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

[Gigi3]

At the time the employees made it to the hotel, they smelled the chlorine or whatever, and just took it at face value that BM obviously used the shower and maybe cleaned for covid reasons. Probably thought it strange at the time, but had no reason for nefarious thoughts UNTIL the story starts unfolding.

They had been hired to do a job, and that job included waiting for a load of bricks to arrive that never did. Finally, leaving and heading back to Salida, they were probably concerned for BM and SM, not putting it all together until LE and CBI came a calling.

I mean who would actually think at the time, they had been duped and used for an alibi?

 

[EggSalad]

I don't work in construction, so when MG said she was told to cover a muddy area with sand and rake it out, I was visualizing a wheelbarrow, shovel and rake.

Then I looked at the area again, keeping in mind how hard it is to push a loaded wheelbarrow through mud. That's when it occurred to me that MG must have been using the bobcat - I have seen bobcats used to 'rake' material around.

Still...what perplexes me most is wondering what MG could possibly have had on her phone that BM didn't want LE to see - particularly when they already have his side of things with his phone.

Yeah, I’ve learned in this case to look up the terms used related to construction. I remember BM’s “filling dirt” at the Salida property before the concrete was poured. ‘Filling dirt’ has much more to it than it sounds. Same with “rake”.

 

[happyday]

Not that I know about all the missing people cases, but I have Never seen a family member go after guardianship with a spouse missing. Not to mention after only 3 weeks I feel that BM may have already visited an Attorney possibly about divorce if Suzanne had mentioned one and could have been advised on how to get money during the divorce and part of the premeditation murder was to get ahold of Suzann's money so there could not be a division of money and property during a divorce

Yes! The guardianship is like a thousand red flags!

 

[Cindizzi]

As far as BM and MG working at the “beach site” on Saturday, does anyone remember hearing that the concrete slab was poured on the Monday or Tuesday after Mother’s Day? That would explain MG originally being scheduled to work all day instead of being dismissed at 11:00. Imo

BM only did the dirt work, so he would be on a deadline to finish his part. I had an in-law who owned a concrete company and I remember they have to rake and tamp down the area before a slab can be poured. I know MG said things like “the beach area” and “beach sand”, but I don’t think she was raking around the river rocks. I think the picture included with LS story is carefully cropped to not show the house and private property.

Not sure how this fits in with BM acting weird that day and sending MG home. If it wasn’t for SM communication with friend I would be suspecting he did away with her Friday night after hearing MG story.

But thinking about him needing to get that dirt ready that weekend makes it seem even more likely that the Broomfield job was a last minute set up for an alibi. JMO
Sorry for rambling.


The property owner confirmed to CBS4’s Rick Sallinger that Suzanne’s husband was hired to lay dirt on the riverfront land, located east of Salida.

The owner of the property told CBS4’s Rick Sallinger that he has known Barry Morphew for three weeks. The river front property was undergoing improvement. Concrete was laid over the dirt
The owner of the property told CBS4’s Rick Sallinger that he has known Barry Morphew for three weeks. The river front property was undergoing improvement. Concrete was laid over the dirt.

Finding Suzanne Morphew: Investigators Search Husband's Job Site Near Salida

 

[Seattle1]

Maybe it's a lie, maybe it's not. We know that (1) AM said that the investigators told him that Barry declined to take a polygraph and (2) Barry said that he was never asked to take a polygraph. We do not know at this stage whether AM was given correct or incorrect information. Indeed, CCSO has not issued a statement indicating that Barry was offered a polygraph and declined the same.

True. However, I also think common sense dictates that if MG was offered a polygraph, BM would have also been offered to test.

 

[EggSalad]

I don't work in construction, so when MG said she was told to cover a muddy area with sand and rake it out, I was visualizing a wheelbarrow, shovel and rake.

Then I looked at the area again, keeping in mind how hard it is to push a loaded wheelbarrow through mud. That's when it occurred to me that MG must have been using the bobcat - I have seen bobcats used to 'rake' material around.

Still...what perplexes me most is wondering what MG could possibly have had on her phone that BM didn't want LE to see - particularly when they already have his side of things with his phone.

Maybe they wanted to corroborate her location with her interview responses?

 

[ajaylee]

Did MG say BM received a call and then sent her home early so he could spend time with his wife?

According to MG, he seems to have changed his Saturday plans very suddenly. If SM had called him and said 'get home ASAP, we have something to hash out', that doesn't seem to fit with a 'good' conversation with a good friend about an upcoming wedding.

 

[GordianKnot]

Yes! The guardianship is like a thousand red flags!

That guardianship grab is likely going to be one of many concrete building blocks that will be used to prove the motive for SM's murder was a financial one.

"For the love of money is the root of all evil."

JMO.

 

[happyday]

I’ve done some research on polygraphs and refusing them. I don’t know if any of the sites are allowed, so I’ll just recap my opinion on what I learned. MOO

—The only time you’d be asked to take one (usually at beginning of investigation) is if they suspect you. Even if they say they don’t.

—You can do as much damage by refusing one as you can by taking and failing one.

—They’re not admissible and primarily have psychological value.

So basically what I got from my research is that if you’re being asked to take one you’re already in deep doo doo. It totally depends on the situation and the crime whether it’s to your advantage to refuse it and keep silent or take it.

I think MG refusing is more understandable than BM refusing one. She may have other things she’s worried about coming out and if she’s innocent then she may feel like taking it could do more damage than not since there won’t be any hard evidence against her. BUT BM’s wife vanished and everybody on the planet knows that he has to be cleared first as the spouse. He shouldn’t care about taking it if he’s innocent if he just wants LE to move on and find her. He probably did more damage if he refused by pointing to himself as the husband who has something to hide.

 

[10ofRods]

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Well the polygraph would tell LE if he was a person of interest or if they need to look in another direction and clearing BM.

We can agree to disagree. Guilty people have passed polygraphs and innocent people have failed them. They can be useful to LE, no doubt, in creating new leads or a sense of confidence in a particular story.

But they should never be used to clear someone, as it's well known that people in the so-called "Dark Triad" of personality disorders are quite able to pass polygraphs, whereas people who are innocent of everything except an anxiety disorder may fail. And there are people who are very dramatic who routinely confound polygraphers (who are not necessarily all equally skilled).

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Knowledge of how to pass polygraphs is freely discussed in jails, IME.

If BM passed a polygraph, I wouldn't be surprised. He has an attorney, though, and no good criminal defense attorney would ever allow it. So he doesn't even have to decline due to personal inclination, he can say his attorney told him not to. That's probably why MG says "I know my rights..."

 

[EggSalad]

So remember when TN is telling the press to question LE about the condition of the bike?

At that point, TN is acting as the family spokesperson, right?

Well, we learned that GD is telling BM and LE that they ruined any evidence that would have been on the bike or in the area.

So was TN’s statement at the time trying to call out LE regarding the condition of what BM & GD felt was ruined evidence? The condition of the bike being that “10 officers all touched it”.

I’m just so curious about BM having TN & GD back in Mayesville when everything goes down and then he has the three work crew in Broomfield. And the Broomfield crew is part of his alibi and then he’s driving back home while TN & GD are representing him there.

 

[DizzyB]

Perhaps MG has been told in the past by an attorney-if LE requests that you take a lie detector test, always decline. I’ve heard it here from attorneys, so I would not be surprised if she was following an attorney’s advice. Anybody have an opinion on if she had an attorney present during her interviews in this case?

 

[Ontario Mom]

IMO I keep thinking about JP’s instinct at being used as an alibis. He is been in prison for nine years so would have a good feeling for criminal activities.
- I can’t figure out why three employees sat around waiting for tools. Surely one could have driven to get them. JP made no reference to asking him for tools, he would have stated that in the interview if he had. Hmm.. Three employees not one could figure out how to or made an attempt to get the tools? They just stayed around for two days in the holiday inn express (which is a nice hotel regardless of the DM description).
-JP’s room was suspiciously set up. Beach, wet towels and some piece of mail in the trash can.
- JP was sent to the building site to rake the sand.
- The loud machinery was heard at the building site during the night on May 9th
-IMO, JP was set out to be at both where SM was buried and the hotel.
IMO SM is buried soe


;(Tiger reply), she did but not immediately.

We have not been told when she handed over her phone. Just that she did.

 

[scapa]

There is a gigantic 20-factor test that the IRS employs, but, interestingly, they seemed more like contractors to me. MG told Lauren that Barry told her to "assemble a crew for the" job, which is quite a bit of discretion.

ITA, but I wonder whether MG was familiar with having that level of control -- or if she got it this time because both crew and job were for alibi purposes only...

 

[MsBetsy]

Two things about the bolded above:

1. We don't know for a fact he was the relative (yet, someone call Lauren?), and we also don't know for a fact he threatened or coerced anyone. We have MG's statement, and we don't know if that's entirely accurate, or if TN is the one who suggested she not hand over her phone to the CBI (if in fact he was the relative that approached her) or if that statement came from the "friend".

2. It's curious to me that MG isn't well received as an honest witness, yet she's believed when she says something negative about another person in this case.

Very curious how these additional folks are making this case even more frustrating, instead of shining some light on what really happened.

jmo

Yeah, her interview seems to have made things even more confusing, at least for me. If it's true that BM was in town all day then he could not have been home when the communication suddenly ceased at 12:30. Even if he went home for a short time it doesn't make sense that something would escalate quickly to violence and then he would just leave again possibly leaving evidence behind.

I wish we knew the context of the conversation when a friend or family member made the comment about hush money. From the beginning those close to BM knew he would be considered a suspect. His Firefighter friend said LE did not want them part of the search. Barry's army friend criticized the way LE handled the bike on the very first day. I can imagine one of them saying sarcastically to MG, "Well he would give you your check now but we wouldn't want it to look like hush money."

BM probably didn't want anyone cooperating with LE. Maybe he got the word out right away that LE was trying to frame him and those who supported him advised the employees that they didn't have to hand over their phones or give investigators any information.

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IMO

 

[ajaylee]

I believe MG about the conversation with the two men....kind of.

What doesn't make sense is why her employer would think a paycheck for a job she worked (showing up and waiting for the boss and materials should be paid) was 'hush money'? If she was expecting a 'check', that leaves a record. If she was supposed to be paid in actual hard cash, why would that be a transaction subject to suspicion, unless they hid down an alley or something ridiculous?

Or were they suggesting she won't get paid until it's 'safe', meaning if she keeps her mouth shut, doesn't surrender her phone, and it all blows over?

 

[Skigh]

I still am not sure about the truth of 2 men not paying a check as it would look like hush money.
I think hush money would be paid in cash.

 

[EggSalad]

And how much money was MG going to get paid? All we know is that she worked 1/2 a day Saturday and 2-3 days in Broomfield. 3.5 days of pay would hardly scream ‘hush money’.

 

[gitana1]

That's only if the allegations are not true, though, right? People said far worse things about MG on SM when the rumor came out and her name was put out there. I think that's what she was referring to when she said it broke up her family and she couldn't find a job. Imo

Right.

 

[Ontario Mom]

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Here is what she actually said:

"We would give you your paycheck, but we don’t want it to look like hush-hush money.
You have rights, but you don’t have to give CBI your phone.” “I’m not the other woman”: Second contractor speaks out about Suzanne Morphew investigation | FOX21 News Colorado

While that could be characterized as attempting to encourging her to not cooperate with the CBI, it's not a threat or coercion, as far as the legal definition goes. She wasn't being threatened or forced by anyone to do anything.