Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #24

[Love Never Fails]

The more I consider this, the main cause for abruptly leaving a text conversation for me would be an incoming phone call. Especially if it is on the same device I’m using to text. Next would be someone ringing my doorbell. Both would be much more likely than my phone battery depleting (or me being strangled to death from behind). A lengthy or serious phone conversation, or visit from a friend, that lasts up until or during dinner prep would be a very realistic scenario for me. And had SM not disappeared and been able to make contact again the next day, the abrupt halt to texting might not have seemed abnormal at all. But in light of what happened, it’s a huge clue and help with the timeline.

My thought is someone ringing the doorbell and surprised her (and wouldn’t a stranger leave her body in the house)?

 

[DizzyB]

The fact that Suzanne never gets back to her friend (we're asked by BM to believe that she slept through Barry's departure and then got up, ignored the hanging text convo and her friend's attempts to contact her, ignored her daughters' attempts to contact her in the morning, then went on a bike ride instead...)

Something rather odd about that scenario - not enough to hang BM, of course, but certainly a piece of the puzzle. Finally, we have word of someone other than BM who interacted with Suzanne on what was possibly her last day alive.

When you put it like that....I love all of the details being pointed out by various posters. I wonder what time the girls first texted their Mom. Did they text her the night before and she did not respond as well? Are we to believe that Suzanne went on a 6 am bike ride, with no working security cameras in a very secluded area, while her husband and entire family is away, without a phone or any way to contact anyone if she even just got a flat tire, or in case the girls wanted to text her super early on Mother’s Day before they started their very long trip home? Red flags abound.

 

[Knox]

My thoughts on BM. He’s a big, strong guy and not intimidated by rough terrain. He doesn’t need help making a body disappear. He is quite capable of carrying a 100 lbs over his shoulder into rugged back country and burying it deep.

About the 2 vehicles, if turns out that one of those cars was a coworkers’ , who joined BM on Mother’s Day morning, there is a possibility that the coworker knows something or that BM had already disposed of the body.

I’m thinking that if it was an act of rage, and BM was instantly regretful, he’d want to make ‘it’ go away as quickly as possible.
MOO

Good thinking.

I'll take it a step further, as I suspect there was another woman involved. If so, that person could have been called in to "help" in the cover-up. Imagine a "she found out and I pushed her, she accidentally hit her head and now she's dead" explanation. Not that he viciously killed her, more of a "she made me do it" portrayal. Remember the "Oh Suzanne" lead-off in the plea BM made. That has always bothered me.

BM said he left Sunday to get the job set-up for workers who would arrive on Monday morning. So how does that tie in to the possibility one of them went with him and left their car at the house on Sunday? That person would automatically be a witness and likely closely vetted/questioned by LE. There is a female employee who worked for BM. Is this who the PE guys are vaguely referring too?

I don't think that's the key to the interest in the two cars in the driveway. Why not pick-up the employee at their house? Remember the dude on the bike who saw a suspicious vehicle on Sunday? Is what he saw somehow related to this? Anyone have a link to that news video he spoke in?

 

[LietKynes]

Yes, they come with a lot of mental health side effects including irritability and anger.

"People who misuse anabolic steroids report more anger than nonusers, as well as more fights, verbal aggression, and violence toward their significant others, sometimes called "roid rage." One study suggests that the mood and behavioral effects seen during anabolic-androgenic steroid misuse may result from secondary hormonal changes."

I would not be surprised at all if BM uses steroids.

MOO.

Source: How does anabolic steroid misuse affect behavior? | National Institute on Drug Abuse

bbm
Agreed.
Now that we can discuss this ; I'm thinking he may not have (premeditated) planned it the way it happened, but exploded in a sudden rage when he found out Suzanne was planning to go somewhere alone ?
Roid rage is a thing and probably very frightening to encounter !
Poor Suzanne.
All alone with him and not even her daughters for protection.
This is becoming a terrifying case.
MOO

 

[waldojabba]

Look in the other window, perhaps?

Why would there be two cars in the garage? Weren't they parked in the driveway?

What other stuff?
IMO

Re - The garage - There also could have been a keypad on the garage that the neighbor was given the code to that would allow entry to the garage. Another possibility is that a garage door or doors could have been left open. I know we have a keypad and also leave the garages open during the day when coming and going.

 

[LietKynes]

I was taking high dosis corticosteroids for an autoimmune condition. One of the sort (medrol) which was also often misused in the body building and other amateur sport world. I can testify that it causes stress and rage. I had to go to the fitness every single day and exercise long and really intensively to get rid of this excess “force”. That, or I would have killed my husband. I love him to pieces and I’m not kidding. I was going to explode otherwise... Roid rage is real and can happen to otherwise very patient persons.

It should be told I have no idea if in that household anybody used or misused steroids. Big muscles are not always a result of steroid, HGH or any other drug (mis)use.

Speculation : IF BM had a temper --and IF he physically attacked people at his job -- doing any kind of steroids was a perfect storm for him to become an 'enhanced monster'.
Sadly.
Imo.

 

[swedeheart]

i can't remember who all was asking for a transcript of the profiling evil episode, but i just learned (from plunder) that if you click the 3 dots to the bottom right of the video, you can select "open transcripts" and the transcript will appear beside the video as it plays. (you can also select "add translations" if anyone needs that.). that is for a laptop. on a mobile phone, the 3 dots appear at the top right. hope this helps!

interesting to rewatch this one with transcripts on, too:

 

[Goldenseal]

Correct, but the PE guys were suggesting something different, which why I asked the question. Did I misunderstand what was said on the show?

I've only read the synopses and comments on the show -- I haven't watched it. I am one of those who finds video waaay too slow, and especially that crime show, although I like what they are doing.

 

[Boxer]

I'm hoping it was not singularly based on the elderly neighbor's report of equipment operating late at night.

MOO such a racket in a mountain valley must gave been heard by others?
Approaches to the Hwy 150 Salida work area possibly have some vehicle video.
Maybe with all that noise, raging with machines, the reality was a weighted body was dropped in the Arkansas River.

 

[Kimmer]

I think LE has reasons that they are not releasing information to the public, and that speaks volumes to me, they are not saying anything about a bike ride, abduction, or her leaving of her own free will bit they have said they don't think an animal attack is the cause, and they still have the home on their radar there are parts of the investigation that only the killer/killers would know, they are investigating and either have not gotten enough evidence to get an arrest warrant from the DA and are needing to get more evidence to get that warrant.
They have been able to secure search warrants, but an arrest warrant is another thing, the speedy trial clock starts as soon as the cuffs are put on, and no DA is going to go ahead with a prosecution if they dont think they can get a conviction and that holds true in a case that is this high profile.
If there are people that are have been unwilling to speak to investigators then there may need to be a grand jury impaneled so they can be subpoenaed, and with COVID going on I dont know if grand juries are even able to be brought in.
I realize all of us want answers (so do I) but at what cost, I would rather know that Suzanne and her family will get justice for her if someone harmed her. It is better to get things correct on the front end of a case than to try and fix it on the backside.
As much as we all want to think we know what may or could have happened it does not work that way in court there has to be physical evidence or circumstantial evidence and I just don't think LE is there yet.
I have also read comments about woodchippers, with Barry being in landscaping he would not have any problem finding one and would also know how to use it and I am sure LE has that covered on there ends also you may be able to chop up a body but that would be a very poor way of trying to get rid of all the evidence in my opinion.

 

[Truecolors]

Catching up....are we expecting new information from SM’s family tonight in the Lauren Scharf story?

 

[Brubon]

I'm wondering why this family member has insisted on being anonymous. JMO

My guess is for the same reason there is witness protection available......in case BM is guilty and chooses to retaliate against anyone who throws shade on him.
IMO

 

[Hannah3105]

Heading to bed here across the pond soon, so I won't be awake for Lauren tonight. I've lit my lantern Let's bring this beautiful woman home to her daughters and family! #ShineBrightForSuzanne

 

[LietKynes]

My guess is for the same reason there is witness protection available......in case BM is guilty and chooses to retaliate against anyone who throws shade on him.
IMO

bbm
That would also explain why the daughters have been silent.
I cannot imagine their sorrow -- and fear of BM.

 

[Warwick7]

I'm wondering why this family member has insisted on being anonymous. JMO

It is important to me to be anonymous on WS. Seems like most on here are. I would like to give the same respect to SM's family member(s).

 

[OldCop]

I have seen this asked a few times but no real opinions either way.

Isn’t it time for an arrest? Is LE waiting for more evidence? Three months isn’t that long but in this case, it seems like forever.

@OldCop, what is your opinion?

I think there are a couple of things at play here right now.
1) Because of Covid, there are really long delays as far as receiving forensics reports back. This would include both digital and material evidence. After the reports come back, they then have to follow up on the information in the reports. The last house search was 7/9. If it took 30 days to get the reports back, they are only on day one of follow up.
2) I’m sure LE would really like to have a body.
So, as much as all of us would love to see an arrest, I’m not worried yet.
MOO

 

[10ofRods]

I'm hoping it was not singularly based on the elderly neighbor's report of equipment operating late at night.

Which elderly neighbor? Do we know the age of the neighbor just outside of Salida, next to the construction site?

The neighbor next to the Morphew house (15-16 miles away) is elderly. Is the other person elderly as well? And does it matter whether the neighbor was elderly?

There have been reports of a GPR machine on site (ground penetrating radar) so no, it wasn't just the neighbor's perceptions, although it sounds like the neighbor is the one who called in the tip. The owner of the property then consented to the dig.

GPR was used, IMO, to persuade the judge about the search warrant, along with the neighbor hearing construction sounds at an unusual time.

 

[Blue Ridge]

@Warwick7 Go to the PE channel on YT and follow these 3 steps..

Wow!! I'm not Warwick, but just want to say Thank You so much for this info, Tate....I'm always on YT but yet I had no idea!!!!

MOO

 

[Boxer]

I dont believe any confirmed details exist about whether the neighbor entered inside the garage or the house when she went to SM's house to check on her. However someone previously mentioned there is no windows on the garage to be able to see inside to know if the bicycle was still at the house or not.

One logical deduction can be made that in order for the suggestion that she went on a bicycle ride to look for her along the roads she would have ridden on, that the neighbor must have at least entered the garage if there were no windows on it. And if that was done then it makes you wonder if parts of the home were searched or maybe just her name shouted out through a door or something.

Unless there was a way for the neighbor or someone else to confirm the bicycle was missing, I cannot see how else things progressed so quickly to have 911 called and people starting to look along the roads for her.
All JMO

MOO think it likely BM spoke directly to the Sheriff after the 911 call. During the call he would say she uaually rides her bike on Sundays.

 

[Hannah3105]

I’ve been thinking about the “abrupt” ending to Suzanne’s conversation with her friend. I originally considered “abrupt ending” as Suzanne just not responding after hours of back and forth chit chat but the more I think about it tonight, the more I feel that what she actually meant was that Suzanne sent her something abrupt, after hours of back and forth chit chat. Maybe something brief such as “sorry got to go” or “talk later” indicating that there was maybe an issue she needed to deal with. That wouldn’t cause immediate concern though, unless you knew there were problems at home. Why would her friend have been repeatedly trying to get a hold of her if Suzanne just simply hadn’t responded or seemed like she was busy? I get the impression maybe Suzanne sent something very brief and out of character.

If it had been “Barry’s home, about to eat dinner, speak soon” then that obviously wouldn’t have concerned me. If it were “Just got to run an errand, back soon” and she was not “back soon” I would not have been concerned either as life gets in the way. Something her friend received gave her cause for concern.

Perhaps her friend knew of Barry’s temper based on word of mouth from his job sites? And/or maybe Suzanne had confided in her about issues at home? Maybe Barry arrived home that night and was in a bad mood, and maybe Suzanne told her friend that he was in a bad mood before the conversation ended abruptly?

Or maybe, Suzanne never sent that last abrupt text and someone else did? And the friend knew it wasn’t Suzanne based on spelling/grammar/lack of warmth...