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

[sk716]

I think he got an offer of a "free" place to stay and took it. I think it was a very last minute decision and he hoped to live in Gunnison as evidenced by the court request that day. I think he would have stayed in his free option regardless of where it was located in Chaffee County once he couldn't live in Gunnison. I don't think the location factored into the decision.

I understand not wanting to make all of Barry's motivations nefarious, some people want to make him out to be a supervillain. But, since he moved to a condo at Tailwinds to sell the house, going back to Monarch Estates after claiming how traumatic being at PP was for MM2 looks really bad, like he wants to keep an eye on something. He had other options for places to live. Places that wouldn't further traumatize his daughter, like driving past the spot where she "disappeared" every single time they visit would.

 

[sk716]

Simple question for cell phone officianados or LE types: Can the single identification of Shoshanna's cell phone number provide the means for LE to pull all of her cell phone records...up to and including any logged backup phone numbers on her phone, including deleted ones? Could they find BM's backup in this manner?

Not really an expert, but the short answer is no. Not everyone backs up contacts into their cloud. If she deleted something from her phone that was linked on the cloud, it might have been possible to retrieve it within the first couple of hours but warrants don't come that quick.

 

[sk716]

No the trial doesn't have to go on...prosecution can drop charges anytime. My guess is defense DOES want the trial to move forward as they have never once tried to delay once the ball got rolling. If he's acquitted the state can't charge him again. It's over and done. It's a gamble but defense knows what they have to work with and I'm sure they have spelled it all our for Barry and we know Barry isn't risk adverse.

I don't think it's E&N that want to move this forward quickly. Any decent defense attorney wants as much time as possible to come up with a solid defense. Barry's has made that really hard for them. I think Barry believes he's going to win over the jury and this will be all over and done with. His attorneys know better.

 

[MassGuy]

Not really an expert, but the short answer is no. Not everyone backs up contacts into their cloud. If she deleted something from her phone that was linked on the cloud, it might have been possible to retrieve it within the first couple of hours but warrants don't come that quick.

Didn't they execute a search warrant on her house at some point? I could have sworn that came up during the prelim or another hearing.

If they were able to get a warrant on her house, then I don't think it's a stretch to assume they were able to subpoena her phone records.

If Barry did in fact have a burner device, that would be one way of obtaining information about it. Find the phone number you can obtain information from the phone company.

Even burners have phone records, to include location information.

 

[Hoss569]

Here is a photo of what the valley looked like in the mid/late 1800's. A google search of Arbourville Colorado will turn up plenty of information regarding the Maysville area and the old town.

"Today Arbourville, Colorado is a ghost town located in Chaffee county, 5 miles below Chaffee City/Monarch. It was established after Nicholas Creede discovered silver on Monarch Mountain in 1879. Also known as Arborsville and Arbour-Villa. Arbourville was known for the brothel which served as a gathering place for miners and traders, the only one in the Monarch area. The parlor house was the main attraction in Arbourville and attracted customers from far and wide. In 1880 as many as 50 houses a week were built, all being occupied as soon as they were finished. "

The old building seen along Highway 50 right after the Monarch Spur RV park is supposedly the Brothel/Dance hall/Parlor/Hotel described in the quoted text above. With 50 homes a *week being built and visible remains present in that valley, I would think the hiding places could be overwhelming, wells, cellars, foundations, etc. ... The Spot for the dead turkey is in that area ...

 

[NothingSurprisesAnymore]

I believe Barry had a back pocket plan as to how he could incapacitate and conceal a person, any person

Details of alibi, bike staging, and time of day SM went silent indicate poor planning

I believe her demise came at the hand of hot headed Barry

He then needed to implement disposal and cover-up quickly using what he knew was readily available

I believe controlling Barry acted alone

To avoid detection, cameras, and telematics I believe he likely put her closer rather than farther from Puma Path

Barry has history of doing the unexpected

Many possibilities, just thinking out loud...

 

[Lyanna]

I don’t think anyone knows how this will go including the judge. Your confidence in the outcome of this case surpasses mine…but you know that

I don't think it's about confidence in the outcome of the case, it's confidence in Barry's guilt - there is no other reasonable explanation for what happened to Suzanne than what prosecution are saying - Barry murdered and hid her body. No one has put forth a counter argument that is reasonable and indicates something else, no one has put forward reasonable arguments for Barry's lies, Barry's forgetfulness, Barry's shifty behaviour, Barry's downright disgusting and disrespectful behaviour to his missing wife (that's jmo though)

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I don't think it's about confidence in the outcome of the case, it's confidence in Barry's guilt - there is no other reasonable explanation for what happened to Suzanne than what prosecution are saying - Barry murdered and hid her body. No one has put forth a counter argument that is reasonable and indicates something else, no one has put forward reasonable arguments for Barry's lies, Barry's forgetfulness, Barry's shifty behaviour, Barry's downright disgusting and disrespectful behaviour to his missing wife (that's jmo though)

Exactly this. Aside from all the Barry stuff, there is no other credible theory.

 

[DellaC]

Thanks DeDee.
I was once in a marriage with an abuser and narcissist. It was more than forty years ago. There were no medical “terms” for personality disorders back then. One day he said he loved me, the next day he wanted me dead for no reason. My story does not matter, as I am free of that now but I do recognize it in someone else. Barry Morphew is indefensible. He used money, sex, his family, Suzanne’s family and friends, and most of all religion to try to destroy her and control her. He is despicable.

I have no doubt he snapped at some point because he lost control of her. By losing control, he knew money would be an issue in court. I have no doubt he could have had some nefarious financial dealings, which she suspected. Divorce wasn’t an option when it came to money.

My belief is that he is so diabolical that the planning of her death began in Indiana. Separation from family and friends is paramount when a narcissist needs control.

And if he loses that control, then you are no longer of use to him. And to tell someone else that you know how and where to bury a body shows how evil you are. Who thinks like that?!

Once Suzanne agreed to move to Colorado, her fate was sealed. He just had to wait for the opportunity.

And when Barry said if one person was saved by her death, he was speaking of himself. I wonder, what did Suzanne know?

MOO

BBM

Just a philosophical observation. It seems that BM uses his claim to faith as a way of manipulating others. SM claims he used the 7 x 70 to demand forgiveness, but I don't see that he holds himself to the same standard. He used the "till death do us part" vow to squelch any idea of divorce, but doesn't seem to have been too concerned about controlling wandering eyes/hands. He seems to tell lies to get out of every inconvenience. Being a visible Christian man--going to church on Sunday, having a nice, godfearing wife & family--may earn him creds in some business transactions. These faults are human nature, I know--hence the need for a Savior--but for BM, it seems like he wants his world ordered a certain way for HIS convenience, not to honor the Creator.

In reading through the AA, it seems that BM has violated all 10 of the Ten Commandments in overt ways. My faith tradition calls that mortal sin that has the affect of separating one from God. I am saddened by this "mask of faith", but it has made me more introspective about my own faith journey and whether I walk the walk. If 129 pages of my life were issued to the public, how would I look?

BM is reaping the rewards of his actions, having hurt so many others along the way. I hope he, too, has time to reflect on his faith journey and to seek forgiveness from the Almighty. I hope justice, here and in heaven, prevails.

 

[LandManatee]

The defense seems to be very concerned about these recordings. I'm going to guess that in Holly's case, there's way more there than Barry just being an absolute sleezeball.

He must have done some real damage.

MOO IMO

I agree. There is obviously more there to come out in trial that the AA didn’t disclose.

To me, MG is one of the predominant key witnesses in this case. This woman worked alongside BM everyday (paraphrasing her words) for years. IMO, she is the one person that spent the most time with BM since his move to Colorado. She will be able to not only testify to BM’s timeline/movements/actions but to so much more, especially his character. There is a very obvious and damning reason he didn’t want her to hand over her phone to LE.

Based on a first person witness incident I was prevy to early on in this case, I truly don’t know if MG was friend or foe of BM up until she moved out of state and publicly declared she was scared of him. If I have doubts, I guess I am leaning towards the belief that she has a much bigger part in this whole saga than we may have considered and in order to save her backside, she cooperated as best she could with LE in the first few months after SM’s “disappearance”. If that were true though, I would think some hint or disclosure of that cooperation (outside her interviews) would be in the AA and I haven’t come across information to indicate she was involved with LE in getting wired or setup on stings.

This trial could not come soon enough!

[As a side note, can I add how much I can’t stand that BM is free right now and able to read all our comments on the daily. And we all know he and his minions are doing so! I hate to think he is staying on top of all the forums and concocting ideas, excuses and varying scenarios to continue to further convolute or expand his narrative. Ugh!]

 

[Skigh]

I too have no doubt he and his minions are reading here and maybe even posting.

Nothing they read can change Suzanne's digital silence or the timeline of Barry's activities including all of his lies. I also think the prosecution have further incriminating evidence.

 

[NothingSurprisesAnymore]

Barry has previously commented he could bury a body and it not be found.

This may make the where of Suzanne's grave slightly less important as he has the skills to convincingly conceal.

Detection and telematics would have been an obvious concern as he proceeded to put her somewhere but what may have been most important was to cover the scent of cadaverine.

Does anyone know how difficult it is to eliminate this scent? Is it possible to do in a way that is not over the top complicated? I think if realistically doable this is a skill he would have known and used on occasion as he is an avid hunter and maybe poacher...

...and we know "scent" was important to him hence one advantage of tranquilizing Suzanne

Edit to add:
Main concern of cadaverine is it leading searchers to grave or corpse
What are methods while burying body to eliminate scent

 

[Cassady]

I don't think it's E&N that want to move this forward quickly. Any decent defense attorney wants as much time as possible to come up with a solid defense. Barry's has made that really hard for them. I think Barry believes he's going to win over the jury and this will be all over and done with. His attorneys know better.

This is not necessarily true....IMO.

There are times when more time helps a criminal defendant and then there are times when the defense attorney wants to push a case to trial as quickly as possible. For the later, it usually means that the attorney sees some glaring weeknesses in the state's case and more time would only help them make their case stronger.

In this matter, the defense seems to be pushing this to trial asap. The trial is being held within one year of arrest and the defendant is not in custody. That is pretty quick for a murder case, even if the client is in custody.

Looking at all that has been transpired in the actual litigation of this case to date it is not surprising that the defense is pushing this to trial sooner, rather than later. The state's case is not very strong and more time might make it stronger....like finding the victim's body in a place that digital data places the defendant near that location.

In this no-body murder case with marginal circumstantial evidence, no forensic evidence, voluminoius amounts of digital evidence and possibly DNA from somoene other than the defendant found at various locations, a decent attorney would do exactly what the defendant's lawyers are currently doing.....pushing this case to trial quickly.

IMO

 

[Skigh]

Barry has previously commented he could bury a body and it not be found. This may make the where of Suzanne's grave slightly less important as he has the skills to convincingly conceal.

Detection and telematics would have been an obvious concern as he proceeded to put her somewhere but what may have been most important was to cover the scent of cadaverine.

Does anyone know how difficult it is to eliminate this scent? Is it possible to do in a way that is not over the top complicated? I think if realistically doable this is a skill he would have known and used on occasion as he is an avid hunter and maybe poacher...

...and we know "scent" was important to him hence one advantage of tranquilizing Suzanne

I wonder what the jury will think when they hear about Barry's boast about being able to bury a body so it cannot be found.


Such a useful skill to have !

 

[Love Never Fails]

BBM

Just a philosophical observation. It seems that BM uses his claim to faith as a way of manipulating others. SM claims he used the 7 x 70 to demand forgiveness, but I don't see that he holds himself to the same standard. He used the "till death do us part" vow to squelch any idea of divorce, but doesn't seem to have been too concerned about controlling wandering eyes/hands. He seems to tell lies to get out of every inconvenience. Being a visible Christian man--going to church on Sunday, having a nice, godfearing wife & family--may earn him creds in some business transactions. These faults are human nature, I know--hence the need for a Savior--but for BM, it seems like he wants his world ordered a certain way for HIS convenience, not to honor the Creator.

In reading through the AA, it seems that BM has violated all 10 of the Ten Commandments in overt ways. My faith tradition calls that mortal sin that has the affect of separating one from God. I am saddened by this "mask of faith", but it has made me more introspective about my own faith journey and whether I walk the walk. If 129 pages of my life were issued to the public, how would I look?

BM is reaping the rewards of his actions, having hurt so many others along the way. I hope he, too, has time to reflect on his faith journey and to seek forgiveness from the Almighty. I hope justice, here and in heaven, prevails.

This is a beautiful post and thoughtful as well.

There are many people who profess Christianity, go to church, preach to others about what they must do (as Barry did to Suzanne) but never actually live the life, nor do they know God as Savior. Barry seems to fall into this category.

If Barry asked for forgiveness and truly repented, I’m sure he would find forgiveness just as any of us mere mortals. God is his judge.

What I want is justice for Suzanne. She didn’t deserve being used, abused, and murdered.

 

[LandManatee]

This isn’t in response to anyone’s recent post per se, but I wanted to bring forward a knowledgeable response I had received from @10ofRods a few threads back regarding cadaverine, as insight and better understanding into the process:

Detectable cadaverine takes about 12 hours to show up (for dogs or gizmos). Hot weather (which it wasn't)...we could stretch it to 8-10, but 12-24 hours is the normal range.

She'd have had to be there for quite a few hours...cellular decomp is not instantaneous.

PS - I totally agree that he moved her off site to kill her - and then did something to move or inter her body - thereby getting cadaverine on himself - perhaps, even on Monday, where his time is mostly unaccounted for. Probably had more than one SIM for the Bobcat - I'm sure they sell them.

 

[Cassady]

MOO IMO

I agree. There is obviously more there to come out in trial that the AA didn’t disclose.

To me, MG is one of the predominant key witnesses in this case. This woman worked alongside BM everyday (paraphrasing her words) for years. IMO, she is the one person that spent the most time with BM since his move to Colorado. She will be able to not only testify to BM’s timeline/movements/actions but to so much more, especially his character. There is a very obvious and damning reason he didn’t want her to hand over her phone to LE.

Based on a first person witness incident I was prevy to early on in this case, I truly don’t know if MG was friend or foe of BM up until she moved out of state and publicly declared she was scared of him. If I have doubts, I guess I am leaning towards the belief that she has a much bigger part in this whole saga than we may have considered and in order to save her backside, she cooperated as best she could with LE in the first few months after SM’s “disappearance”. If that were true though, I would think some hint or disclosure of that cooperation (outside her interviews) would be in the AA and I haven’t come across information to indicate she was involved with LE in getting wired or setup on stings.

This trial could not come soon enough!

[As a side note, can I add how much I can’t stand that BM is free right now and able to read all our comments on the daily. And we all know he and his minions are doing so! I hate to think he is staying on top of all the forums and concocting ideas, excuses and varying scenarios to continue to further convolute or expand his narrative. Ugh!]

I too have no doubt he and his minions are reading here and maybe even posting.

Nothing they read can change Suzanne's digital silence or the timeline of Barry's activities including all of his lies. I also think the prosecution have further incriminating evidence.

IMO the state threw everything but the outhouse door in the AA, including anything that was even remotely incriminating. If there was some incriminating info outside the AA it would have come in the Prelim.

Short of discovering the victim's body prior to trial, I do not see any surprise smoking guns introduced at trial by the state.

IMO

 

[Seattle1]

Thanks DeDee.
I was once in a marriage with an abuser and narcissist. It was more than forty years ago. There were no medical “terms” for personality disorders back then. One day he said he loved me, the next day he wanted me dead for no reason. My story does not matter, as I am free of that now but I do recognize it in someone else. Barry Morphew is indefensible. He used money, sex, his family, Suzanne’s family and friends, and most of all religion to try to destroy her and control her. He is despicable.

I have no doubt he snapped at some point because he lost control of her. By losing control, he knew money would be an issue in court. I have no doubt he could have had some nefarious financial dealings, which she suspected. Divorce wasn’t an option when it came to money.

My belief is that he is so diabolical that the planning of her death began in Indiana. Separation from family and friends is paramount when a narcissist needs control.

And if he loses that control, then you are no longer of use to him. And to tell someone else that you know how and where to bury a body shows how evil you are. Who thinks like that?!

Once Suzanne agreed to move to Colorado, her fate was sealed. He just had to wait for the opportunity.

And when Barry said if one person was saved by her death, he was speaking of himself. I wonder, what did Suzanne know?

MOO

Congrats @Love Never Fails for saving yourself. No doubt you're stronger and wiser for the experience. Goes to show that crazy makers have been around for a long while, and glad that we've evolved to openly discuss these disorders. Too many lived in shame-- made to believe it was their fault.

 

[NothingSurprisesAnymore]

I wonder what the jury will think when they hear about Barry's boast about being able to bury a body so it cannot be found.


Such a useful skill to have !

Yes, it may have been useful

On one hand a juror might question his guilt because who would reveal what they're about to do, but on the other hand his statement may indicate planning or premeditation...

 

[Love Never Fails]

This is not necessarily true....IMO.

There are times when more time helps a criminal defendant and then there are times when the defense attorney wants to push a case to trial as quickly as possible. For the later, it usually means that the attorney sees some glaring weeknesses in the state's case and more time would only help them make their case stronger.

In this matter, the defense seems to be pushing this to trial asap. The trial is being held within one year of arrest and the defendant is not in custody. That is pretty quick for a murder case, even if the client is in custody.

Looking at all that has been transpired in the actual litigation of this case to date it is not surprising that the defense is pushing this to trial sooner, rather than later. The state's case is not very strong and more time might make it stronger....like finding the victim's body in a place that digital data places the defendant near that location.

In this no-body murder case with marginal circumstantial evidence, no forensic evidence, voluminoius amounts of digital evidence and possibly DNA from somoene other than the defendant found at various locations, a decent attorney would do exactly what the defendant's lawyers are currently doing.....pushing this case to trial quickly.

IMO

I agree with what the motive of the defense might be to push this forward. Though this case may seem weak for the prosecution, I am hoping they have much more by now. If they do, wouldn’t they have to provide that evidence to the defense before trial? (I don’t know how that works.)

I would love for them to find the body.
However, if all the prosecution can provide is the circumstantial evidence we have read about in the AA, Barry’s own lies should convict him. I could not be swayed by a defense attorney. As for the unknown DNA in the vehicle, that means nothing to me.
The circumstantial evidence, in my opinion, ties Barry up in a neat little bow.