Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #22

[Hatfield]

Another possibility that has been mentioned before is if her bike had something wrong with it that made it unrideable and required fixing from a bike shop like Scots.

Something like a broken derailleur where the gears would not shift. It would not be obvious to someone that the bike was broken unless they tried to ride the bike a little ways. All would look normal to them.

So if the bike shop had to order a part and told her he would call her when the part came in, then that could have been the thing that made LE realize the bike scene was staged.

Due to Covid, bike shops are very busy and they would likely not want to store the bike at the shop if the owner could just bring it back when parts come in.

I could easily see a perp making a mistake like this thinking the bike was in good working order when it may not have been.

 

[kay74]

So yes, according to the “cleaning lady”interviewed by LS, she was cleaning out the rental property near the M’s home after guests had just left for whatever Covid related reasons. And she was discarding trash accumulated from their stay in the shared dumpster when SM and BM came upon her and questioned her business.

I feel it’s fair to conclude there were non residents staying in the immediate area at the time of her disappearance between the short term rentals and the RV type park.

I’ve always been shocked they chose a residence in such close proximity to that RV Park- no way, no how in my world, that would have been a deal breaker!! LE will always tell you to take a good long look at the what/who is around you before you live anywhere........!!!!!!

BBM: That definitely is a concern. I believe it was a drifter with a possibly out of state license plate that got her.

 

[Hatfield]

BBM: That definitely is a concern. I believe it was a drifter with a possibly out of state license plate that got her.

JMO
The RV Park was spotted and talked about very early in this case and it is definitely a concern because it can bring in strangers and people from out of town.

There is nothing so far in this case that we know of that would make us think LE thinks it was someone that stayed in that RV park that may have taken her.

The RV park would have records of who registered and who was checking out so I would hope LE by now has checked with all the registered people that had stayed at that RV park when she went missing.

 

[Tate123]

So yes, according to the “cleaning lady”interviewed by LS, she was cleaning out the rental property near the M’s home after guests had just left for whatever Covid related reasons. And she was discarding trash accumulated from their stay in the shared dumpster when SM and BM came upon her and questioned her business.

I feel it’s fair to conclude there were non residents staying in the immediate area at the time of her disappearance between the short term rentals and the RV type park.

I’ve always been shocked they chose a residence in such close proximity to that RV Park- no way, no how in my world, that would have been a deal breaker!! LE will always tell you to take a good long look at the what/who is around you before you live anywhere........!!!!!!

It's interesting how we all see things so differently based on our experiences (or in my case lack thereof). I've never been to an RV Park or camping so I would have thought them to be extremely safe, filled with retirees finally getting to see the country.

 

[ethereal*22]

BBM: That definitely is a concern. I believe it was a drifter with a possibly out of state license plate that got her.

In cases such as this, I do not rule out the stranger/creeper/ random guy around town who has some twisted infatuation theories.

Throw SM’s age out the window, from the images I’ve seen of her I feel she fits a fairly standard “entire package” for your sicko abductor/stalker- While this may sound grossly offensive, I’m simply stating a fact, sadly!

This in fact was my very first thought when I saw the photos of her- she was taken. Then BM’s /LE’s behavior sidelined me.

Now my thoughts are all over the place, and I don’t want a TO- so I’m just asking a lot of questions...so there....

 

[ethereal*22]

It's interesting how we all see things so differently based on our experiences (or in my case lack thereof). I've never been to an RV Park or camping so I would have thought them to be extremely safe, filled with retirees finally getting to see the country.

@Tate123 ....so true! I’m very cautious because of my life experiences. I spoke of that on another thread, and won’t go into them again. I will always assume there are creepers present and work my way backwards- that will never change. The poor retirees in the RV Park...now I feel bad!

I certainly don’t try to change others opinions- and I know I can sound like a downer- it’s a side effect. I’m working on it.

I did however learn a lot about safety and the reality of crime, LE etc...Some of which I consider valuable- and helpful in looking at cases like this. Other times not so much.

 

[DizzyB]

I do feel that if there was interest in the RV park, we would have heard a lot more about it. LE’s requests would have been geared toward that population, and the requests might have been more widespread as people may have left the location. I think there might have been specific language even in LE’s appeals asking for anyone who may have stayed in the area during that timeframe. I also think we might have heard more about searches at the RV park if any evidence pointed in that direction.

 

[kay74]

I do feel that if there was interest in the RV park, we would have heard a lot more about it. LE’s requests would have been geared toward that population, and the requests might have been more widespread as people may have left the location. I think there might have been specific language even in LE’s appeals asking for anyone who may have stayed in the area during that timeframe. I also think we might have heard more about searches at the RV park if any evidence pointed in that direction.

We have not heard anything bout anything. Also I believe besides the RV park there is also another camping site nearby. MOO

 

[kay74]

JMO
The RV Park was spotted and talked about very early in this case and it is definitely a concern because it can bring in strangers and people from out of town.

There is nothing so far in this case that we know of that would make us think LE thinks it was someone that stayed in that RV park that may have taken her.

The RV park would have records of who registered and who was checking out so I would hope LE by now has checked with all the registered people that had stayed at that RV park when she went missing.

Did they check the other camping site?

 

[Hatfield]

Did they check the other camping site?

I dont know but I would hope LE has checked with all places and homes around the area by now.

Some camping places even have a drop box type thing where if you come to the camping place after hours after a certain time, you can fill out a small form near the box and write the number of the campsite on the form and leave your overnight fee in the drop box with your filled out form. Ive seen campgrounds that use that method.

So if a person did that and used bogus information on the form and left the next morning then a person staying at a camping place like that could come and go and there would be no real record of who it was.

 

[Madeleine74]

If an abductor stayed in an RV/Camping park, the one closest to SM's house appears to be Monarch Spur RV Park & Campground off of Hwy 50. $35 to $40 per night to hookup an RV or $20/night for a tent for 1 person. Think LE talked to the people at the area RV and camping parks? (I believe they did as part of their investigation).

Would a random drifter have a vehicle? How would this abductor manage to get SM and there's no sign of anything, no struggle, she didn't appear to fall off her bike and skin herself (remember K9s allegedly picked up no scent). Did the drifter think to wipe off SM's bike of all fingerprints (allegedly no fingerprints were found on the bike). Yes, I know about the Mickey Shunick case from many years ago. This isn't that case.

To me it doesn't seem a plausible scenario in this particular case, especially with SM's bike found so close to her home.

IMO

 

[TxGidget]

If an abductor stayed in an RV/Camping park, the one closest to SM's house appears to be Monarch Spur RV Park & Campground off of Hwy 50. $35 to $40 per night to hookup an RV or $20/night for a tent for 1 person. Think LE talked to the people at the area RV and camping parks? (I believe they did as part of their investigation).

Would a random drifter have a vehicle? How would this abductor manage to get SM and there's no sign of anything, no struggle, she didn't appear to fall off her bike and skin herself (remember K9s allegedly picked up no scent). Did the drifter think to wipe off SM's bike of all fingerprints (allegedly no fingerprints were found on the bike). Yes, I know about the Mickey Shunick case from many years ago. This isn't that case.

To me it doesn't seem a plausible scenario in this particular case, especially with SM's bike found so close to her home.

IMO

And LE actually closed Hwy 50/Monarch Pass in that area on May 15th. Fifty plus investigators combed the area.

 

[Dave F.]

I dont know but I would hope LE has checked with all places and homes around the area by now.

Some camping places even have a drop box type thing where if you come to the camping place after hours after a certain time, you can fill out a small form near the box and write the number of the campsite on the form and leave your overnight fee in the drop box with your filled out form. Ive seen campgrounds that use that method.

So if a person did that and used bogus information on the form and left the next morning then a person staying at a camping place like that could come and go and there would be no real record of who it was.

Most commercial campgrounds have a "night registration" system. The owner of the RV park was interviewed at his home in Salida by CBS4 Rick Sallinger on May 22nd, so I'm thinking he lives in town through the winter and returns in the spring, which may have been delayed this year. That has been edited out of the archived version but a shot of the RV Park remains at 2:00 / 2:32., and he is mentioned in the text. It is frustrating that Sallinger's reporting seems to be often edited after it has aired.

Also, the reservoir at the bottom end of the RV park was thoroughly searched by divers (see picture, which is credited at the third link). I would guess that the RV Park was thoroughly searched as well, but I don't know that for a fact.

Finding Suzanne Morphew: Investigators Search Husband's Job Site Near Salida

Monarch Spur RV Park and Campground - The RV Park and campground with an Alltitude! Salida Colorado 81201

Police search and carry out evidence bags from the $1.5M home of missing Colorado mom | Daily Mail Online

Finding Suzanne Morphew: Investigators Search Husband's Job Site Near Salida

 

[j_in_c]

I dont know but I would hope LE has checked with all places and homes around the area by now.

Some camping places even have a drop box type thing where if you come to the camping place after hours after a certain time, you can fill out a small form near the box and write the number of the campsite on the form and leave your overnight fee in the drop box with your filled out form. Ive seen campgrounds that use that method.

So if a person did that and used bogus information on the form and left the next morning then a person staying at a camping place like that could come and go and there would be no real record of who it was.

I have done quite a bit of car camping/road tripping out west and most private campgrounds are well-monitored. There are lots of "honor system" campgrounds on public lands (BLM/Nat'l Forest/state parks) that are easier for someone to "sneak" in/out of. Also, the closer you are to urban areas (like some california campgrounds) the more likely to find people living out of cars/tents in a campground. Salida just isn't a likely spot to find a lot of drifter type campers and definitely not in a $20/night campground.

I haven't completely ruled out SM crossing paths with a human predator, but I don't think it would be someone camped at the local private RV park. I also have to wonder how much lower the odds of a bad encounter are during a semi-lockdown...

 

[K9Enzo]

On the two different trees being marked with ribbon:
@K9Enzo might want to provide some expertise here, but one idea that pops into my mind is that the first tree TD located was tied with ribbon to mark a central point for a single dog to search in outward radiating switchback paths, trying to pick up any indication of whether SM had separated from the bike near the spot where it lay, and possibly which direction her trail headed. The second tree marked could represent the second search, done almost two months later.
Just a random idea, thrown into the discussion. IMO

Hi Dave - I'm kind of out of the loop here with regards to this specific conversation.

IMO -In general, most SAR teams use a color flag marking system. Example (made up color examples): blue indicates directional paths. Red indicates evidence that is being marked. IMO, they also track their own movements with gps, even dogs wear their own gps tracking collars (it's interesting and useful for a handler to analyze their dogs tracking patterns). Even single and double tape can mean different things. You might even see coding written on the flags (ribbons). It wouldn't mean anything to Joe Public but it does for their own documentation.

Again, it would be interesting to know what the dogs did or did not track. As far as I know, no info has been released on that. I'm sure they used both air scent (following the scent of any human) and trailing dogs (following the scent of a specific person, usually from a scent article). All my opinion.

 

[Lilypad13]

@Tate123 ....so true! I’m very cautious because of my life experiences. I spoke of that on another thread, and won’t go into them again. I will always assume there are creepers present and work my way backwards- that will never change. The poor retirees in the RV Park...now I feel bad!

I certainly don’t try to change others opinions- and I know I can sound like a downer- it’s a side effect. I’m working on it.

I did however learn a lot about safety and the reality of crime, LE etc...Some of which I consider valuable- and helpful in looking at cases like this. Other times not so much.

<modsnip: off topic>

Suzanne is a beautiful, fit woman who looks decades younger than her age. At first I thought she was probably abducted and it might be a crime of opportunity. Also if her daughters have a big social media presence (they are young beautiful girls so I bet they do) then I thought maybe someone could have been stalking one of the daughters and saw Suzanne riding her bike with her helmet on and thought it was one of the daughters. BUT it quickly became apparent by BM’s behavior and the direction of LE’s investigation that this was something different. It could still turn out to be an abduction but I don’t think it was a stranger.

With all the discussion about rental guests possibly being nearby during Covid (maybe friends of owners or people getting out of Denver) I agree they should all have been checked out by LE and hopefully have been. I also agree the RV Park should have been thoroughly checked out and hopefully it was too. With CBI and FBI involved I feel certain they investigated every possibility even if something led them to suspect BM right away. It’s not their first rodeo so the fact they have returned to the M’s house again is very telling even though LE is not telling us anything. The actions of LE speak as loud as words to me. Something either happened to Suzanne in her home or someone took her from her home against her will or maybe they were searching for evidence of a motive for someone wanting to harm her. I don’t believe it was a random creeper with deviant sexual fantasies. I think whether the bike was shot putted (so?), rolled down the hill or taken a back way it was staged. I believe it was either her husband or someone she knows well and trusted. I don’t think she thought she was in mortal danger and she didn’t see it coming. All MOO!

 

[Charlot123]

i do not remember reading that specific info! would love to know where you read that, if you can find it.

I read it, too. It was the first time we started commenting on the Ms approaching the cleaning lady. The post (I don’t remember the author) said that since the neighbors were paying for the recycling, small wonder that an unknown person with 7 bags being dumped in their common litter receptacle arose interest. So it is in the thread here.
I could not listen to it myself. The link to live news doesn’t work for me.

 

[Charlot123]

^^sbbm

Not true at all.

I have NEVER seen a court order requesting an evaluation of an in-custody defendant at San Carlos Correctional Facility located in Pueblo.

I also never said Aurora shooter Holmes received a psychiatric evaluation at San Carlos Prison prior to his conviction because that's nonsense.

By court order, Holmes was sent to the Colorado Mental Health Institute (Pueblo) for mental evaluation because his defense entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

LS has also been sent to the Colorado Mental Health Insitute in Pueblo (CMHIP) by order of the Court because the Court has insufficient information to make a preliminary finding concerning competency or incompetency.

It seems to me that you are not aware of the difference between the Colorado Mental Health Insititute of Pueblo and the San Carlos Prison, which specializes in housing inmates with mental health disorders.

To be clear, I find nothing relaxing, humorous or any justification to be flippant about mental illness or psychiatric evaluations. I doubt it compares to a beach holiday or spa treatment.

https://www.courts.state.co.us/userfiles/file/Court_Probation/04th_Judicial_District/El_Paso/Stauch/Order for Evaluation of In-Custody Defendant Redacted by Records.pdf

Gannon Stauch case: Letecia Stauch to undergo mental competency evaluation

The evaluation will be conducted at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. The judge said it would take about 90 days to complete, but Allen acknowledged the timeline could be wrinkled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

James Holmes Arrives At Colorado Mental Health Institute For Psychiatric Evaluations | HuffPost

James Holmes, the 25-year-old Aurora movie theater shooting suspect, arrived at Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo on Monday in order to undergo psychiatric evaluations.

Aurora theater shooter moved to San Carlos Correctional Facility in Pueblo – The Denver Post

A spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Corrections confirmed Monday that James Holmes has been transferred to the San Carlos Correctional Facility in Pueblo. [..] Holmes had previously been housed in a unit at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Cañon City where he had little to no interaction with other inmates. [..] Earlier this year, a jury found Holmes guilty of murdering 12 people and trying to murder 70 others in the attack on the Century Aurora 16 movie theater.

MOO

My personal opinion - mentally ill he is, in the way Virginia Tech shooter was. But since he is smart enough, he knows the nature, the consequences and the alternatives of his act. Worst, he is very deadly to others. So he should be kept in a secured environment so that he can not repeat the act. I am sorry for his mental illness, but he did have the choice.

Adam Lanza, too, was mentally ill. Very much so. And I feel that his parents, divorced but wealthy, dropped the ball with providing help for him. But the result was so horrendous that...what does one do? Just lock them up, if they don’t commit suicide in place. To protect the society.

 

[DizzyB]

I believe the PE guys could provide some insight as to how the nearby RV parks and campgrounds would be treated during the investigation. I would assume there is a standard and they could explain how LE would proceed in the current scenario. I’d love their opinion on this issue. Maybe in a future c0nversation online.

 

[EggSalad]

bbm
Why did the cleaning lady take 7 -seven!- filled trash bags out, partly with rests of food (afaik), on May 7th? And why did she tell, people just had to leave because of Covid19? - I wonder.

A possible scenario is that the property owners came to their house to “get away” during COVID for a change of scenery and since they couldn't be rented. They could then pay the cleaning crew to clean hp after they left. 7 bags of trash and food could be anywhere from 3-7 days of stay, so that seems fairly probable.

Another possibility that has been mentioned before is if her bike had something wrong with it that made it unrideable and required fixing from a bike shop like Scots.

Something like a broken derailleur where the gears would not shift. It would not be obvious to someone that the bike was broken unless they tried to ride the bike a little ways. All would look normal to them.

So if the bike shop had to order a part and told her he would call her when the part came in, then that could have been the thing that made LE realize the bike scene was staged.

Due to Covid, bike shops are very busy and they would likely not want to store the bike at the shop if the owner could just bring it back when parts come in.

I could easily see a perp making a mistake like this thinking the bike was in good working order when it may not have been.

It’s also worth noting that replacement or upgrade parts for bikes have either been sold out or much slower to arrive due to COVID. (Everyone is fixing or upgrading their bikes). So a theory that SM had Scot look at her bike Thursday before she went missing and he needed a week or more to get a specific part in would be pretty normal under these conditions. However, if Scott has a legit bike service business, he may have also had a lot of parts on hand for maintenance and repair.