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

[LietKynes]

Here's my take on it and just my opinion.

It's two fold.

(IMO) First, the husband's co-workers wanted to help search. I find this admirable, people in many cases want to help, do something. However, LE was not asking for any volunteer searchers to help, even firefighters. In this case, it was no different than telling Joe Public, thanks but no thanks. Participation is by LE request only.

Second, I believe Fire Departments might be on scene as more of a support role when ground pounders are actually out in the event a searcher (as an example) needs medical attention. They are on standby during these coordinated searches.

Now, saying that, it's also possible that LE did not want the husband's Fire Department involved to keep them away from any sensitive information that was being discussed at briefings. This is low on my list of reasons but I'll put it out there.

bbm
Ita.
And as another member helpfully pointed out -- it would be a conflict of interest.

 

[EggSalad]

It kind of feels like big news related to the concrete cut/dig will come out of nowhere this week and that law enforcement was on the right track all along.

That was a heavy investment of local, state and federal resources to just go on a wild goose chase.

They were also very specific in the area under the slab that they dug and sifted as opposed to dig/sifting the entire site.

The local Sherrif just seems to be not letting any info out so that his work is done perfectly.

 

[EggSalad]

It’s also interesting that while that 3 day dig was occurring, Colorado State Troopers were blocking travel through a nearby road and got there at 3am the morning before the dig started. (and did not know why they were doing it). So either a second search was occurring in parallel to the dig, or the Sheriff suspected that the main dig might cause someone to move locations and wanted to keep that from happening.

They also just released the house back to the Morphew family after the dig. Seems like a well hedged plan to ensure someone stays put and then goes back to their house on the timeline that law enforcement desires.

 

[dspdenver]

Also note the article states that "CrimeOnline cannot independently verify claims about Suzanne Morphew’s medical history."
BBM

Missing Suzanne Morphew may have had ‘angst’ about move to Colorado, family friend says [EXCLUSIVE]

Also this added:
[*An earlier version of this story referenced the possibility of emails being sent to members of the Morphew’s former church in Indiana shortly after Suzanne’s disappearance. CrimeOnline has removed the reference while we work to evaluate the credibility of the claims.]

 

[Ontario Mom]

It would likely be very simple for them to check Suzanne's browser history to see if her activity included online church on Sunday, or if there was even any activity at all on her devices those days.

For most folks these days, evidence of life includes browser history, search history, online appointment reminders (calendars, planners, etc.), friend, family, co-worker contact (various social media platforms, as well as messenger & basic texting), banking activity (online, for many). Essentially, our lives are marked by what we're doing online. From the time we swipe our phones in the morning to turn off the alarm, to the time we click that one last notification before we turn in for the night. We're essentially allowing ourselves to be tracked, all day long.

I can only surmise that CCSO have pulled up all the online activity on Suzanne's devices (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, smart tv, Ring (or other) cam, etc.) and based on the lack of activity from a particular day and time, they have simply followed the evidence from there.

Example: If they compared her normal online activity from say, Sunday the 3rd, through Saturday the 9th, to get sort of a "base line" on what is normal for her, and then found that after the 9th (onward) none of her normal activity had occurred, they would have very good reason to suspect she is deceased. Anything else they would have found, digital or physical, is what is leading the investigation in the direct it's been going.

I suspect she's gone, and I suspect the CCSO knows exactly when, and who, and they're putting together the how.

100% jmo

 

[Trocroc9]

I was just thinking of similarities between some men that murder their wives and Fiancé. Scott Peterson drove a truck was an outdoor fertilizer salesman, Chris Watts drove a truck was a field operator for Anadarko Petroleum. Patrick Frazee drove a truck was a hard working rancher. All were having an affair. All these couples appeared in photos to be very happy and in love. All the women were good to the killers and took good care of them.

JMO MOO My number #1 POI is Barry he drives a truck, a landscaper, and a volunteer fireman. My guess is she wanted out perhaps a divorce and he didn’t want his loving image ruined and exposed to their small community. Also, the expense of paying family support, and all the finances hit hard by a divorce especially if they were already having financial struggles. I wonder if they had good medical insurance as cancer treatments are very costly and she went through it twice. I’m sure once he moves back in his empty house alone with his vehicle returned which will most likely have a GPS tracking device installed by LE he will be under heavy surveillance 24/7. LE will patiently watch his every move see who enters and exits the home and his travels. Often times the killers will revisit where they buried or placed the body for whatever reason. Animals digging up etc. Scott Peterson revisited area he tossed Laci’s body. He was finally arrested 4 mo after his beautiful wife Laci went missing on Dec 24th 2002. Laci’s body was found washed ashore near where he went fishing on April 18th he was arrested on April 19th.

JMO

BBM

Fire Chief report about BM-
Husband of Suzanne Morphew is having a 'difficult time' as diggers continue construction site search | Daily Mail Online

'He’s going out, driving up the road, and trying to remember any suspicious vehicles that he’s seen,' he added.

I hope LE has eyes on him as he drives these roads.

 

[margarita25]

Terrain, terrain, terrain.

This all possibly comes down to “terrain”, imo.

I think that (one of) the first thing(s) that would come to any perp’s mind that lives in Colorado is to toss the body off a cliff/down the edge of a slope, jmo.

Add any perp’s awareness space, occupational experience and equipment, knowledge of the woods and remote areas, as well as “time”, and this could be a recipe for disaster re: a recovery.

My thought/GUESS is based on a picture in my head, based on my own experience here in the Colorado mountainous areas.

There are these windy roads, bordered by slopes that if you were to look over the edge, all you see waaay down there are the tops of trees. There is nothing below, just trees, rocks, woods...they are thick. There are no developments, no buildings, etc., just mountainous woods...and wildlife.

One could just toss a body in any of these many types of places, whether it be via a Forest Road route or off a main road/highway, as it would only take a few seconds and could be done with no cars around.

This is what I visualize as a strong possibility for a disposal here, no matter who is the perp.

Additionally, I would imagine her being further away/not so close than near, but that’s my guess Jmo moo.

 

[Kyte]

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

Yes, BM seems to talk to the alledged kidnappers THROUGH Suzanne.....'Whoever has YOU' and so on
IF this was a fully heartfelt and distraught attempt to appeal for the safe return of his wife
Wouldn't it go something like..'Please, whoever has my wife, please please bring her back to me safely'
AND maybe...' Suzanne if you can hear this I promise I will do anything to get you back home to US'
OH and an appeal to the general public asking for tips etc woulda been a good idea!!!!
IMO

 

[Hoosierfan72]

I did a little sleuthing on some statistics, all taken from this report of 2017 crime data: Expanded Homicide Missing person stats might be interesting to look at as well:

The relationship between the killer and victim was known in 50.0 percent of homicides. 40.3 percent of all murder victims knew their killer. 9.7 percent were killed by a stranger. 12.3 percent the killer was a family member.

Circumstances were known for 59.8 percent of murders. Of those, 25.1 percent were committed in conjunction with another felony. About 39.7 percent were a result of an argument.

About 26.8 percent of female victims were age 50+

Okay, all that and I'm not sure what it tells us - though I'm surprised at how small the gap is on percentage of murders committed by a stranger vs. a family member.

 

[Satchie]

For most folks these days, evidence of life includes browser history, search history, online appointment reminders (calendars, planners, etc.), friend, family, co-worker contact (various social media platforms, as well as messenger & basic texting), banking activity (online, for many). Essentially, our lives are marked by what we're doing online. From the time we swipe our phones in the morning to turn off the alarm, to the time we click that one last notification before we turn in for the night. We're essentially allowing ourselves to be tracked, all day long.

I can only surmise that CCSO have pulled up all the online activity on Suzanne's devices (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, smart tv, Ring (or other) cam, etc.) and based on the lack of activity from a particular day and time, they have simply followed the evidence from there.

Example: If they compared her normal online activity from say, Sunday the 3rd, through Saturday the 9th, to get sort of a "base line" on what is normal for her, and then found that after the 9th (onward) none of her normal activity had occurred, they would have very good reason to suspect she is deceased. Anything else they would have found, digital or physical, is what is leading the investigation in the direct it's been going.

I suspect she's gone, and I suspect the CCSO knows exactly when, and who, and they're putting together the how.

100% jmo

Yet we don't know whether LE found her phone, do we? Many people would take their phone on a bike ride. Or whatever other reason, it may not have been at home.

 

[Satchie]

I did a little sleuthing on some statistics, all taken from this report of 2017 crime data: Expanded Homicide Missing person stats might be interesting to look at as well:

The relationship between the killer and victim was known in 50.0 percent of homicides. 40.3 percent of all murder victims knew their killer. 9.7 percent were killed by a stranger. 12.3 percent the killer was a family member.
Circumstances were known for 59.8 percent of murders. Of those, 25.1 percent were committed in conjunction with another felony. About 39.7 percent were a result of an argument.

About 26.8 percent of female victims were age 50+

Okay, all that and I'm not sure what it tells us - though I'm surprised at how small the gap is on percentage of murders committed by a stranger vs. a family member.

I think lumping men and women victims together isn't very revealing. The number of male victims of homicide is over twice the number of female victims, and skews the stats if you want to know about homicide patterns for women. Women don't normally get involved in drug gangs, etc, which leads to a large number of the male homicides.

 

[Hoosierfan72]

I think lumping men and women victims together isn't very revealing. The number of male victims of homicide is over twice the number of female victims, and skews the stats if you want to know about homicide patterns for women. Women don't normally get involved in drug gangs, etc, which leads to a large number of the male homicides.

Good point. The website cited didn't cut the data that way, and it does seem likely that the percentages change when focusing on female victims.

 

[Kyte]

It’s also interesting that while that 3 day dog was occurring, Colorado State Troopers we’re blocking travel through a nearby road. So either a second search was occurring in parallel to the dig, or the Sheriff suspected that the main dig might cause someone to move locations and wanted to keep that from happening.

They also just released the house back to the Morphew family after the dig. Seems like a well hedged plan to ensure someone stays out and then goes back to their house on the timeline that law enforcement desires.

The authorities had SM & BM home sealed off for a long time, so I think SOMETHING definitely happened in the home!!
LE & gang were there for days. Too long IMO to be just collecting paperwork evidence and taking electronics etc!!
IMO I think they must have found an area of interest, maybe blood evidence, maybe a clean up attempt...??
If so they would have needed time to recreate a crime scene, maybe even prove loss of life incase they don't find SM (let's hope this isn't the case)
If this scenario is correct then should it come to it LE will have enough evidence for an arrest!!
MOO

 

[Ontario Mom]

Yet we don't know whether LE found her phone, do we? Many people would take their phone on a bike ride. Or whatever other reason, it may not have been at home.

Depending on the settings & the kind of phone it is, they don't need her physical phone at all.
I have an Android phone, and even without the physical phone in hand, LE could access:

- every picture I took with my phone (immediately syncs to Google photos)
- pics sent to me that I downloaded
- online banking
- all texts & phone calls (through my mobility carrier)
- FB messenger
- FB page
- emails (google account)
- browser and search history (google)
- Ring cam videos (Ring cam account)

And the list goes on. My location, history and other settings are all set to sync across all platforms, because it makes my life easier. While I have the apps on my phone for quick access, all those apps also require accounts that can easily be accessed on a standard desktop or laptop. Making it VERY easy for LE to track what was going on in my normal, daily digital activity, even without ever touching my phone.

 

[Boxer]

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.

Agree with you, but if it was a routine ride wouldn't they have a good idea when she left?
I would expect this kind of public appeal:
"Normally on Sundays Suzanne Morphew trail biked for a hour in the morning, getting back by her 11:00 church service broadcast. She never logged onto the service and was reported missing by 5:46pm."

 

[Whiteorchids]

BBM

Fire Chief report about BM-
Husband of Suzanne Morphew is having a 'difficult time' as diggers continue construction site search | Daily Mail Online

'He’s going out, driving up the road, and trying to remember any suspicious vehicles that he’s seen,' he added.

I hope LE has eyes on him as he drives these roads.

I bet they are watching him like a hawk. They are in no rush other then to find Suzanne. These guys often screwup under surveillance. This is how they build a good case with no flaws that cannot later be a reason to overturn a conviction. They don’t want a person to know they are a suspect or POI because the possibility of them fleeing. I think LE is doing a great job working behind the scenes even though we would like to know more.

 

[K9Enzo]

The DOJ site might also have murder stats.

 

[Steelslady]

Just thinking out loud here. We have not only LE working on this case, but several other agencies assisting. They've used drones, divers, search dogs.

Now, this kidnapping scenario doesn't fit for me because I truly believe that if this was the case, they would have more information available to the public about her bike, her helmet, any clothing she was thought to have on that day, etc. You can't tell me that the sheriff is alone in his thinking that something violent occurred with Suzanne. I highly doubt that the FBI would be wasting their time digging through cement and dirt because he was wrong in his assessment of this case. No, I think they are in agreement with him that something sinister happened to Suzanne, not far from home.

We've never heard of whether or not she had those sneakers for bike riding that many bike riders have.

As far as her cell phone- did we ever hear confirmation that her cell phone was at home, or was that a rumor?

I am also certain they have checked alibis and know where every person close to Suzanne was during the time period that the sheriff asked people to hold on to their videos from their cameras during those dates. So they know who was in the area during that time period and who wasn't.

We also don't know when she was last physically seen alive, or when someone heard her voice on the phone. Texting won't matter at that point, as anyone could send texts from Suzanne. However, maybe when she was still alive, there might be some texts they've gone through to see if she was communicating to anyone about anything going on during that time that may have been stressing her out.

Other things I have thought about- I am sure LE checked things say, in her kitchen to see when she may have last eaten- were there dishes in the sink, and if so, how long were they in there? Any mold growing on them, any odor from spoiled food or trash not being taken out? Was there any baked goods or bread on the counter getting moldy? Did she have something taken out for dinner that sat on the counter? Fruit spoiled? Any insects around food on the counter?

Any laundry left in the washer machine that may have that distinct smell of not being taken out to dry?

Footprints in the house- muddy or bloody? Any articles of clothing torn or with body fluids on them? Was the house spotless and floors bleached clean?

We don't know much of her usual habits- if she had a daily routine. What time did she normally get up? Did she eat breakfast first thing, or pray first thing in the morning? Or go out for a bike ride or even a walk? What time was her usual bed time?

Just things I am pondering while trying to sort something else out.

 

[Blue Amethyst]

Depending on the settings & the kind of phone it is, they don't need her physical phone at all.
I have an Android phone, and even without the physical phone in hand, LE could access:

- every picture I took with my phone (immediately syncs to Google photos)
- pics sent to me that I downloaded
- online banking
- all texts & phone calls (through my mobility carrier)
- FB messenger
- FB page
- emails (google account)
- browser and search history (google)
- Ring cam videos (Ring cam account)

And the list goes on. My location, history and other settings are all set to sync across all platforms, because it makes my life easier. While I have the apps on my phone for quick access, all those apps also require accounts that can easily be accessed on a standard desktop or laptop. Making it VERY easy for LE to track what was going on in my normal, daily digital activity, even without ever touching my phone.

If I ever die and they look at my iPad then they are in for a shock. It has all sorts of pictures pertaining to the Delphi case going back over three years. Even my own family would not recognize photos of various perps over three years.

That is what happens when you are on WS and want to go back and check on someone or something.

 

[Whiteorchids]

The authorities had SM & BM home sealed off for a long time, so I think SOMETHING definitely happened in the home!!
LE & gang were there for days. Too long IMO to be just collecting paperwork evidence and taking electronics etc!!
IMO I think they must have found an area of interest, maybe blood evidence, maybe a clean up attempt...??
If so they would have needed time to recreate a crime scene, maybe even prove loss of life incase they don't find SM (let's hope this isn't the case)
If this scenario is correct then should it come to it LE will have enough evidence for an arrest!!
MOO

I’m guessing there was lots of blood evidence found in the house with the luminol test like In the Frazee case. I think LE knew this was a homicide case early on. MOO