Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #2

[Jackielee09]

That's what LE has to determine. And they'll of course be looking for anyone who may have witnessed her out and about that Sunday, whether on her bike or just outside somewhere.

The public will not be privy to the inner workings of this or any investigation. LE will only release as much info as they feel they have to.

Case followers will naturally feel they should know what all is going on, but that won't happen, it almost never does.

LE's job is to maintain the integrity of the case while determining what happened to SM, not only solving the case, but arresting whoever did something to SM, if that's what occurred.

Yep we know nada that’s why we are here to speculate. Cops can’t speculate. We can. But in my opinion only. There was no bike ride that day.

 

[Inthedetails]

In the video at link below, it said searchers also searched bodies of water yesterday. This is the first time I've heard that.
Dozens Search For Suzanne Morphew After Discovery Of 'Personal Item'

The reporter mentioned waterways....so both lake and creek, I'm assuming.

I'm glad the waters were searched as they worried me when I saw them on the map.

jmo

 

[MsBetsy]

In the video at link below, it said searchers also searched bodies of water yesterday. This is the first time I've heard that.
Dozens Search For Suzanne Morphew After Discovery Of 'Personal Item'

That makes sense, since it looks like the bike path runs alongside the river. I think I saw a small lake nearby, too. I hope they find something soon.

 

[Herat]

The reporter mentioned waterways....so both lake and creek, I'm assuming.

I'm glad the waters were searched as they worried me when I saw them on the map.

jmo

Interesting mention "waterways". Didn't use the work "creek" or "river". One would normally use creek for Foose Creek and river for South Arkansas River.

They really should be searching creeks, rivers, and lakes / ponds. But it does tell me it's in the area fairly close to home, along Foose Creek and route 226.

 

[SleuthBee]

BBM:

Agree that the nephew was baiting LE by urging the public to ask the sheriff about the condition of the bike.

Amateurish move, frankly.
Definitely an antagonistic move toward LE, as well.
Family and LE don't appear to be singing off the same hymn sheet.

Here's where my brain is going with that ask-about-the-bike business:

Hypothetically, let's just consider one possible scenario.

For the sake of argument, let's say that there's been a staged scene here, with the goal being to convince LE that SM was either abducted during a bike ride or that she'd had some type of biking accident.

If someone has gone to the time, trouble and risk of staging an abduction or accident, then it stands to reason that evidentiary props, including the bike, have been artfully arranged and/or altered to try to make it appear most convincing.

That particular someone's expectation would be that LE would buy into this scenario and quickly put the information about the bike out to the public, i.e., "We found her bike in what appeared to be damaged condition," or "We found her bike with signs that she may have been injured," etc.

LE not reporting anything about the condition of the bike would definitely throw that someone for a loop.

They'd want LE to share the news of the found bike with the public, as a way of pointing the finger of blame away from them completely.

In a staged abduction scenario, the bike is intended to be found, with the goal of misleading LE and the public.

Classic attempt at misdirection.

When I heard BM's nephew's demand that the public "Ask the sheriff about the condition of the bike," my brain immediately translated those words into the following message:

"Look over there. Not here."

JMO.

@GordianKnot What a sight for sore eyes!! So glad you are on scene to offer your insight.

I am glad you mentioned the nephew. There is something off-putting about his actions. It seems the husband is remaining silent, while his nephew is stepping out and maybe onto LE's toes. I was unaware that he demanded that the public public ask the sheriff about the condition of the bike??? Instead of asking himself??? Or did he?

Question: Since the FBI is involved, who will control the investigation and authorize what information is offered to the family and public? I mean no disrespect and even though the sheriff resembles Robert Blake, the FBI receives much more training for dealing with advanced (for lack of a better term) criminals.

 

[whitelilac]

If the bike was found undamaged, standing by a tree, I don't think that particularly means that it was a "purposeful" act by the victim. A perp may have had a ruse to stop her, "friendly" local or visitor, asking for directions or some such, pulled a weapon and got Suzanne into a vehicle.
We don't know.
If the bike is damaged, it appears more obvious there was immediate force of some kind.

 

[Herat]

That makes sense, since it looks like the bike path runs alongside the river. I think I saw a small lake nearby, too. I hope they find something soon.

There are small dams across Foose Creek and South Arkansas River. Both have dam ponds behind them which I assume are the lakes. There are actually several small dams along the river.

As another poster mentioned: That river would be at full run and fridgidly cold right now.

 

[happyday]

I

Thanks, but I'm still not really sure how this helps anyone.

It was staged, the perp knows the condition of the bike already.

I guess if it was mangled, LE has a lot of ways of determining the likely method - run over by a car? dropped onto rocks? left in the riverbed? flat tire? one bent rim?

But that would all likely involve CSI stuff with fingerprints and possible paint analysis and possible impact points or checking cut brake cables or whatever. Stuff that takes weeks to months in a real CSI lab.

And if it was left alone standing by a tree, it implies possible abandonment, running away, suicide.

Sorry for not being clear. I only mean that IF a mangled bike was a big part of your story showing an accident but LE refuses to say a dang word about said bike, you might plead with the public to ask LE about the bike’s condition. The only way it helps is to steer the narrative toward an accident and not a murder. Not saying this is the case as I think it’s pretty obvious and clumsy but who knows.

 

[SleuthBee]

There is one other thing I would like to add, and it may or may not be important.

Someone said in the last thread that she was on social media the day before she disappeared. That may not be so- if someone harmed her, they may have been posting as her. Kelsey Berreth's jerk boyfriend is one that comes to mind- texting people, pretending to be Kelsey.

@Steelslady You are quite savvy and you raise many good points.

Does any know when her husband left?

 

[Inthedetails]

Interesting mention "waterways". Didn't use the work "creek" or "river". One would normally use creek for Foose Creek and river for South Arkansas River.

They really should be searching creeks, rivers, and lakes / ponds. But it does tell me it's in the area fairly close to home, along Foose Creek and route 226.

Maybe the reporter didn't actually know which bodies of water, but simply saw the boat and made the logical, but generic, assumption of "waterways." LE has been playing it very close to the chest.

jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

@GordianKnot

Question: Since the FBI is involved, who will control the investigation and authorize what information is offered to the family and public? I mean no disrespect and even though the sheriff resembles Robert Blake, the FBI receives much more training for dealing with advanced (for lack of a better term) criminals.

Snipped.

I'm not an expert by any means, but in my observation, if FBI is there to assist local LE, then local LE remains in the lead and is the public face of the investigation. If the case is turned over to FBI, then that's different. But it seems that LE is in charge here, with FBI assistance. FBI agents will still use all their skills, even if not in the lead, on whatever specific tasks they are assisting with.

jmo

 

[Pak31]

I

Thanks, but I'm still not really sure how this helps anyone.

It was staged, the perp knows the condition of the bike already.

I guess if it was mangled, LE has a lot of ways of determining the likely method - run over by a car? dropped onto rocks? left in the riverbed? flat tire? one bent rim?

But that would all likely involve CSI stuff with fingerprints and possible paint analysis and possible impact points or checking cut brake cables or whatever. Stuff that takes weeks to months in a real CSI lab.

And if it was left alone standing by a tree, it implies possible abandonment, running away, suicide.

It’s a stretch but again with the nephew urging people bro question the condition of the bike means there is something about it that is very telling. By condition I don’t know if he meant where it was found or the actual shape it was in but something about it speaks volumes. It could help direct a focus in a specific direction. I’m probably wrong but that’s my vibe.

 

[raja]

LE states that it was not an animal attack even though those seem to happen. Perhaps if the bike was found and damaged that would be a good indication that an animal had nothing to do with it.

 

[LaborDayRN]

If the bike was found undamaged, standing by a tree, I don't think that particularly means that it was a "purposeful" act by the victim. A perp may have had a ruse to stop her, "friendly" local or visitor, asking for directions or some such, pulled a weapon and got Suzanne into a vehicle.
We don't know.
If the bike is damaged, it appears more obvious there was immediate force of some kind.

I know this wasn't your intended meaning @whitelilac , but when you mentioned "the bike standing by a tree" I couldn't help but recall a teen girl who went missing. (please someone, help me recall her name). I believe it was in the northwest. LE and family searched and searched. She was eventually found having hung herself in a tree in an area that had been previously searched, but the searchers hadn't looked up.
While I still believe that this ISN'T a case of self harm, I always hope in this search and others that searchers remember to look up.

 

[Steelslady]

God knows, there must have been enough people on that trail that if LE was convinced she did ride her bike there, that LE would be PLEADING for people to come forward, with at least a description of what Suzanne looked like (even if LE didn't know what she wore that day).

I could be wrong, but someone did mention in the other thread that the road to her house was blocked off. Makes me wonder if a crime did indeed happen at her home, someone placed her personal items on a bike trail she rode frequently, probably late at night to make it appear she disappeared on Sunday while out riding.

Doesn't anyone else find it strange that LE has NOT asked for anyone on the bike trail to come forward, who was riding that day? Come on!

 

[Cindizzi]

Can't call you crazy but I had the same feelings about Tim Watkins. I would like to know if her bike had a flat tire.

I thought of Tim, also. I’ve been looking at Salida and Chafee County pages and just saw that the bike trails have had some very recent scary vandalism. The only MSM article is from The Mountain Mail, but there’s a paywall.

ETA couldn’t upload pic. Adding a link instead.

Trails vandalized with nails, saws

 

[Inthedetails]

God knows, there must have been enough people on that trail that if LE was convinced she did ride her bike there, that LE would be PLEADING for people to come forward, with at least a description of what Suzanne looked like (even if they didn't know what she wore that day).

I could be wrong, but someone did mention in the other thread that the road to her house was blocked off. Makes me wonder if a crime did indeed happen at her home, someone placed her personal items on a bike trail she rode frequently, probably late at night to make it appear she disappeared on Sunday while out riding.

Doesn't anyone else find it strange that LE has NOT asked for anyone on the bike trail to come forward, who was riding that day? Come on!

Well, when you put it like that .....yeah, it's strange.

Though, at the press conference, the chief did ask people to call in tips. It wasn't an urgent plea from the start, though.

jm

 

[LaborDayRN]

God knows, there must have been enough people on that trail that if LE was convinced she did ride her bike there, that LE would be PLEADING for people to come forward, with at least a description of what Suzanne looked like (even if they didn't know what she wore that day).

I could be wrong, but someone did mention in the other thread that the road to her house was blocked off. Makes me wonder if a crime did indeed happen at her home, someone placed her personal items on a bike trail she rode frequently, probably late at night to make it appear she disappeared on Sunday while out riding.

Doesn't anyone else find it strange that LE has NOT asked for anyone on the bike trail to come forward, who was riding that day? Come on!

I find it VERY strange and rather telling!

 

[10ofRods]

I just hate ppl bashing her girls not there on Mother’s Day and speculating . It’s actually normal to be away

No, it's not "normal" to be away - it's simply another option. During CoVid, it's far more likely. In fact, probably a really good idea for young people, who want to be social, to stay away from a possibly medically compromised parent whose age is creeping into the lower end of serious CoVid.

It's also not "normal" for LE to fail to mention the last known contact anyone had with Suzanne. Did no one call her on Mother's Day? Let's assume that someone in the family did the "normal" thing and called Suzanne that morning. That would give a window for her bike ride. Perhaps she checked in with the neighbor and not family. That would be "normal" if the family was sheltering in different places.

If Suzanne was at all immune-compromised, perhaps the family were in fact sheltering in different places (and with the husband, in different parts of the house).

Anyway, I think it can be said that it's not unusual for a mom to be alone on Mother's Day, if that's what she wants or circumstances dictate. But the normal thing is for people to contact mom, at least post on FB. However, in this case, it does not seem like FB was their family method of communication - lots of people use What's App or something else for that. FB was, for SM, a place to share pictures of happy moments with distant family and friends (IMO).

I sure hope no one is bashing the girls. They are victims too. There are tons of reasons why the girls would not be there, but I sure would like to know when they last talked to their mom or if their failure to get through to her on Mother's Day resulted in a call to the neighbor.

Because right now, it seems her bike ride was fairly short. We do not even know when she left the house. If she left for an early morning ride and then no one could get through to her by phone all day...it would give a window for passersby on the fairly well-traveled Highway 50 to search their memories.

Passersby would need a time frame - no point in people calling LE if she left at 2 pm and they were on the road at 8 am. The fact that LE has not done this makes me think they do not suspect abduction. There are many other clues pointing away from abduction, which is why most of us are mystified.

 

[22T]

I wonder why the family immediately put down a reward amount. It is a rural area, why not think she maybe had a accident with the bike? Just some thoughts.

here's my thought… an immediate reward by fam possibly bc they know she was taken… did they have previous threats and that's why she told neighbor… bc there is a ransom or known kidnapping and that's why LE is saying little as to not piss off kidnapper… addl $$ from fam friend to up the ante… "no questions asked" bc they just want her back?