Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #50

[K9Enzo]

Are you aware that law enforcement have not released any evidence to the public during the seven month investigation?

IMO, I think that's their point....

 

[rainbowshummingbird]

IMO, I think that's their point....

If they already know, then what is the point in asking.

Just because law enforcement have not told the public that Barry is a suspect does not mean that Barry is not a suspect.

 

[K9Enzo]

If they already know, then what’s the point in asking.

IMO, speaking for myself, we can really only speculate on this case. There are very few facts released by LE.

 

[MassGuy]

IMO, speaking for myself, we can really only speculate on this case. There are very few facts released by LE.

Yes, but law enforcement has the facts, and they are acting in accordance with them. Follow enough cases with CBI and FBI involvement, and it’s easy to determine what those actions mean.

Something compelling spurred them to excavate that job site, and search the home that second time.

Likewise, something compelling had to have caused them not to treat this as an abduction, which would have been a very plausible scenario early on.

So we don’t have the evidence, but we can gauge the strength of that evidence.

 

[K9Enzo]

Yes, but law enforcement has the facts, and they are acting in accordance with them. Follow enough cases with CBI and FBI involvement, and it’s easy to determine what those actions mean.

Something compelling spurred them to excavate that job site, and search the home that second time.

Likewise, something compelling had to have caused them not to treat this as an abduction, which would have been a very plausible scenario early on.

So we don’t have the evidence, but we can gauge the strength of that evidence.

I also don't think this was an abduction.

IMO, the first search of the house is a given. The second search, I agree that something compelling brought LE back there, with a judges approval. That could have been because they think a crime was committed inside the home and/or the property or something else. IMO, it's clear LE are and have investigated BM fully. His worksite dig, that was a big deal and did not look good for BM at all. However, today, where does BM stand with LE and their investigation? Is he the #1 suspect, 1 of several or ruled out? For me*, I don't know and am not comfortable going all in on BM, although stats are not on his side. IIRC, CCSO said they have served several search warrants, did not say for what or where. My imagination is running wild. I'm still stuck on that recent CCSO release where they specifically mentioned SM's social media activity and several named social media platforms and apps. I don't think that was really about BM. It was a super small snippet of their investigation released to the public. IMO

 

[MsBetsy]

Thank you. I have been following this case as closely as possible, but I miss posts sometimes. Do you have a link to a news article about the vehicle movements not matching? And a link to where we know BM lied to cops? I'm curious.

I don't think there are MSM articles, but it was Andy who said in one of the first PE interviews that the GPS data did not line up with the timeline BM gave to police.

Soon after that BM addressed this in an interview with LS, saying that when he was questioned by LE, he initially made a mistake about the time he was fixing a mechanical thing on his bobcat.

Most of our sources are from interviews with witnesses or family, since LE has not revealed many details to the media.

I don't remember if AM said he was told by police that the GPS data didn't line up or if he heard it from someone else.

He did say that when an investigator went to Indiana to interview him, he told him BM had not been cooperating with the investigation and that they had offered him two lie detector tests and a voice analysis test and BM refused.

Imo

 

[fcavanaugh]

DBM. Oops.


.​

 

[sunflowerchick]

If they already know, then what is the point in asking.

Just because law enforcement have not told the public that Barry is a suspect does not mean that Barry is not a suspect.

The point in asking was exactly what I stated. I just wanted to know what had been released in the media and if I had missed something specific. There has been a lot of talk today about "lots of evidence" that LE has and so I wondered if there was something I missed.

I never said anything about BM being (or not being) a suspect. I think we all know who the main suspect is here. But I am in the minority with faith in LE. I truly believe if LE had more, we would know more. At this point, I think they have a big fat zero, or at least not enough to charge. Sad as it is, that's my opinion of it. And I won't believe anything else until I see something released that indicates they have more.

And thank you @Ontario Mom. That was a fantastic explanation. I have no doubt that LE has mountains of stuff to wade through but it all doesn't equate to stuff of evidentiary value. That's my issue. How much do they REALLY have that has evidentiary value? I don't think we know. And sadly, it may not be much.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

The neighbor that called to report Suzanne missing would have had zero reason to report anything about a bike ride, had it not been for BM stating (links have been posted) he asked the neighbor to return to the house a second time to see if her bike was there. That's the first instance the bike was ever mentioned. Once the neighbor returned and phoned him back with the info that the bike didn't seem to be there, the "oh, well then she must have been out on a bike ride" story was born.

Long story short: the bike ride story came directly from BM, who was allegedly 3 hours away in Broomfield and had zero contact with her that day, by his own admission that he called & left voice mails and never did speak to her, after leaving her sleeping in her bed at 5am.

Except if she were known to go riding it would be a very logical question...is her bike there?

 

[Momofthreeboys]

@Ontario Mom. That was a fantastic explanation. I have no doubt that LE has mountains of stuff to wade through but it all doesn't equate to stuff of evidentiary value. That's my issue. How much do they REALLY have that has evidentiary value? I don't think we know. And sadly, it may not be much.

I tend to agree with this. I don’t “think” they are waiting for a new prosecuting attorney. I simply think they may not have enough evidence to prosecute anyone now. I think that was the entire point of their last press release and the appeal for anyone who may have communicated with Suzanne before she sent missing.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Except if she were known to go riding it would be a very logical question...is her bike there?

Sure, that makes sense.
It also makes sense to introduce the bike ride narrative if that's what you need people to believe, at the time.
It could be either, and it could even be both.
Now that's mighty convenient, eh?

ETA: Just to be clear, I don't think this was a planned event, I think it happened and then a story was quickly tossed together.
I think this mostly because the story is so sloppy and irrational, it reeks of being rushed.
A planned event wouldn't have weird 4am phone calls to hurriedly get a crew together for a job that had zero urgency to be done.
Or weird notes and digging through trash cans at local stores.

jmo, of course

 

[spaceycasey]

Yes, but law enforcement has the facts, and they are acting in accordance with them. Follow enough cases with CBI and FBI involvement, and it’s easy to determine what those actions mean.

Something compelling spurred them to excavate that job site, and search the home that second time.

Likewise, something compelling had to have caused them not to treat this as an abduction, which would have been a very plausible scenario early on.

So we don’t have the evidence, but we can gauge the strength of that evidence.

bbm: I think this is so important. After many years invested into true crime, one of the things that has stuck with me is how hard getting a search warrant is, and how it's even harder to get a second one for the same location. Reminds me how the PE guys always say they, "haven't left the house yet." Makes you wonder... I almost wish I could mind read lol

 

[Dave F.]

I also don't think this was an abduction.

IMO, the first search of the house is a given. The second search, I agree that something compelling brought LE back there, with a judges approval. That could have been because they think a crime was committed inside the home and/or the property or something else. IMO, it's clear LE are and have investigated BM fully. His worksite dig, that was a big deal and did not look good for BM at all. However, today, where does BM stand with LE and their investigation? Is he the #1 suspect, 1 of several or ruled out? For me*, I don't know and am not comfortable going all in on BM, although stats are not on his side. IIRC, CCSO said they have served several search warrants, did not say for what or where. My imagination is running wild. I'm still stuck on that recent CCSO release where they specifically mentioned SM's social media activity and several named social media platforms and apps. I don't think that was really about BM. It was a super small snippet of their investigation released to the public. IMO

The first house search appeared to be done by the CCSO with technicians from CBI assisting, while the second search was FBI agents. In Colorado cases like this, the FBI has been instrumental in communications, social media, and email data searches. One thing that popped into my mind was that the CCSO and CBI may have been unaware that the family maintained their own strong Wi-Fi, but the FBI would have determined that later in data examination (if it was missed). don't find the second search very unusual, regardless of reason. In recent Colorado cases, the Frazee home was searched twice, the Berreth home three or four times, and the Stauch home has been searched three times that we have read about.
IMO

 

[Dalgliesh]

@MassGuy – you said, “Without a body, a witness, or compelling physical evidence, there was zero chance he would have been arrested early on.”

My point, poorly made, was that he would certainly have been arrested if the interrogation had achieved its goal: his confession to the murder of his wife.

It’s no surprise that BM’s first conversation with LE resulted in the discrepancy he admitted to LS, and even more. This was not a kind and casual conversation with a bereft husband – it was the professional interrogation of a natural suspect: the sole intimate partner of a woman who disappeared under circumstances that aroused the CCSO’s suspicion.

The investigators likely would have employed elements of the “Reid technique” – an approach to interrogation developed after courts began to exclude from evidence confessions that resulted from physical beatings and threats, sleep or food deprivation, prolonged isolation, or explicit promises of light sentences or immunity from prosecution.

The Reid technique employs forms of psychological coercion with the goal of extracting a confession. It is based on proven psychological influence strategies so powerful that the technique is known to have induced suspects to confess to crimes they did not commit.

If you’ve ever participated in a formal deposition or a trial of any kind, you know how stressful a high stakes conversation can be. My friend recently testified for seven hours in a civil case, and she was mentally and physically exhausted. And this was in a court, with a friendly attorney and a judge to keep the cross examination from becoming argumentative, repetitive, or otherwise harassing. Without an attorney in a police interrogation, there is no such protection.

With this in mind, the idea that a guilty BM could spend 30 hours being interrogated by CCSO investigators without confessing seems dissonant. I frankly don’t see him as a genius sociopath who could breeze through a Reid interrogation sans counsel without breaking a sweat. The fact that he didn’t confess under the circumstances gives me a reason to avoid leaping to a firm conclusion that he’s guilty of murdering his wife, without seeing the actual evidence.

I agree entirely that the CCSO must have some evidence that BM committed a crime and evidence of that crime could be found at the Salida worksite where he had done hardscaping. However murky the definition of probable cause may be, it’s hard to see how a connection of that worksite could be made without at least some evidence that BM had committed a crime and disposed of evidence there.

But that’s as far as it goes. The search of the worksite produced no evidence related to MS’s disappearance, according to the DCSO’s public statement. And whatever evidence supported the judge’s determination of probable cause, it is undermined somewhat by the failure to produce the expected evidence.

In any case, whatever the burden of proof for probable cause may be, it falls far short of “compelling” evidence. In my mind the worksite warrant seemed very significant when it was served. It still signals that LE has some evidence that tends to show BM’s guilt. But I can’t now characterize the warrant as “stunning” and “a big deal” without seeing the actual evidence on which the warrant was based.

I agree that the Broomfield job is a “bad look” at the very least. If it was intended to be an alibi, it creates more suspicion than it’s worth. Even in a state where you can get a construction job if you can lift a nailgun, can the inexplicably slapdash recruitment of a “meth-head” crew for a repair job rescheduled at the last minute and inadequately led, equipped, and prepped be the work of a credible contractor? People are right to question this, and BM may well have to explain. But as far as we know, the explanation may be that he needed to cover an assignation with an old flame he recently discovered in Broomfield. Then his wife disappeared and the scheme blew up in his face. In that case he’s certainly a disgraceful husband, but probably not a murderer.

We don’t know what the cell phone records of the various parties say. This, and the forensic analysis of the PP home search, are the most intriguing areas of speculation here, and you may be right. This evidence may be part of a damning picture, in which Suzanne is dead by the morning of Mother’s Day when BM claims she was alive. Clearly it hasn’t eliminated suspicion to that effect. But until I see the evidence, I won’t know how impactful it is.

Clearly, you are a civilized man, @MassGuy. BM presents to the public as more of a stumblebum. As my grandmother would say, “He is a schmuck. He didn’t deserve her! If her family don’t like him, they’re right!!” But his behavior is not at all unprecedented for guys like him, let alone contrary to human nature. JMO. Of course.

To your final point, serial killers have been known to abduct low risk victims from low crime areas time and time again without immediate detection.

But MSM has not looked into the Sex Offender Registry, and LE has not shared whether any suspected active serial killers may be around (like the CIA, they have their methods but don’t share).

So we don’t get to speculate here about anyone other than BM.

I may join in the speculation about BM, but life has taught me to be prepared for surprises.

 

[rainbowshummingbird]

@MassGuy – you said, “Without a body, a witness, or compelling physical evidence, there was zero chance he would have been arrested early on.”

My point, poorly made, was that he would certainly have been arrested if the interrogation had achieved its goal: his confession to the murder of his wife.

It’s no surprise that BM’s first conversation with LE resulted in the discrepancy he admitted to LS, and even more. This was not a kind and casual conversation with a bereft husband – it was the professional interrogation of a natural suspect: the sole intimate partner of a woman who disappeared under circumstances that aroused the CCSO’s suspicion.

The investigators likely would have employed elements of the “Reid technique” – an approach to interrogation developed after courts began to exclude from evidence confessions that resulted from physical beatings and threats, sleep or food deprivation, prolonged isolation, or explicit promises of light sentences or immunity from prosecution.

The Reid technique employs forms of psychological coercion with the goal of extracting a confession. It is based on proven psychological influence strategies so powerful that the technique is known to have induced suspects to confess to crimes they did not commit.

If you’ve ever participated in a formal deposition or a trial of any kind, you know how stressful a high stakes conversation can be. My friend recently testified for seven hours in a civil case, and she was mentally and physically exhausted. And this was in a court, with a friendly attorney and a judge to keep the cross examination from becoming argumentative, repetitive, or otherwise harassing. Without an attorney in a police interrogation, there is no such protection.

With this in mind, the idea that a guilty BM could spend 30 hours being interrogated by CCSO investigators without confessing seems dissonant. I frankly don’t see him as a genius sociopath who could breeze through a Reid interrogation sans counsel without breaking a sweat. The fact that he didn’t confess under the circumstances gives me a reason to avoid leaping to a firm conclusion that he’s guilty of murdering his wife, without seeing the actual evidence.

I agree entirely that the CCSO must have some evidence that BM committed a crime and evidence of that crime could be found at the Salida worksite where he had done hardscaping. However murky the definition of probable cause may be, it’s hard to see how a connection of that worksite could be made without at least some evidence that BM had committed a crime and disposed of evidence there.

But that’s as far as it goes. The search of the worksite produced no evidence related to MS’s disappearance, according to the DCSO’s public statement. And whatever evidence supported the judge’s determination of probable cause, it is undermined somewhat by the failure to produce the expected evidence.

In any case, whatever the burden of proof for probable cause may be, it falls far short of “compelling” evidence. In my mind the worksite warrant seemed very significant when it was served. It still signals that LE has some evidence that tends to show BM’s guilt. But I can’t now characterize the warrant as “stunning” and “a big deal” without seeing the actual evidence on which the warrant was based.

I agree that the Broomfield job is a “bad look” at the very least. If it was intended to be an alibi, it creates more suspicion than it’s worth. Even in a state where you can get a construction job if you can lift a nailgun, can the inexplicably slapdash recruitment of a “meth-head” crew for a repair job rescheduled at the last minute and inadequately led, equipped, and prepped be the work of a credible contractor? People are right to question this, and BM may well have to explain. But as far as we know, the explanation may be that he needed to cover an assignation with an old flame he recently discovered in Broomfield. Then his wife disappeared and the scheme blew up in his face. In that case he’s certainly a disgraceful husband, but probably not a murderer.

We don’t know what the cell phone records of the various parties say. This, and the forensic analysis of the PP home search, are the most intriguing areas of speculation here, and you may be right. This evidence may be part of a damning picture, in which Suzanne is dead by the morning of Mother’s Day when BM claims she was alive. Clearly it hasn’t eliminated suspicion to that effect. But until I see the evidence, I won’t know how impactful it is.

Clearly, you are a civilized man, @MassGuy. BM presents to the public as more of a stumblebum. As my grandmother would say, “He is a schmuck. He didn’t deserve her! If her family don’t like him, they’re right!!” But his behavior is not at all unprecedented for guys like him, let alone contrary to human nature. JMO. Of course.

To your final point, serial killers have been known to abduct low risk victims from low crime areas time and time again without immediate detection.

But MSM has not looked into the Sex Offender Registry, and LE has not shared whether any suspected active serial killers may be around (like the CIA, they have their methods but don’t share).

So we don’t get to speculate here about anyone other than BM.

I may join in the speculation about BM, but life has taught me to be prepared for surprises.

We only have Barry’s word that he participated in 30 hours of questioning. We don’t know if his reporting on this is accurate.

 

[dmac55]

Except if she were known to go riding it would be a very logical question...is her bike there?

Yes, I agree

My next thought, upon finding out that a person who was known to go riding... that their bike was not at their house, would be this:
They're out riding their bike

Nothing more, nothing less

Until far more time had passed

 

[MassGuy]

We only have Barry’s word that he participated in 30 hours of questioning. We don’t know if his reporting on this is accurate.

Lol. Judging by his tendency to exaggerate, I’m not convinced it’s accurate.

I mean, he explored an impossible amount of terrain with his military buddy who did an impossible number of tours.

30 hours is a hell of a lot.

 

[Dalgliesh]

Lol. Judging by his tendency to exaggerate, I’m not convinced it’s accurate.

I mean, he explored an impossible amount of terrain with his military buddy who did an impossible number of tours.

30 hours is a hell of a lot.

I can't deny either point. But clearly he interviewed with police without a lawyer. He says he answered all their questions. In the circumstances, that would take several hours over many visits. CCSO haven't denied that, explicitly or explicitly. He hasn't been described as uncooperative. He even admits to LS there was a discrepancy between his memory and other contradictory evidence. Are we really going to quibble about whether it was 30 hours or 13? He clearly spent substantial time in the Reid meatgrinder and didn't confess. That point seems unavoidable. It gives me pause regardless whether BM exaggerated the time.

 

[GordianKnot]

Lol. Judging by his tendency to exaggerate, I’m not convinced it’s accurate.

I mean, he explored an impossible amount of terrain with his military buddy who did an impossible number of tours.

30 hours is a hell of a lot.

BBM:

It was three -30 hours, to be exact.

The fact that no one knows what three-30 hours is supposed to mean, notwithstanding.

“People don’t know the truth”: Suzanne Morphew’s husband breaks silence after three months | FOX21 News Colorado
SABBM:
“I’ve never been asked to do a polygraph,” Barry said. “There is nothing that I am hiding. I have given three – 30 hours of testimony to the FBI and the CBI. I’ve answered every question. Every single question.”

To your point, BM certainly does appear to be someone with a predilection for inflating the numbers.

• 10 people touched the bike.
• #TeamBarry searched a 200-mile radius.
• Buddy "who knows more about this stuff than anybody" did 400 tours of Iraq, Afghanistan.
• He spent three -30 hours answering all of LE's questions.

I find it quite remarkable that LE would spend three-30 hours questioning someone without once inquiring about whether he'd be willing to take a polygraph to help LE with their investigation.

And by remarkable here, I mean totally unbelievable.

Which is par for the course, seeing as how I believe precisely not one syllable emanating from BM's mouth.

JMO.

 

[MassGuy]

I can't deny either point. But clearly he interviewed with police without a lawyer. He says he answered all their questions. In the circumstances, that would take several hours over many visits. CCSO haven't denied that, explicitly or explicitly. He hasn't been described as uncooperative. He even admits to LS there was a discrepancy between his memory and other contradictory evidence. Are we really going to quibble about whether it was 30 hours or 13? He clearly spent substantial time in the Reid meatgrinder and didn't confess. That point seems unavoidable. It gives me pause regardless whether BM exaggerated the time.

I don’t know where this idea that guilty people usually confess is coming from.

I can think of countless cases where suspects didn’t invoke Miranda during lengthy interviews, and still didn’t confess.

I think you’re putting way too much stock in the ability of law enforcement to elicit a confession in a crime like this.