Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #20

[TKG]

I’m trying to go back and find the post because I wondered the same thing. I had even doubted that because it was said he was a wild land firefighter, and I personally did not think a volunteer could be such.

However, the person responded by saying that in that rural area, you actually could. I believe it was stated he had been one since 2018? Anyone remember that? I guess it may have been deleted, but I’m still trying to find it! MOO

Since August of 2018.

 

[branmuffin]

So the girls contacted BM when Suzanne didn't respond to their text. From that point forward, all went according to his plan, even though they were delayed on their trip home (not part of his plan).

-BM now has the girls worried about their Mom.
-BM likely suggests Suzanne went on a bike ride.
-BM suggests the girls contact the neighbor to go check on Suzanne and see if her bike is at the home.
-BM asks the neighbor to call police and report Suzanne missing.

All while being away in Denver, which he thought would present an airtight alibi. The premeditation in how this played out is crystal clear, IMO.

How do we know the girls were delayed? I have not heard anything regarding what the original ETA was. Even if they had left the Idaho campground at 7 am they wouldn't have gotten home till late afternoon.

 

[lonetraveler]

Yes, that clarifies. If your musing is 100% accurate (bike and personal item staged and found), any thoughts on why LE would admit to finding a singular "personal item" but not admit to finding the bike too?

I've always thought that the personal item is the bike, though some have pointed out that there are valid reasons why LE may not care about the bike at all. If the personal item is the helmet, though, surely LE has to deal with the bike ride scenario, whether they believe it or not, and dealing with it includes locating the bike. In that case, I don't know why they wouldn't admit to finding the bike. IMO

Personally, I think the personal items included her cell phone. Has it been reported that her cell phone has been located?

 

[Hoss569]

I'm a long time lurker (since Lyric and Elizabeth) and really not on much unless there is intriguing case or one that hits home. This is my first post and wanted to toss some thoughts out there.

First, living in the country I would certainly call the neighbor before LE. I have called LE and they have not shown up. So I can relate, in a weird way it also signifies to me that he did see her that morning and didnt really think anything of it. Like maybe shes outside or biking but would mind seeing if the bike is in the garage or if shes doing something and not paying attention to her phone.

Having been in the Landscape industry years ago its a make hay when the sun shines type of work. SM would have been used to it. There were many times when I had to get things set up on Good Friday and Easter, it was determined if and when the season started then we would have to go. By Mothers day it was full on go and to me it is no surprise that he had to work on Sunday. My family was used to it and once it started, the only break was in the really hot days of Summer, then usually by Thanksgiving I would be back to a somewhat normal schedule, by Christmas I was mostly off work till possibly March. Many times it was sun up to sundown.

So here are some thoughts, Do we know everything the neighbor found? The reason I ask is that some firefighters may be trained enough to know what to say and when not to say it. I have some LE & FF in the family and they are very trained at communicating the correct response(Or not really tell it all), while not letting the cat out of the bag. Since only mentioning well the bike was gone, to me it seems like there may be more to just the bike was gone. The reason I say this is what if the neighbor called BM back and it was something like this :

BM, hey shes not there, but theirs a note. I think we should call LE or you need to read this in person. No go ahead and call LE and meet them there so you can show them what and where you found it.

Or

BM, hey it looks like there was a scuffle, we should call LE. BM says go ahead and call so you can meet them there...

Kind of maybe explains the don't let him in until we investigate, also surprised a neighbor lets him stay.

I'm not on the BM bandwagon, but just trying to wrap my head around why it is so darn quiet.

I also had this crazy thought they maybe it was a FF buddy that was infatuated with her. Explains a couple of weird events. Could there have been a note that said dont come find me Im with ***? That would quiet everything down quick.

Or there was evidence of an intruder or evidence of they know who took her. Do you think this would lead to things being quiet all of a sudden and a reward?

I also get the sale of the property. He could be very well freaking out he needs some serious cash for attorneys and begged to be able to let the sale go thru. It may not have been in his plan the costs involved in this. Regardless of the outcome he is going to be out of 6 figure cash in a hurry for attorney's & what not, he may not have realized it or planned on that.

You guys are great and digging in on items and these thoughts have bugged me and wanted to see if anyone had any particular thoughts on these questions or ideas. Great Sleuthing BTW.

Being around Salida and the Buena Vista area frequently I feel it has turned a little into a hippie camp. There are a lot of homeless and van dwellers out there, many, many more with covid than usual.

Also having biked many of the trails around Salida the comments made about her being safe doesn't surprise me at all. Friends of mine will not let there kids bike some of the trails in the area because the surroundings look to sketchy...

Ok back to some lurking, these are my opinions and hope we find her!

 

[Murphy1950]

In the TD video, KI believe BM said:
"There was a car parked rightg here, one of them, you know, and a mountain lion walked uo from down there where they found the bike and went behind that car, and then went on up the hill."

A moment later, when TD asked him if the bike was found "right there, leaning against that tree?"
BM responded:
"No, it was on the ground. The bike was lying on the ground with the wheel turned up. It was flat on the ground."

The email to the church does not seem to match BM's version at all, other than both involve a mountain lion and a bike. Obviously, by the timing of the church letter, the writer had knowledge that had not been released to the public, but the two versions are very different. IMO

We just have a different perspective Dave. I myself know I will always give more info in a phone call than sending a quick email to update and ask for prayers. Lots more details and lots more info in a call or a meet up for coffee (The equivalent of TD and BM, IMO) I see the basic gist as the exact same narrative...damaged bike/mountain lion.

If not BM, who in less than a days time, had the info to share with the church? Who besides Barry knew who to send it to? That would not be common knowledge I imagine. The first post about Suzanne missing showed up here on May 12th...2 days later.

 

[lonetraveler]

It would be nice to know what personal items LE found.

JMO
Im listing a few of the things that are possible.

Are there any other possibilities?
Is there anything we heard about in the news that helps us think its one of these?

*-her bicycle helmet

*-a small fanny pack waist belt or something similar of hers with a few small personal belongings like maybe her ID and a small amount of pocket money

*-her cell phone (if it was not at her house)

*-a shoe or 2

*-her wedding ring

*-some other article of clothing

*-a broken part of the bicycle

I just can not imagine going on a bike ride on Mother's Day without your cell phone.

 

[FelicityLemon]

Welcome! And an excellent first post - glad you're joining us.
What? I was supposed to give the cookie to the new guy?

I'm a long time lurker (since Lyric and Elizabeth) and really not on much unless there is intriguing case or one that hits home. This is my first post and wanted to toss some thoughts out there.

First, living in the country I would certainly call the neighbor before LE. I have called LE and they have not shown up. So I can relate, in a weird way it also signifies to me that he did see her that morning and didnt really think anything of it. Like maybe shes outside or biking but would mind seeing if the bike is in the garage or if shes doing something and not paying attention to her phone.

Having been in the Landscape industry years ago its a make hay when the sun shines type of work. SM would have been used to it. There were many times when I had to get things set up on Good Friday and Easter, it was determined if and when the season started then we would have to go. By Mothers day it was full on go and to me it is no surprise that he had to work on Sunday. My family was used to it and once it started, the only break was in the really hot days of Summer, then usually by Thanksgiving I would be back to a somewhat normal schedule, by Christmas I was mostly off work till possibly March. Many times it was sun up to sundown.

So here are some thoughts, Do we know everything the neighbor found? The reason I ask is that some firefighters may be trained enough to know what to say and when not to say it. I have some LE & FF in the family and they are very trained at communicating the correct response(Or not really tell it all), while not letting the cat out of the bag. Since only mentioning well the bike was gone, to me it seems like there may be more to just the bike was gone. The reason I say this is what if the neighbor called BM back and it was something like this :

BM, hey shes not there, but theirs a note. I think we should call LE or you need to read this in person. No go ahead and call LE and meet them there so you can show them what and where you found it.

Or

BM, hey it looks like there was a scuffle, we should call LE. BM says go ahead and call so you can meet them there...

Kind of maybe explains the don't let him in until we investigate, also surprised a neighbor lets him stay.

I'm not on the BM bandwagon, but just trying to wrap my head around why it is so darn quiet.

I also had this crazy thought they maybe it was a FF buddy that was infatuated with her. Explains a couple of weird events. Could there have been a note that said dont come find me Im with ***? That would quiet everything down quick.

Or there was evidence of an intruder or evidence of they know who took her. Do you think this would lead to things being quiet all of a sudden and a reward?

I also get the sale of the property. He could be very well freaking out he needs some serious cash for attorneys and begged to be able to let the sale go thru. It may not have been in his plan the costs involved in this. Regardless of the outcome he is going to be out of 6 figure cash in a hurry for attorney's & what not, he may not have realized it or planned on that.

You guys are great and digging in on items and these thoughts have bugged me and wanted to see if anyone had any particular thoughts on these questions or ideas. Great Sleuthing BTW.

Being around Salida and the Buena Vista area frequently I feel it has turned a little into a hippie camp. There are a lot of homeless and van dwellers out there, many, many more with covid than usual.

Also having biked many of the trails around Salida the comments made about her being safe doesn't surprise me at all. Friends of mine will not let there kids bike some of the trails in the area because the surroundings look to sketchy...

Ok back to some lurking, these are my opinions and hope we find her!

 

[10ofRods]

Landscaping is a fairly seasonal business. Spring and Fall are the busiest times. If you have a big regular customer that needs you to be on site on Mother's Day then you will go to great lengths to keep your customer happy.

Even if it means going to a job site three hours away, on Mother's Day. If need be, the owner of the landscaping company (BM ?) will go and do the job himself. Have to keep your most lucrative clients happy.

MOO

BM, IMO, was never the kind of guy who did lawn and garden work. He was a landscaping architect and he specialized, IMO, in hard surfaces, concrete, things made of rock. He had big commercial contracts in Indiana (GH youtube).

If in fact he had a job in Denver (which I doubt since originally he said something else and had his nephew broadcast that info), yes, he'd go to any length to keep his customer happy. I don't. believe there was a customer, nor do I believe that BM had a large landscaping enterprise going (and I also don't believe he mowed any lawns).

If he had told one story and stuck to it, I might be slightly more persuaded. But if it were true that he was in Denver and had a client there, then...he'd be cleared by now. Unless of course, he had a client and never went to Denver on Sunday.

But I don't think he had that client.

 

[Fireflize]

Since August of 2018.

Do you know when they moved to Colorado? Was it before or after he joined the ffs? Thx

 

[branmuffin]

Or: that gold bar necklace she is wearing in several photos
her sunglasses
her Apple watch
a glove

A shoe, that isn't a shoe you would wear biking.

 

[JnRyan]

I just can not imagine going on a bike ride on Mother's Day without your cell phone.

I can't imagine going on ANY bike ride without my cell phone.

 

[JnRyan]

Do you know when they moved to Colorado? Was it before or after he joined the ffs? Thx

I've tried to find it in Lauren Scharf's latest FB video but the video keeps freezing up. I believe she asked a family friend and they moved from Indiana in May 2018.

 

[branmuffin]

Don't know how my post ended up in other person's quote.

The thing for me that puts a spanner in the works for that scenario is that the call to LE to report SM missing was around 5:45 pm yet BM waltzed into a search for his spouse around 9 pm. He obviously took the scenic route home while other people searched for his wife.

 

[TxGidget]

Touching on something said about her cancer in the last thread...
When I was 23 I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Yes, people treated me differently but more than that, I changed. I was no longer the girl who cared about what people thought of me & I no longer had the time for people who’s company I no longer enjoyed & zero tolerance for bull$*it!
Going through it taught me my time is way to precious. Anyway, perhaps Suzanne was feeling the same way?
It’s possible things she would ignore or “put up with” she would no longer tolerate ?
Jmo

This has been brought up more than once in previous threads, and I’m glad you expressed this thought again in your own words.

I'm a long time lurker (since Lyric and Elizabeth) and really not on much unless there is intriguing case or one that hits home. This is my first post and wanted to toss some thoughts out there.

First, living in the country I would certainly call the neighbor before LE. I have called LE and they have not shown up. So I can relate, in a weird way it also signifies to me that he did see her that morning and didnt really think anything of it. Like maybe shes outside or biking but would mind seeing if the bike is in the garage or if shes doing something and not paying attention to her phone.

Having been in the Landscape industry years ago its a make hay when the sun shines type of work. SM would have been used to it. There were many times when I had to get things set up on Good Friday and Easter, it was determined if and when the season started then we would have to go. By Mothers day it was full on go and to me it is no surprise that he had to work on Sunday. My family was used to it and once it started, the only break was in the really hot days of Summer, then usually by Thanksgiving I would be back to a somewhat normal schedule, by Christmas I was mostly off work till possibly March. Many times it was sun up to sundown.

So here are some thoughts, Do we know everything the neighbor found? The reason I ask is that some firefighters may be trained enough to know what to say and when not to say it. I have some LE & FF in the family and they are very trained at communicating the correct response(Or not really tell it all), while not letting the cat out of the bag. Since only mentioning well the bike was gone, to me it seems like there may be more to just the bike was gone. The reason I say this is what if the neighbor called BM back and it was something like this :

BM, hey shes not there, but theirs a note. I think we should call LE or you need to read this in person. No go ahead and call LE and meet them there so you can show them what and where you found it.

Or

BM, hey it looks like there was a scuffle, we should call LE. BM says go ahead and call so you can meet them there...

Kind of maybe explains the don't let him in until we investigate, also surprised a neighbor lets him stay.

I'm not on the BM bandwagon, but just trying to wrap my head around why it is so darn quiet.

I also had this crazy thought they maybe it was a FF buddy that was infatuated with her. Explains a couple of weird events. Could there have been a note that said dont come find me Im with ***? That would quiet everything down quick.

Or there was evidence of an intruder or evidence of they know who took her. Do you think this would lead to things being quiet all of a sudden and a reward?

I also get the sale of the property. He could be very well freaking out he needs some serious cash for attorneys and begged to be able to let the sale go thru. It may not have been in his plan the costs involved in this. Regardless of the outcome he is going to be out of 6 figure cash in a hurry for attorney's & what not, he may not have realized it or planned on that.

You guys are great and digging in on items and these thoughts have bugged me and wanted to see if anyone had any particular thoughts on these questions or ideas. Great Sleuthing BTW.

Being around Salida and the Buena Vista area frequently I feel it has turned a little into a hippie camp. There are a lot of homeless and van dwellers out there, many, many more with covid than usual.

Also having biked many of the trails around Salida the comments made about her being safe doesn't surprise me at all. Friends of mine will not let there kids bike some of the trails in the area because the surroundings look to sketchy...

Ok back to some lurking, these are my opinions and hope we find her!

Great first post, Hoss. I appreciate the insight into the landscaping business, as well as your personal knowledge about the safety of biking in that area. I’ve had the same thoughts regarding someone unstable becoming infatuated with SM, mistaking her friendliness for something more. I have also wondered if BM was not the only member of the volunteer fire department that could be involved, so they just didn’t want searchers with any bias to be included. Anyway, thank you for some fresh comments!

 

[Dave F.]

I think a little refresher is in order on whether BM contacted his firefighter buddies or not. The original source mentioning firefighter participation is the DM article linked, which states:

"Tim Nelson, 33, said: 'The Sheriff's office, they told us none of the fire guys are allowed up there.
They can't keep us out of the forest so that's what some of the others have done – they set up their own little search party.
Nelson added: 'It's a bad deal you know. They aren't telling us anything. We got excluded from everything.
George [Davis] put together a search team of friends – I was going to go but pretty much all our fire guys are on it so I decided to step away just in case we get something [a fire].
Barry was very understanding from what I got from George. I know he's not allowed to go home. He's at a neighbor's. I guess they got him there until he's cleared or… "

I can only add that the Tim Nelson interviewed by the DM is the crew leader of the Poncha Springs and Maysville firehouses. He would be the natural contact for BM to call to ask his buddies for help. GD, who has supported the family in every possible way imaginable, is obviously a fellow firefighter. I just don't see where anyone is getting the idea that BM didn't ask for help. Further, I don't see how BM being very understanding of the reasons for the way the CCSO was treating him until he could be cleared can be interpreted as manipulating the investigation. It just doesn't compute IMO

Cops search a property in Colorado for evidence of mom-of-two missing since Mother's Day | Daily Mail Online

 

[Gigi3]

It was suggested by old cop that he probably did call a good buddy or two from the firefighters, filled them in with the bike story and sent them over to be sure and fill LE in. I could see that happening. He'd likely have a couple that he was comfortable with, that he felt would be 'on his side.' LE would have gotten the bike story from the girls, the neighbor, the good buddies, all before he got there, cause he really didn't wanna talk to LE. Speculation, of course. But fits the pattern he presents. Moo

I definitely agree with Oldcop’s post about that. I have no doubt he eventually contacted some of his ff crew.

I was just wondering why he didn’t contact them initially, before making the neighbor call 911. IMO, his first responder buddies would have been a much better choice in assessing the seriousness of the situation. To each his own, I suppose. MOO

 

[Dave F.]

We just have a different perspective Dave. I myself know I will always give more info in a phone call than sending a quick email to update and ask for prayers. Lots more details and lots more info in a call or a meet up for coffee (The equivalent of TD and BM, IMO) I see the basic gist as the exact same narrative...damaged bike/mountain lion.

If not BM, who in less than a days time, had the info to share with the church? Who besides Barry knew who to send it to? That would not be common knowledge I imagine. The first post about Suzanne missing showed up here on May 12th...2 days later.

Originally, there for four people with knowledge.......MM, MM, BM and the neighbor. I would assume that at some point within the first 24 hours One of them would at least contact his mother. If each one of them told only one person right away we have ten people. We know TN, the nephew, learned quickly. That's eleven people. I could keep on with the math but I think anyone can get the point. No one was trying to keep a secret at that point. It could have been any number of people that knew the family. It's the wrong version of both theories to be BM, and it makes no sense why he would want their sympathy. BM had a whole lot more on his mind than that IMO

 

[oviedo]

BM, IMO, was never the kind of guy who did lawn and garden work. He was a landscaping architect and he specialized, IMO, in hard surfaces, concrete, things made of rock. He had big commercial contracts in Indiana (GH youtube).

If in fact he had a job in Denver (which I doubt since originally he said something else and had his nephew broadcast that info), yes, he'd go to any length to keep his customer happy. I don't. believe there was a customer, nor do I believe that BM had a large landscaping enterprise going (and I also don't believe he mowed any lawns).

If he had told one story and stuck to it, I might be slightly more persuaded. But if it were true that he was in Denver and had a client there, then...he'd be cleared by now. Unless of course, he had a client and never went to Denver on Sunday.

But I don't think he had that client.

ITA well done !

 

[AbigailHobbs]

Damn, I missed that. I definitely think that’s the implication; they hadn’t spoken to her that weekend.

The counterpoint to that is the source may be mistaken, or it was sloppy journalism. I do tend to believe it though.

I think we will find out she just happened to miss online church that day. Honestly a lot of this reminds me of poor Gannon's case. People out of town, issues figuring out when the last person talked to her on the phone or saw her, multiple house searches, no info from LE, the potential last person making weird statements to the public, LE repeatedly saying "missing person" without actually advising what to be looking for to find the person?

 

[DizzyB]

Yes I assume that they know whether or not Suzanne viewed the online church service that day. Do they take the computers/iPads/phones off to the lab these to get everyone’s digital footprints? Do they do it onsite?