Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #34

[NuttMegg]

Re BBM

Me too. It does not take an entire day Sunday to get your workers checked into a room. In fact it should not take any of his time as they are the ones checking in.

So what exactly was he doing all day Sunday before he decided he needed to start the drive home?

Anyone else old enough to recall the "$64,000 Question"? Something everyone wanted to know.

 

[legalmomma]

Re BBM

Me too. It does not take an entire day Sunday to get your workers checked into a room. In fact it should not take any of his time as they are the ones checking in.

So what exactly was he doing all day Sunday before he decided he needed to start the drive home?

I bet his GPS tells us. Not long enough to drive to Indiana and back. But I’ve long supported the theory she may not be in CO.

 

[303gmf]

Okay @Topppps I’m going to bite this time...almost looked up those coordinates the last time you posted them. So I just went down a big Poncha Springs rabbit hole. What is that creepy, abandoned looking place? Old mining camp? Ghost town? I couldn’t get down to eye level. Interesting how 115 turns off from 285 and loops through the rocky, wooded mountainous terrain with lots of cliffs and gorges and intersects back onto 285...what is it that makes you suggest this specific area as a possible location? Is it just because it’s a good hiding place or do you have information or research leading you to suspect this area? Well more than an “area” as you have exact coordinates. Did you send to PE, AM or CCSO? I agree it looks like a very good place to hide a body and is close to Maysville and could be done en route to Broomfield with just a little detour off the highway. There is also a little stretch of 285 that runs very closely and parallel to the Arkansas River with a secluded turn off where you could drive right up to the bank of the river. I haven’t caught up to the end of the thread so disregard if already asked & answered. TIA!

Thank you for the coordinates info, interesting locations south and quite a roundabout way to get to metro
NW Denver burbs if ones destination.

On PE website link for SM story maps page has a cell tower map of CO with what appear to be purple pings off Highway 24 in Teller County near Divide and Commerce City in an interesting area off Quebec/70 /270 area
caught my eye.
Wonder if searched? Had PE discussed and I easily could have missed it?

 

[steeltowngirl]

Reading between the lines, I think BM may have PREpaid JP. That would explain why JP waited around at the hotel... honorable.

I wonder if BM is on hotel video carrying in A COOLER. Explained by him as his tools. Because you see that -- contractors carrying their trade tools in coolers -- um, next to never?

I won't be surprised to learn, when one day there's an AA, that an ice chest visible in footage is missing, along with a crucial couple of tools.

IF we could find them, I trust they'd be bleach clean. And in a Broomfield landfill, after a brief stay in a Holiday Inn Express dumpster.

No fingerprints, no DNA.

While I envy no one the task, I hope that one of the major searches we don't know about was a LE field trip to Broomfield's landfill. And a productive search at that.

Oh, I hope a concealer gets to see all his favorite hidden things again!

JMO

Maybe BM didn’t pay JP enough to stay quiet, once he realized what a ruse the wall job and hotel stay was.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Do we know if the hotel was booked for Saturday night?

 

[enelram]

Re BBM

Me too. It does not take an entire day Sunday to get your workers checked into a room. In fact it should not take any of his time as they are the ones checking in.

So what exactly was he doing all day Sunday before he decided he needed to start the drive home?

.....snoozing in that indentation on the bed at HIE. ??
If you're up all night doing mechanical things to your bobcat and maybe some grunt physical
work and you're running on pure adrenalin,
somebody else's bed might look awfully inviting.

 

[Gigi3]

“I know they’re investigating me, because they’ve destroyed my family and my life,” he said.

Well, LE certainly hasn’t said they are investigating BM. His OWN words, along with other people are the only thing we have to go on.
BM is doing a good job of destroying his life all by himself, IMO.

 

[enelram]

Maybe BM didn’t pay JP enough to stay quiet, once he realized what a ruse the wall job and hotel stay was.

Something that many contractors do to their
'occasional employees' those that they want to string along in case they some day need them,
is they promise them future work, ie "Hey joe,
do a good job on this one and then I have a bunch of work for you in the next few weeks.
this keeps these guys indebted to the boss.
Surprised BM didn't use something like this to
smooth ruffled feathers over being used and
possibly set up.
BM underestimated JP, IMO.

 

[Kimmer]

I think this is the kinda of container the tools were in and maybe something bigger
IRIS 173 Qt. Remington Store-It-All Storage Bin in Black (2-Pack)-296015 - The Home Depot
It has handles and wheels

 

[enelram]

“I know they’re investigating me, because they’ve destroyed my family and my life,” he said.

Well, LE certainly hasn’t said they are investigating BM. His OWN words, along with other people are the only thing we have to go on.
BM is doing a good job of destroying his life all by himself, IMO.

I suspect BM's downfall will be his innate lack of attention to details. Similar to building a wall the first time and making sure it's done right. Not having to go back and correct it when things go south.

Details, it seems to me, are what catches most perps. things they did and didn't cover up or things they didn't do to cover up. Details.

 

[10ofRods]

Search for Suzanne Morphew pushes on despite silence from Chaffee County Sheriff

“Barry said at that point, he was already on his way back to Salida.

“I rushed home, left all my tools at the hotel, called my workers and said, ‘I’ve got a family emergency. You’re gonna have to figure this out on your own,’ and went directly to the site where the bike was,” said Barry Morphew.”

THIS is what is most revealing to me. Why would Barry go right to the scene of the bike and not the house??? Your wife is reporting missing and you don’t go to your house to check? HUGE red flag and one that LS got out of Barry. I think she’s doing a great job. LE has no reason to share more info but I do believe they could help with a larger scale search effort and maybe call in Tim Miller at EquuSearch. But then, they may have a reason for not doing so that we of course are not privy to.

I don't find it odd that he went directly to the bike site. He had already called a friend to go over to the house and report on what was going on. So he knew that the bike had been found and that LE was clustered there, where they assumed Suzanne was last. Why would he go to the house when there was an active search for his missing wife just a few hundred yards away? He would likely have seen the many LE vehicles over in that direction.

He did exactly what I would have done in the same circumstances. I assume he remained in touch with the neighbor lady as well, so he knew what was up.

 

[GordianKnot]

I can say from attending the vigil in Indiana, there were quite a few of BMs family members present (as was AM, of course). It seemed that everyone there was respectful, MOO. Hard to know if it would have been significantly different if BM himself was there, but I agree that 99% of people would see the daughters for the victims they are and be supportive.

It will be interesting to see what BM does with the vigil. On one hand, it is bad form to skip your missing wife's vigil. On the other, we have yet to see BM put himself in a situation that isn't fully controlled. My money is on a no show (I'm going with a "feeling ill" excuse - maybe he ingested some expired peanut butter). JMO.

Yeah, there's no way he's attending that vigil.

He'll have a ready-made excuse for his absence.

It will likely include professed fears over the (fictitious) "lynch mob mentality" of others attending the vigil and/or something equally spurious, like "not wanting to make himself the focus of everyone's attention when the focus should be on finding Suzanne."

Because, as well know, BM has been all about keeping the focus on Suzanne.

Guardianship filings, real estate sales, gym workouts, Gimme funds, et al., notwithstanding.

Such. A. Champ.

JMO.

 

[Kittybunny]

BBM:

Personally, I think it's in both of SM's daughter's best interests to stay as far away from the perp who murdered their mother as possible.

That's who they need to keep their distance from right now, both physically AND emotionally.

Living in a false reality is all kinds of unhealthy.

They certainly are under no obligation to attend the upcoming vigil.

But burying one's head in the sand inevitably leads to one outcome:

Suffocation.

JMO.

Their attendance, or lack thereof, at the vigil will be a very telling indicator of where they stand in regard to their mother's disappearance and who might be responsible for it, and/or of how much they are being influenced or controlled by BM.

I personally do not hold out hope that they will be there. Nonetheless, I do not envy their position one bit. Heartbreak and confusion must abound.

Going back a little, I was a bit surprised by LS's latest interview, but remembered she must be objective. She does not have the luxury of putting forth a strong position on BM's guilt or innocence, she's supposed to be impartial, at least somewhat. I also think this was a bit of bone to BM to keep him talking. He almost sounded believeable and distraught there - until we remember his actions and shifting stories up until this point, that is.

Also, for me the biggest questions I want answered about that whole hotel bit are:
1. When did Barry make a reservation - if he made one at all?
2. At what time did Barry get to the hotel? (Daily Mail implies the 9th, but we know how they are - if that is true, that blows the timeline wide open. Any time earlier than 5am Sunday morning + however many hours from Salida to Broomfield blows his alibi out of the water.)
3. At what time did Barry call JP, telling him about the "family emergency"? (If it was any earlier than 5pm, again, how would BM know?)
4. What time did Barry leave the hotel and what time did he actually get back to Salida?

 

[Error505]

Search for Suzanne Morphew pushes on despite silence from Chaffee County Sheriff

“Barry said at that point, he was already on his way back to Salida.

“I rushed home, left all my tools at the hotel, called my workers and said, ‘I’ve got a family emergency. You’re gonna have to figure this out on your own,’ and went directly to the site where the bike was,” said Barry Morphew.”

THIS is what is most revealing to me. Why would Barry go right to the scene of the bike and not the house??? Your wife is reporting missing and you don’t go to your house to check? HUGE red flag and one that LS got out of Barry. I think she’s doing a great job. LE has no reason to share more info but I do believe they could help with a larger scale search effort and maybe call in Tim Miller at EquuSearch. But then, they may have a reason for not doing so that we of course are not privy to.

BBM I’ve thought about that too. How did he know exactly where to go? (Insert eye roll) And was the home already locked down by LE

I keep getting facts vs rumor confused, there’s been so much to sift through for my little blonde-brain

Did BM’s nephew go to the search site when SM was reported missing? And was GD also at the search site? Did BM call them both his way back from Broomfield, asking for their help, because he wanted someone to have eyes on what LE was doing while he was on his way back to Salida?
Sorry if this was previously answered. And TIA

 

[Error505]

Didn't Barry say his friend was at the scene? The one who did the 400 tours and knows all about how investigations are done? Maybe he was communicating with him on the way back from Denver.

I just posted the same question. Lol.

 

[10ofRods]

My biggest take away from LS’ piece is that the CCSO was over budget before the end of August with 4 months left in the year because of overtime pay.

So I’d imagine all OT has been cutoff as of August. I’m sure the Sherriff understands a budget, and I’m betting he transferred the bulk of the case work to the CBI/FBI in August. (If not sooner)

The reason CCSO is so silent is because they are not leading the investigation right now and will not interfere by giving an update on the CBI/FBI work. Heck, the CBI/FBI might not even be updating the CCSO regularly. But the CBI/FBI will let CCSO make the arrest and take credit.

LS is just doing her job with a report like last night.

I think this is a key takeaway, as well. There are over 1300 missing persons in Colorado. This is a very publicized case, but virtual no LE agencies have the funds to sustain over-budget activities for long.

So I agree that it's likely that CBI/FBI is leading the investigation right now, which may mean that CCSO knows less than we might think and certainly isn't something the Sheriff wants to broadcast. Evidence of cost cutting is clear in the decision not to go get all that video footage before it disappeared. LE knows that most business owners don't have a ready way of preserving a lot of video footage and in the case of the Poncha Springs store, they have a witness that BM was there, they have the note - do they also need the video?

Sometimes on WS, we seem to think that LE should leave no stone unturned and should have collected hundreds of videos, if they were available. But I've never seen a real life investigation do that.

AM is correct to step up and start working the wheels of public opinion here - that's what gets missing persons cases going strong. Barbara Thomas's husband did squat. Zilch. Her son, who lived far away, proved to be unable to do what a more local person could have done and, like AM, was somewhat estranged from Barbara and RT. RT's lack of searching is the single largest clue that something intentional may have happened to Barbara. Other than that, she's just another person who went missing in a wilderness environment.

With what we know right now about Suzanne's disappearance, any good defense attorney could easily punch holes in a case against BM. What we don't know is BM's actual digital footprint. I suspect that LE has also uncovered a great deal about possible motive. But without a body, that footprint can be turned into argument that BM went where he went on those days, and Suzanne wasn't found anywhere near the places where BM happened to be.

No signs of a struggle in the house, no body, no time of death...this is a difficult case. LE may be close to pulling all the pieces together, but I get the sense they really wish they'd get a breakthrough, such as a key witness coming forward.

Looking back, the fact that LE banned BM and his volunteer friends from the original search is very telling. Something led them to that decision (and the decision to bar him from the house from Day 1).

What was it? Drives me crazy.

 

[10ofRods]

BBM I’ve thought about that too. How did he know exactly where to go? (Insert eye roll) And was the home already locked down by LE

I keep getting facts vs rumor confused, there’s been so much to sift through for my little blonde-brain

Did BM’s nephew go to the search site when SM was reported missing? And was GD also at the search site? Did BM call them both his way back from Broomfield, asking for their help, because he wanted someone to have eyes on what LE was doing while he was on his way back to Salida?
Sorry if this was previously answered. And TIA

He did have a friend at the scene (plus the neighbor's phone number). But he would likely have seen the emergency vehicles as he approached his home - I don't see how he could have missed it. They would have had the scene where the bike was lit up really well, IMO.

 

[Hatfield]

...snipped by me for focus...

Also, for me the biggest questions I want answered about that whole hotel bit are:
1. When did Barry make a reservation - if he made one at all?
2. At what time did Barry get to the hotel? (Daily Mail implies the 9th, but we know how they are - if that is true, that blows the timeline wide open. Any time earlier than 5am Sunday morning + however many hours from Salida to Broomfield blows his alibi out of the water.)
3. At what time did Barry call JP, telling him about the "family emergency"? (If it was any earlier than 5pm, again, how would BM know?)
4. What time did Barry leave the hotel and what time did he actually get back to Salida?

Great questions. I would like to add a two-part #5 and I am sure there are other good questions that need answered.

#5-Who was the first person to find the bicycle that was down off the road and down the steep incline?

And if it was one of the people BM had called to go over to the house area or the neighbor that BM spoke with, then did BM give that person any clues beforehand that got him/her to the general area where bicycle was found?

 

[LietKynes]

“I know they’re investigating me, because they’ve destroyed my family and my life,” he said.

Well, LE certainly hasn’t said they are investigating BM. His OWN words, along with other people are the only thing we have to go on.
BM is doing a good job of destroying his life all by himself, IMO.

bbm
Ridiculous of BM.

Great post, I agree with every word !

 

[happyday]

I can’t reconcile her phone last pinging in the house and her bike being found not at the house. Those two things don’t work together. Add in that the phone should then be at the house but isn’t.... I don’t even need anything more than that to tell me what happened here.