Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #3

[NervousNellie]

Anyone that knows if she had a Pinterest account? I've seen one but I would like to see some confirmation if possible.

I don’t know about Pinterest, but I did find three Suzanne Morphew profiles on my MapMyRide app. I’m not savvy enough to know if any belong to this SM.

 

[Dave F.]

My point was really more about the two maybe not seeming to be on the same page. I think it's always best for a family to work with LE and listen to their wise advice.

I don't know that's not happening in this case, just looking at the outward appearance. The family is likely in very close contact with the CCSO.

Definitely a legitimate difference of opinion here. I'm not casting any shade on the Chaffee County Sheriff or his staff. So far, I'm very impressed. However, Colorado law does not offer any protection at all for family members of abducted or murdered persons, so in my opinion those folks need to cooperate, but also to protect themselves from the very beginning. JMO

 

[charamalie]

I have a lot of catching up to do and I haven’t posted in a long time but...I always say follow the money. Who has the most to gain in this disappearance? What “random stranger” would be dumb enough to kidnap a mother on Mother’s Day? He/She would have to think “well her family would be expecting her home on Mother’s Day. It would be really stupid to abduct her on Mother’s Day.” So stranger abduction is almost ruled out for me. Suicide is usually a big possibility in my eyes but since LE said it’s unlikely, I choose to believe them. That leaves murder/abduction by someone she knows (my #1 theory) or some crazy gone girl situation if she had something financial to gain by disappearing (a long shot #2). I’m not ruling out stranger abduction 100% but I think a Mother’s Day abduction is highly unlikely. Wow I missed Websleuths! Y’all are awesome.

 

[perception≠reality]

Missing Person - Chaffee County Sheriff

No one has publicly stated that they saw Suzanne that day -- that is probably why there is no description of her clothing. As to the green bike helmet, that information comes from a flyer that's on the "Find Suzanne Morphew" FB page. LE has not stated that she was wearing that helmet.

SBM

Does anyone know when that flier was first created/posted? I’m wondering if perhaps the helmet was the item found by LE, and the reason they are saying on the flyer that she was last seen wearing that helmet.

Alternatively, perhaps the helmet was missing from the home, so presumed to be the one she wore while on the reported bike ride. JMO IMO MOO

 

[CharLee2112]

from the article above :

Although Corsentino says the FBI's involvement does bring out some clues.

"The sheriff of Chaffee County would say that he has information that is pertinent to something beyond Chaffee County and they want the FBI to search outside Chaffee County," he said.

bbm ....what does "would say" mean? To me, it implies a hypothetical probability, not that the sheriff actually said that. imo

I took the "would say" to mean that, as a former sheriff himself (Private Investigator Dan Corsentino was formerly Pueblo County Sheriff), he is guessing from the perspective of a sheriff that the FBI was called in (or came in) for this reason. So yes, in that regard, it is hypothetical, but hypothesized based on former experience.

 

[carbuff]

Is everybody here sold on foul play? I have some thoughts re: the terrain, etc. but don’t want stones thrown at me lol jk.

I'm not sold on foul play--but you know me, I'm seldom sold on anything

LE is behaving like they think it's some sort of foul play, and that carries a lot of weight for me. Without that, I would be definitely thinking accident, probably a hit and run that flipped her body down a steep embankment, into brush (or as you say a crevice), or into one of those small ponds and lakes. And I do mean hit and run, none of this "driver panicked and moved the body." Just kept going, possibly dragging the bike some distance.

I don't think she harmed herself, but that's one of those things you can never really rule out unless you know something else happened.

My only "gut" feeling is that somehow it's about money. There appears to be a lot of it involved, and lots of money tends to make people do crazy things. But I can't come up with a good scenario.

 

[Sillybilly]

Is there a link stating the husband is a successful entrepreneur who owns a landscaping business? TIA

From Crimeonline which is a WS approved source:

According to the report, family members have confirmed that Morphew’s husband Barry Morphew was in Denver on May 10. His Facebook profile lists his occupation as a firefighter, and a source who worked with him in Indiana told CrimeOnline that he was a landscaper there, before the family moved to Colorado roughly two years ago.

 

[Stripehaven]

I don’t know if I missed something - am I correct in understanding that the family says Barry was in Denver on May 10 but did not mention any other dates, or whether he was gone overnight?

I’m still eager to know if the neighbor was also a close friend of Suzanne. I have some vague ideas that hinge on the nature of their connection.

 

[BeckyF]

Went to go pee and fell in an animal trap, crevice, slipped off a ledge? Sounds like I’m reaching? Idk.

All I can say is I can picture these types of areas due to my own experience hiking in Colorado mountains, which I stopped doing alone btw bc there were too many creepos. One time I heard some rustling in the bushes and peeked in and saw a face peering back at me!

Remember that guy who fell in a crevice and had to cut his own arm off to get out?

Last summer I was talking with a Rocky Mountain SAR, and we were discussing the challenge of (thermal) aerial detection as related to rock coverings and crevices. Additionally, dogs and ground searchers can’t get into some of these areas which is why they use rock climbers/repellers to go down the sides of the mountains.

This is why I’m interested in the topographic layout.

I haven’t had a chance yet to really look at the terrain, but it does give me pause based on the basics I’ve seen, and based on other cases. Jmo.

Geraldine Largay’s Wrong Turn: Death on the Appalachian Trail

There was an incident a few years ago where a middle aged lady got lost during a hike on an Appalachian trail and died from exposure and starvation. She wasn't found for 2 years. Very sad. I've been thinking about this poor lady while I've followed this case.

Then there was serial killer Cary Stayner who killed 4 women around Yosemite National park.

 

[Hoosierfan72]

First time posting on this site - I appreciate the way things are done on this site. Just a couple of observations:

I'm certainly an amateur - I've watched a lot of Dateline, but that's about it. But wondering if possibly there could have been a threat to SM prior was brushed off at the time - deemed not credible to her and/or BM - but left just enough doubt in her to notify a neighbor when going for a ride..... that type of situation might fit a lot of what we know about this case (neighbor calling it in - and in very short time, BM seeming to imply both in his video and the post re: the reward that he believes she was abducted, LE not appearing to treat this case like there might be a predator on the loose). Certainly speculation, but it's all anyone seems to have at this point.

 

[10ofRods]

So as in she got off her bike, left it wherever it was found, and then fell or slipped? If so, the bike's location would present a great spot to start a search into dangerous terrain nearby. Not knowing where that would be doesn't help progress with that theory. JMO

On the first day (Sunday, May 10), they launched a search with a 2.5 mile radius from the place her bike was found. The other items were found later, when Highway 50 was closed and presumably they looked in that area as well.

IIRC. 100 searchers on that first night is a full-fledged search operation and the agencies include local SAR and IIRC, Whitewater SAR. I do not recall when they called that off, but it is interesting that it didn't go into multiple days like the Barbara Thomas search.

It seems to me that something made LE believe she wasn't just out there wandering around or injured.

 

[Puzzles8]

And maybe the “neighbor” is involved, as a suspect, and called to report her missing as a coverup.
And maybe the “neighbor” isn’t really a neighbor. Also the term “neighbor” is used rather loosely in those communities. It has never stated, “next door neighbor” or “neighbor down the road” for instance. ‍

The last one to see someone alive is always a logical suspect.

Clearly LE knows much more than we do. IMO, LE only releases the bare minimum of information during an active investigation, only information that may lead to valid leads.

First thing LE tends to release is whether there is a general danger to others in the community. From information already released, I don't sense they think there is a madman/madwoman on the loose or any general threat to others in the area.

MOO

 

[Tippy Lynn]

From Crimeonline which is a WS approved source:

According to the report, family members have confirmed that Morphew’s husband Barry Morphew was in Denver on May 10. His Facebook profile lists his occupation as a firefighter, and a source who worked with him in Indiana told CrimeOnline that he was a landscaper there, before the family moved to Colorado roughly two years ago.

Thanks. Do we know what his occupation is currently?

 

[margarita25]

“Is Monarch Pass dangerous? The pass is generally open year-round; however, 7% grades exist, and the area is prone to heavy winter snowfall, often resulting in temporary closures during severe winter storms. The west grade is the more dangerous because of no shoulder and fatal drop offs.”

Monarch Pass, a high and notable road in Colorado

 

[10ofRods]

BBM. I missed this. Who has stated they were not able to get a hold of her?

Well, she is classified as a missing person, so...LE seems not to be able to get a hold of her. The neighbor calls 911 and reports her missing, so presumably as some reason to do so (and it turned out the neighbor was apparently right - if Suzanne isn't missing, then she has found a way to make her family and LE think she is).

Which reminds me: I can't find Suzanne in NAMUS. What's Colorado's protocol for this? Is there a statewide MP database? Can anyone else find her in NAMUS?

Anyway, right now, no one can get a hold of her. And LE seems to want to know more about what was happening from May 8-12, by asking strangers to review video. There are implications in that.

 

[Seattle1]

from the article above :

Although Corsentino says the FBI's involvement does bring out some clues.

"The sheriff of Chaffee County would say that he has information that is pertinent to something beyond Chaffee County and they want the FBI to search outside Chaffee County," he said.

bbm ....what does "would say" mean? To me, it implies a hypothetical probability, not that the sheriff actually said that. imo

Yes, I think former Sheriff Corsentino is being hypothetical here.

Keep in mind that both Colorado Springs and Denver would be outside of Chaffey County. I'm glad to see that Chaffey County Sheriff is using all resources available to him to locate Suzanne.

ETA: For example, FBI could have been instrumental in quickly verifying the husband's story that he was in Denver on May 10 (as reported by Crimeonline) as well as the location of other immediate family members. I don't believe this Sheriff wasted a minute trying to build his timeline.

MOO

 

[K9Enzo]

Well, she is classified as a missing person, so...LE seems not to be able to get a hold of her. The neighbor calls 911 and reports her missing, so presumably as some reason to do so (and it turned out the neighbor was apparently right - if Suzanne isn't missing, then she has found a way to make her family and LE think she is).

Which reminds me: I can't find Suzanne in NAMUS. What's Colorado's protocol for this? Is there a statewide MP database? Can anyone else find her in NAMUS?

Anyway, right now, no one can get a hold of her. And LE seems to want to know more about what was happening from May 8-12, by asking strangers to review video. There are implications in that.

I wish all departments would make it a policy to input the missing & unidentified deceased into NAMUS.

 

[margarita25]

Alright I’ve got the most out of the box potential theory ever, never been used before in any case:

Sudden onset of Covid-19 symptoms:
Elevation of that area is 11,000+ ft iirc.
A respiratory attack at that altitude could be quite severe...

Do we know if she had been self isolating all this time?

I’ve heard Dr. Mike Ryan talk about mental confusion that can sometimes occur due to depleted oxygen.

If she got confused, perhaps she got lost, or fell down a ledge, etc...

—

ETA: Quick reference:

“Normal blood-oxygen levels are around 97%, Moss said, and it becomes worrisome when the numbers drop below 90%. At levels below 90%, the brain may not get sufficient oxygen, and patients might start experiencing confusion, lethargy or other mental disruptions.”

'Silent hypoxia' may be killing some COVID-19 patients. But there's hope. | Live Science

 

[Herat]

“Is Monarch Pass dangerous? The pass is generally open year-round; however, 7% grades exist, and the area is prone to heavy winter snowfall, often resulting in temporary closures during severe winter storms. The west grade is the more dangerous because of no shoulder and fatal drop offs.”

Monarch Pass, a high and notable road in Colorado

The area searched and the family home area is on the East grade side.

When they closed Highway 50 to search along the road, it was only closed up to Monarch, but not farther west over the pass.

The elevation near the home is about 8,500 ft

 

[margarita25]

The area searched and the family home area is on the East grade side.

When they closed Highway 50 to search along the road, it was only closed up to Monarch, but not farther west over the pass.

How far to the west side? Tia.

(ETA: was being lazy, will google. )