Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #16

[Madeleine74]

agree...LE has to have probable cause to get a search warrant--in this case, IMO, the probable cause might have been a rush to judgement.

How so? If the victim's domicile is looked at and if those who she spent most of her time with day in and day out are looked at, how is that a "rush to judgement?" LE needs to legally have permission to look for potential evidence in a case. Verbal consent is not enough -- a search warrant is needed for optimal legal protection when accessing someone's home, vehicles, taking away what might be potential evidence, looking at/testing potential evidence. That's the legal process.

LE is not only looking at "the husband," they're looking at SM's life, her patterns, her digital communications, her friends, her activities, her marriage, her finances, etc. As a married woman her life happened to be enmeshed with another person--specifically her husband. To not examine him as a potential POI would be malpractice of their duties.

IMO

 

[Truecolors]

We had a missing teen in our state last year. It was a known abduction, because someone witnessed her being grabbed and pulled into a car.

The procedure for suspected kidnapping that I don’t see happening here is updating her pics on posters and focusing on the identifying garments. Our missing girl, for instance, was wearing a new pair of distinctive Adidas. LE talked about those shoes a lot.

That’s what stands out to me in absence here. We still have not been told what her biking shoes look like, her water bottle, her gloves. These should be relatively easy to identify and describe. Not even the family is talking about this information.

In the case of our missing teen, she was found, but not alive. It was terribly sad.

MOO

 

[Madeleine74]

We had a missing teen in our state last year. It was a known abduction, because someone witnessed her being grabbed and pulled into a car.

The procedure for suspected kidnapping that I don’t see happening here is updating her pics on posters and focusing on the identifying garments. Our missing girl, for instance, was wearing a new pair of distinctive Adidas. LE talked about those shoes a lot.

That’s what stands out to me in absence here. We still have not been told what her biking shoes look like, her water bottle, her gloves. These should be relatively easy to identify and describe. Not even the family is talking about this information.

In the case of our missing teen, she was found, but not alive. It was terribly sad.

MOO

The key difference in the case you mentioned is the teen was witnessed being grabbed and pulled into a car.

There is no such witness in the SM case, that we know of.

IMO

 

[trujac]

I wasn’t directing any comment to anyone specific. I’m assuming SOME believe LE is incorrect.

And in my decades following this case, absolutely no. No way is it standard to obtain a search warrant of a home and hold it for days, and use ground penetrating radar on, and dismantle cement at a spouse’s website, just to eliminate them. It is not.

You need probable cause that evidence of a crime will be found in the location to be searched, for a search warrant.

None of this is standard protocol in a missing persons’ case. Not close.

Also, please cite your source for the search of the slab being from a tip that someone thought he had been there.

Yes, I agree with all your statements...BUT LE has and does make mistakes on occasion; IMO, it seems like in this case, the first of the preliminary investigatory steps were bypassed, and LE immediately started building and framing their investigation of SM's disappearance around BLM as their only viable suspect.

 

[Truecolors]

The key difference in the case you mentioned is the teen was witnessed being grabbed and pulled into a car.

There is no such witness in the SM case, that we know of.

IMO

Yes, that’s true.

But this is why to me it does not feel like LE is treating this case as a kidnapping. It doesn’t match the standard procedure.

MOO

 

[Madeleine74]

IMO

LE is not appearing to treat this case as a kidnapping because there's no evidence that SM has been kidnapped.

 

[caffeinatedinsomniac]

If it is somehow a kidnapping, would there be any records of previous/ongoing missing persons cases that this one can be linked to?
Not from the area.

But IMHO, I have a sinking suspicion it's not a kidnapping.

 

[OldCop]

Yes, I agree with all your statements...BUT LE has and does make mistakes on occasion; IMO, it seems like in this case, the first of the preliminary investigatory steps were bypassed, and LE immediately started building and framing their investigation of SM's disappearance around BLM as their only viable suspect.

I agree that LE sometimes makes mistakes. Can you tell me what preliminary investigatory steps were bypassed?

 

[Truecolors]

I’ve been searching for this article. I’d forgotten where I‘d read this tidbit, but another piece of evidence that LE does not suspect stranger abduction is this quote:

“On Monday, CBI Spokesperson said there were no searches today or over the weekend. Many people have asked if it is safe to go hiking and biking in the area and investigators said there has been no specific information that should cause alarm to the community.”

Teal and yellow ribbons raise awareness for Suzanne Morphew

If LE believed that SM had been abducted from that road, that would qualify as alarming to the community IMO.

MOO

 

[Cassady]

Requesting tips from the public is a far cry from publicizing every detail of this woman’s height, weight, hair and eye color, various photos of her, photos of her bike helmet, her bike, “If you have seen this woman at any time, please contact...”

In any event, it is telling that on 6-10-20 the Chafee County Sheriff’s Dept. announced a canvas of “residents and others who knew Morphew in hopes of generating new information in the case, according to a Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office news release.”

It’s targeted toward neighbors and friends.

Those of us following these missing persons cases for decades have an idea what this signifies. It fits a pattern.

LE was reaching out to the public asking for help and tips...IMO

Pretty common in missing person cases.

 

[Dave F.]

Good find, enjoyed the Park Tour. So, maybe there are no cameras there, couldn't pick up any ..... had a look at street-view from the front too and couldn't see a sign - I read a few campers reviews .. h'mm, interesting if there's no surveillance on the park. Thanks for the upload.
Off topic: John Denver singing about Colorado in the background ..... made me think there sure are a lot of songs with American place names in them .... Colorado, California, Ohio, Kentucky, Witchita, Las Vegas ..... the list goes on

If you go on Google Earth and center over the entrance to the park, then pick up the little gold guy for street view, a white line should appear that shows where the GE filming truck must have pulled off Hwy 50 and then decided to back out. Place the gold guy on the end of the line, and you should zoom to looking right at the entrance sign, from the side view. It's pretty rustic, just like everything else in the park.

Colorado has two good mountaintop songs...."Rocky Mountain High" and "God Bless America". IMO

 

[Dave F.]

I’ve been searching for this article. I’d forgotten where I‘d read this tidbit, but another piece of evidence that LE does not suspect stranger abduction is this quote:

“On Monday, CBI Spokesperson said there were no searches today or over the weekend. Many people have asked if it is safe to go hiking and biking in the area and investigators said there has been no specific information that should cause alarm to the community.”

Teal and yellow ribbons raise awareness for Suzanne Morphew

If LE believed that SM had been abducted from that road, that would qualify as alarming to the community IMO.

MOO

The county is heavily dependent on tourism. There is no cause for alarm. Please check back for an update after Labor Day. IMO

 

[caffeinatedinsomniac]

Is it possible that this same economical reliance on tourism might impact the investigation in some way? I know that some towns can go a bit overboard with trying to protect their "image/reputation" in order to preserve incomes

Edit: So, to paraphrase, is it possible that some might want this investigation swept under the rug?

 

[susiQ]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed> ...

I agree though, many of us have a strong leaning in one direction because LE have given us no reason what’s so ever to lean in another....yet. MOO

 

[al66pine]

Duck Formations. Timing?

... But maybe they know the BG and it is not BM? LE wants people to think it's BM when it isn't, so they have more time to get their ducks in a row?....

@Goldenseal sbm My apologies for taking the liberty of rephrasing some of your question.
Q1. What determines arrest & trial timing? One factor is Speedy Trial clause of CO. Constitution* & statutes.
When/even if LE 'knows' who did it, LE continues gathering more evd until prosecutor believes, a jury/judge would likely/probably/certainly find def. Guilty BaRD at trial. If LE & prosecutor act prematurely and later seek postponement of trial, then judge can rule that def's right to a speedy trial was violated and dismiss case with prejudice. So no other chance to try crim case against that def.
Q2: Is it possible LE is now focusing on Unidentified Subject (Bad Guy, as you say) other than BM? Yes, imo.
Q3a. If LE releases public stmts focusing on BM, does LE have more time to investigate Unsub? No, imo.
Q3b. Does LE have reason to want or need 'more time to get their ducks in a row?' No, imo as LE can investigate until CO. statute of limitations** bars prosecution. When's that? Without knowing which, if any, crime was committed, we do not know which SoL applies, but for felonies, CO. SoL range from no limit to three yrs.
IOW, despite MSM/soc media/family/public pressure, LE does not face an urgent, looming deadline, imo.

As always, welcoming comment, clarification, or correction, esp'ly from our legal professionals. TiA.
....................................................................................................................................................
* CO. Constitution: "Section 16. Criminal prosecutions - rights of defendant. In criminal prosecutions the accused shall have the right to...., and a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of the county or district in which the offense is alleged to have been committed." bbm
From https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2017-title-16.pdf and re US Constitution:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedy_Trial_Clause#:~:text=The%20Speedy%20Trial%20Clause%20of,similar%20charging%20instrument%20and%20the
** CO Statute, C.R.S. 16-5-401. "Limitation for commencing criminal proceedings and juvenile delinquency proceedings
"Murder, kidnapping,....:No limit
"Attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit murder; attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit kidnapping;...No limit
"Other felonies: Three years
"Misdemeanors: Eighteen months."
^ Colorado Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws - FindLaw and Colorado Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws - FindLaw
"Issue Brief," November 2018. "Statutes of Limitations for Criminal Offenses" See Table 1, on page 2.
^ https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/defa...limitations_for_criminal_offenses_9122018.pdf

 

[Truecolors]

Is it possible that this same economical reliance on tourism might impact the investigation in some way? I know that some towns can go a bit overboard with trying to protect their "image/reputation" in order to preserve incomes

Edit: So, to paraphrase, is it possible that some might want this investigation swept under the rug?

Some might. Or someone might. But with local LE, CBI, and FBI involved, that’s unlikely to happen.

MOO

 

[303gmf]

The county is heavily dependent on tourism. There is no cause for alarm. Please check back for an update after Labor Day. IMO

Dave so glad to know someone gets it!!

 

[Dave F.]

Is it possible that this same economical reliance on tourism might impact the investigation in some way? I know that some towns can go a bit overboard with trying to protect their "image/reputation" in order to preserve incomes

Edit: So, to paraphrase, is it possible that some might want this investigation swept under the rug?

I don't think so. LE's closure of the pass backed up tourist traffic near conveniently located Poncha Springs businesses, and the search of the concrete pad brought in an influx out-of-town guests. Handing out flyers in front of Safeway let all of America know that Salida is just an ordinary, friendly but quaint mountain town. It's all good. IMO

 

[caffeinatedinsomniac]

Some might. Or someone might. But with local LE, CBI, and FBI involved, that’s unlikely to happen.

MOO

ahh, whoops. Slipped my mind for a moment there and forgot that the case was receiving outside investigation help, too

That should certainly help with bias minimisation

 

[Dave F.]

Seriously, the people of Chaffee county, when they say anything at all, seem to be very concerned that SM is missing, and at the same time confident that LE is working on it.
Yes, they need tourist dollars, but are more concerned that a member of the community is missing. IMO