Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #8

[Truecolors]

DBM. Question answered

 

[MsBetsy]

They were not included in the list of agencies that joined in the search. Do you know that they were specifically ordered NOT to search?

I don't know about "ordered", but it's not unusual for only LE and trained search and rescue teams to be involved, especially when foul play is suspected.

Maybe the firefighters asked and were told no. LE indicated early on that they were not using volunteers in the search.

Imo

 

[Truecolors]

If she was abducted at the Fooses Dam Bridge, the perp would have to travel almost all the way back to her house to escape by road. If she was at all capable of doing anything, it would be ingenious to drop or toss something that was clearly hers..............jewelry, a watch, a special brand of lip balm that she prefers..............anything that she had which would indicate the direction she was taken.
Yes...........before your keys hit the keyboard, it stands to reason that a perp could stage all of the evidence, no matter where it is found. IMO

Do you see moving her from the bike to the road by car? I’ve been very curious about how accessible the bike spot is by car, and how conspicuous it would be to be driving near there.

 

[Poedelini]

The fact that BM adresses the alledges kidnappers AND Suzanne herself in the plea video feels like a indicator something is off. Why would you do that if your 100% convinced kidnappers have your wife. Imo

 

[debrat007]

Yeah, that whole letter to the church thing is just so weird to me.
Something is off and someone is trying to set the scenario/stage

Agree. If these were people you were super close to you’d call them in a panic and ask them to pray. Who in their right mind could take the time to type an email describing your worst nightmare. We don’t know if this was true though and if so, who sent it.

 

[MrX]

How many cases lead to charge and conviction when there is no body and no forensic evidence that points to foul play? Could just be the proverbial "perfect crime."

 

[Poedelini]

How many cases lead to charge and conviction when there is no body and no forensic evidence that points to foul play? Could just be the proverbial "perfect crime."

I wonder that too. My worst fear.

 

[Truecolors]

The DM article in Knox’s post below says the fire department was ordered not to take part in the search.

Morphew’s fire department colleagues have been ordered not to take part in the search by police, although locals said Morphew and his friends have been out looking for Suzanne.
Police search and carry out evidence bags from the $1.5M home of missing Colorado mom | Daily Mail Online

I don't know about "ordered", but it's not unusual for only LE and trained search and rescue teams to be involved, especially when foul play is suspected.

Maybe the firefighters asked and were told no. LE indicated early on that they were not using volunteers in the search.

Imo

 

[Dave F.]

RSBM

Yes, IMO this is the essence of detective work. It's very challenging to 'stage" something so that it convinces police. They've encountered so many real life situations, they can spot a fake one.

I expect that at this point they're looking at video evidence. From past cases, it seems they don't randomly fast forward through everyone's door cams, they try to pinpoint key cameras that the victim or perp had to pass by, and go through it very carefully, in real time. Unfortunately, things often happen after dark.

Very good points! there are only fourteen private properties in the subdivision, and only seven residences on them. Even for those seven, it hard to have a clear short of the street in front of your house when your front yard is a forest and your street.......well......um......isn't much of a street. I'm guessing doorbell cameras are going to do much good. I think LE wants video saved because doorbell cams across the county might have caught the perp as the vehicle drove to the neighborhood with the seven houses. In the disappearance of Mollie Tibbetts, the big break came when LE decided to go knock on doors looking for video in the least likely running route that she would have taken. Ultimately, triangulation of the various security cams pinpointed the exact point of abduction in a wide open intersection...........the least likely spot in the entire search area. IMO

 

[mrstfs]

How many cases lead to charge and conviction when there is no body and no forensic evidence that points to foul play? Could just be the proverbial "perfect crime."

There are “no body” murder charges but they need evidence that a crime was committed. They’re probably still processing evidence at this point. MOO

 

[lucidtx]

How many cases lead to charge and conviction when there is no body and no forensic evidence that points to foul play? Could just be the proverbial "perfect crime."

More than you might think.

"DiBiase's research shows so-called "no body" murders carry a conviction rate of 88 percent. That's compared to just 70 percent for murders where the victim's body or remains are included in the evidence, according to the Department of Justice."

Frazee Trial: "No body" murder trials carry high conviction rates

It's likely because prosecutors only take these cases to trial when the other evidence is very strong.

 

[Knox]

The above article - Made me wonder how it came to be that both daughters were away (and if they were actually together on this camping trip)? And then BM gone too. Had these arrangements been made in advance and if so at whose urgence?These answers could suggest premeditation.

Indeed it could, looking forward to hearing how all the trips out of town may be related. But IMO, this could just as easily been a heat of passion scenario and nothing was planned in advance. The planning was simply the cover up.

 

[Warwick7]

Just received the invite to this thread. It will take me a bit to catch up. My first thought would be to search the available bike trails for tire prints matching her bikes tires. The tires would need to be checked for accidental indicators (cuts, nicks, etc) that could be matched to a specific set of tire prints. Next would be to check a pair of her shoes for wear patterns. Hoping that someone in the SAR and LE teams have done this.

Nice to see you here Trackergd!

 

[Dave F.]

How many cases lead to charge and conviction when there is no body and no forensic evidence that points to foul play? Could just be the proverbial "perfect crime."

Colorado District 4 Prosecutor Dan May, who has positive experience in these matters, is term-limited out and therefore might be available as a consultant. No body / No problem IMO

 

[lucidtx]

Just received the invite to this thread. It will take me a bit to catch up. My first thought would be to search the available bike trails for tire prints matching her bikes tires. The tires would need to be checked for accidental indicators (cuts, nicks, etc) that could be matched to a specific set of tire prints. Next would be to check a pair of her shoes for wear patterns. Hoping that someone in the SAR and LE teams have done this.

They've had some top-notch trackers out there. The DOC sent their special man-tracking team with dogs and there's been a few other SAR resources out there who probably also track.

 

[Satchie]

I'm very outdoorsy and often go for solo hikes. I'm cautious and in the habit of always telling someone exactly where I'm going and when I expect to be back, but I admit I have occasionally failed to do so when I've been somewhere close to home that I'm super familiar with. I could see Suzanne doing the same, especially if she had a routine ride she took.

Totally possible to, for eg, bike up to a familar local viewpoint, and accidentally fall over the edge. Many things can happen on a casual ride close to home.

Wow just caught up with this post. Seems to be going around in circles. Very little to go on. Now we don't know if she went riding or not. Don't know when she actually disappeared. Back to the drawing board.

Isn't there a saying, that you can't prove a negative? No matter how hard people try to argue that she couldn't have gone on a bike ride, or she couldn't have been abducted, until we receive some key evidence of what actually did happen, those things remain entirely possible, they cannot be ruled out.

 

[DizzyB]

For those who follow cases regularly-how long before cracks in the silence begin to appear? Will family members decide to make appeals? Will LE just stop holding pressers if nothing is new? Unless news coverage continues, things just fade away when interest in the case drops. That’s why I think some families make appeals-to keep the pressure up to find their loved one. I know LE continues to do their job, but I believe that media does play a role in some way.

 

[LietKynes]

There was no church that Sunday: COVID.

Thanks RF.
I meant who knew her routines ?
Somehow the spreading of the 'bike ride' story feels important in this case !
Imo.

 

[debrat007]

Yeah, that whole letter to the church thing is just so weird to me.
Something is off and someone is trying to set the scenario/stage

Agree. If these were people you were super close to you’d call them in a panic and ask them to pray. Who in their right mind could take the time to type an email describing your worst nightmare. We don’t know if this was true though and if so, who sent it.

Unless she wasn’t feeling well, which seems unlikely IF you’re going on a bike ride in the first place, why Freak Out when you don’t get a response? This part makes no sense to me... I live in deep woods on 23 acres, I spend a lot of time alone, and my kids would never freak out IF I didn’t answer the phone for a day ... we have spotty reception, sometimes we have to go outside for calls or to get internet.
What made them SO worried SO quickly? That in itself makes me suspicious that something else might be going on at home. I just don’t see kids who aren’t even living at home freaking out when someone doesn’t respond and I don’t see any person going mountain bikes riding if they are Sick and Frail from cancer treatments. JMO.

Great point. Thinking of my friend with teenage daughters . . . it likely depended on when they last spoke or SM or texted. And these were daughters (vs. sons ) and it was Mother’s Day. I’m guessing they were frequently sending camping pics - instagramming maybe and texting (kids love selfies). If it’d been all day with no response they most likely would’ve called dad. Has he talked to mom? If they couldn’t reach dad, then I’d call someone close by. My friends daughters would’ve totally panicked. LE knows these answers based on cell phone records.

 

[wheatnotchaff]

“A February post from a social media account believed to belong to Barry Morphew said that his wife had “beat cancer twice.” The Indiana-based source said that Suzanne’s cancer had returned around the time the family was preparing to move to Colorado in 2018, and that she “was not doing well” at that time.”
Missing Suzanne Morphew may have had ‘angst’ about move to Colorado, family friend says [EXCLUSIVE]

Thank you for sharing this CrimeOnline link; it's helpful. On my read of the article, whether she had treatments recently isn't evident. The article also states that CrimeOnline was unable to independently verify her medical history. I think it stands to reason that BM's comment on FB is accurate, but beyond that, I'm not sure we have more information at this point ... maybe I'm missing something and if so, please straighten me out!