Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #17

[DizzyB]

PoI? Breaking Concrete without Search Warrant?
@DizzyB sbm If BM told LE about Denver trip which LE determined was a lie, imo LE's head would turn closer to BM as a PoI, but that lie alone would not be sufficient for LE to start breaking concrete.
But imo, that lie, plus other info re BM & property (hypothetical to us still but actual info to LE, e.g., witness stmt about BM's presence at a certain time at dirt-delivery/compacting site before concrete-pour), plus homeowner's consent for LE to bring GrPenRadar/equivalent may have been sufficient for LE to conduct non-invasive tests on concrete slab, w'out warrant.

But before invasive/destructive actions-- digging, sawing, cutting concrete foundation there -- doubtful (to some/most of our verified legal profesionals here) that LE proceeded without a having obtained a judge's signature on search warrant.

Azz-uming the GrPenRadar test results revealed a disturbance/disruption in or under the concrete, that fact, plus the other above info could form basis for judge to sign search warrant and for LE to proceed w invasive/destructive digging, cutting concrete, etc.

Welcoming comment, clarification, correction, esp from our legal professionals. just my 2 cts.

Not a lawyer, but I’ll take a stab at it. Each case is different, but you are pretty spot on in your deductions. To plug this case into the hypothetical you describe, it may go something like this: (For the purpose of this narrative, we will call the fictitious husband Bob Murphy, or BM for short, his wife is Sheila Murphy)
LE So you said you were in Denver all day on Sunday.
BM Yes
LE. Well we went to the area where you were supposed to be setting up your job site and no one saw you there.
BM. Really?
LE. Do you want to tell us where you really were? It doesn’t look good that you are lying about where you were on the day your wife disappeared.
BM Well, I was with a woman.. I didn’t want my daughters to find out.
LE Okay, give us her name and we’ll go have a talk with her; see if she can corroborate your story.
BM. I’d rather not do that.
LE. Why not? If we can not corroborate your story, we won’t be able to clear you as a suspect.
BM. Well, she is married. I don’t want to drag her into this.
In the meantime, everyone in the Salida area knows SM is missing. The searches have not turned up any anything but a couple of personal items and SM’s bike.
News and social media carry the story that BM was in Denver on Mother’s Day.
LE continues to ask for tips.
A local homeowner realizes that the man hired to do dirt prep for his new foundation is the husband of the missing woman. He knows BM was in his yard on 5/10. He knows that husband was supposed to be in Denver that day. He decides it’s probably nothing, but decides to call the tip line.
LE asks if they can come to his yard and examine the foundation. They bring GPR and find some suspicious spots. The also bring cadaver dogs and have gotten hits on the property.
They step back and advise the homeowner that they are going to seek a search warrant to dig beneath the concrete and a couple of other spots in the yard. They seal off the property until they obtain a warrant.
Some judges want more probable cause, almost proof, others are a little more relaxed in their decision to sign a search warrant. Investigators often try to time their warrant requests for when a more forgiving judge is on call.
The original lie BM told wouldn’t be enough to make him the only PIO, but it definitely would move him high on the list. When you add in the dig site, the dog hits, the GPR results, and have not found the missing person, it goes a lot further to giving you probable cause for the search warrant.

That’s sort of where I was going with this in my head. Hypothetically, let’s say he lied about Denver because he was somewhere that would have looked bad for him. Would they dig up concrete on that alone, or would they need another push for the warrant? I think he may have some secrets and he strikes me as the type who will hang on to whatever story he is trying to push ( like a cat). I assume as a hunter he knows that the cat story made zero sense as there was no physical evidence of it, yet he continued to offer it up as a possibility. If he isn’t guilty, he needs to stop spinning yarns. If he is guilty, LE can see right through his bravado.

 

[Dave F.]

I don't know where you got the idea from my post that the United States Postal Service was making floral deliveries to Maysville?

During COVID-19 pandemic, there are no guaranteed deliveries. My local florist adopted a Flex Delivery policy that's not so different than what local, Salida florist posted for their floral business.

FLEX DELIVERY NOTICE

Due to the current health crisis which has caused disruptions in staffing and supply chain, orders may be flexed with other possible delivery dates. These FlexibleDelivery dates for your order are indicated during your checkout process as well as on your Invoice for reference. Your floral gift may be delivered on one of the possible delivery dates indicated on the Delivery Date selection during your Checkout Process. ...

FedEx and UPS are separate and also not the same entity as the USPS.

Avas Flowers Terms of Service | Avas Flowers
FedEx and UPS are separate and also not the same entity as the USPS.

From the UPS website:
"UPS is excited to announce that UPS SurePost is already being delivered on Sunday to many parts of the country through our partnership with the USPS. And coverage is scheduled to expand throughout 2020."

UPS® Weekend Home Delivery : UPS - United States

and from the FedEx website:
"Note: When scheduling a FedEx Freight shipment on or around a holiday, including holidays not listed above (e.g., Mardi Gras, etc.), contact your local freight service center at 1.866.393.4585 for the most up-to-date information.
Note: FedEx SmartPost® will not be delivering on U.S. federal holidays when the USPS is not making deliveries."
FedEx holiday schedule, open/closed status

 

[Goldenseal]

JMO
That picture in the top left that looks down from the sky at the roof tells me that house is one majorly expensive building project when they had it built. I did a little roofing and there are so many hips, valleys, and ridges along that roof line that it makes it complex to build a home like that.

By contrast when you have a regular simple rectangular A-frame type home with only one or two special features in the roof trusses and roof's structure, it makes for a less expensive home. When you have a home like they have with all those different room features where one part of the roof intersects with another creating hips and valleys, you are dealing with a very expensive and complex build.

The reason this stuck out to me is I was thinking about the previous threads where we wondered if financial difficulties may be happening and that picture of that home screams out to me financial difficulties.

We know the purchase and acquisition has already happened but we dont know how much was financed and we dont know about the ongoing utility bills, taxes, etc that are happening on an ongoing basis. Its hard to fathom that what appears to be a small business owner of a dirt laying company would be able to handle a home like that without other financial support or taking actions to raise finances. All JMO of course.

You know, thanks for saying this. I've kept my mouth shut about finances, but all along I was saying to myself, "How the heck does a tiny dirt-moving company owner and a school teacher (who has been very sick and prob has not worked in several years) come up with this kind of dough?"

I've concluded that I am in the wrong line of business, that's for sure.

 

[Dave F.]

You know, thanks for saying this. I've kept my mouth shut about finances, but all along I was saying to myself, "How the heck does a tiny dirt-moving company owner and a school teacher (who has been very sick and prob has not worked in several years) come up with this kind of dough?"

I've concluded that I am in the wrong line of business, that's for sure.

Don't go in to tiny dirt moving. Go into big landscaping. That seems to be where the money's at. IMO

 

[enelram]

I watched a crime show like that yesterday.. was it the case where the girl from school killed her friend?

no it was a serial killer. A man who raped and murdered over 30 women, they think. The FBI
profiler made a big deal of him being a trophy hunter and stressed the rapes and murders were
based on "power and control". They even suggested the man would be a stutterer because
of his traumatized childhood, and he was in fact, a stutterer. He preyed on prostitutes and
women on the streets.
would love to see FBI profile of their perp in this case. Betcha they're spot on.

 

[LietKynes]

You know, thanks for saying this. I've kept my mouth shut about finances, but all along I was saying to myself, "How the heck does a tiny dirt-moving company owner and a school teacher (who has been very sick and prob has not worked in several years) come up with this kind of dough?"

I've concluded that I am in the wrong line of business, that's for sure.

Ita.

Speculation alert :
What if Suzanne had come into this marriage with money--or had inherited some cash ?
So, if it was her $$$ and not BM's, what happens if they split up ?

 

[Dave F.]

I've never heard that rule.

IMO

In my state it's typical for SWs to be executed over many hours, but not 24 hrs, day after day. Different agencies have different shifts and number of personnel so it all depends. When a SW area/land/home is shut down for the night, the place is guarded so no intrusions occur.

We learned in the 2018 Berreth disappearance investigation released SW's that the customary limit in Colorado Judicial District 4 is ten days. I'm guessing that is pretty standard across the state, but I don't know that for a fact. IMO

 

[LietKynes]

no it was a serial killer. A man who raped and murdered over 30 women, the think. The FBI
profiler made a big deal of him being a trophy hunter and stressed the rapes and murders were
based on "power and control". They even suggested the man would be a stutterer because
of his traumatized childhood, and he was in fact, a stutter. He preyed on prostitutes and
women on the streets.
would love to see FBI profile of their perp in this case. Betcha they're spot on.

Agreed.

There is so much that isn't being said....
I'm surprised that family or friends haven't come forward to speak in support.
It's as if no one really knew them.

 

[MsBetsy]

Ok..I thought they had to be engaged in an ongoing and continuous search with a SW.

Even if they did have a search warrant they would still have to go home and eat and sleep at some point.

Maybe a consent search allowed them more time, although I would think they would still need to specify the amount of days they planned to be there. Jmo

 

[vaporlass]

If I was LE I would be very curious why a husband let a neighbour be the one to call 911 to report his wife missing. He wasn't in another country he was in another county. Was it because by calling 911 it would disclose he wasn't where he told LE he was and he didn't call SM's phone because it might have pinged in the same location as his. IMO
I get the impression that Suzanne isn't known as an individual but as a wonderful mother and wife. We keep asking "Where is Suzanne?" but I wonder "Who is Suzanne?"

Great post! Was wondering ...Can LE check his location at the time he made call to neighbor?
I agree, this was huge red flag for me. Why have a neighbor CALL to report your wife missing? Distancing himself already?
I would consider that call premature from anyone ... I don’t see myself calling 911 so quickly unless it was a child ... but maybe (obviously) there is A LOT we do not know ... I’m just praying that LE is putting together a case and that SM’s death will not go unpunished.

 

[humblegroundxx]

Great post! Was wondering ...Can LE check his location at the time he made call to neighbor?
I agree, this was huge red flag for me. Why have a neighbor CALL to report your wife missing? Distancing himself already?
I would consider that call premature from anyone ... I don’t see myself calling 911 so quickly unless it was a child ... but maybe (obviously) there is A LOT we do not know ... I’m just praying that LE is putting together a case and that SM’s death will not go unpunished.

was it him that made the call to the neighbor or was it the daughters? I'm sorry there has been so much thrown around that I've confused a couple of things please forgive me.
Also - I would assume LE could subpoena his phone records if needed and if he was a suspect for specific dates to see where it was pinging or where his location was recorded at. Kind of how the location was traced in the Daybell/Vallow case most recently to put everyone at the Daybell residence at odd hours.

 

[vaporlass]

Thanks, you beat me to it.
If it's been scrubbed by the reporter there may have been a family member who wanted it gone ?
But if BM's statement to the press is still around; it has to be out there.
Back in the Chloe Wiegand case the changes made to msm articles were astounding and some speculated that the lawyer for S.A. put pressure on the media.
MOO

Who is Barry Morphew (Husband of Missing Suzanne Morphew)? Bio, Wiki


Morphew’s husband, Barry, also presented a $ 100,000 reward for his wife’s safe return, “ no questions asked ”, according to FOX 31.

He declined to make a public appeal at the request of the local news station, saying it was “too early”.

 

[Warwick7]

Given the area she was grabbed, I tend to agree. Stalked, planned, more solvable than random stranger. My hope.

There is still so much we don't know.
Like IF she was grabbed. IF she was we don't know where.

 

[Warwick7]

Oh well. Gotta keep brainstorming for clues.

That was good brainstorming tho.
:0)

 

[MsBetsy]

no it was a serial killer. A man who raped and murdered over 30 women, the think. The FBI
profiler made a big deal of him being a trophy hunter and stressed the rapes and murders were
based on "power and control". They even suggested the man would be a stutterer because
of his traumatized childhood, and he was in fact, a stutter. He preyed on prostitutes and
women on the streets.
would love to see FBI profile of their perp in this case. Betcha they're spot on.

I don't see how they can have an FBI profile on the perp in this case since they don't have a body and would not know the manner in which she was killed or be able to compare it to other victims.

If LE suspects the husband and has evidence to prove he was involved, why the need for a profile? One murder does not suggest a particular MO. It would be a single case of intimate partner homicide.

Imo

 

[Warwick7]

I might add that we have had the proof for a long time (by the permits and inspections) that GD was a sub-contractor and was probably doing his work at that construction site in Salida on May 10th, while BLM was in Denver. IMO

While BM was alledgedly in Denver. There is no LE confirmation on that.

 

[gitana1]

I believe a high percentage of the conceivable ways that a person could commit murder involve grabbing the victim. JMO

That’s not the issue, but yeah.

 

[vaporlass]

Perfect, just too perfect! how do we make assessments w/o pre-disappearance for comparison? construction or landscapers have there own lingo. IMO they use extravagant terms to make clear that the other guy needs to do his own msmts, unless they are actually down to the real job, sorta like gazillion. My husband, the yankee, has tried to adjust his lingo here in the south...he has tried for 40 years and he’s still trying. LOL

Interesting ... my husband, a YANKEE has adjusted to the lingo here in Texas, his family and friends up North make fun of his Texas accent... He’s been down here almost 23 years and I just heard him say very clearly (to his Dad) on the phone, “Illi -NOISE” which you may know is a severe faux pas when speaking to other people from Illinois. LOL...

 

[enelram]

Agreed.

There is so much that isn't being said....
I'm surprised that family or friends haven't come forward to speak in support.
It's as if no one really knew them.

Oh I think many people knew them, maybe not real well, but they were both long time residents
of small towns, high school, etc.
I do believe locals from Indiana may start trickling out to talk in due time, moo.
And as usual in small towns there will be mixed opinions.

 

[gitana1]

Exactly. I firmly believe that that an animal attack was one of the top 3 theories that LE considered initially. Over the course of several days of tracking and searching, that theory became less probable. But even 5 days later, and after 2000 man hours of searching, Spezzee still says at the PC that they are evaluating all options. The email to church members, mentioning an animal attack as a possibility, was sent in the first day(s) of the search, well before it was most likely ruled out.
I also don’t think BM was floating the idea of an attack to TD at all. That’s never been the way I heard it. BM has a strange way of constructing his sentences and trailing off, but he was getting TD (as a potentially volunteer searcher) up-to-speed on what areas HAVE been searched so far. IE. we search up this way....in case it had been a cat. We searched down here and in the river...in case she was injured and disoriented. We searched this way....in the case of an abduction. To me, if you commit listening to BM through the lens of being innocent, I think he firmly believes it was an abduction. Not an animal attack or injury, because that’s been covered. He says his area of concern is thataway... between where the bike was found and SM’s items were found.

I disagree. Evidence of a four-legged predator would be easily determined. Especially with the use of dogs. And since there has only been one fatal cougar attack in the recorded history of Colorado, it seems inconceivable that that would be anywhere close to a top theory.

The rarity of such attacks is incredible.