of proof LE sought, if in fact LE located a bike.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I believe BM left for Denver on Saturday. I don't believe he said he spoke to SM on Mother's Day but its likely he did based on the many years they had been together. My husband always wishes me a Happy Mother's Day.

I find it highly doubtful SM did not have a voice conversation with at least one of her daughters on Saturday to plan their trip back home for Mother's Day. I base that on my own experience with children during this pandemic. They worry about their parents. And people usually do recognize the style of writing in text messages. Everything seems to leave data footprints these days.

JMO

Your theory should be very easy to validate by LE. If this is true, he must have stayed somewhere overnight. There would be records, witnesses. If he called SM on mother's day, there will be a record of the call. If he used his mobile, there will be pings too. If he was working on a client's site all day, there could be witnesses, evidence of work carried out. If her daughters phoned her on the Sunday, that would most likely make them the last people known to speak to SM, which LE could publicize as a reference point.

I think LE could actually publicize all of the above without jeopardising the case, as far as I know.

But they havent.

JMO

 

[MassGuy]

BBM. Really? Why is there no comparison? And why is it important? Mollie went missing on July 18th, and the reward by her family was publicized on August 02nd, less than two weeks later. I'm not aware of a deadline a family is required to adhere to and am baffled why you think it has such significance and that it points to guilt of a member of the family. I'm also baffled why you hold the opinion BM was not identified as SM's husband until well after the fact. I do believe LE knew the couples' identity immediately.

Mollie Tibbetts reward fund established

"We believe Mollie is still alive, and if someone has abducted her, we are pleading with you to please release her," her mother, Laura Calderwood, said during a press conference Thursday morning.
The family of missing Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts pleaded for the return of their daughter Thursday. Donations have poured in over the past few days and the family is now offering a $172,000 reward for information that will lead authorities to her.

“It is our greatest hope that if someone has her, that they would just release her and claim that money we have raised for her freedom,” Tibbett’s mother Laura Calderwood said at a press conference Thursday.


Crimestoppers of Central Iowa, which offers a line for anonymous tips, helped to organize the press conference and will administer the reward money.

JMO

First, the point was how unusual it was that a reward of that size was offered so soon. Personally, I’ve never seen that before.

Secondly, the husband was unidentified to the public, which is the context of the OP’s remark. Obviously law enforcement knew who he was.

 

[Lilypad13]

They were pointing to Mt Shavano and speaking of Beverly England, who was last seen on a Salida sidewalk in 1980. Her remains were discovered and identified in 2018. It is an active case with the Chaffee County Sheriff's Department.
ttps://www.9news.com/article/news/local/investigation-into-beverly-england-cold-case-on-mount-shavano-yields-new-evidence/73-599618403

Oh my gosh! That’s so crazy that another woman vanished in the same area almost 30 years ago! And it was never fully solved? Very interesting. Thank you for taking time to share that with me. I’m definitely not ever moving to Colorado!

 

[MrsWatson]

Who keeps a photo or serial number of a bicycle? We only keep serial numbers of things that exceed our insurance deductible. If LE takes a photo at the scene showing it to someone at the scene would be a whooooooole lot faster than digging through files looking for old photos and serial numbers.

JMO

My husband is an avid cyclist. He has four bikes. All four bikes are listed on our insurance, with serial numbers, and detailed descriptions and photos. Bikes can be very expensive and can be very easy to steal. I don't find it unusual whatsoever to have documentation of a bike, especially if it's a hard to get model or cost as much as my first car.

That information can be invaluable if the bike is stolen/lost/involved in a mountain lion attack.

MOO

 

[Lilypad13]

That's a tall order! The Colorado Trail is 567 miles long and varies in elevation from 5,522 to 13,271 feet. If SM rode from the trailhead below Highway 50 to Monarch crest, she went from 8,850 ft to 11,400 ft elevation. That is roughly equal to walking up the back stairways of the Empire State Building to the Observation Deck twice, but at altitude considerably higher than the 5,280 ft altitude of the professional football stadium in Denver, where you frequently see visiting players using oxygen. IMO
You searched for 567 miles - Colorado Trail Foundation
You searched for elevation - Colorado Trail Foundation

Oh wow well I feel dumb. I live in the South and have always wanted to visit Colorado and Wyoming and see mountains and snow. I’ll be scared of mountain lions now. I see your point about just what a tall order that is...Barry could do it though! Lol! God I hope that she can be found. Anyway thanks for the info & comparisons Dave