Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #21

[Mysti88c]

A Chaffee County woman is missing after a neighbor said she went out for a bike ride Sunday and never returned
Chaffee County woman missing since Sunday after neighbor said she went out for bike ride

Media, Maps & Timeline thread (No Discussion)

Suzanne Morphew Case Archive (developed and maintained by WS member AmandaReckonwith)

Verified Experts/Professionals posting in this thread:

10ofRods is a Verified Anthropologist
Angleterre is a Verified LE from England
riolove77 is a Verified Attorney (prosecutor)
Alethea is a Verified Attorney (defense)
otto is a Verified Expert
Chomsky is a Verified Attorney
angelainwi is a Certified Trauma Counselor
gitana1 is a Verified Attorney
Cassidy is a Verified Attorney

Suzanne Morphew FB page
Suzanne Morphew Twitter page

Thread #1 Thread #2 Thread #3 Thread #4 Thread #5 Thread #6 Thread #7 Thread #8 Thread #9 Thread #10 Thread #11 Thread #12 Thread #13 Thread #14 Thread #15 Thread #16 Thread #17 Thread #18 Thread #19 Thread #20

 

[Sillybilly]

Permission has never been given for members to sleuth BM. In fact, at least 20 Admin posts (I stopped counting at 20) have specifically stated NOT to do so. Members have been told they may "discuss" what is contained in MSM or other approved sources. This is different that "sleuthing".

If members can't comply with TOS and Admin reminders, permanent thread bans or a lengthy Time Out will be issued.

 

[Sillybilly]

Members are responsible for previewing their posts to make sure they appear correctly. When one member posts a broken quote and it gets requoted over and over, eventually it becomes impossible to know who originally said what as the wrong words get attributed to another member. Not nice !

The word QUOTE in square brackets starts the quote and the /QUOTE in square brackets ends the quote. Those words or symbols in square brackets are commands, html language that determines how your post will appear.

When you click on Reply, always remember to NOT type anything inside those square brackets. DO NOT MESS WITH SQUARE BRACKETS You can avoid them entirely by going past that last set of square brackets that contain the /QUOTE, drop down a line or two and type your response.

If you don’t know how to quote properly, please private message a Mod or Admin and we will walk you through it. We’d rather spend a few minutes doing that than spend time trying to clean up the mess it makes, or having to close a thread so it doesn’t get even worse.

 

[susiQ]

BBM. Respectfully, do we really KNOW anything about her character? With no one in her family or friends saying anything in the media, I don’t think we have enough information to make assumptions on her character, positive or negative. Social media does not always accurately portray real life, as we all know. Recovering from a terminal illness could result in depression (often well-hidden) among other issues that we don’t know about.
Although, IMO, she did not disappear on her own. But because of the circumstances that you mentioned, not because of her perceived “character”.

BBM

Respectfully, she has been spoken well of publicly by BM’s nephew and uncle, who would have no reason to do so if they didn’t believe it to be true. If she were not a woman of character would not BM be the first to throw that out there instead of the cat dragged her up, accident and got in the river or abducted right here? Even he has not gone that route, to disparage her character in anyway, to insinuate she was depressed and perhaps killed herself or was having an affair and went off and started a new life. Would make no sense considering where and how the bike was found. In fact, it was “Oh Suzanne......I love you......I want you back SO bad.....your daughters need you.”

Regardless, MOO is, she was a woman of character.

 

[oviedo]

Timeline

7/9 - LE returns to family home to search
-http://chaffeesheriff.org/blog/

CHAFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE Salida, Colorado PRESS RELEASE July 9, 2020 It has been two months since Suzanne Morphew was reported missing in Chaffee County. In that time, investigators have followed-up on hundreds of tips and conducted a number of searches in an effort to locate Ms. Morphew, who was reported missing on Mother’s Day....
more at link
FBI, CBI, and local investigators return to Suzanne Morphew’s home for search

6/18- Family's funding page updated - https://twitter.com/laurenscharftv/status/1273721580003024896?s=21

6/10-Suzanne Morphew update June 10 - Chaffee County Sheriff
June 10, 2020
SUZANNE MORPHEW UPDATE JUNE 10
It has been one month since Suzanne Morphew was reported missing in Chaffee County. In that time, local, state and federal investigators have followed-up on hundreds of tips and conducted a number of searches in an effort to locate Ms. Morphew, who was reported missing on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2020

6/1 - BM files incapacity proceedings in IN probate court seeking guardianship of SM - petition to sell property included - Temporary Letters issued naming BM Guardian and Order entered to sell property 6/5

Barry Morphew files for guardianship of missing wife Suzanne Morphew

5/29 - SM hometown shows support
Missing woman's hometown shows support

5/28 - SM family told not to comment per Lauren Scharf

5/27 - Crimeonline reports "angst" at move
Missing Suzanne Morphew may have had ‘angst’ about move to Colorado, family friend says [EXCLUSIVE]

5/26 - family private reward increased by $10K to $210,000
https://heartoftherockiesradio.com/reward-increased-to-210000-for-information-leading-to-suzanne-morphew/

5/25 - Crimeonline reports on email message to IN church from "family"
‘They can’t find her’: Message to church group shows desperate plea in early days of search for missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew [REPORT]

5/24 - CCSO search of private property completed. CCSO believes someone has a "key piece of information"
May 24th, Press Release - Chaffee County Sheriff

5/24 - fundraising page lists BM's mother as beneficiary
‘We’re in the dark’: Missing Suzanne Morphew’s family waits and worries two weeks after Colorado mom’s mysterious disappearance [EXCLUSIVE]

5/23- CCSO no new updates
Press release May 23, 2020 - Chaffee County Sheriff

5/22 - residential private property searched -owner cooperating reported as a job site for BM. CCSO confirm nothing found related to SM
May 22 Press Release - Chaffee County Sheriff

5/22-"found bike in ravine"
Investigators search Salida property in connection with Suzanne Morphew disappearance, Fire Chief remains “hopeful”

5/21 - nobody actually saw her on a bike
‘Nobody actually saw her on her bicycle’: Questions persist amid changing reports on the investigation into Suzanne Morphew’s Mother’s Day disappearance
---
‘Pacing around, staring out windows’: Chaffee County Fire Chief addresses questions about missing Suzanne Morphew’s husband Barry Morphew

by Ellen Killoran
May 21, 2020

5/20 - Local fire dept excluded from search per Chief interview
Police search and carry out evidence bags from the $1.5M home of missing Colorado mom | Daily Mail Online

5/20-Dailymail breaks story with pics of family home search and items removed - search warrant sealed
Police search and carry out evidence bags from the $1.5M home of missing Colorado mom | Daily Mail Online

5/19- family home searched (corrected to cordoned off)
BREAKING: Police prohibit Suzanne Morphew’s family members from entering home

5/18 - CCSO asks for video to be preserved from 5/8-5/12
May 18 Press release - Chaffee County Sheriff

5/17 - BM puts out plea via FB missing page (video)
Find Suzanne Morphew

5/15 - personal item located per sheriff (not identified) highway closed for LE search, family says that the personal item is not the bike, TN gives interview
HWY 50 Temporary Closure for Search for missing woman - Chaffee County Sheriff

5/14. When Colorado Channel 2 reporter asked Mr. Morphew if he’s interested in making a public plea, Mr. Morphew said “at this point it’s simply too soon”.

5/14-Reward doubled to 200K (friend)
TN tells reporter bik0e has been found
Sheriff Spezze said they had found a few more item(s) the previous day 5/14.

Searching For Suzanne Morphew: Reward For Information Doubled To $200,000

Missing Colorado mother Suzanne Morphew’s bicycle has been found, family says

'We Want Her Back': $200,000 Reward Offered In Search For Suzanne Morphew



5/13 - Sheriff - open criminal investigation, probability of animal attack not very high
no comment, FBI and CBI joined in search


5/13 - 100K reward announced, FB set up by TN, fundraising set up for private searching by TN
Family: Suzanne Morphew's Husband Offers $100,000 Reward In Disappearance Investigation

Find Suzanne Morphew

https://www.********.com/f/suzanne-morphew

5/12- search continues - no volunteers requested
YouTube

5/11 - search resumed early morning hours - cell phone? Sheriff replied no comment
News conference: Chaffee County Sheriff provides update on missing Maysville woman

5/10 -911 called (neighbor) after getting a call that SM did not come back from the bike ride. LE arrives to search
MISSING: Colorado woman vanishes after going for a bike ride

 

[RumorMonger]

Thank you for this. Here in the Midwest, many states -- Indiana, for example -- employ the "common enemy" doctrine with respect to water. To my Midwestern legal eyes, the fact that Western states like Colorado have "water courts" and attorneys that specialize in "water rights" seems bizarre, though I'm sure the more arid climate necessitated such legal developments.

O/T
Water rights in Colorado, especially, and in the West, generally, are fascinating. Anyone interested to learn more might check out Where the Water Goes by David Owen. I highly recommend it as a detailed but accessible look at water rights and uses related to the Colorado river. Colorado law is covered clearly. IMO

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Water-Goes-Death-Colorado/dp/1594633770

 

[swedeheart]

new interview (july 20) with lauren scharf.

(new footage, and new info that lauren gained last week when she went to salida).

 

[MassGuy]

new interview (july 20) with lauren scharf.

(new footage, and new info that lauren gained last week when she went to salida).

Wow, a couple things of note:

Lauren will be doing a profile of Suzanne this week, as she spoke to a close friend of hers.

Lauren alludes to a neighbor hearing things at the site of that 3 day search (the construction site BM worked on). She apparently tipped off investigators that she heard certain things over the Mother’s Day period, and that appears to be the reason for the search.

 

[GordianKnot]

new interview (july 20) with lauren scharf.

(new footage, and new info that lauren gained last week when she went to salida).

From LS's interview:

A lady who cleans rental properties in the immediate area told LS she saw BM and SM taking a walk outside together on the Wednesday before she disappeared.

It was incidentally mentioned by LS that there's a neighborhood dumpster right outside BM's and SM's home.

I find that neighborhood dumpster interesting. Would love to know what day is trash pick up.

According to LS, the creek is too far away from where her bike was found for her to have tumbled into the creek.

LS also said that she did not see a lot of broken branches or anything like that around the area where SM's bike was purportedly found.

That is noteworthy.

JMO.

 

[swedeheart]

at the end of the interview, lauren wants to ask the sheriff how to turn in anonymous tips. that's very interesting. MOO.

 

[al66pine]

Evd or "No Evidence Disputing" Several Points?
After ea point of @Feistyomi below in blue, I've added some comments in black. Respectfully, imo, we/the public do not now have sufficient verified or verifiable evd of these points to determine whether they are factual or non-factual. Not yet, altho likely LE has or will have info to verify or refute each of them. Looking at blue stmts in terms of whether they are admissible as facts per rules of evidence and/or what foundation would be required to be admissible.

1. "He has an alibi."
(BM told youtuber, someone else, and/or LE?) he has an alibi, but AFAIK, lacks LE's public release that his alibi was factual. Even if BM's alibi (in Denver or being 100+ miles away, or 2 hrs+ driving distance away from home) had been verified at time SM disappeared, does not exclude his involvement in SM's disappearance. Esp since time and place of disappearance have not publicly released as LE-verified (if known even to LE).

2. "There is evidence he is happily married and loves his wife."
AFAIK, above summarizes one person's (a relative? BM's uncle?) stmt of what he says he believes, but does not state his factual basis for opn. Subjective
Stmt; one individual's opinion.

3. "They are financially stable.
Altho some prop & county records show BM & SM's names as owners, and members here have said no mortgage is shown on public record, AFAIK no members posted about seeing M's income, net worth, & other financial stmts for the full picture. Lacks publicly verifiable factual basis as of now, altho likely LE has info to verify or refute the numbers. Also to some degree 'financial stability' is a subjective measure.

4. "He did not bury evidence under slab."
AFAIK, LE (CCSO, CBI, FBI) has not publicly released info re findings from concrete slab 'dig.'
Lacks publicly verifiable factual basis as of now, altho likely LE has info to verify or refute it.

5. "The house, vehicle, and electronics came back clear for him."
AFAIK, LE has not publicly released info re findings of that. Lacks publicly verifiable factual basis as of now, altho likely LE has info to verify or refute it.

6."He actually has a job and is successful at it."
AFAIK, neither BM nor LE has publicly released employment information or documents, such as W-2, 1040, Schedules B, C or D, bank stmts, brokerage stmt, credit cards, etc., AFAIK. Lacks publicly verifiable factual basis as of now, altho likely LE has info to verify or refute it.

7. "His daughters trust him."
AFAIK, daughters have not made public stmts in MSM or soc med. about their trust in him. If they are living w him (at Puma Path or elsewhere), is it possible they are cowering in fear and arrange schedules to never alone w him? Also subjective.


8. "IMO, all of the above are just as accurate as our speculations of his guilt, we have no evidence disputing them, I could probably come up w/ more." bbm sbm
I'm not saying any one of ^ points is true or false; just saying for most ^ points, we do not/cannot know to be true or false at this moment, altho LE likely will have info (before trial of anyone) to verify or refute. You have & each member has the right to develop own opinions; that's what makes WS an engaging place for reading & discussion.

 

[JnRyan]

From LS's interview:

A lady who cleans rental properties in the immediate area told LS she saw BM and SM taking a walk outside together on the Wednesday before she disappeared.

It was incidentally mentioned by LS that there's a neighborhood dumpster right outside BM's and SM's home.

I find that neighborhood dumpster interesting. Would love to know what day is trash pick up.

According to LS, the creek is too far away from where her bike was found for her to have tumbled into the creek.

LS also said that she did not see a lot of broken branches or anything like that around the area where SM's bike was purportedly found.

That is noteworthy.

JMO.

The trash pick up, yes, that would interesting. Also, the residents in the rental properties is something I hope LE looked into and depending on when they did their in-depth canvassing that could be a lot of work.

The lady who does the cleaning. She met the Morphew's that Wednesday when they saw her dumping trash in the neighborhood dumpster. She stated the Morphew's inquired as to who she is and what was she doing. It makes me wonder how long the lady has been cleaning if she was just then being asked. That's a follow-up question Lauren missed. (But that is not a knock on Lauren because as an auditor I would ask questions and when I got back to the office and we all compared notes I would realize I missed the follow-up question.) Of course, the Morphew's could have been seeing her out the window for some time and just finally asked, too. Then Lauren goes into a statement that maybe Barry and Suzanne went for periodic walks? The cleaning lady said this? Or was this an assumption on the part of Lauren? I didn't get a lot of confidence that the Morphew's really did that sort of thing from her statement. I can understand the Morphew's asking who the cleaning lady was. I have acquaintances in rural areas with a neighborhood dumpster, but they pay a fee for it and it is aggravating when folks come from another area who aren't paying a fee and then utilize their dumpster for free.

The gym was closed due to Covid-19. (Mine was also closed through the 3rd week of June.) So we don't have a sighting there. Maybe some insight on Barry and Suzanne, but no sighting.

The scene with the bike. No broken limbs is significant. (Yet LE walked down there, maybe BM did and I believe TD as well and would think going down a steep incline they might have left some sign. And, of course, we don't know if any curious folks or searchers went down there.) But in the first TD video I saw a few vehicles drive down the road during the filming I believe, so that there is no skid signs in the gravel is not that significant to me as 2-3 vehicles can wipe that out. The grass and vegetation - that's another matter as I would think there should be something that evening if not now.

The bike scene can't be seen from Hwy 50 or some other areas. Makes it a good spot to dump a bike without being seen. Conversely, it also makes it a good spot for abduction as it wouldn't be seen.

Where the bike was found? How did Barry know that? Did the nephew find out. Did someone driving by while LE was there that evening see what was going on? Neither Barry or the nephew have been giving much detail on that and LE won't even confirm the bike was found. Of course, I'm trying to think of innocent reasons as to how he would know.

The pink marker where the bike was allegedly found. If Barry was told a general area where the bike was found did he assume that ribbon marked the spot? I hunted for years on game reserves, private lands, hunt club property and private property and I can't begin to count the number of times I saw those ribbons or paint markings on trees. I would later find out that game management, forestry, biology or zoology staff put those on trees for their own reference. Sometimes others such as hunters or property owners mark that area for a reason. That may mark the spot where LE found the bike. Or it may have been there 2-3 months earlier for an entirely different reason. But Lauren jumps from the assumption that the marker has been put there by LE, so therefore I see these other ribbons so they all must have been put there by LE as well. Just like with not talking about the bike, if Barry and Lauren got this wrong, LE is not likely to say anything.

 

[KLM6]

new interview (july 20) with lauren scharf.

(new footage, and new info that lauren gained last week when she went to salida).

Each of these individuals seem so professional and respectable, and together they make a great team, imo. I commend LS for her work on this and appreciate her keeping SM in the mainstream as much as possible. Good info in this video, as highlighted by other WS'ers.

 

[susiQ]

Each of these individuals seem so professional and respectable, and together they make a great team, imo. I commend LS for her work on this and appreciate her keeping SM in the mainstream as much as possible. Good info in this video, as highlighted by other WS'ers.

Agree! So anxious to hear her piece on SM and then the follow up the next day. I’m hoping for Part 1 tomorrow but maybe Wednesday. I really like LS. I wish every missing person could have someone like her keeping their story alive.

 

[susiQ]

I found it disturbing that BM is back at the gym not to mention all the other stuff he’s up to. Life appears to go on for him. Hasn’t missed a step. Selling, buying, getting a well drilled, working out, getting buff. He sure has his priorities right, eh?? (insert sarcasm font)

 

[BeckyF]

Evd or "No Evidence Disputing" Several Points?
After ea point of @Feistyomi below in blue, I've added some comments in black. Respectfully, imo, we/the public do not now have sufficient verified or verifiable evd of these points to determine whether they are factual or non-factual. Not yet, altho likely LE has or will have info to verify or refute each of them. Looking at blue stmts in terms of whether they are admissible as facts per rules of evidence and/or what foundation would be required to be admissible.

1. "He has an alibi."
(BM told youtuber, someone else, and/or LE?) he has an alibi, but AFAIK, lacks LE's public release that his alibi was factual. Even if BM's alibi (in Denver or being 100+ miles away, or 2 hrs+ driving distance away from home) had been verified at time SM disappeared, does not exclude his involvement in SM's disappearance. Esp since time and place of disappearance have not publicly released as LE-verified (if known even to LE).

2. "There is evidence he is happily married and loves his wife."
AFAIK, above summarizes one person's (a relative? BM's uncle?) stmt of what he says he believes, but does not state his factual basis for opn. Subjective
Stmt; one individual's opinion.

3. "They are financially stable.
Altho some prop & county records show BM & SM's names as owners, and members here have said no mortgage is shown on public record, AFAIK no members posted about seeing M's income, net worth, & other financial stmts for the full picture. Lacks publicly verifiable factual basis as of now, altho likely LE has info to verify or refute the numbers. Also to some degree 'financial stability' is a subjective measure.

4. "He did not bury evidence under slab."
AFAIK, LE (CCSO, CBI, FBI) has not publicly released info re findings from concrete slab 'dig.'
Lacks publicly verifiable factual basis as of now, altho likely LE has info to verify or refute it.

5. "The house, vehicle, and electronics came back clear for him."
AFAIK, LE has not publicly released info re findings of that. Lacks publicly verifiable factual basis as of now, altho likely LE has info to verify or refute it.

6."He actually has a job and is successful at it."
AFAIK, neither BM nor LE has publicly released employment information or documents, such as W-2, 1040, Schedules B, C or D, bank stmts, brokerage stmt, credit cards, etc., AFAIK. Lacks publicly verifiable factual basis as of now, altho likely LE has info to verify or refute it.

7. "His daughters trust him."
AFAIK, daughters have not made public stmts in MSM or soc med. about their trust in him. If they are living w him (at Puma Path or elsewhere), is it possible they are cowering in fear and arrange schedules to never alone w him? Also subjective.


8. "IMO, all of the above are just as accurate as our speculations of his guilt, we have no evidence disputing them, I could probably come up w/ more." bbm sbm
I'm not saying any one of ^ points is true or false; just saying for most ^ points, we do not/cannot know to be true or false at this moment, altho LE likely will have info (before trial of anyone) to verify or refute. You have & each member has the right to develop own opinions; that's what makes WS an engaging place for reading & discussion.

Great points on all!

 

[KLM6]

Agree! So anxious to hear her piece on SM and then the follow up the next day. I’m hoping for Part 1 tomorrow but maybe Wednesday. I really like LS. I wish every missing person could have someone like her keeping their story alive.

Bbm, ITA!! I was also thinking LS would probably make a good detective!

 

[Ontario Mom]

I found it disturbing that BM is back at the gym not to mention all the other stuff he’s up to. Life appears to go on for him. Hasn’t missed a step. Selling, buying, getting a well drilled, working out, getting buff. He sure has his priorities right, eh?? (insert sarcasm font)

I can't watch the video (wont load for some reason) but if it was said in that interview that BM is back at the gym, that doesn't surprise me at all.
Most likely, someone is advising him of the importance of self-care right now.
Keeping his strength up, staying healthy, etc.
So, back to the gym & other self-care things would be normal.

 

[Knox]

Wow, a couple things of note:

Lauren will be doing a profile of Suzanne this week, as she spoke to a close friend of hers.

Lauren alludes to a neighbor hearing things at the site of that 3 day search (the construction site BM worked on). She apparently tipped off investigators that she heard certain things over the Mother’s Day period, and that appears to be the reason for the search.

Lauren's our girl!!!! I've said this many times now, she's doing a great job trying to keep this story alive!

 

[susiQ]

I can't watch the video (wont load for some reason) but if it was said in that interview that BM is back at the gym, that doesn't surprise me at all.
Most likely, someone is advising him of the importance of self-care right now.
Keeping his strength up, staying healthy, etc.
So, back to the gym & other self-care things would be normal.

Oh, I’m SURE he’s taking care of himself. No doubt in my mind.