Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #4

[MntnHiker]

RE: her bike being left somewhere (we know it was found, although I don't think MSM or LE have said WHERE yet). I like to road bike and also hike. If I came across a bike sitting unattended, I would probably note it but not think it too weird. Perhaps the person went into the woods to use the restroom, take a photo, go for a hike, or whatever. Now in my city, an unattended bike would very likely get stolen, but regardless.

If I drove past it hours later and it was still there, it would perhaps alarm me a bit, but I honestly don't know that I would call the cops or something about it. I would probably make note of it in case anything came out about a missing person or accident in that area, etc. If I did call, it would be the non-emergency number, especially if I saw no sign of a struggle or accident. That's just what I would do.

I would be curious if any of those 200+ tips were people calling in to say they saw her bike in X spot on this day at this time. That could be helpful.

 

[windrower]

Yes, A bike left by a trail/road could easily have been stolen. I think the bike is an indication of when she went missing. I can't see returning at a later time to stage the bike. I wish we knew if anyone saw it before it was found by LE

IMO. Again, I don't think SM went on a bike ride.

However, if there was a bike to be found (and I'm still unclear if finding a bike was verified by LE, even though I've been here since the beginning; if someone has the LE link handy, please share what post it is in the media thread), I think it's just in hindsight we have lots of questions about it.

How many bridges do we drive over every day? Unless we are actively looking for a bike, we probably won't find a bike, unless it is totally out in the open. If a bike were put in bushes along the creek or river, or partially hidden under the bridge, or camouflaged in some way, most of us wouldn't see it as we drive along a county road.

And if we are driving along a main highway, the chances of randomly spotting a bike we aren't looking for becomes less likely, given the speed of highway driving.

Of course, if the bike was left somewhere as a staging mechanism, then it needs to be found earlier rather than later, in order to set the story line in motion, that SM went for a bike ride and didn't return.

Still no new posts/updates on Suzanne’s missing page since May 17...

I feel for the family admins of the FindSM Facebook page. On the one hand, I imagine they are trying to shift gears and reconcile the house search with their beginning beliefs of SM going missing while on a bike ride.

On the other hand, it's too bad they won't post any and all updates, though, even if those updates are upsetting. By not posting about anything that has happened this week, it makes me think they don't want to post any information that might be negative to SM's immediate family because that would affect donations to the g f m account.

Great post and thank you! Where do you think the bike was found?

Later MSM articles describe “a bridge” as where the bike was found - nearby or at we don’t know. The search areas were around CR 225/Hwy 50 and then later slightly up west to Monarch Pass.

Which river, creek, or gully crossing would you most say a layperson would describe as a “bridge” and not a culvert?

I call any water crossing that has a means to cross the waterway without being in the water a bridge. Most people I know would say the same.

I'd only use different terminology if I needed to be more specific about the type of bridge--I got specific in the other post because some people were envisioning a bridge with side walls or railings, etc. That's not always the case rural areas, or over smaller waterways like Fooses Creek, and the size of S Arkansas River in this particular section of the river.

 

[MsBetsy]

What’s odd is they didn’t ask people to watch the footage during the time frame given and if you see something send it in. They just said hold it, nothing more which is kinda rude bc you know everyone one of them went back to the video and watched those four hours looking for something and could all just have wasted their time. Or what if someone does find something, are they not supposed to send it to the police? Lol

LE asked them to save it in case they need it later. I guess they don't want everyone calling them. There are likely many restaurants, stores, and residences with security cameras, as well as people driving through the area during that four day time period.

Maybe as LE continues their investigation, they will ask for footage on a specific day based on other evidence they found in that area, or evidence that points to a perpetrator being in a certain area.

Imo

 

[al66pine]

Was SM Alone?

Yep -- that was some case. Couldn't see the forest for the tree-cutters, as they say.

I think the known facts here are a bit more straightforward, but also pretty sparse:

1) SM was at home alone
2) SM has disappeared
3) Her bike has been found
4) Family home and specific environs have been searched
5) She has not yet been found

I feel like fixing the window encompassing the time when she was last seen to the emergency call will be crucial, as will any evidence found in the searches. Other intruiging elements of the case -- camping trip, reward money, Indiana root beer stand, kidnapping/ransom, etc., seem likely to be noise, though I do wonder about a possible financial element.

It's worth noting also, I think, that the Occam's razor principle is most useful when there's a razor to be seen -- ie., a more likely explanation that is discernible among the explanations on offer. There are plenty of cases where there just isn't a more likely explanation backed up by reasonable evidence. Hard to say now which type this is, but I don't feel particularly positive that this will end well.

@scapa bbm sbm Agreeing your ^ points, but not necessarily #1.
AFAIK, we/the gen public do not know when BM & two teen daughters left the home. Maybe LE knows.
Was departure time the same for all three? Was it sometime MoDay-Sunday? Saturday? Friday? Earlier?

If, say, all three left Thursday, did someone else visit SM at the house? When? How long? IDK.
I'm not suggesting SM did anything 'wrong' & not saying any visitor committed crime or was involved in her disappearance. A puzzling situation. jmo

{ETA: Is it possible SM herself was not at home the day(s) preceding MoDay-Sunday? IDK}

 

[Summit1964]

RE: her bike being left somewhere (we know it was found, although I don't think MSM or LE have said WHERE yet). I like to road bike and also hike. If I came across a bike sitting unattended, I would probably note it but not think it too weird. Perhaps the person went into the woods to use the restroom, take a photo, go for a hike, or whatever. Now in my city, an unattended bike would very likely get stolen, but regardless.

If I drove past it hours later and it was still there, it would perhaps alarm me a bit, but I honestly don't know that I would call the cops or something about it. I would probably make note of it in case anything came out about a missing person or accident in that area, etc. If I did call, it would be the non-emergency number, especially if I saw no sign of a struggle or accident. That's just what I would do.

I would be curious if any of those 200+ tips were people calling in to say they saw her bike in X spot on this day at this time. That could be helpful.

Agreed...I live in Summit County, Colorado (an hour north of Salida). This is kind of the epicenter for avid cyclists (road and mountain). It is not at all unusual to see bikes on the side of the road or bike path. And, right now, due to COVID-19 closures, cyclists are using the "great outdoors" for bathroom breaks. I wouldn't pay much attention to an unattended bike unless, as you point out, it's been left for days.

 

[happyday]

Probably completely unrelated (and IDK if this is allowed on here...apologies if it's not sourced straight from the SJC's SO's FB page), but I just got this notification:
San Juan County Sheriff's Office, Colorado
1 hr·
We have come to believe that someone in the region picked up a stranded motorist on HWY 550 at approximately MP41 last night and dropped her off in Silverton. If it is you, or you know who it was as I'm sure they had an interesting tale to tell, please have them call our dispatch 970-387-5531 and leave contact info. You are in no way in trouble, we just have potentially important info to share, and also hope to gain some more info on the stranded party. Appreciate you help with this matter, Sheriff Conrad

Oh my goodness, what a weird alert to get! At this point who knows what could related...

 

[10ofRods]

You make a good point. I guess my point is that we certainly aren't looking at a traditional case of kidnapping / ransom here, as no such demands have been made. But that may not be what he was suggesting when he said "no questions asked; however much they want." He may have simply been saying something like: if you have been taken by someone, and if you are still alive, I am happy to pay these people anything in order to get you back. That's true. And you're right that that's what Mr. Tibbetts was hoping/thinking after Mollie had been missing for a time, i.e., that maybe someone had grabbed her but that she was still alive. Somehow I feel like there was more reason to believe that in that case, though, and I think this has to do with how remote of a location we are talking about in this case. Yes, Mollie Tibbetts went missing in a small Iowa town after going for a run, but her running route took her past countless homes, stores, parking lots and was said to be near a major trucking route; in this case, Suzanne's bike route would've taken her past almost no one. That's why I find it harder to believe the "someone grabbed her" theory. And because I find this theory improbable, that makes me wonder why Barry is promoting it in his video. As you say, it might just be "wishful thinking" on his part, but it feels more like narrative-building to me.

Well, just to pay Devil's Advocate, there is a campground nearby and in these days of CoVid, there are many more people living along roads and in campgrounds. Further, there have been other assaults and trouble west of Colorado Springs. Some of it was specifically against bicyclists (someone posted the Outdoor magazine article on it, I'll link it below).

At the edges of wilderness recreation areas, we often see trouble. The tendency for certain ne'er-do-wells to congregate outside of places like Yosemite and other wide open spaces is something documented in a series of books and articles.

Search Results

For a sample of murders near open spaces, spaces where the outdoor crowd goes.

But this is the one that comes to mind, as it isn't too far from Salida and involves some anti-biking whacko:

Murder on a Mountain Bike

It took a year to find this murdered man's body:

Chad Austin: Missing hiker’s remains found in Virginia woods. Police say he was likely killed.

 

[Madeleine74]

What's odd is that LE would trust that people know how to do that if the footage was needed to help solve or prosecute a crime. If the footage was important they would have collected it day one. Wasn't the "bike" witness in her 70's? Ever have any experience helping seniors with technology. No way LE leaves that to the user if they thought the footage was key.

Nahhh...LE doesn't have the time or personpower to go through everyone's security cam video, and they'd have to subpoena every single one of them on top of that. People either will go thru their own cam footage or they won't. There's often someone who either knows how to access their own footage or is so inclined to find out how and learn.

I'm such a person, a techie by hobby. I don't have a doorbell cam, but if I did I'd know how to use all its features and have read through the manual. It's not rocket science.

 

[LietKynes]

By not posting about anything that has happened this week, it makes me think they don't want to post any information that might be negative to SM's immediate family because that would affect donations to the g f m account.

snipped for focus

This is indeed unsettling.
Why the need for crowd funding for a family that didn't need it ?
And who the hell cares about negative publicity when your loved one is missing and (according to the husband's home video) kidnapped by a random perp ?
So much silence.

It would be nice to hear from Suzanne's own siblings and relatives.
Is there someone who has threatened them, or a person they're afraid of angering ?
Imo.

 

[oviedo]

I've been updating her media thread and I do not recall LE ever confirming a bike was found - it was his family (nephew) IIRC that said the bike was found and that the public should ask LE about it.
John Fenton@higuysimjohn
Nephew of missing Chaffee County woman Suzanne Morphew who disappeared on bike ride Sunday confirms her bike has been found.Still no sign of Suzanne. Reward now increased to $200,000 for her safe return.
——-
Find Suzanne Morphew

 

[J.M. Bee]

This may be an obvious point, but a great deal hinges on whether she did in fact go for a bike ride that day. If she did, then it is obviously far more likely that this is either a stranger crime or an accident of some kind. If she did not go for a ride that day, then it is almost certainly the husband, in my opinion (for reasons I've laid out in a previous post).

As for whether the neighbor saw her head out for a ride, I would like to scrutinize the police statement a bit more carefully. Where can one see that again? Further, there was a good post on a previous page that argued that it probably wasn't even physically possible for a neighbor to have seen her head out for such a ride.

Now, just because no one saw her head out for a ride doesn't mean she didn't do so, but it does place that entire narrative under question.

 

[lucidtx]

Probably completely unrelated (and IDK if this is allowed on here...apologies if it's not sourced straight from the SJC's SO's FB page), but I just got this notification:
San Juan County Sheriff's Office, Colorado
1 hr·
We have come to believe that someone in the region picked up a stranded motorist on HWY 550 at approximately MP41 last night and dropped her off in Silverton. If it is you, or you know who it was as I'm sure they had an interesting tale to tell, please have them call our dispatch 970-387-5531 and leave contact info. You are in no way in trouble, we just have potentially important info to share, and also hope to gain some more info on the stranded party. Appreciate you help with this matter, Sheriff Conrad

That is one of the weirdest statements I've ever seen. I don't think it's related because it's pretty far away, but I'm dying of curiosity now.

 

[Birmingplumb]

Mystery around Suzanne Morphew’s Mother’s Day disappearance grows as friend says 'nobody saw her on bike'
'NOBODY SAW HER'
snipped
Mystery around Suzanne Morphew’s Mother’s Day disappearance grows as friend says ‘nobody saw her on bike’

• Nicole Darrah, News Reporter

• New York
• 21 May 2020, 16:53
• Updated: 21 May 2020, 17:33

A FRIEND of a missing mom who supposedly disappeared during a bike ride on Mother’s Day has claimed “nobody saw her on her bicycle.”

Suzanne Morphew, 49, hasn’t been seen since May 10, when a neighbor reported her missing after she apparently didn’t return home after a bike ride.


5
Suzanna Morphew, 49, hasn't been seen since Mother's DayCredit: Facebook
But her daughter’s friend’s mother claims “nobody actually saw her on her bicycle, sadly,” according to Crime Online.

“The neighbors up there are spread pretty far apart but the only reason they found out [she was missing] is because the girls called the neighbors and said, ‘We never heard from mom — can you go check on her?'” the friend’s stepmother said.

But, per the report, no one actually saw Morphew, who lives in Colorado, on a bike.

The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office has been searching for her with help from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, as well as the FBI.

gotta ask what time is article stamped and updated? if military time why the :? seems its wrong since New York time now is 2:52 pm and this reporter has ?

 

[oviedo]

Found this little gem in the media thread - would love to know more about this

Dozens Search For Suzanne Morphew After Discovery Of 'Personal Item'

- Family confirms the item is not the bike, which was found Sunday

- Highway 50 is shut down for the search

- CBI and FBI have joined the investigation

Tip line: 719-312-7530

More: cbsloc.al/2WzH2ET

Anica Padilla on Twitter

 

[S.K.F.C.]

That is one of the weirdest statements I've ever seen. I don't think it's related because it's pretty far away, but I'm dying of curiosity now.

It's not that far by vehicle. One solid day of driving (5 hours-ish perhaps with rest stops) or one overnight.

I don't think it's related either, but it's definitely intriguing.

 

[al66pine]

Trailer & Bobcat in Driveway?

Sorry if this has been posted:
5/21/20 from twitter, aerial shots of the home

Stephanie (Butzer) Rose on Twitter
Stephanie (Butzer) Rose on Twitter

@AmandaReckonwith Thanks for your post & link. Right side of 2nd pic shows a (20 foot long?) flatbed trailer and a Bobcat (small loader/grader/excavator) piece of equipment, sitting side by side in the driveway of M. fam home. Looks like the kind used in landscaping imo. May or may not belong to M. family. And many other uses as well.

 

[NervousNellie]

gotta ask what time does is article stamped and if military time why the : , seems its wrong since New York time now is 2:52 pm and this reporter has ?

That could be the time in the UK, since the "paper" is a UK publication. I think they are five hours ahead, right? So 5 PM UK time, noon NY time. JMO

 

[happyday]

That is one of the weirdest statements I've ever seen. I don't think it's related because it's pretty far away, but I'm dying of curiosity now.

SAME!

 

[LietKynes]

Found this little gem in the media thread - would love to know more about this

Dozens Search For Suzanne Morphew After Discovery Of 'Personal Item'

- Family confirms the item is not the bike, which was found Sunday

- Highway 50 is shut down for the search

- CBI and FBI have joined the investigation

Tip line: 719-312-7530

More: cbsloc.al/2WzH2ET

Anica Padilla on Twitter

lavender enlarged bolding mine

Whoaahhh....
I thought from the beginning of this case that she left her phone at home -- so what was this ?

Let's say a random perp or even employee who'd worked for them at the house took her.
Would he take the time to gather up some personal belongings and plant them by the road to be found ?
Makes it seem like an abductor even less likely -- if that's possible !

 

[oviedo]

lavender enlarged bolding mine

Whoaahhh....
I thought from the beginning of this case that she left her phone at home -- so what was this ?

Let's say a random perp or even employee who'd worked for them at the house took her.
Would he take the time to gather up some personal belongings and plant them by the road to be found ?
Makes it seem like an abductor even less likely -- if that's possible !

sometimes when a case stalls I go back to the beginning in the media thread and prior information takes on new meaning. i'm getting that feeling here.
JMO