Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #26

[Poedelini]

Like under the new walkway?

Or under a boulder. So many big boulders on the property.

 

[Fireflize]

Jumping off eggsalad's post.
Is Suzanne near or far? With the Denver trip, I agree, it leaves it open for either.
I think that it was done before the sun rose on Mother's Day morning.
Such a dark, dark deed.
To further complicate the puzzle, was it premeditated? If it was well thought out, he could have had his eye on the site for some time. I'm leaning towards unpremeditated tho. A domestic violence situation that he could see no way out of. Not dissimilar to old Tee.
Trying to put myself in his shoes, I feel that he immediately went into cleanup mode, easy for a hunter. Then took her somewhere he was familiar with, even if it was just a high elevation road. Was Denver more than just a place to hide while his wife was discovered missing? Was it also a cover for being along a particular route
through the mountains?
For now, I think he had a specific place in mind when he left the house, in the dark, with Suzanne wrapped up tight.
Just wish she could be found. She deserves a respectful Christian burial, in line with her faith. Moo

 

[Seattle1]

Wow that’s a good point @Fireflize! How awful to have your mother’s life taken away by your own father who then turns around and uses your mom’s assets, including what might have been your inheritance, to pay for a lawyer to defend him for doing it! Paying for a good defense attorney with money that could have been used for college and securing their futures. I’ve said this before but if BM did it then he should do the right, just and best thing possible for their children... confess, preserve as many assets as possible, give or show LE the location of Suzanne’s body so the daughters & Suzanne’s family have closure and take his punishment like a man! Also maybe he could find it in his heart to apologize and beg for mercy & forgiveness? Suzanne was a Christian and likely raised her girls to be merciful and forgiving. If BM accidentally killed their mother during an argument or fit of rage and he shows true remorse there may come a time where they will be able to forgive their father. He is still their father that raised them and we can’t pick our parents. They might still love him even if they hate him. But if he confessed and was honest, as hard as that would be, maybe they might eventually be able to visit him, share what’s going on with their lives etc. But if he continues to lie to everyone and then he is suddenly arrested one day they might not ever be able to forgive such a betrayal. These young women will have so many milestones in their lives without their Mom there to help and share in their accomplishments & joy...graduations, careers, weddings, births, doting on grandchildren...it’s such a sad, tragic situation. Barry...do the right thing now before it’s too late!

Time and time again, it's always the cover-up that makes something like a crime of passion unforgivable. Once you embark on the cover-up, every day is a lie, and your betrayal compounds.

The M girls are being forced to grow up fast. He's destroyed the only life they've known.

 

[Lilypad13]

If the proceeds from the Indiana sale were held in an account (at least Suzanne’s 50%), I would think that the court was acting in her and her future heir’s best interests. However, if any of her money was utilized to buy the piece of land in Colorado exclusively in BM’s name, I believe that the guardianship has gone too far. Of course, I know zero about the law.

My husband told me that when you sell a home or property especially if there is no mortgage and there is equity profit then you have a certain amount of time to turn around and reinvest it into another property or you have to pay a large amount in taxes. I don’t know if this is why BM bought the lot - I’m suspicious of his motives and whether or not he wanted to do that anyway and maybe Suzanne didn’t agree. I’m just putting it out there. Attorneys can elaborate on this if they like. He also said you can put the money into an IRA or other type funds but then you can’t withdraw it without penalty until retirement so most people reinvest in real estate so it continues to appreciate and can be liquidated if necessary or borrowed against with a home equity line of credit. So what did BM clear on the IN home sale? $800K + iirc and the lot was in the $650K range iirc so that still leaves some money for other investments, buying trucks, paying debt, legal fees etc. To be clear he is not defending BM!! The crazy thing is that the Maysville home didn’t have a mortgage either. How do they have two expensive homes without mortgages at only around 50 yo?? Did they just start early and put a large down payment and make extra payments? Was there family money and/or an inheritance involved? Suzanne wasn’t even working outside the home. I may be wrong on this and don’t have a link but weren’t real estate records previously posted that showed there were no mortgages? If you have borrowed against your home will that show up as a mortgage loan? OP have speculated about possible large debts coming due. I can’t figure it out but there is something fishy about all of this.

 

[Backstroke10]

I agree or at least until a person is officially declared deceased or the missing persons case is resolved in some fashion. Similar to how Life Insurance has to have formal recognition that the person is likely deceased before they will pay out life insurance monies.

The bad thing too with the term "Guardianship" is it sounds almost like a normal thing about a father being guardian over the kids but it has very serious ramifications involving property decisions. A typical person like a family member in Indiana may not even recognize what is happening unless it is brought to their attention. Hopefully they are aware of what is going on by now.

BBM ITA! The laws surrounding guardianship, temporary guardianship, power of attorney, durable power of attorney, conservator, guardian ad litem, attorney ad litem, etc are all extremely confusing. Heck, I had to google these terms. The family and daughters are in the midst of confusion, chaos and extreme grief right now. I’m sure they don’t understand everything that’s going on. BM sure timed this perfectly. MOO

 

[susiQ]

Time and time again, it's always the cover-up that makes something like a crime of passion unforgivable. Once you embark on the cover-up, every day is a lie, and your betrayal compounds.

The M girls are being forced to grow up fast. He's destroyed the only life they've known.

BBM
So VERY true! Well said!!

 

[Goldenseal]

My husband told me that when you sell a home or property especially if there is no mortgage and there is equity profit then you have a certain amount of time to turn around and reinvest it into another property or you have to pay a large amount in taxes. I don’t know if this is why BM bought the lot - I’m suspicious of his motives and whether or not he wanted to do that anyway and maybe Suzanne didn’t agree. I’m just putting it out there. Attorneys can elaborate on this if they like. He also said you can put the money into an IRA or other type funds but then you can’t withdraw it without penalty until retirement so most people reinvest in real estate so it continues to appreciate and can be liquidated if necessary or borrowed against with a home equity line of credit. So what did BM clear on the IN home sale? $800K + iirc and the lot was in the $650K range iirc so that still leaves some money for other investments, buying trucks, paying debt, legal fees etc. To be clear he is not defending BM!! The crazy thing is that the Maysville home didn’t have a mortgage either. How do they have two expensive homes without mortgages at only around 50 yo?? Did they just start early and put a large down payment and make extra payments? Was there family money and/or an inheritance involved? Suzanne wasn’t even working outside the home. I may be wrong on this and don’t have a link but weren’t real estate records previously posted that showed there were no mortgages? If you have borrowed against your home will that show up as a mortgage loan? OP have speculated about possible large debts coming due. I can’t figure it out but there is something fishy about all of this.

Where the heck they got all their money is a big puzzle, I agree. We are not allowed to sleuth their finances, though. I have a really hard time believing that a guy with a few temps and some equipment can make that sort of money in hardscaping, so . . . I've always wondered. I suspect she had more money than he ever did, through inheritances, but I could be wrong.

 

[MrsWatson]

All of this is reason to think that someone needs to represent Suzanne's interests at that hearing. Their daughters aren't going to understand the financial ramifications unless it is objectively explained by a third party. We're all adults and we've struggled with exactly what it means. It needs to be explained in a way that they can understand at their age. It's a complex, legal thing, and they are old enough to understand enough, I think. Until I was about 30, I would have signed anything my dad told me to sign without a glance at the papers or a second thought.

MOO

 

[LietKynes]

Where the heck they got all their money is a big puzzle, I agree. We are not allowed to sleuth their finances, though. I have a really hard time believing that a guy with a few temps and some equipment can make that sort of money in hardscaping, so . . . I've always wondered. I suspect she had more money than he ever did, through inheritances, but I could be wrong.

bbm
Same.^^^

Maybe a divorce would have "ruined" him ?
As in, losing the lifestyle to which he had become accustomed to living ?
Although ... (speculation follows) -- spending the rest of your days in prison for murder can really cramp your style as well.
Imo.

 

[Birmingplumb]

Jumping off eggsalad's post.
Is Suzanne near or far? With the Denver trip, I agree, it leaves it open for either.
I think that it was done before the sun rose on Mother's Day morning.
Such a dark, dark deed.
To further complicate the puzzle, was it premeditated? If it was well thought out, he could have had his eye on the site for some time. I'm leaning towards unpremeditated tho. A domestic violence situation that he could see no way out of. Not dissimilar to old Tee.
Trying to put myself in his shoes, I feel that he immediately went into cleanup mode, easy for a hunter. Then took her somewhere he was familiar with, even if it was just a high elevation road. Was Denver more than just a place to hide while his wife was discovered missing? Was it also a cover for being along a particular route
through the mountains?
For now, I think he had a specific place in mind when he left the house, in the dark, with Suzanne wrapped up tight.
Just wish she could be found. She deserves a respectful Christian burial, in line with her faith. Moo

Never gave thought till reading ideas about where usual suspect would hide Suzanne. After some thought - why risk being seen at unfamiliar spot on way to say Denver or elsewhere - possible by someone or spotted on video cameras . Even a pre dug hole in unfamiliar location could increase chance getting seen . That leaves "familiar" surroundings -where his presence would not raise suspicion if spotted- such as the river behind his house. He was seen all wet to boot days later no? Possible he returned to site double check clean up or item used- Thinking the site needs to be excavated now- or gone over square inch by square inch disturbed soil , ashes, using metal detector, dogs , ground radar even a physic -Thinking the co-searching buddy needs to be asked where he got led to search-and why-the answers out there , just can't waterboard so now we have to think more. IMO

 

[Fireflize]

Never gave thought till reading ideas about where usual suspect would hide Suzanne. After some thought - why risk being seen at unfamiliar spot on way to say Denver or elsewhere - possible by someone or spotted on video cameras . Even a pre dug hole in unfamiliar location could increase chance getting seen . That leaves "familiar" surroundings -where his presence would not raise suspicion if spotted- such as the river behind his house. He was seen all wet to boot days later no? Possible he returned to site double check clean up or item used- Thinking the site needs to be excavated now- or gone over square inch by square inch disturbed soil , ashes, using metal detector, dogs , ground radar even a physic -Thinking the co-searching buddy needs to be asked where he got led to search-and why-the answers out there , just can't waterboard so now we have to think more. IMO

Good theory. If there was a place within walking distance, it would be perfect. No gps to worry about. He would know where the local cameras are, I think. He might feel safe in his own neck of the woods. Moo

 

[Hair of the Dog]

I think BM is doing some contingency planning for potentially downsizing in the future.

Questions for the legal eagles who post here and thank you very much for doing so and sharing your knowledge with all of us, very much appreciated!

Could the title company have been the catalyst for the guardianship action? The IN home was under contract and the buyer was getting a mortgage. Lenders issue closing instructions to the escrow company authorizing them to close the transaction when certain conditions are met. One of those conditions is that the title insurance company agrees to issue a specific policy at closing that protects the lender in the transaction. The title company would have needed authorization from a higher authority to cover them closing the transaction without Suzanne.

Since BM/SM were both in title to the property in IN, as long as the proceeds were going into a joint bank account would that limit the court from ordering that SM's share of the proceeds be set aside for a specified period or until such time as she is declared deceased?

Is there any reason that he can't acquire property as a married man as his separate estate? He's paying cash so no lender asking for a Quit Claim from Suzanne. Realizing her interest would need to be addressed at such time that he sells the CO property.

Many thanks and a MOO, MOO, MOO

 

[Jo in Calif]

If this is the story you’re referring to, it’s still there. They might have just changed the headline. News Headlines | Today's UK & World News | Daily Mail Online

If I go to this link on my cell phone the article comes up.
If I go to the link on my desk top it does not come up to the Family of SM husband isn't telling the cops everything article.

 

[Seattle1]

If I go to this link on my cell phone the article comes up.
If I go to the link on my desk top it does not come up to the Family of SM husband isn't telling the cops everything article.

Same experience.

 

[Skigh]

Good theory. If there was a place within walking distance, it would be perfect. No gps to worry about. He would know where the local cameras are, I think. He might feel safe in his own neck of the woods. Moo

When L.E searched his house,would they have brought in cadaver dogs to have a sniff around the outside areas?

 

[Birmingplumb]

Good theory. If there was a place within walking distance, it would be perfect. No gps to worry about. He would know where the local cameras are, I think. He might feel safe in his own neck of the woods. Moo

re welded propane tank, re welded /painted equipment- septic system , drain pipes- Maybe they should hire a smuggler from prison or talk to some convicts or get the border patrol - they find air conditioned tunnels now- experience- out of box thinking

 

[Hair of the Dog]

Good theory. If there was a place within walking distance, it would be perfect. No gps to worry about. He would know where the local cameras are, I think. He might feel safe in his own neck of the woods. Moo

He would have to dig a pretty deep hole to escape detection by wildlife and/or cadaver dogs, would the soil accommodate such a deep dig by hand? It seems awfully risky to dig with machinery that close to home. I picture the soil as being hard and very rocky. MOO

It looks like he has a friend who has lived in the area a long time and probably knows it well. I ponder if that friend is the son he never had? JMO

 

[Birmingplumb]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed> I am a expert plumber/welder with 50 yrs of experience-weld inspector -legally considered a expert in a court of law concerning welding ( aws-cwi 12 yrs)- I am wildly speculating that if the pressure vessels have not been looked at- look at them now.

 

[oviedo]

I think BM is doing some contingency planning for potentially downsizing in the future.

Questions for the legal eagles who post here and thank you very much for doing so and sharing your knowledge with all of us, very much appreciated!

Could the title company have been the catalyst for the guardianship action? The IN home was under contract and the buyer was getting a mortgage. Lenders issue closing instructions to the escrow company authorizing them to close the transaction when certain conditions are met. One of those conditions is that the title insurance company agrees to issue a specific policy at closing that protects the lender in the transaction. The title company would have needed authorization from a higher authority to cover them closing the transaction without Suzanne.

Since BM/SM were both in title to the property in IN, as long as the proceeds were going into a joint bank account would that limit the court from ordering that SM's share of the proceeds be set aside for a specified period or until such time as she is declared deceased?

Is there any reason that he can't acquire property as a married man as his separate estate? He's paying cash so no lender asking for a Quit Claim from Suzanne. Realizing her interest would need to be addressed at such time that he sells the CO property.

Many thanks and a MOO, MOO, MOO

We handle real estate closings - if you can't convey the property via a Warranty Deed - you can't close. And yes, I'm certain the title company would require a deed signed by both the joint owners to write the title policy - both owners' and lenders' IMO. And he did not have her POA to sign on her behalf for this transaction so he had no choice but to do the guardianship in IN - that way, as Guardian of the Ward, he could "sign" her name and the Letters of Guardianship allowed this. The link to the guardianship docket is in the media thread.
JMO

 

[Minordetails]

The person charged with looking out for another person's best interest should never be the person who eliminated all of that person's interests.

JMOJMOJMO

We’ll see if LE agrees with you.