Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #37

[ChuckMaureen]

bbm

This part has always stuck with me when AM was relaying what BM told him about the time BM actually got back home to join the searching for SM.

"08:53
said he arrived back there at six"

It could have been a mistake on either AM's or BM's part, but then again maybe it was originally told to him that it was 6pm and maybe that later got changed to 9pm.

One reason this is important is the person that was checking in at the motel Sunday who found BM's insurance papers says he did not physically see BM in that room that day from what I gathered. So if BM left that motel closer to 3pm or earlier, then it means he should have been back near his home by 6pm and that would sync up with what we hear AM say.

If he did not arrive till 9pm then it means he should have been seen by the person checking in at the motel in Denver area because BM should have still been around Denver if he did not leave Denver area till around 6pm.

Its another confusing thing like so much of this case. That has been one of my biggest "tells" from the very beginning. Why is everything always confusing and not clear about BM's whereabouts that Sunday morning, afternoon, and early evening. To me, the fact it has been confusing may point to something not on the up and up about it.
It should have been very clear from day one and not so muddy.
JMO

It is possible for BM to have left the hotel at 3:00 PM and to have done other things along the way home. It's also possible people reporting times have it wrong or the second hand info was wrong. Or, reported times are outright falsehoods?

Either way, AFAIK LE has not provided a timeline so we have no facts regarding definitive times in this context.

 

[Curiousobserver]

So it actually appears no BOLO was ever issued at all.
It was confirmed that by day three the FBI and CBI had become part of the investigation.
Missing Chaffee County woman: FBI joins search, CBI makes tip line - KRDO

It was six days later that we learned a sealed search warrant was obtained to search the house, which had apparently been held since “early on” in the investigation.

Three days after that, the property BM was working on was being searched and excavated via another search warrant.

A couple months later, the Morphew house was searched again.

Holding the house is one thing. Maybe an initial search warrant for the house could be justified that “woman is missing under suspicious circumstances” because nothing has been found to indicate abduction, accident or animal attack.

But the actual excavation of some other person’s property where husband worked? And a second search of the property? Nah.

I’d wager some big money on that bet. No way did a judge sign off on those search warrants because “we haven’t found anything else, your honor. So let us rip apart some property and go back and destabilize these people’s lives once again.”

The timing indicates a focus that narrowed not solely due to what they didn’t find, but also due to what they found.

Bingo- I'll go in on that bet with you.

They had something that first day. To hold the house, to get two sealed search warrants, and dig up someone's foundation.

This tells me they already had a pretty good idea that she was deceased and who did it after 24 hrs. Just not enough to arrest anyone.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

I thought he was the one mentioning... but I may be mistaken.

BM did mention it more than once but one of his initial mentions included he heard that from LE. IIRC, we can hear BM make the claim in the TD video.

 

[Curiousobserver]

dbm

 

[TxGidget]

bbm

IIRC, BM claimed a LE officer reported he saw a mountain lion during the first day(s) of the local searches. We do not yet know if a LEO (pun not intended ;-) ) did make that claim... or do we? Has anyone seen such a report?

AM confirmed in a video interview that one thing he knows “for a fact” was that LE saw a large male mountain lion at the Morphew home. But no, there is no official report from LE on this or much else.

 

[Wendyb1063]

bbm
Agreed, that's why LE wanted information from that date forward.

Just because she was texting with the friend on Sat. does not mean it was Suzanne doing the texting.
And if the tone changed, it's possible it was BM doing the texting from the beginning, and started to lose his way when the friend grew suspicious of the answers ?
Imo.

True, but I know that my husband (who is well-educated, very literate, and knows my friends pretty well) could never fool them in a long text conversation. And I could think an impersonator in such a call would want to end it quickly and not let the conversation last for hours. IMO.

 

[MassGuy]

True, but I know that my husband (who is very well educated, very literate, and knows my friends pretty well) could never fool them in a long text conversation. And I could think an impersonator in such a call would want to end it quickly and not let the conversation last for hours. IMO.

Yes. And it also makes no sense to go through all that effort, just to sound the alarm bells by allowing that conversation to end abruptly.

You bring it to a conclusion instead. That didn’t happen.

 

[Feistyomi]

bbm

IIRC, BM claimed a LE officer reported he saw a mountain lion during the first day(s) of the local searches. We do not yet know if a LEO (pun not intended ;-) ) did make that claim... or do we? Has anyone seen such a report?

Iirc, AM also claimed LE told him mountain lion spotted near Morphew house...PE interview,

 

[LietKynes]

bbm

IIRC, BM claimed a LE officer reported he saw a mountain lion during the first day(s) of the local searches. We do not yet know if a LEO (pun not intended ;-) ) did make that claim... or do we? Has anyone seen such a report?

bbm
Yes, that's how I first heard of this. ^^^

In a later post, OM also said that AM (Suzanne's brother) said that a LE told him one was spotted in the area but not near the Morphew home, but I believe this original sighting claim came from BM.
I believe the sighting was near where LE had gathered for a search, and BM told LE he'd seen one near the staging area ?
So take whatever LE heard from BM's mouth with the proverbial grain.
Imo.

 

[DizzyB]

If LE’s hinkometer went off as quickly as Sunday evening-would the girls be separated from their father immediately upon arrival at the house? Would they want to question everyone separately about the facts as each person knew them?

 

[Error505]

bbm


BOLO for a woman on a bike? That's exactly what LE put forward. Over many days until they clammed up.

As for a "bogus story on day one", what was the bogus part? That SM was missing? That BM was out of town? That the daughters were not at home? That's what LE discovered early on and I perceive none of that info as being outright "bogus".

I suspect as LE gathered more info and nothing panned out that indicated a definitive scenario they were then fully justified toward leaning more heavily on a typical 'spouse did it' protocol and investigated that avenue... either as a path to conviction or as a path to elimination. At that point I don't believe they knew which way it would fall.

It seems LE doesn't (yet?) have enough information to support a case against.

According to AM, CBI said there was a strong smell of bleach in the home when LE did the initial search of the home during a “wellness check” looking for SM. For the smell of bleach to be so strong it was noted by LE is worth taking note. That info could have raised LE’s antennae in the beginning. MOO

 

[LietKynes]

I thought he was the one mentioning... but I may be mistaken.

The mod said (responded to my post in a quote last thread, I believe ) that AM (Suzanne's brother) was told this by LE, but it sounds like the original information came from BM.
MOO

 

[LietKynes]

According to AM, CBI said there was a strong smell of bleach in the home when LE did the initial search of the home during a “wellness check” looking for SM. For the smell of bleach to be so strong it was noted by LE is worth taking note. That info could have raised LE’s antennae in the beginning. MOO

Agreed.
Afaik, LE never pushed the bike theory.

 

[oviedo]

True, but I know that my husband (who is well-educated, very literate, and knows my friends pretty well) could never fool them in a long text conversation. And I could think an impersonator in such a call would want to end it quickly and not let the conversation last for hours. IMO.

ITA and if the subject was wedding stuff - I am very doubtful her friend would have been fooled.
JMO

 

[nyvictoria]

bbm

IIRC, BM claimed a LE officer reported he saw a mountain lion during the first day(s) of the local searches. We do not yet know if a LEO (pun not intended ;-) ) did make that claim... or do we? Has anyone seen such a report?

Well he did pick up road kill and placed it next to the house. I think someone here spotted the rack in one of the overhead videos. IMO he was trying to lure a cat in to be seen near the house and lend credence to his story.

 

[oviedo]

Agreed.
Afaik, LE never pushed the bike theory.

From their first press release - BBM - the use of "reportedly" is very telling IMO. Also that massive search effort and then ending with "ongoing investigation" - I think LE knew immediately that something was not right with the whole scenario -
JMO
-----------------
CHAFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Salida, Colorado

PRESS RELEASE

May 11, 2020

On May 10, 2020 at 1746 hours the Chaffee County Communications Center received a report of a missing female in the area on County Road 225 and West Highway 50.

Members of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and contacted the reporting party. They advised that their neighbor, Suzanne Morphew, age 49, from the Maysville area had reportedly gone for a bike ride in the area and failed to return home.

Sheriff personnel called members of Chaffee County Search and Rescue South and North and a search began immediately. The Department of Corrections was contacted and a request was made for tracking dogs to assist. They responded and joined the search. The search continued into the early morning hours with no results.

The search resumed in the early morning hours of May 11 with Search and Rescue. They once again scoured the area. Members were then called from the Chaffee County Tac Team along with search parties from the Department of Corrections and the area was once again scoured.

In all over 100 personnel were used during the search, however by late afternoon on May 11 Ms Morphew had not been found.

This will be an ongoing investigation into this matter and the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office asks that any person or persons who may have information please call the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office at 719-539-2596 or Chaffee County Crime Stoppers at 719-539-2599.

*****Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze 719-207-3199*****


Missing teenager located in Chaffee County - Chaffee County Sheriff

 

[citygirl]

Early on when AM spoke of organizing a search, I didn't have much faith in it.
Now, I am feeling more hopeful.
As all of you, I am pulling for this earnest man.
Finding her, not finding her will hardly give him any solace.
However, IMO, the girls need to find their mother.
Those poor girls. Cannot even imagine how they are coping.
MOO.

 

[MassGuy]

Well he did pick up road kill and placed it next to the house. I think someone here spotted the rack in one of the overhead videos. IMO he was trying to lure a cat in to be seen near the house and lend credence to his story.

Even so, this mountain lion would have to be one of those special ones that walk upright, has the ability to throw, and is savvy enough to leave no trail, and know how to hide a body.

To the best of my knowledge that sort of thing is rare...

Of course that’s ignoring all the other glaring red flags here, ones that point away from such an event occurring.

 

[NuttMegg]

BM did mention it more than once but one of his initial mentions included he heard that from LE. IIRC, we can hear BM make the claim in the TD video.

AM said that LE had seen a large cougar right across the driveway from BM house, and that it had apparently been attracted by some bloody elk antlers that BM had left out so close to the house. Since we have no real reports from anyone in charge of the case, AM's reports are just as valid if not more than BM's, IMO, because AM has no reason to lie about polygraphs, etc. We had a long discussion on the thread, why would BM have left out bloody elk antlers, which is pretty much what people do to lure, or bait, bears in under their tree hides while hunting, in my experience.

 

[enelram]

Someone last night referred to this, it was so intriguing that I had to go back and listen. Starts about 22.50, someone was out searching early, found some things that looked out of place, alerted LE, LE collected it, them. It's available as the generated transcript if you choose those 3 little dots, but too long to post here.

yup, and
what are the "earth shattering tips" that AM said just recently came in to LE?
that's got my hinky-ears twitching.