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

[Cindizzi]

Chaffee County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the Morphew residence has been released to the family. No further information on the status of the investigation, but they are still looking for tips: (719) 312-7530.

EK on Twitter

 

[otto]

About the bridge, ravine, bike discussion, this is to topo map of the area. The black box is the family home, the two red circles are bridges close to home.

The second map tells me that Fooses Creek and the trail are in the ravine - which makes sense. Creeks trails are typically at the lowest elevation. This leaves me confused about tumbling into a ravine.

Does anyone have any information about the ravine? Was this a 20 foot drop, or a 2000 foot drop? Where does this information originate?





https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=4bf7a9c717334545a908314ab47a3328

 

[Knox]

Keep in mind a few things:

• LE will not arrest someone until they've conferred with the DA and have determined there's enough evidence to prove the criminal charges--and what would those criminal charges be right now?
• In a criminal case the state only gets one bite of the apple, so they don't want to arrest and try someone if they don't have enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury. The DA works with LE on determining this.
• While case followers think 2 weeks is a long time, it's really not long at all.
• Forensics and other tests take time. Sometimes a lot more time, depending on what it is, how backed up the crime lab(s) are, and which experts are needed to do the testing.
• LE just released the home, they haven't even had time to sort through everything, there's urgency but it's not a rush.
• Without a body it can be more challenging to achieve a criminal conviction. It's optimal to find the body of the missing person, and LE has made it clear that finding SM is the priority.

Good points!

I'm following the Kiera Bergman case out of Phoenix. Her boyfriend was arrested for her murder back in 2018 and has been waiting for trial. Back in March a Judge dismissed the case without prejudice, due to the mishandling of one or more Silent Witness Tips (potentially exculpatory records/leads). I feel awful for Kiera's parents!
Case against man accused of killing teen girlfriend Kiera Bergman dismissed

Are Silent Witness Tips different than the tips called into the CBI tipline in this case?

 

[Steelslady]

Personally, I lean towards this being a crime of passion, with a sloppy coverup.

The staging works in both scenarios, especially if the perpetrator has time to work with.

The reason I’m leaning towards this being spontaneous, is that it looks on the surface as if law enforcement was never fooled. I’d expect a non premeditated crime to have more mistakes than that of something that was planned.

Of course people who commit premeditated murder make some glaring errors as well, so the door is obviously open to that.

I just lean the other way.

Indeed, it could go either way. This could be premeditated for sure, especially with certain circumstances working to the perps favor such as the daughters going camping, Suzanne being alone, etc.

It could also be a crime of passion as you said, too- heat of the moment.

I am leaning on premeditated myself. Sloppy job of a set up for sure, but when is any set up a clean one? I often wonder if these guys and gals took theater or something in high school and got a big resounding "F" in that class.

 

[LietKynes]

I agree. But I don'

I agree. But I hate this part. The waiting. MOO.

Agreed.

But I think LE are getting all of their ducks in a row.
And sometimes there's more than one perp.
I have to wonder what they're uncovering.....

 

[MyBelle]

Completely agree.

MOO but a 5% increase in the reward money isn't going to solicit a new tip.

What COULD bring in new info is removing the stipulation for SM being returned unharmed. If someone other than the perp knows even a little bit of what happened and they think they can get some of the money by sharing that info even if she's deceased there is a chance there. MOO

If SB is being held against her will, removing the stipulation she must be returned alive would be an incentive for her abductor to kill her.

JMO

There's also something else that stood out to me, in my own interpretation of the part where he says he would pay any amount for her safe return:

not guilty- he'd give up everything he owns and has to have her back and hopes she comes home alive

guilty- I would give everything I have to take back what I did.

We shall see which way he means this.

One last thing- remember how angry we were at Frazee never doing any interviews at all, no statement, no concern? We all knew in our hearts, he didn't care about her, many of us felt his hatred towards her in his own actions after she went missing.

Say what any of us want, but he did do a 26 second clip. He at least did that much. What it means, remains to be seen.

iirc, we were angry with Frazee because he refused to let KB's parents time with the baby and he didn't attend the LE press conference.

JMO

 

[MrX]

In the Watt case LE knew they had the right guy, but needed Chris' help to find bodies. In the Powell case they had a good idea who was responsible, but still haven't found the body. The lack of apparent movement here could be for same reason. LE may have their suspect but, considering the location, may feel that they may never find body without help from the perp.

 

[MyBelle]

If the staging was done to fake a kidnapping, then the 'stager' is the perpetrator, needless to say. In the case of a kidnapping scenario, a bike is involved.

So whoever first uttered the idea that SM went for a bike ride on Mothers Day is the one that harmed SM. Because that person staged the scene. IMO

So, it isn't possible that their home security video caught SB leaving on her bicycle?

JMO

 

[RickshawFan]

Whadda y'all think about a speculative idea that BM "kidnapped" his wife and has her hidden somewhere?

In the absence of new information, I'm going for this concept: maybe some of these details are related in some bizarre way or other to the truth.

 

[Nikynoo]

I agree that it's unlikely this is an intentional red herring. But I also think it is reasonable to assume that initial narrative most likely came from someone very close to BM/SM. Given it includes information not found elsewhere (crashed bike, mountain lion sighting) that has never been confirmed and the theory was dismissed quickly by LE, it does make me wonder anyway. Maybe its church gossip at its worst, but if it went out via email you'd think it was deemed reliable. While its circumstantial evidence at best, if there was an embellishment of facts to further an animal attack narrative, that is interesting, JMO, MOO

This is from a post by @Dave F. BBM - I have no idea where Monarch Pass is or any of the bridges mentioned. I appear to have inserted the ravine myself confused, but could you please advise what is underneath local bridges please?

"I am saying that if the bike was found at, under or beside the Fooses Lake Bridge, the logical conclusion would be that she was separated from her bike there, on a return descent from the top of Monarch Pass toward her own house. It is highly unlikely that staging would have taken place there.
One example might be that she was descending at high speed, came around the bend and at first sight of the bridge saw that it was blocked by a person, took the only high speed escape route to the right of the bridge, slammed on her brakes so hard that they locked, throwing her forward and rendering her incapable of defending herself. Backing that imaginary vision up to start, we have heard that a biker called LE to report a car parked on CR 225 with a man in it, who looked suspicious. CR225 is entirely below Fooses Lake Dam, so It would have been possible to observe SM starting her bike ride from that road, but not possible to observe her descending to Fooses Lake Bridge from CR 225. In plain English, the could have seen her going up, and waited for her to come down at the one bottleneck where she could be stopped.
Did it happen that way? I don't know.
IMO

 

[Warwick7]

Who is SB that some posters are referring to??

 

[Itsapuzzle]

I have a lot of threads to catch up on, apologies if this has been gone over before, but just curious, was the bike helmet missing from the house? And where was it usually kept, if anyone's heard anything about it?

 

[TristanP]

THAT is the strangest opening EVER!!

To me it sounded like “Hello Suzanne” but it got cut off in the editing process and became “Oh Suzanne”. “Hello Suzanne” would have been even weirder lol.

 

[TristanP]

Gannon Stauch’s home was released back to the family, they moved out, and the owner subsequently rented to another family after the crime. We all know now what they found in that home. Once they had everything they needed, they didn’t need to hold the home.

I don’t necessarily think it means nothing was found.

IMO MOO JMO

Everyone seems to think that releasing that search site and releasing the house must mean they just have nothing at all to go on. Do people not understand that lab results take time? LE has barely had enough time to get the phone data and begin to analyze it, and to have their personal electronics cloned and begin to be analyzed.

There’s still a LOT happening there.

 

[mrstfs]

Who is SB that some posters are referring to??

I think it’s a typo.

 

[windrower]

About the bridge, ravine, bike discussion, this is to topo map of the area. The black box is the family home, the two red circles are bridges close to home.

The second map tells me that Fooses Creek and the trail are in the ravine - which makes sense. Creeks trails are typically at the lowest elevation. This leaves me confused about tumbling into a ravine.

Does anyone have any information about the ravine? Was this a 20 foot drop, or a 2000 foot drop? Where does this information originate?

View attachment 248685

View attachment 248686

https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=4bf7a9c717334545a908314ab47a3328

The third bridge close to the Morphew home is where County Road 225 crosses over the S Arkansas River. That bridge is also west of the intersection of County Road 225 and Hwy 50, an area where the sheriff's office found what was believed to be a personal item of SM's.

Chaffee County Sheriff's Office

While the search for Suzanne Morphew continues, a specific area just west of County Road 225 and Highway 50 (outside of Maysville), is being targeted by investigators after they located what’s believed to be a personal item of the missing woman.

On Friday, May 15, members of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) plan to launch a comprehensive search of the area.

More than fifty searchers and investigators will comb the area in an effort to seek additional items or other clues that may identify the whereabouts of Ms. Morphew.

Unfortunately, this search will cause a temporary closure U.S. Highway 50, Monarch Pass for an undetermined amount of time.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and its partners will work to ensure the roads are opened as quickly as possible as to reduce the impact on drivers and those living in the area.

Note: The media will not be granted access to the site due to the location and nature of the search; however, Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze plans to brief the media at the conclusion of the search, most likely Friday afternoon. Briefing details and location will be released as soon as they are available.

 

[BeckyF]

So, it isn't possible that their home security video caught SB leaving on her bicycle?

JMO

Who is SB? Do you mean SM?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

http://www.nonprofitfacts.com/IN/Suzanne-R-Morphew-Hope-Foundation-Inc.html

SM's charity effort seems to have been abandoned after only a few years. I doubt this has anything to do with this case but I'm including it here JIC. Reported money flow through that charity doesn't seem to have been significant.

 

[otto]

This is from a post by @Dave F. BBM - I have no idea where Monarch Pass is or any of the bridges mentioned. I appear to have inserted the ravine myself confused, but could you please advise what is underneath local bridges please?

"I am saying that if the bike was found at, under or beside the Fooses Lake Bridge, the logical conclusion would be that she was separated from her bike there, on a return descent from the top of Monarch Pass toward her own house. It is highly unlikely that staging would have taken place there.
One example might be that she was descending at high speed, came around the bend and at first sight of the bridge saw that it was blocked by a person, took the only high speed escape route to the right of the bridge, slammed on her brakes so hard that they locked, throwing her forward and rendering her incapable of defending herself. Backing that imaginary vision up to start, we have heard that a biker called LE to report a car parked on CR 225 with a man in it, who looked suspicious. CR225 is entirely below Fooses Lake Dam, so It would have been possible to observe SM starting her bike ride from that road, but not possible to observe her descending to Fooses Lake Bridge from CR 225. In plain English, the could have seen her going up, and waited for her to come down at the one bottleneck where she could be stopped.
Did it happen that way? I don't know.
IMO

There's a third bridge 8.8km from her home, this is ~ 5.5M.



This is the bridge. The trail appears to go around the pass, not over the pass.





https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=4bf7a9c717334545a908314ab47a3328

 

[Area52]

So, it isn't possible that their home security video caught SB leaving on her bicycle?

JMO

Not quite sure who SB is that you keep referring to. Can you explain?