Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #29

[marylamby]

Having gone back and re-read both the long and short form terms of service, I do not see where it is improper to mention religion as it relates to a case, particularly here where it is integral to understanding a POI's statement. The Morphew family attended a Christian church. Salvation (eternity with God in heaven) would be the wished for prize for one's soul (as opposed to eternity in hell). The concept of "zeal for souls"--wishing the prize of heaven for others--would be familiar to BM. MOO: BM was stating that through the horror of his wife's disappearance someone might be drawn closer to God by learning about Suzanne and seeing her goodness and faith. MOO

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[enelram]

No, @Willowwood26. They would need a search warrant. However, when the search warrants are sealed, we know they are searching, but we don’t know what for. They
probably have quite a few search warrants for gps, cellphones, tablets, Apple watches, computers, etc. in addition to the home, the vehicles, the job site(s) etc. It takes time to wade through all that stuff.

yes, and also CCSO has only 2 full time detectives on the force.
I'm not familiar how they pull in assistance from other LE branches this long after the crime, but those 2 detectives must be working overtime with all the evidence.
seems like a massive job to me.

 

[303gmf]

And they dug and sifted in spots they believed Gannon was in/around before LS moved his body elsewhere......sounds strangely familiar. moo

Not to hijack SM thread OT but take a peek at LS letter to the judge, all 4 pages, ugh!

 

[kkdj]

I imagine one of the last messages went something like this, "So sorry we got cut off. All that stuff about the wedding sounds good. I'm so exhausted, I really need to go to bed. I'll get back to you tomorrow, after my bike ride."

Imo

I've envisioned it more of just a cut off. No further responses.

 

[enelram]

The eventual jury pool? Saw a Dateline tonight on David Martin Hawk who was convicted of killing his ex-wife.
A lot of similarities to this case. He too was very concerned about the public's perception.

I suspect many men who kill their wives show us
the imbalance in personal importance and power in the marriage. I matter, she didn't matter. I'm important, she wasn't.
The nuances on how these guys think tells us so so much about how these poor women had to live.
Wives Lives Matter

 

[enelram]

As you watch the PE video you will see where they at least 5 times discussed/red flagged that a third party knows something of what happened.

The PE guys said earlier that day they talked with a "3rd party"...
They said "...interesting things came as a result of that discussion."

So, a 3rd party is involved one way or another.

unless, they're complicit, I hope this 3rd party doesn't get thrown under the bus.
All scruples fly out the window when perps
get desperate.

 

[kkdj]

I suspect many men who kill their wives show us
the imbalance in personal importance and power in the marriage. I matter, she didn't matter. I'm important, she wasn't.
The nuances on how these guys think tells us so so much about how these poor women had to live.
Wives Lives Matter

Gosh. Now I'm a bit scared.

 

[Dr.StClements]

One of the Barryisms that has bothered me is that LE has never publicly disparaged Barry in any way whatsoever. Yet the only time (other than 26 seconds) that he has to chosen to go public is to complain about LE blaming him. He is willing to talk about how he is being treated, and how inept LE is in the handling of the case, but will not do one public thing to find his wife. He will only comment about himself. He does not bring a voice to Suzanne, or ask for the public’s help in bringing her home. Why is he so worried about how he is being looked at?

BM is angry with LE for not buying into his contrived story about SM going missing while on a bike ride. He will be seething about it, but not able to show his raw anger because that would look too obvious. So he does the next best thing: he attempts to deflect the attention away from himself yet again, this time by disparaging LE's efforts.

In doing so he is revealing something else about himself: i.e. he is conceited enough to believe that by belittling LE, seeds of doubt about their credibility will be sown in the public's mind. And this, in turn, will improve his credibility with the public.

He can't afford to humanize Suzanne, because that would mean having to face what he's done to her. He's unlikely to participate in any appeal that doesn't reinforce his innocence - his previous appeal attempted to do that by making it all about abduction by a third party. An appeal for its own sake is of no benefit to him.
And this is all about him. In BM's eyes, it is he who is the victim, not Suzanne.

 

[MsBetsy]

I've envisioned it more of just a cut off. No further responses.

That's what happened initially but apparently after that there were responses from her SM profile that seemed out of character. It sounds to me like someone was impersonating her. They mentioned that not only did it end abruptly, but the communication "changed."
IMO

 

[KayCherry]

*Some graphic content*
The note dehumanizes SM, reducing the content to inanimate objects related to her disappearance. Perpetrators who know their victims very well personally will sometimes remove the personal relationship element by speaking about someone in the third person, avoid using their name, and when committing heinous acts on that person will depersonalize them (e.g. attack from behind, cover person's face/head with bag/hood/sheet, etc. so they don't have to look at them).

The note BM left might just as well be a shopping list, it is that devoid of any human information. Speculation on my part: I'd guess that the personal item/s found by LE and reported to belong to SM comprise one or more things on that list.
Of course, to incisive sleuthing minds, that point might seem obvious. But it isn't always so when it comes to how/what the perpetrator is thinking. Leaving a trail of "clues" that correlate with the abduction theory might seem like a surefire way to send LE looking in a certain direction. There are plentiful instances where very adept criminals have been able to do that. But they have to be very clever and calculating to get away with it.
I could be completely wrong here: BM will know what SM's cycle helmet looks like; likewise her other cycling gear (unless she has several different helmets and sets of clothing, in which case he will certainly have shot himself in the foot by purporting to know precisely what she'd chosen on that day).
BM is basing the story on something happening away from the house (he's leading LE away from that site). We know that because her bike was in the ravine. He's saying whatever happened to her didn't happen in their home... LE finding her "baby blue" cycling helmet (as BM described it) somewhere along the trail she allegedly was cycling along gives weight to the "theory" that whatever happened, did so away from their home.

This might all be true; however, for me, the depersonalized "shopping list" of 2-3 items of clothing only is a huge red flag. If BM is guilty, writing a personalized description of his wife (hair/eye color, build, distinguishing characteristics) so soon after killing her might well prove too much for him to cope with, as it would be a reminder of what he had done. It would make SM human again, complete with all the personal emotions and memories they shared.
If the personal item/s found by LE are those from BM's shopping list, he has given them yet more incriminating information - suffice for them to focus in on him and the family home (rather than cycle route/outdoors) in order to find out what really happened to her.
MOO

 

[KayCherry]

I just want to say wow to this post Dr...thoughtful and I agree!

 

[MsBetsy]

As you watch the PE video you will see where they at least 5 times discussed/red flagged that a third party knows something of what happened.

The PE guys said earlier that day they talked with a "3rd party"...
They said "...interesting things came as a result of that discussion."

So, a 3rd party is involved one way or another.

Maybe the third party is a family member or friend that gave them some interesting background information. I didn't even know a "second party" was thought to be involved, unless they were talking about Suzanne.

I do remember the PE guys mentioning others may be involved when they were discussing the cars in the driveway, but those belonged to the Morphew family.

Either way, if this person was willing to talk to PE and knows something about what happened I would hope they have also spoken to LE.

IMO

 

[Ontario Mom]

BM was stating that through the horror of his wife's disappearance someone might be drawn closer to God by learning about Suzanne and seeing her goodness and faith. MOO

RSBM

I believe you are correct, but not because BM believes it himself.
I don't believe BM shares the same faith as SM.

jmo

 

[KLM6]

I just want to focus on this paragraph for a second:

“This is the most devastating thing that has ever happened to me,” Barry explained. “But I have got to keep my faith and trust in God. And Suzanne trusted the Lord and if one person got saved from this, she would think it was worth it. And we are just a Godly, loving, caring, family and this thing is just a tragedy.”

First, this is the worst thing to happen to HIM. Not “us,” not “my family,” not “my daughters and I.”

When he says “...if one person got saved from this, she would think it was worth it,” I think he’s also talking about himself.

Basically, “I made a stupid mistake and my wife paid for it. Suzanne wouldn’t want me to go to prison for it though, because that would be a double tragedy.”

ETA Link

“People don’t know the truth”: Suzanne Morphew’s husband breaks silence after three months | FOX21 News Colorado

There’s absolutely an argument to be made for both. For the record, I’m not talking about the legal definition of premeditation, but an event that was planned days (Or more) prior. This is why I don’t think it was premeditated:

As for the kids being gone, I think that may have allowed for a discussion that wouldn’t have taken place when they were around. I think Suzanne discovered an affair, or they argued over finances.

Barry left himself no time to work with, and screwed up badly enough that law enforcement seems to have known quickly that this wasn’t an abduction.

I think that alibi was thrown together last minute, as it makes no sense to me. You have a year to fix a problem, and you wait until Mother’s Day. And why the hell was it necessary to leave over 24 hours in advance?

If we are to believe the account that Suzanne’s text conversation stopped abruptly, and her social media started making strange posts, then that’s more evidence this wasn’t premeditated IMO.

I just think of this was planned, the crime wouldn’t look like this.

Respectfully underlined by me (text was already bolded).

Those who a mother would be ok with laying down her life for would be her children.

If he is patting himself on his back for sparing his daughters' life, he's even sicker than sick.

Details of the planning of their trip, and the reason for their delayed return home is something I sure would like to know.

 

[JosieMae]

I know I'm going back a bit and I'm sure someone had to address this but, as ridiculous of a statement that it is for many reasons, exactly what could someone be saved from?
Riding a 'bike'? Being abducted? Mountain lion attacks? A psychotic husband's rage? What?
Should everyone become a hermit, lock their doors, make sure their damn surveillance cameras are working, obey their overbearing husbands?
All facetiousness aside, what possible reason would someone say that - and I'm not even talking about how crass that is to say about one's 'missing' wife.
I mean, she wasn't playing with matches. I don't understand what lesson is to be learned that a person could be saved from. What the heck is wrong with his mind.

Such a puzzling statement from BM. I wonder if he was implying that the disgruntled ex-employee he claimed (to AM) threatened him and his family harmed SM, thus leaving the daughters safe? In this scenario, a devoted mom was "sacrificed" in order to save her children from harm.

Who knows what this cryptic and bizarre mishmash of words means?

 

[Goldenseal]

Such a puzzling statement from BM. I wonder if he was implying that the disgruntled ex-employee he claimed (to AM) threatened him and his family harmed SM, thus leaving the daughters safe? In this scenario, a devoted mom was "sacrificed" in order to save her children from harm.

Who knows what this cryptic and bizarre mishmash of words means?

I've said this before a few threads ago, but IMO this is BM hijacking SM's religious beliefs to make himself look better. Because he has no understanding of religion, ethics, social propriety, compassion, etc., he ended up sounding like a real weirdo.

Her religion has passages that say 'sometimes the bad things that happen will bring sinners to God.' So, in BM's mind, SM doesn't mind being dead cuz somebody, somewhere, just converted to Christianity after reading about her. And he doesn't mind her being dead for the same reason. God made her dead, and we can't question God. Crikey! These are not things you say about your missing wife!

Think about that. Her own husband is saying she doesn't mind being dead. I sincerely feel that BM is telling us, with this stab at a religious platitude, that HE is ok with her being dead. It's that sub- or unconscious in his mind that is spilling out again. The projection. The inability to just act like a simple, grieving man because he's not that man. IMO.

 

[Birmingplumb]

I've said this before a few threads ago, but IMO this is BM hijacking SM's religious beliefs to make himself look better. Because he has no understanding of religion, ethics, social propriety, compassion, etc., he ended up sounding like a real weirdo.

Her religion has passages that say 'sometimes the bad things that happen will bring sinners to God.' So, in BM's mind, SM doesn't mind being dead cuz somebody, somewhere, just converted to Christianity after reading about her. And he doesn't mind her being dead for the same reason. God made her dead, and we can't question God. Crikey! These are not things you say about your missing wife!

Think about that. Her own husband is saying she doesn't mind being dead. I sincerely feel that BM is telling us, with this stab at a religious platitude, that HE is ok with her being dead. It's that sub- or unconscious in his mind that is spilling out again. The projection. The inability to just act like a simple, grieving man because he's not that man. IMO.

You implying a assisted suicide with a goal to bring someone to Christ by all of this?

 

[LietKynes]

I know I'm going back a bit and I'm sure someone had to address this but, as ridiculous of a statement that it is for many reasons, exactly what could someone be saved from?
Riding a 'bike'? Being abducted? Mountain lion attacks? A psychotic husband's rage? What?
Should everyone become a hermit, lock their doors, make sure their damn surveillance cameras are working, obey their overbearing husbands?
All facetiousness aside, what possible reason would someone say that - and I'm not even talking about how crass that is to say about one's 'missing' wife.
I mean, she wasn't playing with matches. I don't understand what lesson is to be learned that a person could be saved from. What the heck is wrong with his mind.

bbm
Agreed.
Esp. the bolded.

No, it was not 'worth it'; if Suzanne is no longer with us !
Repulsive to think she might've been o.k. with leaving her daughters.
I believe she wanted to live, with every fiber of her being.
Imo.

 

[LietKynes]

I've said this before a few threads ago, but IMO this is BM hijacking SM's religious beliefs to make himself look better. Because he has no understanding of religion, ethics, social propriety, compassion, etc., he ended up sounding like a real weirdo.

Her religion has passages that say 'sometimes the bad things that happen will bring sinners to God.' So, in BM's mind, SM doesn't mind being dead cuz somebody, somewhere, just converted to Christianity after reading about her. And he doesn't mind her being dead for the same reason. God made her dead, and we can't question God. Crikey! These are not things you say about your missing wife!

Think about that. Her own husband is saying she doesn't mind being dead. I sincerely feel that BM is telling us, with this stab at a religious platitude, that HE is ok with her being dead. It's that sub- or unconscious in his mind that is spilling out again. The projection. The inability to just act like a simple, grieving man because he's not that man. IMO.

My opinion is that what may appear puzzling and certainly sad to us, may have horrific ramifications.

 

[Boxer]

Respectfully underlined by me (text was already bolded).

Those who a mother would be ok with laying down her life for would be her children.

If he is patting himself on his back for sparing his daughters' life, he's even sicker than sick.

Details of the planning of their trip, and the reason for their delayed return home is something I sure would like to know.

Someone is threatening your family. So, leave your wife completely alone to go redo and old job?