Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #52

[OldCop]

That scenario would be entirely possible (and explain BM's weird behavior on Saturday morning on the job site with MG), but it all hinges on the actual timing of the convo online with her friend in IN. If they were chatting in the morning, before 11am when BM called it an early day and left for biking/hiking, then Friday's off the table. I sure wish we knew the actual time of day she was supposedly chatting with her friend, when the convo abruptly ended. That would eliminate a lot of speculation.

jmo

ITA, @Ontario Mom. We don’t know if it was premeditated, how long BM had to clean up dispose of the body, when she actually went missing, so it is so hard to speculate from there. The 3 critical times for me are:
1] Were the noises in the night at Salida Friday night or Saturday night?
2] When did the BFF last feel she was talking to the real SM before she went silent?
3] After the bike repair guy, who, besides BM, saw SM in person or talked, not texted, with her on the phone? We know nothing about SM’s activities on Friday, but we know BM worked at the Salida job that night according to MG.

 

[MrsWatson]

It always amazes me to hear that a true crime fan allegedly committed a crime. As a true crime fan myself, my biggest take away has always been that I could never commit a crime and get away with it. There are way too many ways to get caught. I guess I always assume that criminals don't have the forensic files host whisper them to sleep every night like i do,, because if they did, they would know that they would/could get caught by the smallest piece of evidence. Jmo

I think criminals watch them & think, "Hey, I could do better than that!" Like they're doing research.

It sure would be interesting to know what cases BM has followed, wouldn't it?

 

[TIGER0822]

I still think Friday is in the running, @Ontario Mom. MG said BM worked at the “beach” at the Salida job site Friday night. He was really anxious Saturday Morning. He called off work early. He was seen in town alone. He met JP on Saturday afternoon in town and asked him if he would be available to work on the Broomfield job. Any of this could also be a marker for premeditation but:
I think BM might have killed his wife Friday night in some type of rage. He panicked. He may have temporarily concealed her body that night. He needed to come up with an alibi. He couldn’t report her missing then, because he was there. So he went to the job site with MG Saturday morning trying to act as if everything was normal. His nerves couldn’t take it and he needed to get things done. He told MG he had to go home and make SM happy by taking her hiking or biking. This means SM was not happy. I think the hiking or biking line was a slip. I think he was planning the alibi. Could he shove her off a cliff somewhere? Or could she disappear on a bike ride? I think by the time he went into town and met JP he had settled on the bike ride and his Broomfield job alibi.
SM may have texted with her BFF on Friday night. The BFF texts on Saturday morning but SM either doesn’t answer or BM answers and says something generic like, “Can’t talk right now”. Later BFF tries to reach her again, but receives no response.

I think that the body was disposed of between 11pm when the machinery was heard at the site and 4am when he was allegedly outside MG house calling her.
I am sure there was additional evidence on top of a neighbor hearing loud noises at the site to obtain that warrant.
Speculation, perhaps a video camera in the area picked up a certain vehicle heading towards the site, or leaving the site. Ya know, he had to do something mechanical to the Bob cat. IMO

 

[Ontario Mom]

ITA, @Ontario Mom. We don’t know if it was premeditated, how long BM had to clean up dispose of the body, when she actually went missing, so it is so hard to speculate from there. The 3 critical times for me are:
1] Were the noises in the night at Salida Friday night or Saturday night?
2] When did the BFF last feel she was talking to the real SM before she went silent?
3] After the bike repair guy, who, besides BM, saw SM in person or talked, not texted, with her on the phone? We know nothing about SM’s activities on Friday, but we know BM worked at the Salida job that night according to MG.

While I'm sure someone thought they heard something, I'm not putting a lot of weight (none, actually) on those supposed machine noises at that jobsite. There's just so much about that, that we don't know, to figure out how to make it even fit. And that, is with the big fat assumption that it was even BM there, making noises.

jmo

 

[TIGER0822]

While I'm sure someone thought they heard something, I'm not putting a lot of weight (none, actually) on those supposed machine noises at that jobsite. There's just so much about that, that we don't know, to figure out how to make it even fit. And that, is with the big fat assumption that it was even BM there, making noises.

jmo

There had to be more evidence than a neighbor thinks she heard noise (a truck in front of her house maybe) to obtain a three day search warrant.

 

[Ontario Mom]

There had to be more evidence than a neighbor thinks she heard noise (a truck in front of her house maybe) to obtain a three day search warrant.

I suppose the fact that it was BM hired to bring in dirt for that jobsite, and what MG had to say about BM's behavior on the jobsite, had more to do with the search warrant than some elderly lady remembering hearing a sound one night that weekend. IIRC, she wasn't even entirely sure which night it was. Judges usually don't sign off on search warrants with that kind of "iffy" information.

jmo

 

[MrsWatson]

Does anyone who is good with looking up cases know if there are any other pressing cases in Chaffee County that would also warrant the new DA's close attention?

Her comment about the use of grand juries is very interesting.

 

[MrsWatson]

So I've been thinking about cases where no body is ever found. Perry March jumps to mind. Drew Peterson's first wife? The one he killed in the bathtub, and Stacey, who has never been found.

Also, how weird to listen to true crime when hunting. JMO, but still, kind of creepy.

 

[susiQ]

I suppose the fact that it was BM hired to bring in dirt for that jobsite, and what MG had to say about BM's behavior on the jobsite, had more to do with the search warrant than some elderly lady remembering hearing a sound one night that weekend. IIRC, she wasn't even entirely sure which night it was. Judges usually don't sign off on search warrants with that kind of "iffy" information.

jmo

I agree a Judge would not sign off on a search warrant for “iffy” information. MG’s statements surely helped. However, I also feel confident LE would have investigated much further than MG and the elderly neighbour of the Salida job site. They would likely have interviewed the General Contractor and anyone else that had left equipment on that property to see if anyone had reason to be there operating equipment that late at night. It certainly would be considered out of the ordinary. It would appear they could not find anyone that confessed to having been there operating equipment. Perhaps they were able to place BM in the general vicinity or even right there during that period of time. BM no doubt lied and then confronted with it, lied some more. That cat Bob needed something or other done to it. Maybe at that point even his pants caught on fire! JMHO.

 

[susiQ]

Does anyone who is good with looking up cases know if there are any other pressing cases in Chaffee County that would also warrant the new DA's close attention?

Her comment about the use of grand juries is very interesting.

This one comes to mind. It’s an old one but I believe there’s renewed interest. MOO

DA's Resignation Could Change Course Of Cold Case Murder Investigation

 

[Algo214]

This one comes to mind. It’s an old one but I believe there’s renewed interest. MOO

DA's Resignation Could Change Course Of Cold Case Murder Investigation

That's where my mind immediately went to, it's even the same Sheriff.

Hope this DA gets the job done.

 

[MrsWatson]

This one comes to mind. It’s an old one but I believe there’s renewed interest. MOO

DA's Resignation Could Change Course Of Cold Case Murder Investigation

Ahhh poor Beverly. I hope there is some movement for this case, too.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Does anyone who is good with looking up cases know if there are any other pressing cases in Chaffee County that would also warrant the new DA's close attention?

Her comment about the use of grand juries is very interesting.

I had looked into something similar a couple weeks ago, when I realized that the DA covered FOUR counties. The District Attorney’s Office in the 11th Judicial District serves four Colorado counties and their many communities in separate offices, located in the towns of Cañon City in Fremont County; Fairplay in Park County; Salida in Chaffee County; and Westcliffe in Custer County, Colorado.
| Office of the District Attorney, 11th Judicial District

I didn’t find any pressing cases (as such), aside from the Bev England case which has received recent attention in the news. I did notice there are 4 cold case homicides in Chaffee county on the Colorado Cold Case Files - Search Page. 2 cold case homicides in other counties.

And the Morphew case was not one of the listed cold cases.

So I wonder.. will the new DA prioritize cold cases over current ones?

jmo

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Spontaneous random thought on bus ..... so this bike was allegedly bought for parts before Suzanne’s disappearance. I wonder if she told anyone about it being bought for parts, or some other reason, on social media per chance or in conversation. End of random thought on bus.

 

[steeltowngirl]

So I've been thinking about cases where no body is ever found. Perry March jumps to mind. Drew Peterson's first wife? The one he killed in the bathtub, and Stacey, who has never been found.

Also, how weird to listen to true crime when hunting. JMO, but still, kind of creepy.

Kelsey Berreth was a no-body homicide case. Dan May put Patrick Frazee away for life without parole PLUS 156 years.

Cari Farver. What seemed like a horrific stalking case was a jealous lover's cover for murder

How about this prosecutor? He put away 5 murderers in no-body homicides. Castillo Known As a Master of His Craft

 

[steeltowngirl]

Does anyone who is good with looking up cases know if there are any other pressing cases in Chaffee County that would also warrant the new DA's close attention?

Her comment about the use of grand juries is very interesting.

Here is a current high-profile Chaffee County case. Herbert Lucas Scott is due in court Feb. 4.
Salida man faces 9 counts of sexual assault on a child | FOX21 News Colorado

 

[borndem]

There had to be more evidence than a neighbor thinks she heard noise (a truck in front of her house maybe) to obtain a three day search warrant.

Please let there be more evidence...
Noises can be very tricky...
But if it will enable LE to get a SW, we'll take it!
Oh, this is so, so fr-r-rustating!

 

[Momofthreeboys]

I never found that sandwich, all I could find was MG's statement that she'd heard he was in town by himself wandering around or words to that effect and she was surprised because he'd told her he was going to be going home...

I feel she was set up and I got the impression that she knew it too. But she gave her phone to LE, she wasn't afraid.
I think Friday is a definite runner depending upon the nature of the alleged conversation with her friend and whether it was verbal or via text. And the time.
LE will know the time.
They're very tight.
I think they have strong cards but I don't know why I think that...
I reckon the GJ is a runner too.
Suppose it happened Friday and was disposed on Friday...
On Saturday he started having second thoughts about some aspects of the disposal site.. it needed to be altered...
But the machinery didn't start moving until very late at night.. a job he thought he could do by hand suddenly needed a machine???

I thought we were not certain what night the neighbor to the river home construction heard the noise. I thought she couldn’t remember although was certain it was Mother’s Day weekend.

 

[steeltowngirl]

I thought we were not certain what night the neighbor to the river home construction heard the noise. I thought she couldn’t remember although was certain it was Mother’s Day weekend.

I recall discussions here about which night it was. The media has stated it as late on May 9. But who knows really?

A resident of Salida, Colorado was awoken by 'a loud noise' the night before Suzanne Morphew was reported as missing.

Suzanne, 49, has not been seen since since she reportedly set off on a solo bike ride on Mother's Day, May 10 - although no eyewitnesses have reported seeing her out on the bicycle.

Mary Branson lives next door to a home being built by Suzanne's husband, Barry Morphew, and says she shot out of bed when she heard a strange sound coming from the construction site late on May 9.

'At the very first I thought it was a truck or something maybe parked in my driveway or something, but no, it kept running,' Branson told Fox 21 on Friday.

The alarmed neighbor said the noise sounded like machinery or construction equipment and lasted 'for about half an hour'.

Branson recalled: 'I sat up in bed and said, "What's going on, this time of night? That's ridiculous.'"

Woman 'woken by loud machinery' near where woman went missing | Daily Mail Online

 

[kshultz06082]

I think criminals watch them & think, "Hey, I could do better than that!" Like they're doing research.

It sure would be interesting to know what cases BM has followed, wouldn't it?

It definitely could be interesting and insightful!