Found Deceased CO - BARRY ARRESTED AGAIN - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *Case dismissed w/o prejudice* *found in 2023* #117

[DizzyB]

I would say plane. I wonder if it will be done secretly or whether we will be able to track his journey back to Colorado.

Hard to keep anything a secret these days. I did question my own obsession when I tracked the Kohberger flight cross country. If by air, do you think commercial or private? Does CO or AZ have ConAir?

 

[10ofRods]

The fact that the vast majority of us, here on this website where we discuss a myriad of crimes in detail, had never heard of BAM, speaks volumes about how uncommon it is.
The chances of a person intent on murder using BAM for that murder are very small. The chances that that predator(not a mountain lion) randomly kidnaps the wife of the only private citizen to possess BAM in that part of Colorado, and kills her with BAM has to be approaching zero.

Not to mention that a dart was found in the Morphew's dryer, along with Barry's shorts and that more tranquilizer evidence (IIRC) was found in some of his trash dumps (which he led LE to by forgetting to turn off his phone.

Going by memory. IMO there's more than just the bone marrow evidence. He turned gun over to LE as soon as they arrived for the missing person's call, also going by memory. He told LE that he owned a dart gun and that he had deer tranquilizer on hand. IIRC, he got it in Indiana.

Summarized in this article:

Here’s what Barry Morphew told investigators about his tranquilizer gun

During a search of the Morphews’ home after Suzanne’s 2020 disappearance, law enforcement officials reported finding a tranquilizer dart gun, empty darts and a needle used to inject tranquilizer ch…

www.denverpost.com

 

[Skigh]

Hard to keep anything a secret these days. I did question my own obsession when I tracked the Kohberger flight cross country. If by air, do you think commercial or private? Does CO or AZ have ConAir?

I think thousands of people tracked that flight!!
I would guess small private plane . Would love it to be a commercial flight with full pictures of him in cuffs.

 

[Observer33]

IMO for his own reasons, BM did what he did because he's done it hundreds of times.

In the western states, it's not uncommon to see people decorate.their homes and yards with animal carcasses. Whole elk skulls, for instance. Shiny white. How'd they get like that? Processes.

This case reads like a tale of intrique with BAM in bone marrow and bleached bones, but this is BM's trade. In this way, it makes perfect sense. He utilized what he had, did what he knew how to do, and seriously overthought it, without thinking straight.

How many times had he tranquilized prey? Why he did it with his wife, I just can't fathom. He didn't need to. Maybe he thought it stepped him one away from actual murder somehow, maybe he thought he could tranq her from a distance and she'd never know what hit her and somehow he'd be righter with God? I don't know. Looking at everything we know to this point, it was just such an unnecessary step in achieving her death, maybe he did it because he wanted to. A gross display of dominance. He wanted to and he could.

And then she was just dead to him. A body like everything else he'd ever killed. Reduce it to bones. He knows how. Result? No skin, no hair, little tissue, bleached bones.

Done it a hundred times.

JMO

He BAM'd her so he could transport her prior to her death to prevent LE from tracking or detecting decomp. She wasn't killed in the home.

 

[Love Never Fails]

I think it's interesting that they arrested him while he was driving not far from the police station. I remember police mentioning, after the arrest of Joe DeAngelo, that they had to worry about him attempting suicide or murder during the arrest process, so they staked out his house and studied his habits. They knew he was home and likely making dinner. IIRC, someone in civilian clothes knocked on the door, he came to the door unarmed and then uniformed officers read him his rights and arrested him. DeAngelo asked if he could go back in the house to attend to a roast in the oven and was denied. He went peacefully.

Making an arrest for first degree murder while acting as if it's a routine traffic stop can be a police tactic to keep a perp away from his arsenal. They would have been on high alert to make sure he didn't reach for a weapon in the car. I'm not sure that Barry is the suicide type, but anything is possible.

And now he's in jail and you and I are still celebrating! The wheels of justice grind exceedingly slow sometimes.

Thank you for the good information. I know nothing about how perps act when arrested or preparing for arrest. I just like knowing yet another one is locked up. I know each is innocent until proven guilty. But i think we now know he is guilty. I will be satisfied watching the trial, even if the defense drives me crazy, realizing ole Barry will be locked away for life.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

Defense might claim black market BAM (illegally obtained ) or used by “abductor”who obtained BAM from another state

Also, could defense claim that BAM was in SM’s body from freshly killed deer meat she consumed that had been previously and recently tranquilized ?

Or speculatively of course because I enjoy looking at both sides of a case always, that it was someone who knew Barry had BAM and stole it and killed his wife to hurt him. The idea that they researched it and who had it legally doesn't preclude that someone had it "illegally" direct from Barry's house.

 

[Observer33]

Since the forensics on the remains and the burial site indicate that it is not the location where the body decomposed, so the remains were moved to a secondary burial location, I assume LE was able to gain a warrant to search BM's cellphone and vehicle including telematics on the basis that they were likely involved in transferring the remains. It will be interesting to learn if investigators turned up anything regarding any trips south of Salida to the Moffat area and whether there are any timeframes for which the telematics are missing or whether BM used other means to conceal the trip.

I wonder whether BM moved the remains BEFORE he moved to Cave Creek, or whether Moffat was a brief side trip ALONG THE WAY in that move - perhaps with the contained remains being temporarily transported in a cargo or landscape trailer with whatever else he was moving. Maybe he rented a UHaul cargo trailer for that trip.

I wish we knew when he made the move and whether at least the first couple hours were at night.

ETA: Regarding when BM made the move to Cave Creek, it was likely sometime AFTER SM's remains had been discovered, so his move to Cave Creek did not correspond to the moving of SM's remains.

ETA: According to this Denver Gazette article, BM made the move to Arizona sometime before the "celebration of life" for Suzanne was held in Indiana (to which SM's side of the family was not invited):

New Colorado prosecutor to decide potential charges in Suzanne Morphew murder

New charges in Suzanne Morphew investigation are on the desk of a new district attorney. New evidence found in autopsy report.

denvergazette.com

And according to the Daily Mail, the Indiana "celebration of life" was Saturday, May 4, 2024:

Barry Morphew sneaks into memorial service for wife Suzanne

Friends and family of Suzanne Morphew gathered at an Indiana church for a celebration of life ceremony over the weekend.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Autopsy of SM's remains was finished on Sept 27, 2023 and results took 7 months to be released. As next of kin, BM received the results but by then had moved out of the area:

Morphew murder case saw major developments | 2024: A LOOK BACK

Suzanne Morphew’s family hopes that 2025 would bring an arrest in the murder case, which seemed doomed when it was dismissed in April 2023.

denvergazette.com

And this Denver Gazette article has BM living in Indiana at the end of April 2024, shortly before the "celebration of life" planned for SM on May 4, 2024. So there is some confusion between the first Denver Gazette article I've included and this one about when exactly BM moved to Arizona:

Long-awaited Suzanne Morphew toxicology report raises new questions in homicide case

Will a long-awaited toxicology report on Suzanne Morphew’s remains upend the nearly four-year-old case, which many believe would never be solved?

denvergazette.com

Hopefully the telematics will help them locate where he hid her body. I am confused how her bones could be sun bleached but lack animal or insect damage. It only takes a few weeks for bones to start being bleached out by the sun but you'd think they would have found animal activity.

 

[Knox]

Obviously they already knew it was him before they pulled him over and ever spoke to him so maybe he did use his alias at first. Or maybe made some flippant remark like "I expected this eventually". It'll sure be interesting to find out what exactly it was.

He didn’t mention anything to the judge in the video we saw?

 

[Love Never Fails]

He BAM'd her so he could transport her prior to her death to prevent LE from tracking or detecting decomp. She wasn't killed in the home.

It appears the BAM was the murder weapon, not used just for transport. There are many other ways he could knock her out.

 

[GOBliaison]

Re. "...players SD, GD, and CC,..." - Post #45, supra. [Para. one, final sentence]

Please indulge this sweep of my cobwebs,
as well as a few humble opinions.
TIA
​

"CC" -> summoned for the Broomfield Wallibi by MG @ BM's direction and later reversed, never arrived at the site, nor stayed at the accommodations reserved for him nearby, presumably returning home.
In any & all events, iirc, is not CC deceased?

"GD" -> To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, "Two may keep a secret, if one of them is dead."
But even His Brilliance may have appreciated the difficulties further homicides would present. Plus, unlike Suzanne's circumstance, killing an old friend would never be countenanced by his god.
IMO, only if Barry had something really, really BAD on GD, would he have risked enlisting him.

"SD" -> OMO, but Barry's abject disparagement of mere-need-fulfillers makes imparting any confidence of import relating to himself, to her, extremely unlikely.
As to time/place/event/corroboration/refutation, an "encouraged" SD could be helpful in building the case I should think.

 

[Cindizzi]

In discussing the BAM here I remembered that the arrest affidavit from 2021 contained statements from 2 experts who were interviewed.

https://www.courts.state.co.us/userfiles/file/Court_Probation/11th_Judicial_District/Chaffee/cases%20of%20interest/21CR78/21cr78%20Morphew%20Redacted%20Affidavit.pdf

 

[Knox]

Not to mention that a dart was found in the Morphew's dryer, along with Barry's shorts and that more tranquilizer evidence (IIRC) was found in some of his trash dumps (which he led LE to by forgetting to turn off his phone.

Going by memory. IMO there's more than just the bone marrow evidence. He turned gun over to LE as soon as they arrived for the missing person's call, also going by memory. He told LE that he owned a dart gun and that he had deer tranquilizer on hand. IIRC, he got it in Indiana.

Summarized in this article:

Here’s what Barry Morphew told investigators about his tranquilizer gun

During a search of the Morphews’ home after Suzanne’s 2020 disappearance, law enforcement officials reported finding a tranquilizer dart gun, empty darts and a needle used to inject tranquilizer ch…

www.denverpost.com

Adding there were no feet, shoes, or hair mass at the recovery site. No signs of animal predation, majority of bones were bleached, clothing was not as deteriorated as it should have been - leading the ME to believe the remains had been relocated at some point.

Motive, Means, Opportunity. The defense can and will come up with alternative explanations, but will they make sense? It’s a mighty big mountain of evidence to overcome.

 

[Knox]

Or speculatively of course because I enjoy looking at both sides of a case always, that it was someone who knew Barry had BAM and stole it and killed his wife to hurt him. The idea that they researched it and who had it legally doesn't preclude that someone had it "illegally" direct from Barry's house.

Motive, Means, Opportunity - SODDI.

That’s the only defense to be made, but how will they overcome the evidence that suggests the remains were relocated? If the perp was trying to frame Barry, why relocate the remains to a shallow grave, easily found?

 

[Magic8Ball]

Defense might claim black market BAM (illegally obtained ) or used by “abductor”who obtained BAM from another state

Also, could defense claim that BAM was in SM’s body from freshly killed deer meat she consumed that had been previously and recently tranquilized ?

From the indictment:

She didn't have BAM in her system courtesy of a contaminated piece of venison jerky. Per the indictment, BAM must be administered through IV or injection/shot as skin and GI tract do not absorb it.

#TeamBarry can make all the factually unsupported claims they want, but if they want to clutch at that particular Hail-Mary straw, there's no way they're going to get the jury to buy that accidental ingestion scenario.

 

[DizzyB]

Adding there were no feet, shoes, or hair mass at the recovery site. No signs of animal predation, majority of bones were bleached, clothing was not as deteriorated as it should have been - leading the ME to believe the remains had been relocated at some point.

Motive, Means, Opportunity. The defense can and will come up with alternative explanations, but will they make sense? It’s a mighty big mountain of evidence to overcome.

I wonder where the foot bones are, and why they were not moved with the rest of her remains.

 

[Ontario Mom]

He didn’t mention anything to the judge in the video we saw?

No, he was very soft spoken and simply answered yes/no questions.

 

[thinker47]

He BAM'd her so he could transport her prior to her death to prevent LE from tracking or detecting decomp. She wasn't killed in the home.

I had wondered the same, given that 3 VR dogs gave inconclusive signals on the property... although the search was pretty soon after her 'disappearance' and, not knowing a lot about forensics, I don't know if the scent is clearer for the dogs as time goes by (as it would certainly be for humans).

 

[Chimera]

Or speculatively of course because I enjoy looking at both sides of a case always, that it was someone who knew Barry had BAM and stole it and killed his wife to hurt him. The idea that they researched it and who had it legally doesn't preclude that someone had it "illegally" direct from Barry's house.

Bbm.
Say what ???????

Agreed with looking at both --or all-- sides of a case, but not this one.
I highly doubt anyone 'stole' it from Barry to use on Suzanne.
I.e., unlikely.


I believe LE have Barry 'dead to rights', as they say.
From having followed other cases here at WS, sometimes there's a shocker, but in this case it doesn't sound as if Suzanne had any stalkers or enemies.
Imo.

 

[thinker47]

I wonder where the foot bones are, and why they were not moved with the rest of her remains.

Stomach-churning again but... did he have to cut off her feet to fit her in the coolers? (So sorry Suzanne :-( )

ETA it would also go toward explaining why the shoes are also missing - they were still on her feet and he destroyed or buried the whole combination in a hurry without stopping to remove the shoes.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

That defense lawyer stretches to make inferences a WHOLE LOT MORE than she'd ever instruct a jury to.

• At some point before her death SM consumed a substance with caffeine.
• SM's remains were found with a Nike tank, Yeti shorts, and a Crested Butte sweatshirt which she had been known to wear for various intended activities before her death. It is unknown whether she was wearing them at the time of her death, or whether they were placed by someone else with her remains, but it is known that they were not present as her remains decomposed. Witnesses say that only some of those items were consistent with SM's typical biking wear.
• There has been no confirmation SM was on a bike ride and was abducted. The alleged bike ride was suggested by the defendant to the neighbor who the defendant asked to check for SM's whereabouts when their daughters could not reach her on Mother's Day. A witness familiar with SM's typical biking habits indicated that it would be atypical for SM to bike in the morning and it would be atypical for her to ride directly from her home rather than drive her bike to a trailhead and bike from there. Also, a witness (friend of SM) has indicated that SM had intended to virtually attend that friend's daughter's wedding that day.
• BAM is a very unusual animal tranquilizer, unprescribed in that area (and the entire state of CO) to anyone other than the defendant.

And who else but BM would have her biking clothes and the motive to put them on her so that she is found with them? That her clothing was placed on her when she was moved is alone so very incriminating.