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

[RickshawFan]

I'm really hoping they are looking in the Denver area. I don't think she is anywhere near Salida.

Oopsy. If BM concealed SM in Denver, he might have chosen exactly the wrong place. The Chaffee County sheriff worked in Denver for 25+ years (About Sheriff John Spezze - Chaffee County Sheriff) in narcotics, community policing, and undercover. Yup, in the dark nooks and crannies. He knows people on the streets, people who are carefully watching (for good or bad). And think of the cops he knows still out there!
I’ll bet you’re right: BM put SM in Denver. I actually thought he could have left tools or equipment at someone else’s construction site so LE couldn’t find them. Crews have so many subcontractors these days, no one would think anything of a stray piece of equipment getting left there.
If Denver, there’ll be video footage.

 

[Dave F.]

Those ladies also pointed out a mountain in the distance which I can’t remember the name of but they said it had very steep trail and a body was found on that mountain years ago.

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

 

[JaePim]

Investigators working on the #MissingPerson case of #suzannemorphew are aware of the video of Tyson Draper speaking with Barry Morphew. CBI spokesperson says Barry and other members of the Morphew family have been cooperative with the investigation.
#FindSuzanne

County, State, and Federal agencies are following up on the more than 400 tips for #suzannemorphew #MissingPerson It has been 23 days since the Chaffee County mother vanished.
Tip line: 719-312-7530

This is the video I’m referring to:

https://twitter.com/laurenscharftv/status/1268012036190957570?

s=21https://twitter.com/laurenscharftv/status/1268012036190957570?s=21

What do you make of the “cooperating” comment?

 

[DizzyB]

I don’t know the evidence, so I can’t say if he’s guilty of anything.

My point is that the behavior of law enforcement is telling me they are handling a homicide investigation, with BM being the prime suspect.

I don’t know what led them to this conclusion, or if they are even correct.

This. It feels like they never bought the bike ride. Whatever they knew, it seems like they knew it pretty early on.

 

[Cindizzi]

Not sure if a SS without a link is allowed, Lauren Scharf just posted this. I don’t know how to copy a link from FB from my tablet. Maybe someone can if this is removed?

 

[MassGuy]

What do you make of the “cooperating” comment?

Absolutely nothing. “Cooperating” can mean answering questions, and willingly turning over certain things. It doesn’t mean a person is telling the truth, or still being cooperative.

Unless law enforcement wants to turn up the heat, they tend to describe people as being cooperative, whether it’s completely true or not.

 

[Steelslady]

While such attacks do happen, I would also guess that their remains are found not far off the beaten path. I suspect it was ruled out in this case as there were no remains to be found. Perhaps no scent either which would indicate she was never there to begin with.

Of course, LE will/must perform their due diligence and search the area as they did, IF that’s where her bike was located. I still believe there was a bike at that location, I just don’t believe SM rode it there. MOO

Agree. For that matter, we have never heard if Suzanne's scent was found on that trail or around where they found her bike. I've been curious about this myself.

If she was attacked by a mountain lion, something would have been found of her- torn clothing and well the obvious- blood, urine, etc- some body fluids of Suzanne's would have been in the area.

I am confident that the Sheriff's thoughts about her not being attacked by a mountain lion is 100% accurate.

 

[wheatnotchaff]

What do you make of the “cooperating” comment?

Either he’s cooperating or LE wants to maintain a narrative that he’s cooperating. IMO
ETA: Or both

 

[Seattle1]

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?

I think what LE was really trying to put out to the public was a warning for residents not to record over the dates May 8 - May 12 to prevent any data they may want to review for that period to be lost forever. I don't believe LE expects residents to have data so critical to BM's guilt but want the ability to review it.

“We are aware that some systems override video after several days, and we want to ensure video remains available if needed.”

As Missing Person Search Continues, Chaffee Sheriff's Office Asks Residents to Preserve Video - by Jan Wondra - Ark Valley Voice

 

[Tate123]

Oopsy. If BM concealed SM in Denver, he might have chosen exactly the wrong place. The Chaffee County sheriff worked in Denver for 25+ years (About Sheriff John Spezze - Chaffee County Sheriff) in narcotics, community policing, and undercover. Yup, in the dark nooks and crannies. He knows people on the streets, people who are carefully watching (for good or bad). And think of the cops he knows still out there!
I’ll bet you’re right: BM put SM in Denver. I actually thought he could have left tools or equipment at someone else’s construction site so LE couldn’t find them. Crews have so many subcontractors these days, no one would think anything of a stray piece of equipment getting left there.
If Denver, there’ll be video footage.

I forgot that info on the Sheriff ...Thanks!

 

[TKG]

What do you make of the “cooperating” comment?

Other member of the Morphew family? Ummm huh???

 

[Seattle1]

My apologies...I gave the wrong name of the bridge in my previous post. The small bridge the local ladies showed in their video is near the Morphew home and goes over Foose’s Creek. I believe it’s located on Co Rd 225. I’ve circled it in the photo below.

Thanks @osu for always marking the photos for us!

 

[Dave F.]

I hope LE or search company is walking that entire trail with the dogs!

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

 

[GordianKnot]

Oopsy. If BM concealed SM in Denver, he might have chosen exactly the wrong place. The Chaffee County sheriff worked in Denver for 25+ years (About Sheriff John Spezze - Chaffee County Sheriff) in narcotics, community policing, and undercover. Yup, in the dark nooks and crannies. He knows people on the streets, people who are carefully watching (for good or bad). And think of the cops he knows still out there!
I’ll bet you’re right: BM put SM in Denver. I actually thought he could have left tools or equipment at someone else’s construction site so LE couldn’t find them. Crews have so many subcontractors these days, no one would think anything of a stray piece of equipment getting left there.
If Denver, there’ll be video footage.

BM has put himself in Denver at the time she went missing.

Unless we're dealing with someone as blockheaded as Frazee, I don't think there's any way whatsoever that SM is in Denver.

Having said that, I'm reminded that Stauch is doing her best to eclipse Frazee in the world's dumbest murderer competition, so I guess anything is possible.

I've learned never to say never when it comes to Colorado cases.

Never.

JMO.

 

[MyBelle]

Respectfully disagree. LE doesn't show evidence in public any more - not in Colorado, anyway and not in general in the West.

It's a community of 135, some of whom don't actually live there full time, if LE has a verbal description from the neighbor or the daughter, I don't think they need someone to stare at it, to say it's Suzanne's.

Suzanne is reported missing. Her car is there, her bike is not. Bike is found. Matches neighbor or daughter's or husband's description.

Why in the world would they want to show any of these people a piece of evidence? Wouldn't they want to know what those people already had to say about the bike and its last-seen condition?

That's fine. We'll agree to disagree.

The most logical reason that LE would show family or close friends a piece of evidence is for accurate identity purposes. Is LE going to testify at trial an old photo was used to identify it? I don't believe so. I also wasn't aware the family including the daughters are all treated as suspects.

LE wouldn't be showing the photo to the public, they'd be showing it to someone close to SM so they could identify just as they ask someone close to the victim to identify clothing and other personal items found. I seriously doubt a neighbor or other residents of a rural area are going to know the brand and model of a bicycle but that's just my opinion.

 

[TKG]

Yes, that is Fooses Creek bridge on CR 225. That view is inverted, so that south is at the top of the picture. This Google Earth Aerial view is with north at the top, as it will appear in GE. The coordinates are:
38°32'27.50"N, 106°14'37.23"W
I've dropped a yellow pin on the bridge, because it's hard for me to find when I return to Google Earth.
I note that this bridge is on relatively flat ground, with no ravine nearby.

Link: The picture is entirely generated in Google Earth with no alterations. Exact coordinates are provided in post.

I’m so thankful you are here @Dave F., you have such informative posts.

 

[10ofRods]

This is such an interesting post.

"They put out a missing person bulletin before BM ever arrived back from Denver. The daughters were not at home."

And as has been discussed at length here, the sun had set at 8:05pm. Reality is with the hills and trees losing sunlight is much earlier.

So by 9pm when BM alledgedly arrived it was going to be too dark to crawl down and identify a bike. And by his own admission, they had removed the bike before he got there.

So in fact BM was not on hand to identify the bike.

Exactly. And there are other ways of identifying it.

If I were involved as an investigator, I would immediately note that the husband wasn't home either at the time of the bike ride nor at the time that the 911 call was made nor at the time that LE arrived.

Then, I'd politely ask where he'd been.

In this case, apparently he says, "Denver."

I'd also check his cell records and see who he called between telling the neighbor to call police (after speaking with daughters) and arriving back at home.

I suspect it will include his mother and his nephew. None of that is necessarily suspicious, but it certain bears close examination.

It means his phone was on, for one thing.

Otherwise, he inexplicably waits and doesn't have his phone on, even though his daughters are now in the middle of his wife and their mother being missing.

And I'm aware that Suzanne had two distinct roles in his mind.

 

[Knox]

Not sure if a SS without a link is allowed, Lauren Scharf just posted this. I don’t know how to copy a link from FB from my tablet. Maybe someone can if this is removed?

Lauren Scharf
34 mins ·
I also asked if the Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze would be doing another press conference this week and the response was no since there’s not any new information.


Thank you Cindizzi!

 

[bancam]

A short video from Tyson D
YouTube

Maybe he can re-post the preview video too? 1m30s straight to camera from the carpark area at the intersection of CR225 and HW50. The one where he tells us that he didn’t know the conversation was being recorded and that BM didn’t know either. That way at least we can feel more confident that the post-video narrative is not being massaged. Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

 

[Truecolors]

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

I googled the town of Salida to find their bike registration policy. Some towns offer or even require it. Salida doesn’t, but I found this:

Can I register my bicycle with SPD?
Bicycle registration is no longer offered. It is highly recommended that bicycle owners take a photo of their bicycle and copy the serial number for your own records. If your bike is ever stolen/recovered, this will make it much easier to track and identify.

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