Still Missing CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #94

[OldCop]

Has anybody been able to find the washed out road Barry was talking about? Requires a left turn, beyond PP.

Maybe it wasn't so washed out.

JMO

BM says he first spotted the elk as he approached Hwy 50 from CR 225. He said when he got up to the intersection he let them cross. He said there was one big bull he wanted to see better. That is why he turned left.
The elk crossed and went up the old washed out road. I’m attaching several shots from Google maps that, I think, identify the road he is referring to. It is about .105 miles from where BM was sitting at that intersection. Question: could he see them from that distance in the complete early morning darkness? I don’t think so.

 

[Love Never Fails]

If not for trespassing, I'd be curious to know where the best spot on the property for viewing the patio might be. Good spot for cellphone bars too?

JL could really help us out here. What was Suzanne doing from 11:30 until 1 and then all of 1 until 2:11? Where was she? For that whole time. What was she wearing? Wardrobe changes? Was there an awareness of Barry at all?

Was she outside between 11:30 and 1? Was Barry eavesdropping/watching? Cameras, binoculars? Did he have a dart in his .22? Was he trying to draw a bead on her even then?

Did he go into town because some part of whatever he did was necessary for his mission? For his narrative? For both?

I believe Suzanne thought she had the place all to herself on Saturday -- Barry at work. Probably felt the safest she'd felt in a long time.

If there were any chipmunks around the house that day, it's only because they smell danger and danger was in the woods, back behind the house.

I'm really glad that, in life, Suzanne had her brother Andy. He stopped at nothing, trying to recover her...

She was let down by the other men in her life. Barry, worst of all. And probably down a mineshaft as well.

But JL. He is the one who should have begged for immunity and anonymity. When did he know? I mean know, know. When was his first inkling? Saturday when she stopped responding? Those middle of the night activities on Suzanne's phone? -- did they have a super secret callback app? Akin to "I'll call, let it ring once, you call me back." Is there a thing, where you can make another person's phone ring, but without calling them?

Surely by morning JL must've felt something. No good morning from Suzanne, nothing.

If only he'd had the courage and decency to dial up a wellness check. Saturday. Even Sunday.

In all this, I think the greatest sadness is that Suzanne never got to be her full self. Transparent. Living, loving, making mistakes, correcting them, growing forward, fullfiling her dreams, dreaming new ones

Barry never knew what an absolute treasure she was. He seemed bamboozled that Suzanne should think for herself, want something else from life. He gave her sex and $400 a week, why wasn't that enough? Truly warped sense of what marriage is.

Coming up on two years later, you think he's reflected? Wished he had handled things differently, if only to spare himself the world of expensive trouble he's in?

Leopards don't change their spots.

IMO he's only angrier today than he was then. Angry at Suzanne, angry at cancer, chemo, mixed bathroom chemicals, CBD, IPAs, mountain bikes -- whatever planted those ridiculous thoughts in Suzanne's head. He's likely mad at Spezze, mad at Grusing, mad at LS, mad at anyone who doesn't believe him. None of this would've happened if Suzanne hadn't changed. Her fault.

It's JMO but you know why I think that? Because of how he said it. Tone. Weight.

He. Blames. Her.

Oh, Suzanne.

JMO

Yes Barry blames Suzanne. I’m certain he has blamed other people his whole life when things didn’t go as planned. Barry has to be Barry. Doesn’t get his way, get rid of what’s in his way. Suzanne didn’t have a chance once he knew it was over. Barry is the murderer. But there is also one who is a weasel here. He is in your second paragraph.

JL. He loved Suzanne’s attention and the fact that she was lonely and felt alone. He loved that he could sneak off and have sex with her, though it was only a handful of times. He had a beautiful wife and family at home but that didn’t matter. He told Suzanne he loved her and that she should be his wife. But when she came up missing, he hid. He showed his true self and it took investigators to find him. He wasn’t worried about Suzanne at all. He just didn’t want his wife to know she had married such a lowlife.

Don’t think I’m trying to make Suzanne the perfect wife. She was wrong to look for fulfillment with another man while married.
I don’t hear of her cheating with the pool man, the mail man, the milk man, etc. Nor was she looking for “cute guys in Salida”. She thought of an infatuation she had years earlier while just a young lady, someone she thought she could trust. Yes she contacted him and he followed up didn’t he? She was sad and lonely and wanted to not be controlled or told what to do and when to do it.

So you are correct. All the men in her life let her down. JL is the weasel who ran and hid. I hope his wife leaves him and finds a real man.

Back to Suzanne. Only one murdered her. Her husband, the father of her daughters. And his name is Barry Morphew.

 

[Seattle1]

I'm alittle leery of the investigation in general, but I have to believe that LE was looking high and low for evidence of an affair on Barry's part or anything related to Barry so I do tend to believe they found no evidence of an affair prior to Suzanne going missing. I also have to believe based on the affidavit info that they did interview anyone who called in a "tip" that intrigued them which I have to believe some local would have had the two been spotted. I find it disingenuous to say on one hand that SD doesn't resemble Suzanne at all and how dare someone compare the two and then on the other hand believe she does enough to "fool" people. Wig or no wig.

I think LE uncovered a lot of hearsay evidence that BM had multiple affairs in Indiana which isn't the same as the corroborating evidence LE had on SM: JL admitted the couple was engaged in an affair (whereas SD denies ever meeting BM until long after SM disappeared).

As for SD wearing a wig when checking in to a hotel with BM, I disagree this has anything to do with posters being disingenuous! I think SD was acting in her own self-interest after she lied to investigators that she and BM were anything more than friends. But SD's big on denial --very much like that friend with benefits.

MOO

ETA: insert posters for clarification

 

[pseudo_hum]

Y

So you are correct. All the men in her life let her down. JL is the weasel who ran and hid. I hope his wife leaves him and finds a real man.

Back to Suzanne. Only one murdered her. Her husband, the father of her daughters. And his name is Barry Morphew.

Oh so true, IMO, if only BM was man enough to stop his lying.

 

[rainbowshummingbird]

I do not think I have read anything where someone has given any plausible scenario for what happened to Suzanne ,taking into account all of Barry's actions that weekend and Suzanne's digital silence.

We do keep asking for a logical theory that points away from Barry as the killer. So far, no one is able to muster. Lol.

Sincerely, I am interested. I suspect the reason no one is able to provide a feasible scenario where Barry isn’t the killer is due to fact that their theory will be shredded by evidence.

 

[Seattle1]

Several experts have stated that you can't fire tranquilizer darts from a "normal" 22. I'm really interested to know if that is a fact or if there are varying opinions. If you can't shoot a dart from a 22 then shooting her with a dart is out and the bobcat for tampering is out.

I'm not familiar with any link where according to OP, several experts have contradicted Agent Grusing (i.e., the only person I recall referenced here when he provided testimony that he specifically asked BM if he used a 22 to shoot chipmunks based on his knowledge that it could be used to fire tranquilizer darts).

Please link. TIA.

 

[MassGuy]

We do keep asking for a logical theory that points away from Barry as the killer. So far, no one is able to muster. Lol.

Sincerely, I am interested. I suspect the reason no one is able to provide a feasible scenario where Barry isn’t the killer is due to fact that their theory will be shredded by evidence.

Yup, it's impossible. If one is objective and somehow believes Barry is innocent, then you should have coherent and plausible explanations for several damning pieces of evidence.

You cannot claim objectivity and not have an answer.

If you're ignoring evidence, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Diddian]

I think LE uncovered a lot of hearsay evidence that BM had multiple affairs in Indiana which isn't the same as the corroborating evidence LE had on SM: JL admitted the couple was engaged in an affair (whereas SD denies ever meeting BM until long after SM disappeared).

As for SD wearing a wig when checking in to a hotel with BM, I disagree this has anything to do with being disingenious! I think SD was acting in her own self-interest after she lied to investigators that she and BM were anything more than friends. But SD's big on denial --very much like that friend with benefits.

MOO

Investigators interviewed SD on December 17, 2021, but she wore the wig during the visit to Antler's Hotel sometime Feb 12-14, 2021. So, she had not yet lied to investigators at the time she wore the wig.

ETA: AA, Pages 123-125.
Edited to add: I see (and others do too!...) that I was wrong. The interview was on Dec 17. 2020.

 

[MassGuy]

Investigators interviewed SD on December 17, 2021, but she wore the wig during the visit to Antler's Hotel sometime Feb 12-14, 2021. So, she had not yet lied to investigators at the time she wore the wig.

Her interview with investigators was in 2020:

(Shoshona Darke) On December 16, 2020, CCSO Deputy Miles Jones received a tip from a person who requested to remain anonymous. She reported that her friend, Shoshona Louise Darke, is intimately involved in a relationship with Barry.

On December 17, 2020, Sergeant Hysjulien and Agent Cahill interviewed Darke at the CCSO office. She said she has known Barry since October 2020 because she cleaned his neighbor's house and met him at the dumpster by chance. She denied being in a romantic or sexual relationship with Barry. Darke deleted items on her phone (one possibly being a second phone number for Barry) in front of investigators and was evasive in answering questions.

Page 123

 

[mrjitty]

I think he could have pushed the dart into her if she wasn’t expecting it.

However I think he did shoot her - because I think he enjoyed it.

JMO

Yes - he was taking care of business in a calculated style. I don't think he wanted any mess or fuss.

 

[Megnut]

BM says he first spotted the elk as he approached Hwy 50 from CR 225. He said when he got up to the intersection he let them cross. He said there was one big bull he wanted to see better. That is why he turned left.
The elk crossed and went up the old washed out road. I’m attaching several shots from Google maps that, I think, identify the road he is referring to. It is about .105 miles from where BM was sitting at that intersection. Question: could he see them from that distance in the complete early morning darkness? I don’t think so.

Thank you for finding the road.

See, that's my question. What's his deal with that road?

What we know: there are 14 miles that LE needed to find. Took him more miles to get to Broomfield then to get back. (I trust that LE factored for his back and forth between the hotel and dumpsters.)

I can't fathom why Barry would choose such a stupid spot for her helmet. An abductor wouldn't pause -- a mountain lion has no thumbs --

If Barry took that road, does it get him anywhere?

Barry wanted to get his sorry self to Broomfield so why would he take such an unnecessary detour? The helmet wouldn't have made less sense nearer to her bike, it serves no narrative.

If it was just about the helmet, throw it out beyond the house and bike, or throw it left if he must but why 12 more miles? You think Barry didn't want a traffic infraction? Zero traffic, easy U turn.

The elk story worked. No further questions, far as we know.

Well, I'm not done asking.

What was he doing in that area?

JMO

 

[Seattle1]

BM says he first spotted the elk as he approached Hwy 50 from CR 225. He said when he got up to the intersection he let them cross. He said there was one big bull he wanted to see better. That is why he turned left.
The elk crossed and went up the old washed out road. I’m attaching several shots from Google maps that, I think, identify the road he is referring to. It is about .105 miles from where BM was sitting at that intersection. Question: could he see them from that distance in the complete early morning darkness? I don’t think so.

I recall that investigators recreated this scene and confirmed it would be impossible to see anything as BM described. It was too dark!

 

[MassGuy]

I recall that investigators recreated this scene and confirmed it would be impossible to see anything as BM described. It was too dark!

Yup. Footnote on the bottom of page 84:

Investigators have driven from the intersection of Highway 225 and Highway 50 to Garfield, a distance of2.73 miles, an impossible distance to see an elk at or around 4:32 AM and follow it in a short period of time. Barry had about 30 minutes to head that way, tum around and head back towards Highway 285. Barry's truck was seen passing video surveillance on Highway 50 right near the junction with Highway 285 and then again just north on Highway 285 at around 5:14 and 5:16 AM.

Of course this is ignoring the fact that elk don't herd nor shed that time of year.

 

[NothingSurprisesAnymore]

I do not think I have read anything where someone has given any plausible alternative scenario for what happened to Suzanne ,taking into account all of Barry's actions that weekend and Suzanne's digital silence.

If you're asking for plausible alternatives to Barry killing Suzanne the only one I can think of is Jeff Puckett's alien abduction.

 

[Love Never Fails]

Her interview with investigators was in 2020:

(Shoshona Darke) On December 16, 2020, CCSO Deputy Miles Jones received a tip from a person who requested to remain anonymous. She reported that her friend, Shoshona Louise Darke, is intimately involved in a relationship with Barry.

On December 17, 2020, Sergeant Hysjulien and Agent Cahill interviewed Darke at the CCSO office. She said she has known Barry since October 2020 because she cleaned his neighbor's house and met him at the dumpster by chance. She denied being in a romantic or sexual relationship with Barry. Darke deleted items on her phone (one possibly being a second phone number for Barry) in front of investigators and was evasive in answering questions.

Page 123

You have to love it. Someone who is “a close friend who requested to be anonymous”.
Said friend disclosed Shoshona is “intimately involved in a relationship with Barry.”

Ok women step up. Admit that women tell others about their “intimate relationships”. Happens all the time.

Of course not all women do. Suzanne did her best to keep her word to JL.

But Shosho? Let’s see. October to December is eight weeks or LESS. Yep I’m guessing she was bragging about her dumpster lover right away. She even named him. Yet she lied to LE.

Hey, let’s give it to JL. Even he told the investigators the truth, once they found him.

It’s like @MassGuy said a few posts back, Shoshona spent the weekend with Barry at the Antlers Hotel but they were just friends. Nothing sexual.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

BM says he first spotted the elk as he approached Hwy 50 from CR 225. He said when he got up to the intersection he let them cross. He said there was one big bull he wanted to see better. That is why he turned left.
The elk crossed and went up the old washed out road. I’m attaching several shots from Google maps that, I think, identify the road he is referring to. It is about .105 miles from where BM was sitting at that intersection. Question: could he see them from that distance in the complete early morning darkness? I don’t think so.

From his headlights when he saw them cross the road...probably. I'm amazed how far away I can see deer on or by the side of the road at night even if they are just at the edge of my headlights. I'd have to sit where he was sitting and animals would have to be crossing where they were crossing of course to be 100%...but I'd say the odds favor him seeing them. They are massive and solid and headlights would have provided ambient light. Could he see them after they went up the washed up road if he didn't turn onto the road probably not.

 

[MassGuy]

From his headlights when he saw them cross the road...probably. I'm amazed how far away I can see deer on or by the side of the road at night even if they are just at the edge of my headlights. I'd have to sit where he was sitting and animals would have to be crossing where they were crossing of course to be 100%...but I'd say the odds favor him seeing them. They are massive and solid and headlights would have provided ambient light. Could he see them after they went up the washed up road if he didn't turn onto the road probably not.

Are you saying you believe Barry saw a herd at a time of year when they don't herd?

That he forgot seeing this for a year, and suddenly remembered it dozens of interviews later?

That he saw and followed this herd, and it miraculously put him in the area of the helmet?

That's either a remarkable coincidence, or some diabolical elk.

 

[Diddian]

You have to love it. Someone who is “a close friend who requested to be anonymous”.
Said friend disclosed Shoshona is “intimately involved in a relationship with Barry.”

Ok women step up. Admit that women tell others about their “intimate relationships”. Happens all the time.

Of course not all women do. Suzanne did her best to keep her word to JL.

But Shosho? Let’s see. October to December is eight weeks or LESS. Yep I’m guessing she was bragging about her dumpster lover right away. She even named him. Yet she lied to LE.

Hey, let’s give it to JL. Even he told the investigators the truth, once they found him.

It’s like @MassGuy said a few posts back, Shoshona spent the weekend with Barry at the Antlers Hotel but they were just friends. Nothing sexual.

BM pointed to the neighbor's cleaning lady's "daughter and boyfriend" as potential suspects back in his interview with LE on May 13, 2020.

But in her interview with LE on December 17, 2020 SD says she didn't meet BM until October 2020, when she says she was in the neighborhood cleaning the neighbor's house and met BM by chance at the neighborhood dumpster.

So, how would BM know who SD's daughter and boyfriend were if he had not yet met SD?

Edited for grammar.

 

[mrjitty]

All the men in her life let her down.

RSBM

To be fair, if I were in his shoes, and I believed BM had just murdered SM and got away with it, I'd be pretty badly frightened. So while not his finest hour, I can understand it, I do have empathy for him.

 

[Skigh]

Barry was not on a relaxed drive where he had the time and mind space to stop and admire the local wild life .