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

[Hoosierfan72]

So I'm stuck on the fact that the neighbor called this to police, presumably pretty quickly. Assuming the neighbor is, well, neighborly and not involved (it would be beyond dumb for them to call police if they were involved in the disappearance) the only scenarios I can think of that would prompt a call to police that quickly is if either a) SM had some level of concern for her safety and had alerted the neighbor to this (threats, stalker?) or b) SM was very much a creature of habit and maybe took the same ride/path on a regular basis so when she didn't return in a timely manner it really set off alarms. So that leaves me with believing that either a stalker, premeditated attack by someone who was reasonably close to her, or a random attacker would be the most likely scenarios. I don't think LE is acting like its a random attacker.

 

[andalso]

A-ha!! This is what I was suspecting...
& thanks for all the helpful posts everyone
BTW - the stuff was next to the street/on the street etc: not sidewalks, or actually in front of a storefront or such, - just randomly next to busy streets - I should have been clear.
My boyfriend will be relieved & I can say 'told you so' lol

I am not sure this was entirely cleared up enough that you can say I told you so. I feel like this could still be useful info.

 

[margarita25]

Monarch Pass bike roide - Bing video
Watching this video brings home the question of whether she was out on the highway riding a 10 speed or did she ride these trails on a dirt bike. So much we don't know.

If you have eleven minutes, you might want to watch the video at the link. The first portion is part of the preliminary preparation and ascent to the beginning of Fooses Lake Trail. At 2:08 begins the actual ride. The first mishap is a few seconds into the ride. The ride ends with a portion of the Fooses Lake Trail that merges into County Highway 226. The ending is at the Fooses Lake Trail Head, the site which has been pointed out as being 2000 feet from SM's house.
Monarch Pass bike roide - Bing video

Excellent video/thanks for posting/marking for reference

 

[perception≠reality]

It's often rather surprising the things suicidal people do.
Make plans for next week, enroll in university courses for the fall, confirm appointments, etc.

In this case, I really don't think it was suicide.

This is 100% true regarding routines etc...My grandpa had gone grocery shopping the day before we found him, and when he was found, his fridge was fully stocked as if he had still planned to eat every meal the next week or two. Even fresh OJ for Sunday breakfast, a weekly ritual for him. He also had a doctor’s appointment the week before, which gave him a clean bill of health.

I don’t get the vibe at all that SM was suicidal, or that she simply walked off and got lost in the wilderness. From her visible posts on FB, she seems to me to be a pretty strong woman and a happy, resilient, positive mom. I just don’t think this will end with a suicide.

If the family is certain enough to create that poster and say that she was “last seen wearing this helmet”, it means (IMO) the helmet was not in the home as expected, or was found during the search, in my opinion.

Now, that doesn’t mean she 100% went on a bike ride. She may have, and the helmet was dropped along the way when she met with foul play, or it was planted to make it look like that’s what happened. All my own opinion and just a guess based on LE activity, statements from family in MSM, and my own gut feelings.
IMO JMO MOO

 

[susiQ]

RSBM

Nope. None.
To be fair, that doesn't mean they didn't happen.
It's just that no one has posted anything about them.
In fact, nephew seems to have gone completely silent in the last few days.

Things that make you go, hmmmm. Especially, considering the $ amount in the Give “ME” Fund, not to mention someone hasn’t been publicly cleared yet. It should be pretty easy to confirm an alibi, unless, it’s not.

 

[Mimi in London]

Official missing poster lacks descriptive info (height, weight, hair, eye, scars, tats, etc.), discouraging community from joining the search, no strong SAR presence, FBI involved, no warning to the community about a possible psychopath on the loose kidnapping women, want people to hold on to their Ring footage from May 8-12, cagey with their words or just outright tight-lipped...

I think LE knows or has a good idea what happened, they're building a case on someone.

Chaffee Co. Sheriff John Spezze: "As you know, Suzanne Morphew disappeared on...[stops, corrects himself] ...became a missing person on Sunday the 10th..."

I don't think she went on that bike ride, I think she disappeared before Sunday.

He uses words concisely and deliberately. I’m with the others on here who rate Sheriff John Spezze. I like him a lot.

 

[margarita25]

MP Flyer/Poster? Private Searches?
Despite CCSO posting info re SM & events on its website & issuing media releases, AFAIK, LE has not issued an "official" flyer, i.e., a flyer which is often circulated in MP cases, for ppl to see on the web and to post in storefront windows, utility poles, etc.
FaceBook's missing page flyer does not present all the info that many LE and/or family-issued flyers often/usually do. As others have noted - nothing re height, weight, eye color, date, time, place last seen, clothing, etc. AFAIK, this nephew-created flyer and FB missing page lack ^ info, at least in part due to lack of info available.

From what I recall of nephew's G- F--- M- fundraiser page, some $$$ was to be used for private searches. Has anyone seen, in person, on MSM, or soc med sites, any indication of private searches occurring yet? Thx in adv.

Iirc, the Sheriff said in a PC that while there are offers to help search, they are choosing to use trained personnel. This is definitely a wise approach imo, for various reasons.

 

[Razz]

Wish we knew who last saw her wearing that helmet... If she was..

Yes.

But it makes sense that if she did take a bike ride, she would wear a helmet even if for a quick ride. It's the safe thing to do. The family knows this.

It shows the helmet front and center so if seen during a search, it would be easily found and identified.

I see 2 reasonings here but have only mentioned one.

 

[OzzieB]

Not saying it was, just curious if someone would take such precautions with their health if they were suicidal. It’s been ruled out by LE so it’s probably a moot point.

Sorry deleted this post... Posted in the wrong spot

 

[OzzieB]

My BIL had a root canal earlier in the day before he committed suicide.

Ummm I hate to say it but he may have had an adverse reaction to the meds during his procedure. When they put the meds in for me when i had mine done i thought my heart was going to stop. I had the worst panic attack of my life. I even got up and ask "what the hell did u give me" the lady said, "numbing meds that contain some kind of strong antihistamine" I thought i was dying it was a horrible trigger for me.

 

[Dave F.]

Is there a link to view the profile page please? Thank you.

Where and when was this photo taken? When was it uploaded?

Where? It's a view of Monarch Pass, taken from the valley floor at the base of the eastern slope in early spring, when the snow is still on the mountain peaks but it is greening in the valley below. The photographer was standing somewhere on (or near Chaffee County Road 140, which runs parallel to US50 looking straight up to the pass. IMO
The attachment is a Google Earth Street View image taken from US50 at 38°31'32.55"N, 106° 7'20.51"W.

 

[Inthedetails]

JMO
I saw a good point being raised in another place about one of the drawbacks in using the tip phone line only. It may have been on LE own FB page for this case possibly. I cant remember for sure but the point they were making was a valid one.

The person wanted to include a screen shot or a picture of a text message or an email attachment showing something and they could not so they emailed the Sheriff instead.

I hope LE and Tip Lines are thinking about that because more and more in today's internet world, there can be people that have something they want to share as a tip but if they cannot send it through email as an attachment or send a copy of a text message or show a screen shot of what they are needing to share, then it could prevent the tip from even being called in.

And just as bad, even if they do phone it in, it may be thrown in the dust pile by LE because the person could not be convincing enough since they could not share what they needed to share.

Couldn't they call the tip line and and tell the operator (or leave voicemail) describing what they want to email and then if LE deems it useful could provide the caller with a specific email address to use? I don't think having a phone line means things can't be emailed....but you just have to be "screened" before emailing.

jmo

 

[margarita25]

I pulled her up on MapMyRide really hoping to see past activity
but it had zero stats. Her profile pic:

Where? It's a view of Monarch Pass, taken from the valley floor at the base of the eastern slope in early spring, when the snow is still on the mountain peaks but it is greening in the valley below. The photographer was standing somewhere on (or near Chaffee County Road 140, which runs parallel to US50 looking straight up to the pass. IMO
The attachment is a Google Earth Street View image taken from US50 at 38°31'32.55"N, 106° 7'20.51"W.

Thanks, putting these images/posts together.

 

[happyday]

Iirc, the Sheriff said in a PC that while there are offers to help search, they are choosing to use trained personnel. This is definitely a wise approach imo, for various reasons.

I agree it’s wise. I think we’re just wondering because the nephew said money was being raised for purpose of doing their own searches.

 

[Inthedetails]

So according to the map my ride profile. In December 2018 she either went on a ride or created that profile. It was a SUNDAY and it was 330... So that lines up with her taking a ride around 4pm on a Sunday this year MAYBE

I don't use mapmyride, but I do use mapmywalk....and I set up my profile, map my walks, etc. when I'm at home. I would guess many people use it while actually biking or walking, but to me, I like to do that stuff before/after my outings, not during.

I'm not sure we can make a conclusion from that time stamp, but maybe.

jmo

 

[SeattleStew]

Where? It's a view of Monarch Pass, taken from the valley floor at the base of the eastern slope in early spring, when the snow is still on the mountain peaks but it is greening in the valley below. The photographer was standing somewhere on (or near Chaffee County Road 140, which runs parallel to US50 looking straight up to the pass. IMO
The attachment is a Google Earth Street View image taken from US50 at 38°31'32.55"N, 106° 7'20.51"W.

Do y'all think it might be more likely she was a road biker vs. a mountain biker based on this photo?

 

[Inthedetails]

Do y'all think it might be more likely she was a road biker vs. a mountain biker based on this photo?

Yes. I think she biked in and near mountains on a mountain bike but wasn't a "mountain biker" in the sense of extreme biking in rugged mountains conditions.

jmo

 

[Jackielee09]

I agree. Everyone knows by now they’re unreliable & can’t be used in court. Since it’s so well known it’s not even useful in trying to trip up a suspect anymore— so I don’t even know why they still exist.

It’s an interrogation tactic. I repeat, never take a polygraph. ESPECIALLY if innocent.

 

[margarita25]

Thoughts on why LE is specifically not confirming the recovery of her bike?

(ETA: By confirming this, they wouldn’t necessarily have to divulge its location)

 

[whitelilac]

Do y'all think it might be more likely she was a road biker vs. a mountain biker based on this photo?

Though I'm not an expert, I think the helmet in her photo is a road cycling helmet....very similar to both my daughter's and brother's helmets, both of whom are exclusively road cyclists.