Lots went on since his last hearing - so will shorten this up a bit...
Tuesday, November 9th:
*Motions Hearing (
Murder) & Status Hearing (
Voter fraud) (@ 1:30pm MT) - CO –
Suzanne Renee Moorman Morphew (49) (missing May 10, 2020, did not return from bike ride (supposedly), Maysville, Chaffee County, not found) - *Barry Lee Morphew (53/now 54) arrested &
charged (5/5/21) with 1st degree murder after deliberation, tampering with physical evidence & attempting to influence public servants. And additional
charges (5/18/21) of tampering with a deceased human body & possession of a dangerous weapon (short rifle) &
amended (5/18/21) to add domestic violence as sentencing enhancement. Plead not guilty. $500K Cash only bond. Bonded out on 9/20/21.
Trial set to begin on 5/3/22 (thru 6/1/22).
*Charged (5/13/21) with felony forgery of public records & misdemeanor elections-mail ballot offense. $1K Bond.
Missing info, Barry’s PP loan & court info from 5/10/21 thru 8/9/21 to 8/24/21 & 9/17/21 (Prelim day 1 to 5) & info on his voter fraud from 5/13/21 to 9/20/21 reference post #12 here:
Still Missing - CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #85
10/6/21 Update: Court was advised of the monitoring problem. Prosecutors in Morphew’s murder case asked a judge last month to set stricter terms for his pretrial release from jail because an ankle monitor he is ordered to wear doesn't work in steep terrain west of Monarch Pass where he's been living. But the monitoring system doesn't work in areas where cellular service is spotty, leaving cops in the dark on the location of Morphew, who authorities say has been living in an area with no cellular service since his release. Prosecutors want a judge to order Morphew to move to a place where the monitoring system works. In her filing, Stanley points out that Morphew currently pays rent at a residence in Salida, Colorado, which is near the Chaffee County courthouse, within reach of cellphone towers. Also the prosecution doesn't want him living in that neighborhood, as the Ritters have a no contact order against him. Prosecutors want him to live there so they can keep tabs on his location. Prosecutor Stanley asked Judge Patrick Murphy to reconsider bail in the case, potentially threatening Morphew's freedom ahead of trial unless a compromise can be reached. Hearing for murder charge on 10/13/21. Motions hearing on 11/9/21 for both cases. DA Stanley has filed a motion with the court, requesting BM be prohibited from living in or around Maysville.
10/13/21 Update: Issues to be addressed: modify bond conditions, trial length, discovery inventory, & deadline for defense disclosures.
Link to State's Motion re bond conditions:
Barry Morphew Bond Conditions Motion | PDF
Court started off with the People’s motion to modify bond conditions. Pros says two connections are needed for GPS. One is a cell connection & the GPS goes blank when Morphew goes into the Maysville area. Judge Patrick Murphy will let him stay where he is even though it's so remote investigators can't track his ankle monitor. He'll have to check in for a download every day.
Jeanne Ritter as defense witness:
for more info see posts #70 to 73, 75, 77 & 80 here:
Still Missing - CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #85
Discovery issues.
for more info see posts #98 & 100 here:
Still Missing - CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #85
Discovery re inventory & deadlines.
for more info see post #108 & 119 here:
Still Missing - CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #85
The witness list will have to be provided to the court no later than 11/9/21 & the defense will have to do so by 3/4/22. They will have 35 days before trial starts to submit final lists & it is noted that all witnesses from both sides may not testify. Trial of Morphew scheduled for 5/3/22.
for more info see posts #123 & 129 here:
Still Missing - CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #85
for more info see post #142 here:
Still Missing - CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #85
Judge sets a motions hearing for 1/24/22 & 1/25/22 & 2/8/22 will leave open for a hearing if they do not finish on those two allotted days. These dates for the motions hearing are about to change. Dru Nielsen, who is not in person today, says she is not available on those dates, so standby for new ones. Motion hearing 11/9/21 @ 1:30pm on discovery violations & contempt for violating the pretrial publicity order & status conference hearing for voter fraud on 11/9/21.
10/15/21: One of the prosecutors handling the murder trial of Morphew has resigned from the 11th Judicial District. Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lindsey's last day with the district is Friday, Nov. 5. District Attorney Linda Stanley told The Gazette that Lindsey is headed to Pueblo to work in the 10th Judicial District under DA Jeff Chostner.
10/20/21: Legal papers sent this week allege prosecutors purposefully kept the identity of a sex offender tied to evidence in a Chaffee County killing from murder suspect Morphew’s defense team. Source of unknown male DNA revealed in letter from Morphew attorneys promising to sue case investigators for false arrest, defamation. In the notice, Morphew listed 26 investigators he intends to sue in “both their individual & official capacities.” The list includes Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze, District Attorney Linda Stanley & agents from the FBI & Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The document contends police didn't chase the DNA lead & looks for other possible killers before focusing on Morphew. In a motions hearing scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, the defense plans to ask that the case against Morphew be dismissed based on discovery & pretrial publicity issues.
11/8/21 Update: District Judge Patrick Murphy on Monday released hundreds of pages of documents in the case against Barry Morphew. Documents date from 5/5/21 thru 11/5/21 show 454 pages of motions & orders that until Monday had not been made public, including the prosecution’s over 500-person witness list. On that list are the Morphews' two daughters & people who were close to the couple including siblings, neighbors, family friends & numerous investigators from the FBI, Homeland Security, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation & Chaffee County sheriff's deputies. Bloodhound trackers are also scheduled to testify. Also on the witness list is Suzanne's lover of two years, Jeff Libler, whom she knew from high school & started contacting by text message when the couple moved to Colorado from Indiana in 2018. The documents also show a fight between Morphew's attorneys over DNA, which was found on the glove box of Suzanne's Range Rover. The defense said the DNA belongs to a sex offender who lives in Prescott, Arizona. Morphew's attorneys contend that the prosecution knew about the possible suspect & didn't let them know about it until after the four-day evidentiary hearings this past August. Also revealed in the documents are protection orders from neighbors, Suzanne’s family & friends asking to keep Morphew from contacting them. The documents show that in October, prosecutors asked Morphew to leave his residence while his neighbors built a security fence. According to the prosecution, Jeanne & Martin Ritter said they were afraid of Morphew. There's also a request by the defense to expand the length of the trial from four weeks to five considering they believe the jury will need more time to review 30 hours of interrogation video & tapes.
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