Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 #81 *arrest*

[Auntie Cipation]

I haven’t heard anything about him having it with him when he arrived home that night. I think we all believed in the relevance of the bobcat so long, that we just pictured that scenario.

I imagine it was located in the driveway.

Okay, that makes more sense. Early on it just seemed like he was hauling it around all the time, and you're right, I probably just pictured it being pulled behind the truck as he stopped to paw the bike and ask about lions without ever asking about his wife...

 

[Alethea]

Some people are pretty positive he will get bail today.... I can't imagine!

I really don't think he will get bail. It's not necessarily right or good, but trial judges do take into consideration the likelihood that they will be overruled. I think most judges would sleep soundly denying bail to someone accused of something as serious as murder.

Your run of the mill street violence murderers aren't getting bail. If anything I think a judge would err on the side of being careful to not treat a rich, white, upper-class defendant any differently than they'd treat a gang murderer. Which is definitely a new and positive development for the whole system.

 

[DizzyB]

Just curious why you think the Judge will scold the Prosecution?

I think BM's defense team were more unprepared the last 2 day PH than the Prosecutors.

Judge Murphy was less than complimentary about the AA. The state put on very few witnesses in comparison to what they had stated they planned on. The defense team tried to exploit witnesses testimony lack of knowledge of certain case aspects, even though it seemed to me that it was just a witness answering truthfully as to their area of expertise and investigation. The clock ran out on getting others to the stand that could have elaborated. It feels like the Judge errs on the defense side in most cases. Just my opinion.

 

[NoSI]

From the bottom of my heart, I genuinely hope they all go home in tears; especially his friends from Indiana.

Ok... here it goes... always wanted to use this phrase... perfect opportunity...
Hear! Hear!

 

[Lilypad13]

Thinking positively that today will be a good day! Justice for Suzanne!!

 

[IceIce9]

From the bottom of my heart, I genuinely hope they all go home in tears; especially his friends from Indiana.

I would happily volunteer to stand outside and hand each of them a box of tissues.

Or, as my high school calculus teacher used to say, “I’ll throw you a crying towel.” He actually had several small towels he would toss out if anyone whined about their grade or argued about a test question.

 

[girlhasnoname]

Judge Murphy was less than complimentary about the AA. The state put on very few witnesses in comparison to what they had stated they planned on. The defense team tried to exploit witnesses testimony lack of knowledge of certain case aspects, even though it seemed to me that it was just a witness answering truthfully as to their area of expertise and investigation. The clock ran out on getting others to the stand that could have elaborated. It feels like the Judge errs on the defense side in most cases. Just my opinion.

Agreed, I think the Judge did give a lot of leeway to the Defense, but the defense ran the clock down IMO questioning the State's witnesses and even calling their own.

I think it was just their tactic to question everything and make the State's witnesses look like they hadn't done their job and to smear Suzanne's reputation also.

Thanks

 

[sk716]

OC....Outstanding yeoman's work on the timelines. Thank you for that.

Three broad questions I have:

What happened to the clothes Barry changed into and out of? Were they discarded, or did they find their way back home with him?

Why did BM call CC twice?....and did he connect? What did they talk about? (I suspect CC was figured into Barry's alibi...and am curious how he planned to use him.)

The concrete that was poured in Salida....how involved was Barry in that particular part of the job...and did the date and time of the pouring change; like the date to start the Broomfield job was changed?

I really want to know about his clothes from Broomfield.

 

[OldCop]

Sending much gratitude to you, and all posters who have contributed to this timeline. As a team, you have made it easy for other posters to quickly get up to speed on this case when joining the thread. ~Tiff

Thanks, @Tiff23fr. Yes, there was help from many. Would not want to try and list them for fear of leaving someone out.
It takes a village to write a timeline.

 

[OldCop]

I left Judicial Building and went to fairgrounds. Court clerk came out and said that we only have a "very, very slim" chance of getting in today as a lot of his family is expected and they will get priority. I thought i better head over to get seat at fairgrounds. Everybody else stayed. Hope i made right decision...

Thanks for all you do, @NoSI! You are appreciated.

 

[Skigh]

Ok... here it goes... always wanted to use this phrase... perfect opportunity...
Hear! Hear!

How are you doing? Is there a large crowd forming? Have you met some friendly people to chat to?

 

[sk716]

I suppose it was too late to section off the landfill site serving those dumpsters?
Wishful thinking apropos nothing.

I did the research on landfills a few threads back. Basically, they are filled in a grid pattern so you could go to the area where the truck carrying the refuse in question dropped the load, but it's there under hundreds of pounds of trash from other trucks that dumped in the same area. There have been cases where LE knew the body went into a certain grid of a landfill and they still couldn't find the body due to the seer volume of garbage.

He used commercial dumpsters for most of it and those would have been picked up by midday Monday, certainly by end of business on Tuesday.

By the time LEOs could look to Broomfield, the evidence was in the landfill.

 

[sk716]

If BM had planned to return at 5:30 to pick up MG...he would then need to decide whether or not to hook up the ole Bobcat, since I am quite certain MG would have asked why he didn't need it. He certainly would not have returned home before getting the bad news about Suzanne...he wanted to get that news in Broomfield. So then, he would have had to make a third trip on Monday to get the Bobcat...3 trips to Broomfield...1 Bobcat? Nah...If he couldn't afford breakfast....he couldn't afford to gas up 3 times for one Bobcat.

I really want the DA to put Barry on the stand and ask him why he didn't take the Bobcat to Broomfield.

 

[Brubon]

I am not British, but I will be GOBSMACKED if BM is not bound over for 1st degree murder of SM.

I trust Judge Murphy to hold BM accountable for the death of SM.

I trust that the pattern of exonerating poor, blundering BM will end today.

Justice for Suzanne!

MOO

 

[sk716]

Hang on here. I'm getting confused and losing details (following too many other cases methinks).

He didn't have the bobcat with him in Broomfield, but yet when he arrived home after SM was reported missing, didn't he have it with him at that time, when he stopped at the bike location? (which, @Love Never Fails , was on the road into his neighborhood, so he would have seen the LE vehicles etc even if he hadn't known already where it was)

I'm wondering if maybe the Bobcat had been parked at the Salida worksite (beach property) and he stopped and loaded it up on his way home? but why? Or am I remembering wrong that he was hauling it when he arrived at the bike site? MOO

The last time we have positive record of the Bobcat's location was Saturday when he left DSI to head home with it on the trailer.

 

[CGray123]

Pretty sure that CO is one of the states with "lesser included offenses," meaning that the jury can be given instructions regarding degrees of murder when they are deliberating. *Can* not *will* be, just to be clear. And I think that's what will happen.

I worry about him running - but also about him committing more acts of violence, against himself or others...

You're right of course, that Colorado has standards for determining whether one offense is a lesser included offense of another for purposes of: 1. double jeopardy issues; 2. defense requests that the jury be instructed on a lesser included offense; and 3. prosecution requests that the jury be instructed on a lesser included offense. But the test is easier to say than to apply, as this article explains.

 

[MsKitty]

How difficult is it to go for and hope to get a conviction of 1st degree without a body?

 

[OldCop]

I really want to know about his clothes from Broomfield.

We all originally thought he was washing his tools in the bathtub in chlorine bleach because he had used them for nefarious purposes. After the prelim, we know the tools were never brought to the room. Maybe he was washing all his clothes to get rid of that pesky forensic evidence that was on them. And then he dumped them? Or brought them home smelling clean and fresh in his dirty truck.

 

[girlhasnoname]

How difficult is it to go for and hope to get a conviction of 1st degree without a body?

<snipped>
Although murder charges without a corpse are rare, nationally, about 86 percent of no-body murder cases that go to trial result in convictions, compared to all murder cases with conviction rates of 70 percent.

US Crime, Police, Prisons & More Statistics | 2021 State of the Union

 

[OldCop]

How difficult is it to go for and hope to get a conviction of 1st degree without a body?

It takes good, strong, circumstantial evidence, a well laid out and clear presentation, and a strong and precise prosecutor. It can and has been done if it is done well.