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

[Inthedetails]

I just relistened to sheriff's presser and he definitely says found items (plural). Says it twice in fact and that it was the reason for the search farther west along the main road. 90 searchers /2.5 sq mi searched and nothing else found that day (while searching).

Sounds correct that items were found away from and later than the bike. Still not know where that was found, though.

Evidence could have been scattered by a perp on purpose to mislead from another location. Evidence could have been scattered by a perp in the crime location to get rid of it. Evidence could have been tossed out the perp's car window. Evidence could have been scattered during a struggle or after an impact. Evidence could have been tossed by the victim in trouble, as a clue how to find her.

We need more info. It's uncomfortable on top of this fence.

Mostly, we need Suzanne.

jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

Only explanation I can come up with for LE not giving a "last seen alive" time to the public is if they don't trust it and don't want the investigation to get steered down the wrong road.

JMO

Thinking aloud...perhaps a home security system gives info when she left home - and we just don't know about it - so there's no reason to release "last seen alive" because they are confident about it and don't need the public's input.

If that is the case, it's likely she did indeed take a bike ride.

Man, it's hard to keep balance on this fence. I keep swaying.

jmo

 

[happyday]

Any close ups of her house show a ring doorbell camera ? Any map show her bike route to trailhead pass by any houses or houses with ring camera doorbells? Would million dollar house have security alarms with camera"s. Did million dollar house have backup generator in any photos ? In my opinion living remote would require additional safeguards mentioned above for my family and double that if I traveled and family home alone. In my opinion I would also have a maintenance contract to make sure everything was working. In other words if I wanted to try to make sure moving to a isolated area was safe, with google search now decades old- I would have to know the lack of camera's and alarms and security put my family at high risk-uneeded risk imo.

BBM

Not necessarily. We think of expensive houses having security and cameras, but in remote mountain areas a lot of them don’t. For example, I have family living in a remote multi-million dollar CO mountain home and they do not have cameras or even an alarm. In fact most people in their area (very expensive homes) don’t even lock doors.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Staged a bike ride and self-disappeared.
(I'm not sure I even believe that, but it's certainly a possibility.)

Another one:

"Professional" kidnap for monetary gain, or some kind of reason relating to criminal activity/history, or revenge...

Not that I think this is likely at all, but it could account for the quick reward being posted. Also, another reason to explain the coincidence of Suzanne being home alone.

Reasons I don't like this as a theory:
I dont think belongings would be scattered at all, I'd imagine a clean abduction.
It's far fetched.
With so much money tied up in real estate, on the surface there probably isnt much disposable income and it sounds like her dad's business is comfortable but not lucrative.

However, stranger things have happened at sea and on WS!

 

[NoSI]

I just relistened to sheriff's presser and he definitely says found items (plural). Says it twice in fact and that it was the reason for the search farther west along the main road. 90 searchers /2.5 sq mi searched and nothing else found that day (while searching).

Sounds correct that items were found away from and later than the bike. Still not know where that was found, though.

Great post @zecats! Very thought provoking! What could they have found close to home that led them to search the Monarch Pass area? Just thinking out loud… Did they find an electronic device that was connected to another electronic device (cell connected to fitness watch, fitness watch connected to cell) that somehow let them to the Monarch Pass area? I am not a tech wiz at all… But if they found the fitness watch, for example, it could have led them to Monarch Pass area somehow if the cell pinged there somehow, right?… Not sure I am making sense here….

 

[charminglane]

Maybe the bike was wiped down with no finger prints at all - including Suzanne's.

 

[Inthedetails]

Maybe the bike was wiped down with no finger prints at all - including Suzanne's.

In that case, it indicates the perp had time (and foresight) to do that. Hmmm.

jmo

 

[MadTing]

I don't know much about life insurance but how would being a 2 time cancer survivor effect the valuation of a life insurance policy?

 

[Betty P]

I don't know much about life insurance but how would being a 2 time cancer survivor effect the valuation of a life insurance policy?

It would be difficult or at least very expensive to get a good life insurance policy.

 

[tge17]

In Colorado, it's very risky to assume no body, no crime.

JMO

Geez, I didn’t mean it literally. Any defense attorney at trial would start there .

 

[IceIce9]

I don't know much about life insurance but how would being a 2 time cancer survivor effect the valuation of a life insurance policy?

If she had the policy before she had cancer the policy would not be affected.

 

[BrownRice]

7. Went for a bike ride and was hit by an inattentive driver who panicked and disposed of her body and belongings elsewhere.

Just a suggestion, it's happened before.

Definitely a good one.

 

[zecats]

Great post @zecats! Very thought provoking! What could they have found close to home that led them to search the Monarch Pass area? Just thinking out loud… Did they find an electronic device that was connected to another electronic device (cell connected to fitness watch, fitness watch connected to cell) that somehow let them to the Monarch Pass area? I am not a tech wiz at all… But if they found the fitness watch, for example, it could have led them to Monarch Pass area somehow if the cell pinged there somehow, right?… Not sure I am making sense here….

The way I understood it is that they found items west of her house/ west of the 50/225 road intersection and that's where they searched. Monarch Pass not being searched - only blocked off from that point to keep vehicles from traveling past that point. Not totally sure though, that they didn't search the pass area as well.

 

[BrownRice]

It would be difficult or at least very expensive to get a good life insurance policy.

Unless she had it prior to dx.

 

[RickshawFan]

Regarding this trail that she MAY have been on, do any locals know if you can drive maybe a gulf cart/4 wheeler on it?

If it's part of the Colorado Trail, a 4 wheeler would DEFINITELY not be allowed. Prolly not any other walkable or mountain bike trails, either. ATV's (and other machinery) generally have to get used in specific places.
Golf carts? Um, no. Except on golf course subdivisions and senior suburbs in Florida and Arizona. Some wilderness trails are designed disabled-accessible.

Thinking aloud...perhaps a home security system gives info when she left home - and we just don't know about it - so there's no reason to release "last seen alive" because they are confident about it and don't need the public's input.

If that is the case, it's likely she did indeed take a bike ride.

Right input, wrong conclusion: She could have left or "left" the house at a different time or day and without her bike. Either under her own steam or coerced or.....

 

[UnderstandBlue]

Any close ups of her house show a ring doorbell camera ? Any map show her bike route to trailhead pass by any houses or houses with ring camera doorbells? Would million dollar house have security alarms with camera"s. Did million dollar house have backup generator in any photos ? In my opinion living remote would require additional safeguards mentioned above for my family and double that if I traveled and family home alone. In my opinion I would also have a maintenance contract to make sure everything was working. In other words if I wanted to try to make sure moving to a isolated area was safe, with google search now decades old- I would have to know the lack of camera's and alarms and security put my family at high risk-uneeded risk imo.

The Zillow listing shows cameras and a security system, but that doesn't mean they added a contract with someone for them when they bought the house. The Heavy article says most people don't even lock their doors there - something I always find odd, even if you just don't want a bear to end up in your house (or unlocked car Colorado bear takes joyride after getting into unlocked car).

Suzanne Morphew Missing: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

 

[NervousNellie]

Maybe the bike was wiped down with no finger prints at all - including Suzanne's.

Interesting thought! LE went into search mode immediately upon being notified by the neighbor. We don’t know who found the bike — LE or the neighbor - right? It seems unlikely to me they tested for fingerprints right away. I think something much more obvious about the bike itself (condition, location) is why the investigation went the way it has.

edited to add - we also don’t know when the bike was found? Immediately? As part of the initial search?

All that is not to say LE hasn’t since determined whose prints were, or were not, on the bike. If SM’s were not on the bike that clearly suggests a staged scene, IMO. I think most cyclist gloves are “fingerless”. Or at least mine are. (I’m not a true cyclist, but more of a casual/recreational bike rider.). So even if she were wearing “gloves,” her fingerprints should be all over her bike.

 

[happyday]

It’s so strange to me that none of Suzanne’s relatives are saying anything AT ALL. Nobody. Makes me think it’s either not safe for them to do so or everyone sees where this is going and knows speaking out won’t help. Either way I feel sooooooo terribly sad for her girls because I would imagine they would want to do anything to help their mom. They obviously aren’t able to. There’s no way she’s just missing POOF! and nobody knows anything or we’d be inundated with things to be looking for. We’d hear pleading and reasoning for her come home or for people to look for her. What she might be wearing (I know we had the helmet on the poster.) This is just different.

 

[Dave F.]

Great post @zecats! Very thought provoking! What could they have found close to home that led them to search the Monarch Pass area? Just thinking out loud… Did they find an electronic device that was connected to another electronic device (cell connected to fitness watch, fitness watch connected to cell) that somehow let them to the Monarch Pass area? I am not a tech wiz at all… But if they found the fitness watch, for example, it could have led them to Monarch Pass area somehow if the cell pinged there somehow, right?… Not sure I am making sense here….

Everything.............the house, the objects found, the bicycle, and the entire search are Monarch Pass. Highway 50 leaves Poncha Springs heading west, and climbing 1,340 feet in elevation in just 9 miles to get near the spot where the objects were presumably found. On the left and right, There are some of the higher mountains in North America, crowding close in at just under twelve thousand feet. The house is tucked in the trees 105 feet in elevation below, slightly behind and to the left. GPS only works accurately when it has direct "line of sight" to a minimum of two independent satellites. In in an unblocked sky, it might "see" as many as eleven of them; but on Monarch Pass there are places where it can't even "see" one satellite. All of this is three miles and 2000 feet in elevation from the top of the pass. IMO

 

[RickshawFan]

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It's coming into fire season, many of the fire folks are volunteers as are SAR, they put their lives on the line for community and/or individuals and/or idiots every time they go out. People do stupid things, and they have accidents. The volunteers take care of it at risk to themselves.

Plus, we've recently had fire folks felled like lumber in a volcanic explosion because of COVID 19. They are first responders. They have charged right in. They have become very ill and they have died. Check out the large numbers in the Seattle area and NYC. There are a lot of thankless folks out there, as well.

It's no wonder the Sheriff has this message. And it's very apropos current times. And it's what a good leader does: thanks, appreciation from the heart, acknowledgment that we have crises around us and we are experienced; we can do this!