Still Missing CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #96

[OldCop]

While this is plausible....the guy entering his home and not peppering LE with a barrage of questions about what may have happened to her is telling. A missing wife and LE in his home....and he simply waits on them to ask him something? That seems out of sorts.

LE told him not to touch anything. He wanted to show what a good boy he is and that he could follow directions.
BM thinks he deserves an academy award for his acting from the time he stepped out of his truck with his crocodile tears and his shaky fakey voice to his submissive shuffle through his home up to that pathetic fb plea one week later. He doesn’t deserve an Oscar. In fact, he wouldn’t make the cut in the freshman drama club.

 

[justtrish]

Rbbm

I find that thought most saddening and terrifying - in those last moments she was helpless, powerless and alone with a monster. (Imo).
I like this site, I like the compassionate, caring and super intelligent people that post here.
I find it frustrating when people throw comments in without sharing their thoughts too why they see it differently, I'm not saying they should either but its just frustrating imo, I don't understand their thinking. I don't understand how it can appear they forget Suzanne, she was a flawed yet perfect human like most of us in the world (murderers, criminals and war criminals aside) she had a vision of a better life and seeing the light at the end of what must have been a long, lonely and frightening tunnel - there is no more light for Suzanne, Barry turned it off.

The evidence does not point to anyone else but Barry.
Barry was the last person known to be with her.
She is not in Ecuador.
She did not run away.
There was no random creature, with the cleanest of kills ever known.
There was no other guy who conveniently arrived from Arizona during a pandemic, 1 who knew their routine and plans for that day, 1 who knew Barry was working that Sunday, 1 who knew how to organise any disturbed scene in the home back to what it should look like, who took her bike and placed it, who took her helmet and placed it at the same time Barry was driving past, who disappeared Suzanne.

There was Barry and Barry only.

Rant over.

I feel the same way. I know some post opposing points of view to encourage thinking outside the box. Some might just believe beyond a reasonable doubt and maybe they have a reasonable doubt? I personally don't see how that can be drawn from what we have, but I realize others might think that.

I was watching first 48 last night and one of the LE officers said "in LE we don't believe in coincidences". I think that speaks volumes in this case.

If any other scenario actually did happen, then the coincidences in this case are alarming.

*husband happened to be gone on Mother's Day to a job that he couldn't really do work on
*husband happened to lie to his neighbor and LE about where he was
*husband lied about what time and how he was woke up that morning
*husband happened to move toward the location of the bike before he was even up that day
*husband drove in the direction of the helmet before turning around to head to Broomfield
*husband happened to be shooting chipmunks at the moment Suzanne's digital footprint ends
*husband happens to put phone in airplane mode at the moment Suzanne's digital footprint ends
*Suzanne just didn't check her phone on Mothers Day, didn't respond to her best friends snaps about the wedding, didn't respond to JL who she was talking with just before Barry arrives home, didn't respond to her girls Mother's Day texts
*She didn't drive to a trail that day and instead happened to ride a route she's never done before


All these random things had to "just happen" on the same day she was abducted by a random stranger. One of these things.. sure I could definatly excuse one of them. Say Barry forgets what time he got up, but none of the other things happen. Okay, he forgot that.. or he forgot he went left to follow an Elk, but everything else he said/did lined up.. okay. There are no coincidences this big that makes a man look this guilty AND then he's innocent and some other random stranger covered things up so well that Barry looks guilty and there is no sign of this other person.

 

[Megnut]

I didn't notice a big reaction to Fooses being searched, but he was trying like heck to sell the mountain lion wasn't he. Trying to redirect a questioning deputy to talk about lion tracks. Brazen, really.

Timestamp 12:25. The officer says, "so we'll double check Foose's" and as he continues his sentence, Barry is talking too.

Hard to hear, but I think he's questioning, "But if the bike is here..."

JMO

RAW: Body camera footage shows first moments after Suzanne Morphew reported missing | 9news.com

 

[MassGuy]

If Barry ditched the bike I agree he could have walked it there. What's puzzling and LE mentioned it that with the traffic to and from Foose's on what was alleged to have been a "nice" day no one saw it. But who knows. People drive by stuff off the road all the time and don't stop and then there are the ones who stop and grab!

It was still down an incline though, so it's possible that people just didn't see it, or just didn't care to stop.

Those cops were looking for it.

 

[Murphy1950]

Responding here as it it's day one: Considering the proximity of the bike to the house, I would automatically consider the house a part of the same crime scene. If a stranger took her, more than likely they would have watched her at the house before snatching her off of a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. They don't live somewhere that a random serial abductor is just going to happen by.

I think LE, at the bike scene, knew the minute they saw the crocodile tears and heard the stammering cat question. The L/E back at the house knew the minute that asked about the relationship and learned it was in trouble, at a minimum. There was also LE conversation were not privy to. I don't think the balled up biking gloves on the floor were lost on them...Came together pretty quickly IMO

 

[MassGuy]

I know, I find myself wavering as to his conviction (but not his innocence).

All it would take would be for the defense to put doubt about the truck telematics in play. If the jury doesn't believe that information, the prosecution looses a huge chunk of their case.

I can imagine the defense jumbling the telematics into a big mess just to confuse the jury. That seems their style and what a good defense lawyer should do. I just hope the judge keeps them in check.

The thing is, there are so many variables to proving him guilty that I am far from thinking it's a slam dunk.

That's why his phone is so important. Although there is no evidence the truck telematics make up events, we do know events can be missed. So even if the defense is able to cast doubt on the truck data, Barry's phone was active outside at the same time.

 

[justtrish]

I think he probably walked the bike there, but I'm totally open to him having borrowed a vehicle to transport Suzanne's body.

I think that would have been discovered had he used a firefighter vehicle though.

I REALLY wanna know what the RR vehicle data says about 330-4am that day. If the trunk opened and/or the inside lights were on, then I think that will be hard to overcome for Barry.

So he was home, when a stranger got in their car to get her bike and he didn't hear or notice that? I think he got that bike out and rode it because in his mind maybe the bike track would be seen showing "she" road that way.. then he could have rode it off the dirt to the grassy area and stood there and tossed it down. Maybe even walking in the grass around to the creek bed to follow it back to the house. He wouldn't want to leave footprints after all.

 

[MassGuy]

I REALLY wanna know what the RR vehicle data says about 330-4am that day. If the trunk opened and/or the inside lights were on, then I think that will be hard to overcome for Barry.

So he was home, when a stranger got in their car to get her bike and he didn't hear or notice that? I think he got that bike out and rode it because in his mind maybe the bike track would be seen showing "she" road that way.. then he could have rode it off the dirt to the grassy area and stood there and tossed it down. Maybe even walking in the grass around to the creek bed to follow it back to the house. He wouldn't want to leave footprints after all.

That would be absolutely devastating. If that vehicle shows any activity at all during that 3 o'clock hour, it's a massive piece of evidence.

Allegedly the data was "helpful," and there are two ways I can think of that make it so:

The first one I mentioned.

No events when Barry left the house, as that would destroy the already weak DNA argument. I mean, you have to open the door in order to touch the dashboard, as random sex offenders apparently love to do for no reason.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

There aren't many posts thinking he's innocent IMO. There are some however who think he may not be found guilty.

That's a big difference.

Huge difference I agree.

 

[LandManatee]

Just an observation while scrolling through pics that I noticed in the HIE surveillance photo attached (and I don’t think has been mentioned before):

Is that a hammer, specifically a ball peen hammer, poking out of the bag BM is carrying? It may appear white because of glare. The shape looks like a hammer head to me.

I don’t think it’s out of the norm for a landscaper/volunteer FF to have such tools, but IF it is a hammer, I wonder if it is in one of the bags he threw away that day?

I included a pic of a ball peen hammer plus some examples of different types of hammers for reference.

MOO IMO

 

[al66pine]

CO. home purchase & IN. home sale?
Briefly,* IN. home. Initial list = $ 980,000; Sold = $ 750,000.
Time on market ~ 1 year.
And altho it may not have any relevance to the case, I still wonder about reason for moving. Was their CO home purchase a bit impulsive? Or made w a need to get far away from IN & move quickly? Was proximity to dau in college actually a major factor in prompting the move?

Timingof the buy & sell, specifically:
- M's made offer to buy CO. home at full asking price
(an offer seller accepted, ~6 weeks after listing it).
- M's did not list IN. home (at least not thru MLS), until ~ 4 weeks after they were under contract for CO home.
- After listing in MLS, M's dropped price three times.
- After six mo, listing was removed. A six-mo. listing is common.
- After being off the market ~ four weeks, M's relisted, w further price drop.
- Once relisted, M's dropped price three more times.
{{ At this point, did M's reconsider price? Or just bite their fingernails?}}

1 year on mkt, sold at 77 % of initial listing px. Ouch!?! Could have been high list price encouraged by r/e agent or by either/both BM/SM? Or other reason, IDK.
EBM for clarity.
____________________________
* Black info = per zillow.com. Red info = M's actions & some = imo.

CO. home
12/10/2017 ... Listed for sale ...$1,575,000.
1/31/2018 ..... Pending sale .....$1,575,000 < M's buy offer accepted
4/12/2018 .... Sold ............... $1,575,000 < M 's close purchase

IN. home.
3/2/2018..... Listed for sale..... $980,000. < M's list IN. home
3/17/2018..... Price change ........ $950,000
5/13/2018 .... Price change ........ $895,000
6/21/2018 .... Price change ........ $840,000
8/31/2018..... Listing removed ... $840,000

10/2/2018 ... Listed for sale ...... $800,000
10/31/2018 ...Price change ...,... $795,000
12/6/2018 ....Price change .........$774,000
4/6/2019 ..... Pending sale .........$774,000
5/29/2019 ... Sold ............... $750,000 < M 's IN. home sale?

But iirc, actual closing & final paymt to BM (&SM) occurred later ---
May _, 2020 .... SM disappears
June _, 2020 ... BM files for Guardianship
June _, 2020 ... As G'dn for SM, BM closes sale of IN home.
Iirc, deed was signed & dated ~ June 6 or 8.
Pls correct my possibly misremembered dates. Anyone?? TiA.

19057 Puma Path, Salida, CO 81201 | Zillow
26040 Cal Carson Rd, Arcadia, IN 46030 | Zillow

 

[al66pine]

dbm

 

[Momofthreeboys]

RSBM

I find it frustrating when people throw comments in without sharing their thoughts too why they see it differently, I'm not saying they should either but its just frustrating imo, I don't understand their thinking. I don't understand how it can appear they forget Suzanne, she was a flawed yet perfect human like most of us in the world (murderers, criminals and war criminals aside) she had a vision of a better life and seeing the light at the end of what must have been a long, lonely and frightening tunnel - there is no more light for Suzanne, Barry turned it off.



I too find it frustrating when people pick holes in the prosecution case ,but do not give a plausible alternative scenario taking in the agreed facts about the case.

If I were a juror and I would be looking for the defence to provide a believable account of how Suzanne disappeared.

The problem is defense doesn't have to "explain" how she disappeared...it's not their job. It's the state's job always because it is State of Colorado vs. Barry Morphew. Defense's only job is to support the defendant, Barry, who says he's not guilty and ensure his rights are not violated. They don't "prove" anything BUT they will point out flaws in logic, or any testimony that is disallowed by virtue of the question asked by prosecution and they will put up their own witnesses or their own investigator if it is of value to affirming the defendant's not guilty plea and cross examine prosecution witnesses to test the case made by the prosecution. It's tough but keep the faith. This case has moved along quite quickly compared to many.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

I know, I find myself wavering as to his conviction (but not his innocence).

All it would take would be for the defense to put doubt about the truck telematics in play. If the jury doesn't believe that information, the prosecution looses a huge chunk of their case.

I can imagine the defense jumbling the telematics into a big mess just to confuse the jury. That seems their style and what a good defense lawyer should do. I just hope the judge keeps them in check.

The thing is, there are so many variables to proving him guilty that I am far from thinking it's a slam dunk.

The prosecution also has the right to object to questions they feel are not relevant or misleading etc. The judge decides. We might hear from two telematics "experts"...then it gets tough for the jury because they almost have to choose which expert to believe :-(

 

[Scootie98]

Rbbm

I find that thought most saddening and terrifying - in those last moments she was helpless, powerless and alone with a monster. (Imo).
I like this site, I like the compassionate, caring and super intelligent people that post here.
I find it frustrating when people throw comments in without sharing their thoughts too why they see it differently, I'm not saying they should either but its just frustrating imo, I don't understand their thinking. I don't understand how it can appear they forget Suzanne, she was a flawed yet perfect human like most of us in the world (murderers, criminals and war criminals aside) she had a vision of a better life and seeing the light at the end of what must have been a long, lonely and frightening tunnel - there is no more light for Suzanne, Barry turned it off.

The evidence does not point to anyone else but Barry.
Barry was the last person known to be with her.
She is not in Ecuador.
She did not run away.
There was no random creature, with the cleanest of kills ever known.
There was no other guy who conveniently arrived from Arizona during a pandemic, 1 who knew their routine and plans for that day, 1 who knew Barry was working that Sunday, 1 who knew how to organise any disturbed scene in the home back to what it should look like, who took her bike and placed it, who took her helmet and placed it at the same time Barry was driving past, who disappeared Suzanne.

There was Barry and Barry only.

Rant over.

Barry's biggest screw up (besides the act of killing itself) is his negligent timeline. Having upwards of 8 hours or so, where he would otherwise be with Suzanne, and she would have continued with her routine of talking to SO, her daughters, etc....on Saturday afternoon and evening....then, if BM had done his deed in the wee hours when no one would be trying to contact Suzanne and vice versa.....his chances of constructing an alibi for Sunday would be greater...except oops....the daughters would have arrived back home and prevented the deed...so that wouldn't work. Instead....Barry did the deed on Saturday with, as mentioned many times...No Alibi. None. The faux alibi constructed on Sunday was entirely absent Suzanne...and, was scripted with other persons carrying out their role, unwittingly, of course...the Ritters, the daughters, the workers, George Davis, etc....Sunday gave us Pretend Bike Ride, Pretend Workers on the wall, Pretend Barry on the wall with workers, Pretend Shirt Changes, Pretend Prompting of Daughter to call her mom and Pretend Call to the Ritters to look for someone who was no longer on the premises thanks to The Pretender Himself....Barry.

 

[tmar]

So so many lies and ever evolving “ explanations”.
Especially about Saturday afternoon.
Veggie soup and sitting in the sun with her.
Then he can’t remember where she was when he came back from his errands.
In fact, he totally forgot about going for the blade change.
Also, he never brought up that they hiked up to Fooses until he suddenly remembered it in June after several interviews.
Then he changed his mind on the hike story many times saying well maybe it was Friday.Or Thursday.
So many inconsistencies to try and fit to the evidence.
JMO

It would be great, if someone smart here (and there are LOADS) could draw a stick figure, retracing BM's idiotic lies, running from first statement to next (that changed etc).

Hilarious busy stick guy, losing his head, heavy as packed with lies, falling off his scrawny neck at end.
Just imagining this makes me smile.

 

[tmar]

Barry's biggest screw up (besides the act of killing itself) is his negligent timeline. Having upwards of 8 hours or so, where he would otherwise be with Suzanne, and she would have continued with her routine of talking to SO, her daughters, etc....on Saturday afternoon and evening....then, if BM had done his deed in the wee hours when no one would be trying to contact Suzanne and vice versa.....his chances of constructing an alibi for Sunday would be greater...except oops....the daughters would have arrived back home and prevented the deed...so that wouldn't work. Instead....Barry did the deed on Saturday with, as mentioned many times...No Alibi. None. The faux alibi constructed on Sunday was entirely absent Suzanne...and, was scripted with other persons carrying out their role, unwittingly, of course...the Ritters, the daughters, the workers, George Davis, etc....Sunday gave us Pretend Bike Ride, Pretend Workers on the wall, Pretend Barry on the wall with workers, Pretend Shirt Changes, Pretend Prompting of Daughter to call her mom and Pretend Call to the Ritters to look for someone who was no longer on the premises thanks to The Pretender Himself....Barry.

Reminds me of that great song, 'The Pretender'.
Now, who sang it?
A powerful, male voice......( Fats Domino ??)

 

[Diddian]

I think LE, at the bike scene, knew the minute they saw the crocodile tears and heard the stammering cat question. The L/E back at the house knew the minute that asked about the relationship and learned it was in trouble, at a minimum. There was also LE conversation were not privy to. I don't think the balled up biking gloves on the floor were lost on them...Came together pretty quickly IMO

I agree. And it is possible the daughter's boyfriend was confirming what LE had already heard from JR. Remember: SM had coffee at JR's home earlier in the week and it is possible she shared information about the status of her marriage and BM's response to her wanting out. If so, it seems likely to me that JR would have shared that info with LE as it would seem important for them to know once SM was missing.

When BM involved JR and MR as the folks who officially reported SM missing, BM may not have known everything that JR was privy to.

ETA: One of the problems with being the type of guy who believes the world orbits around him is that such a guy forgets others still exist and interact with each other when he isn't present.

 

[katydid23]

Agree. One of the reasons I think they want the whole interviews played is so the jury can here Barry in dialogue and not snips of conversations. So yes to get a sense of him in context. It must not be something they are nervous about. Probably not something they are excited about. I have always wanted to hear the “Barryisms” in context.

I think the defense is hoping that the context willl help camoflauge his lies. He uses the 'word salad' technique to try and confuse the situation and turn on the charm, hoping to hide the lying.

 

[coastal]

Reminds me of that great song, 'The Pretender'.
Now, who sang it?
A powerful, male voice......(??)

Jackson Browne!

 

[al66pine]

"The Great Pretender"???

Reminds me of that great song, 'The Pretender'.
Now, who sang it?
A powerful, male voice......(was it Fats Domino ??)

@tmar Ah, a trip down memory lane. Yes, Fats Domino, and The Platters, Roy Orbison, et al. This one, I take it:

"The Great Pretender"
"Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender
Pretending that I'm doing well
My need is such I pretend too much
I'm lonely but no one can tell ... "
The Platters - The Great Pretender Lyrics | AZLyrics.com

Now the oldies station is signing off the air for today
__________________
1970's, "The Pretender" a different song, Jackson Browne:
“The Pretender” by Jackson Browne - American Songwriter
2007, "The Pretender" a different song. Foo Fighters:
lyrics the pretender - Google Search