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

[Dave F.]

You make several good points that could easily explain some of the questions we still have. A stalking kidnapping IS different, and the SO still has to be ruled out. MOO
So that would explain the speed toward BM, clearing him , while focusing on the stalking at the same time.
These are going to be difficult to solve especially when you have a tourist community...Myrtle Beach, SC comes to mind. It’s not the legitimate tourists committing the crimes, it’s the ones who slip below the radar.

To be fair, camping is a leader in the "Hospitality" field (hotels, motels, resorts, etc). Unlike most of the economy, camping is currently growing in record numbers. As a large segment of America, camping (or RV-ing) reflects society. Half-million dollar motor homes are common, but so are dated, cramped travel trailer purchased on Craigslist for less than a thousand, parked in a monthly or long term rental space. Some RV-ers are in it for the hospitality and companionship......every year hundreds of thousands of "snowbirds" migrate between north and south with the seasons. At the other end of the spectrum, anonymity and living without much expense are the attractors. This RV park does not appear to cater to one segment of their market over another........which again could be said about more than half of the RV parks in North America.
The primary reason for attention to this RV camp is that it is adjacent to, and directly connected by highway, back road and paths to the area of SM's disappearance. I have heard there is a direct line of sight from locations in the RV park to SM's home. I've never been there, so I don't know it for a fact; but it certainly opens up the possibility of convenient stalking........by any stalker.............even someone who could stalk by other means such as phone and text. IMO

 

[303gmf]

You're correct about it being a family friend.
The father of the youngest daughter's' boyfriend.
The name is out in the public but has not been confirmed by msm yet.


Since your post stayed put and is allowed, yes, many know the name.
The question is : Is it just 'hot air' ?
Or does that person/family actually have that sum if Suzanne is found ?
Good points, 303gmf !

Thank You LK!
Awhile back a similar post wasn’t appreciated
Definitely not “hot air“ and IMO certainly put more heartfelt effort into publicizing SM missing than BM

 

[OldCop]

From my experiences as a prosecutor & defense attorney, an investigator's viewpoint is often framed by the first account of an incident. For example, in domestic violence situation, the responding officer's report will often track the account of the victim, who is most often interviewed first and is usually -- but not always -- female. Of course, this is so because very often that victim's story really is the accurate one.

However, what if the alleged perpetrator says that he was acting in self-defense? Good officers will seek evidence of this to supplement any reports: broken items, defensive wounds, eyewitness accounts. Unfortunately, this does not always happen due to laziness, time pressures, uncooperative witnesses, etc. As a result, the "first account" tends to stick, for good or ill.

In Suzanne Morphew's case, all we know is that a neighbor reported Suzanne as missing. We don't know what else -- if anything -- may have been told to the sheriff's office, so I cannot say whether any information given by said neighbor may have contributed to investigators "zeroing in" on one suspect.

I basically agree with what you are saying. As I said in Gannon’s thread a while back, a 911 call is what more or less directs the initial phases of an investigation. LE has no reason to believe that a call placed to 911 is based on a lie. Officers arrive on scene with no preconceived notions prepared to investigate what has been given to them as the reason for the call. In Gannon’s case they were told it was a runaway child. In SM’s case they were told that a woman did not return from a bike ride. I am 99% sure that when LE arrived on the scene they did not say, “Okay, we have a missing biker. The husband probably killed her. Let’s get him.”

 

[LietKynes]

I basically agree with what you are saying. As I said in Gannon’s thread a while back, a 911 call is what more or less directs the initial phases of an investigation. LE has no reason to believe that a call placed to 911 is based on a lie. Officers arrive on scene with no preconceived notions prepared to investigate what has been given to them as the reason for the call. In Gannon’s case they were told it was a runaway child. In SM’s case they were told that a woman did not return from a bike ride. I am 99% sure that when LE arrived on the scene they did not say, “Okay, we have a missing biker. The husband probably killed her. Let’s get him.”

Agreed. ^^^

It was said here that the 'big guns' aka FBI and CBI were called in on the second day after the 911 call.
Why ??
Because imo LE smelled a rat.

 

[happyday]

^This^!!!!!!

Exactly, these are the stories the DM LIVES for! Where is the story in the DM or anywhere else on the people who matched the reward and their statements and involvement in all of this, surely they have something to say if they are willing to put up $100k. We know who they are, it’s no state secret- why is there no news coverage of the banners /ribbons etc...going up around town? I live here, there is practically zilch- never have I ever seen anything like this, why? Just no follow up, crickets. Not even rumors, except one that seemingly went nowhere- just not normal- something, many things simply not adding up, I’ve tried now to work this equation a million times it seems.

Compare this to the non stop media circus that was KB- and that to me was so obvious was PF- with the history of relationship/custody issues ongoing-add a non cooperative middle aged guy living with mom- this case doesn’t have those obvious perp flashing neon lights!!

Seems even the media is distancing themselves from SM- why? Never have I ever...????

ETA: IMO

I don’t get the feeling the media is distancing themselves from SM. They just have nothing to report. NO ONE is talking. Not LE, not BM, not the family or friends from either side. What would they report?

IMO the silence points to one thing. Everyone suspects what happened and no one benefits from talking about it. LE is busy trying to gather evidence and BM is better off by saying absolutely nothing.

None of this is what I would expect if they truly had no idea what happened to her or if there was even an itty bitty chance she were abducted/lost and possibly alive.

 

[Goldenseal]

Agreed. ^^^

It was said here that the 'big guns' aka FBI and CBI were called in on the second day after the 911 call.
Why ??
Because imo LE smelled a rat.

The local sheriff, being a retired Denver homicide guy, was obviously attuned enough and had enough pull to call in the FBI and CBI right away.

I also think that the FBI and CBI, being fresh off the Kelsey Berreth case, were especially sensitive to the possibility of SM being a repeat. Not so much as to immediately jump on BM, but I bet they were especially alert in the house when they were doing the welfare check. The KB murder, and murderer, were especially horrible and evil and must be sticking in their minds.

 

[Pak31]

Yes, I was wondering if this was reported simply as a wellness check.

Since LE can enter for a wellness check, would they naturally walk the whole interior and look for her, possibly passed out in a bathroom or wherever?

It would give LE an opportunity to take in a lot of information. What would you expect to see if one person got up that morning and left for a bike ride? I’m thinking of details like dishes, toothbrush, alarm, bed made, etc.

What might you find if a woman disappeared from her home without planning to leave? Again, I’m thinking of details a woman might typically take care of, that a man might not notice “undone”.

MOO

How would police get into the property to check on her if no one was home? Did the neighbor have a key? Do we know when the daughters arrived home? I can’t put that whole situation together of when police first arrived. The neighbor that called would have been the one who met them right? Did she know anything about what was going on besides just being told to call police? I still don’t understand why a family member wouldn’t call. Why BM didn’t. Unless it was because he wasn’t in the area or did he not want his phone/location traced?

 

[Fireflize]

How would police get into the property to check on her if no one was home? Did the neighbor have a key? Do we know when the daughters arrived home? I can’t put that whole situation together of when police first arrived. The neighbor that called would have been the one who met them right? Did she know anything about what was going on besides just being told to call police? I still don’t understand why a family member wouldn’t call. Why BM didn’t. Unless it was because he wasn’t in the area or did he not want his phone/location traced?

Or his phone battery was dead? Moo

 

[Tate123]

To be fair, camping is a leader in the "Hospitality" field (hotels, motels, resorts, etc). Unlike most of the economy, camping is currently growing in record numbers. As a large segment of America, camping (or RV-ing) reflects society. Half-million dollar motor homes are common, but so are dated, cramped travel trailer purchased on Craigslist for less than a thousand, parked in a monthly or long term rental space. Some RV-ers are in it for the hospitality and companionship......every year hundreds of thousands of "snowbirds" migrate between north and south with the seasons. At the other end of the spectrum, anonymity and living without much expense are the attractors. This RV park does not appear to cater to one segment of their market over another........which again could be said about more than half of the RV parks in North America.
The primary reason for attention to this RV camp is that it is adjacent to, and directly connected by highway, back road and paths to the area of SM's disappearance. I have heard there is a direct line of sight from locations in the RV park to SM's home. I've never been there, so I don't know it for a fact; but it certainly opens up the possibility of convenient stalking........by any stalker.............even someone who could stalk by other means such as phone and text. IMO

There was an arrest warrant issued on May 28th for a guy that failed to check in with his probation officer. ( 5 year supervised probation for attempted sexual assault and using a taser to intimidate a woman). He is originally from Salida. To me this has always been a very viable consideration..but then I have to think that the Sheriffs office would be warning the community if they thought there was someone dangerous lurking.

 

[Pak31]

Or his phone battery was dead? Moo

That’s a possibility. Or the location he was in had no service. Thanks. That’s why I ask these questions. Someone always helps clear my mind up.

 

[MrsWatson]

To those who are fearful this is becoming a "cold" case, may I offer the two following cases as reassurance?

Laci Peterson: Missing Christmas Eve; body of unborn son Connor found in April, Laci's body found a few days later. Husband, Scott, arrested within days close to the US/Mexico border while apparently planning a vacation that required 15k cash, his brother's ID and Viagra.

Janet March: Disappeared August 1996. Husband, Perry, not indicted until 2004 and whoops, his own father testified against him. Fun fact: Perry had relocated to Mexico and started a new family. That was a wild case, if anyone is interested in the most basic facts: Murder of Janet March - Wikipedia

Suzanne has been missing for about six weeks now, since we don't know when exactly she was last seen. The data dump alone and combing through that is terribly labor intensive. As some of our lawyers and LE members, @Angleterre @riolove77 @gitana1 ,have pointed out, this is meticulous work, because LE only gets one chance to prosecute this.

We need to be patient and have faith in the professional, dedicated work being done behind the scenes.

I don't think this is close to being cold. If LE isn't talking, they don't need our input. And I do not think that is a "rush to judgement" or "tunnel vision", nor are they sweeping it under the rug in the interest of tourist dollars; they go where the evidence leads them. I don't think they are all sitting around at the cop shop saying, "Well, what do we do next?"

MOO

ETA: Janet March's body has never been found.

 

[happyday]

There was an arrest warrant issued on May 28th for a guy that failed to check in with his probation officer. ( 5 year supervised probation for attempted sexual assault and using a taser to intimidate a woman). He is originally from Salida. To me this has always been a very viable consideration..but then I have to think that the Sheriffs office would be warning the community if they thought there was someone dangerous lurking.

Yes it’s not out of the question that she was abducted/assaulted while on a bike ride because we know these things DO happen. There are bad guys out there, strangers, stalkers.
But LE sure doesn’t think that because we never even got a height or weight or description at all from LE about who we should be looking for. If there was even a teeny possibility she was out there I think we would have gotten that right away, right? And like others have said, CBI is not inept.

 

[LietKynes]

I haven’t posted on this thread in a long time. I’ve been sucked into those crazy FB groups For Suzanne and I’ve finally escaped them. Anyway I have a dumb question. Apparently the daughters were in Idaho camping. Barry said in the Tyson video that they were going to be home for Mother’s Day. My question is, how long does it take to get home from Idaho? I’ve read that it is almost a ten hour drive. Does anyone know if that is correct?
If it is then wouldn’t the girls need to come home on Saturday in order to be with their mom on Sunday? When did Barry and Suzanne learn the girls were running late?
Were they driving through the night? Did they drive part of the way and then were doing the second half on Sunday? I’m just so confused. Running late is so vague.
Or am i overthinking this?
I guess I’m assuming they drove their own car but if they were with someone else or a group in a bus then the transportation would be out of their control?
It just seems sad because Barry and Suzanne had to have know first thing in the morning that they were late and then Barry asks if she minds if he leaves to go set up a job? Seems sad to just leave her alone like that. I don’t know if it’s been determined what day he left. All MOO.

bbm
Very good questions !!

Re. the bolded :

As far as the Missing sites for Suzanne, the distance from the camping trip to Salida was 14 + hours.

No way were they just 'running late' and it's doubtful they were expected that day (BM hinted that they were expected to arrive MD and if so, how ? Flying ? Then why didn't he just say that ?) unless they'd left the day before.
Googling the distance from the camping place to Salida you get some pop-ups that advertise airfare options.
Query : Were they flying in from ID ?
Imo.

 

[Fireflize]

I am going to edit this post after a bit: Here is an alleged photo of Suzanne with her glasses.
Right-click to save.

View attachment 252120

From the lens thickness, she appears to be quite nearsighted . I expect that she would need either glasses or contacts constantly. Moo

 

[Madeleine74]

^This^!!!!!!

Exactly, these are the stories the DM LIVES for! Where is the story in the DM or anywhere else on the people who matched the reward and their statements and involvement in all of this, surely they have something to say if they are willing to put up $100k. We know who they are, it’s no state secret- why is there no news coverage of the banners /ribbons etc...going up around town? I live here, there is practically zilch- never have I ever seen anything like this, why? Just no follow up, crickets. Not even rumors, except one that seemingly went nowhere- just not normal- something, many things simply not adding up, I’ve tried now to work this equation a million times it seems.

Compare this to the non-stop media circus that was KB- and that to me was so obvious was PF- with the history of relationship/custody issues ongoing-add a non cooperative middle aged guy living with mom- this case doesn’t have those obvious perp flashing neon lights!!

Seems even the media is distancing themselves from SM- why? Never have I ever...????

IMO

I believe the outrage is about the lack of gossip, rumors, possible real info and other stuff that gets published in tabloids and pseudo-tabloids. That LE is really keeping everything close to the vest and doing a stellar job of it, and friends and family aren't spreading gossip to the rags or the media is driving the public cray-cray. This starts the inevitable complaints that the victim is being forgotten, that no one cares, that LE isn't doing anything, or LE doesn't know how to conduct an investigation, or they are screwing everything up, etc.

There are certain points in a case, IMO, where anger and frustration boil over, often several weeks into a case and continuing, because people want to know it all and feel entitled to that knowledge. This case appears to have maybe reached that point.

/IMO

 

[LietKynes]

From the lens thickness, she appears to be quite nearsighted . I expect that she would need either glasses or contacts constantly. Moo

Good point !
Question : Were her glasses and/or contact lens case the "...other item(s) found..."
And where ?
By the bike trail ? (maybe just her glasses as contact cases are usually at home in the bedroom or bathroom)
In the house ?
If her glasses and contacts were found at the house that would raise LE's interest considerably; imo.
There wouldn't necessarily have to be a crime scene although I'm not ruling that out.

Just something left that would give LE, FBI, and CBI, pause to the "she went on a bike ride, go and look out there in the woods by the creek...", theory !

Looks like none of the LE agencies bought what was being sold.
MOO

 

[Murphy1950]

Good point !
Question : Were her glasses and/or contact lens case the "...other item(s) found..." Looks like none of the LE agencies bought what was being sold.
MOO

RSBM

Interesting post. I just noticed in the widely viewed and distributed photo of Suzanne in the helmet, she is wearing sunglasses. Prescription??, you have to wonder....

 

[Megnut]

Just a couple random thoughts --

She was of that magic age where reading glasses become necessary.

I don't think we know whether the call was to 911 or to the local police number. We do, however, know that BM's phone -- by his admission/ explanation was fully functioning. He says he spoke with the neighbor, in fact he says he told her to call the police, just to be safe.

Running late.... to me, running late implies by hours, not days. And I can't think of a time anyone would say, in regard to travel by air, they were running late. Delayed, laid over, not running late. Running late seems like something that happens when it's you, in charge of your arrival. One wonders just HOW FAR late, the running. 2 hours behind schedule? 4? Perhaps it was anticipated to be two days of travel, running late only on the second.

Just some of my random opinions.

 

[Feistyomi]

Agreed. ^^^

It was said here that the 'big guns' aka FBI and CBI were called in on the second day after the 911 call.
Why ??
Because imo LE smelled a rat.

IMO it could just as easily be something that goes beyond the usual murder by SO, and well beyond most small rural counties capabilities. In SC SLED comes in very rapidly in smaller counties, I assume sometimes immediately in cases where the local LE are involved. Firefighters may be considered an arm of the local LE, in certain cases. JMHO.

 

[mom2chloe]

Good point !
Question : Were her glasses and/or contact lens case the "...other item(s) found..."
And where ?
By the bike trail ? (maybe just her glasses as contact cases are usually at home in the bedroom or bathroom)
In the house ?
If her glasses and contacts were found at the house that would raise LE's interest considerably; imo.
There wouldn't necessarily have to be a crime scene although I'm not ruling that out.

Just something left that would give LE, FBI, and CBI, pause to the "she went on a bike ride, go and look out there in the woods by the creek...", theory !

Looks like none of the LE agencies bought what was being sold.
MOO

As to the glasses I can attest to being extremely nearsighted as well and there’s no way I could see anything beyond my hand in front of my face. I would imagine a mountain bike rider would wear their contacts for the best visual acuity because even the highest end glasses offer zero peripheral vision and IMO any one participating in physical activity would likely feel more secure with peripheral vision intact.
Also I thought they looked like reading glasses but again that’s likely because of my own poor vision and the size of the picture.