Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *Case dismissed w/o Prejudice* #101

[OldCop]

Here is a bit of history regarding Arbourville, the ghost town located at/near the Monarch Spur RV park. Remnants of the old brothel still stand. Apparently, there is still a partial cemetary underneath Hwy 50, some of which was relocated to Gunnison. I believe Arbourville is the location of the fire that happened the week prior to Suzanne's murder?

Madonna Mine Colorado – Jan MacKell Collins

Arbourville History - Monarch Spur RV Park and Campground

Thanks, @Aloe. Here are a couple of shots of the area from Google Maps.

 

[OldCop]

I think he may have discarded SM’s body sometime before 10:17 pm on 5/9 using the old RR. His phone was turned to airplane mode from 2:47 pm, (aa page 34) and turned off airplane mode at 10:17 pm, (aa pge 35).
I think he killed her shortly after he returned home and put the phone in airplane mode. I think he used the next several hours of daylight to think out his plans, do evidence cleanup such as throwing his clothes in the wash, collecting items to be discarded including the bike, the helmet, the phone, a set of SM’s biking clothes, the tranq supplies and so on. He removed her bike from the back of the RR and placed her body inside, possibly in a container or cooler. He went out shortly before dusk to bury her body or to discard it in a mineshaft or ravine.
He returned to PP and shortly thereafter, 10:17 pm, took his phone out of airplane mode to try to establish that he was home.
In the middle of the night he finished loading his truck and in the wee hours of the morning began his journey to Broomfield stopping to stage the bike, the helmet, and possibly the phone fabricating the story of the herd of elk to explain why he turned left on 50. He wiped down SM’s bike, helmet, phone, and the rr with the brown towel and placed it in the bag of items to be discarded in Broomfield.
That’s my latest theory.

Replying to my own post. He tried to fiddle with the computer system on his truck to cover his tracks before he went out to dispose of SM’s body. He wasn’t sure it was disabled, so that’s when he decided to take the old rr.

 

[Megnut]

What time did Barry back up his truck nearly 100ft?

I don't think he left PP prior to that.

I think Barry bundled his prey up early, then scoured the house. While there was daylight.

I still think he left after 10:30, with the singular task of disposal/ concealment.

I believe he didn't travel far but his task was labor intensive.

I think he returned home close to 3 am.

I believe Barry loaded vehicles twice. One on the 9th, with everything he'd need for entombment. And his truck on 5/10 with everything he intended to stage/dump.

I lean toward an overnight disposal because I think the dog hits were genuine. I think Barry was in contact with a deceased human being, giving off cadaverine, at the 8-10-12 hour post-death timeframe.

JMO

 

[OldCop]

Questions that niggle me:

When did he start the fireplace fire?

When did he have the steak?

On which side of 10:30pm did he leave PP?

Justmynigglingquestions

I have a niggling question too. Do we know where BM allegedly stopped on the way to Broomfield because things were flying out of his truck?
Aa page 74:

 

[Aloe]

Thanks, @Aloe. Here are a couple of shots of the area from Google Maps.

Thanks @OldCop! These aerial views are great for proximity to the RV park and PP. Also, interesting to see the river and Como creek and timber refuse. I wonder about other old wells, etc. at the ghost town as well.

 

[OldCop]

How far is the loop from Angel back to 50?

From 50 to the campground roughly measured is about 3.7 miles. So about 7 1/2 miles round trip.

 

[OldCop]

Thanks @OldCop! These aerial views are great for proximity to the RV park and PP. Also, interesting to see the river and Como creek and timber refuse. I wonder about other old wells, etc. at the ghost town as well.

This whole area is a treasure trove of hidey holes.

 

[WingsOverTX]

Reading all the "find the body" posts today, all I can say is who needs Cahill when you've got Websleuths? Credibility is definitely higher here!

“The nearest thing they have to pausing the case is to have a judge dismiss it and then to refile charges later on. Colorado, just like every other state, has no statute of limitations on murder. Prosecutors have an absolute right to have a homicide case dismissed and refile it later on against the same defendant. The defense is making a big deal out of nothing, the dismissal doesn't in any way prove that Barry is innocent.”

Is Barry Morphew innocent? Damning evidence could emerge if wife's body is found, say experts



#JusticeforSuzanne

 

[Diddian]

I think he may have discarded SM’s body sometime before 10:17 pm on 5/9 using the old RR. His phone was turned to airplane mode from 2:47 pm, (aa page 34) and turned off airplane mode at 10:17 pm, (aa pge 35).
I think he killed her shortly after he returned home and put the phone in airplane mode. I think he used the next several hours of daylight to think out his plans, do evidence cleanup such as throwing his clothes in the wash, collecting items to be discarded including the bike, the helmet, the phone, a set of SM’s biking clothes, the tranq supplies and so on. He removed her bike from the back of the RR and placed her body inside, possibly in a container or cooler. He went out shortly before dusk to bury her body or to discard it in a mineshaft or ravine.
He returned to PP and shortly thereafter, 10:17 pm, took his phone out of airplane mode to try to establish that he was home.
In the middle of the night he finished loading his truck and in the wee hours of the morning began his journey to Broomfield stopping to stage the bike, the helmet, and possibly the phone fabricating the story of the herd of elk to explain why he turned left on 50. He wiped down SM’s bike, helmet, phone, and the rr with the brown towel and placed it in the bag of items to be discarded in Broomfield.
That’s my latest theory.

Seems like a very good theory.

I wish we knew more about BM’s movements on Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8.

IIRC, Wed, May 6 is the day SM drove MM2 to Gunnison for the planned camping trip with MM1 and MM1's friend. IIRC, it is also the day SM spent some time with JR at the Ritter home, during which she for some reason urged JR not to come over to Puma Path in the next few days. (We don’t know if she told JR why, but it seems reasonable to me to presume that she mentioned something about the marital conflict. She may or may not have mentioned her plans to end the marriage and BM’s resistance to even hearing such plans, depending on how well she knew and trusted JR.). And it is also the day SM sent BM the text stating she was “done. I don’t care what you’re doing and have been doing for years. let’s handle this civilly. (Paraphrasing.)

Then, it was Friday, May 8 that SM sent the unusual text to her sister, telling her for what sounds like the first time about the degree of conflict in her marriage and about BM’s abusive and threatening behavior. She had been disclosing the behavior to her close friend, SO prior to that, but the disclosure to her sister was new and left her sister uneasy - MB mentioned that she had urged SM to discuss her situation with church elders (“that’s what they are there for”) and that MB felt compelled to pray about SM’s situation after receiving the text.

IMO, I think it likely that SM sensed a change in BM after she’d sent him the “I’m done...” text beyond his usual refusal to accept and dismiss what she was telling him. And without KNOWING what exactly BM was doing on the intervening days (after the text May 6 through Thursday and into Friday), she sensed the danger enough that she did something new and reached out to MB. Perhaps, even though she felt an increase in risk, she didn’t want to impose upon her friend SO while SO was enjoying one of the most important events of her own life - the marriage of her daughter.

Let me just say this about intimate partner domestic violence: Unless we have personally experienced being subject to an intimate relationship with a very dangerous individual or have gone through that with someone very close to us, we almost all tend to downplay whether an intimate relationship that a friend or relative is involved in is potentially imminently fatally dangerous. And we take cues from the victim, who unfortunately has been downplaying the danger herself - not because there is no danger but because it feels insane to live with terror. So, the victim distances herself from her terror, placates the person terrifying her, and focuses on the parts of her life that feel better. And those around her tend to dismiss the seriousness of the danger “certainly it won’t come to that... at least not now, even she doesn't seem THAT worried” and urge steps to extricate that unfortunately are not proportionate to the danger.

So, while I believe SM - in reaching out to MB - was conveying that she was terrified at a level beyond any she’d shared before with MB, I completely understand MB missing what a huge red flag that text was. MB was responding as though she was at “point A” in SM sharing how abusive BM was, when in fact SM had shared “points A through W” with someone else (SO) and when she’d reached “points X and Y,” she had to try to convey "points A through Y" in a way that would make sense to someone who had missed most of the story. IMO, MB realized this the moment she heard SM was missing, when she immediately suspected BM was responsible for her disappearance. I feel so sorry for her and cannot imagine the horror of that moment when she came to full realization of just how far BM had gone and what it had cost her.

So, what was happening on late Wed, May 6 through Friday, May 8? IMO, BM may have been gradually becoming comfortable with the idea of causing SM's disappearance for as long as he suspected she was involved with someone else and had become "unloving toward him" (as he described it). Women who express their discomfort or displeasure with a marriage whose concerns are repeatedly ignored or dismissed by their spouse eventually move on, sometimes even while staying physically in place and making private plans and that is what SM did. I've seen it multiple times. The May 6 text was clear and BM knew it, so he decided to act to avoid the losses he'd incur (in status, image, and financially) when SM made her move to leave him and take her share. IMO, it is very likely he worked out details in his head for awhile, scouted out spots in advance, and may have even prepared the spot where SM's remains were placed.

For this reason, I think the hours and days immediately after that text on May 6 are important in terms of understanding what BM was up to and if his whereabouts during those many hours could be determined, they might lead to SM's remains. Unfortunately, we don't know if the plans preceded even then and he'd made his decision before the May 6 text and was just playing the part of the husband who dismisses and begs to continue on. However, if he did do anything to "prep a spot," I think that would likely have been done close to her disappearance as he wouldn't want others to discover that preparation. (Bringing to my mind the golfers who discovered the grave-sized hole - lined with a plastic tarp, holding bags of lime, and covered by a BBQ grate, so likely prepped to receive a body - on the grounds of a private golf/hunting club that Fotis Dulos' friend and fellow conspirator Kent Mawhinney had temporarily gained access to in the month before Jennifer Dulos disappeared.)

One thing is clear: the judge who had been presiding over this case before it was dismissed has a very limited understanding of what intimate partner domestic violence looks like and how victims in such circumstances behave while they remain in the circumstances. And even those more familiar too often miss the signs, taking cues from victim behavior that is designed to manage and live with the risk rather than reasonably assess the potential for escalation, and acting on the side of underplaying possibilities rather than on the side of securing the safety of those involved first and then sorting out the facts once that security is ensured. We all need to become better informed about recognizing power disparities, and the potential for and signs of abuse in its many forms in such circumstances. Power corrupts, even in marriages.

 

[Megnut]

I have a niggling question too. Do we know where BM allegedly stopped on the way to Broomfield because things were flying out of his truck?
Aa page 74:
View attachment 340973

I don't think we know but I was thinking this exact thing -- and I think Barry must've thought LE knew something about a stop he made so this answer was to preempt that IMO.

I really want to know where he said he stopped. And where he actually stopped.

When I think of the mountains of Colorado, I'm always awed by their beauty. Pure grandeur.

It takes a really ugly person to do something ugly there.

JMO

 

[GatorFL]

Could you elaborate or include a link as to your statement that LS talked about the fact that LE never quit but she wasn’t listening to them? afaik we are not privy to whether an appeal was filed regarding the Judge tossing the expert witnesses. If anyone knows with certainty whether the DA did or did not appeal this I would be appreciative as would many others. Part of the issue with this entire case is the secrecy and complete lack of transparency. I welcome any further information because frankly as I’ve stated before we continue to be a bunch of mushrooms; kept in the dark and fed either bs or maybe worse nothing at all. IMO

Sure, here is a link to the arrest press conference

In it LS says LE never quit. We know she wasn't listening to them because the CBI agents said it was too early for an arrest. That's what I am referring to there. I do believe we know she did not file an appeal because instead she asked for a dismissal. Otherwise the appeal process would be playing out and you know the defense attorneys would be vocal about such an appeal.

 

[WildOrchid]

This post was excellent!

Seems like a very good theory.

I wish we knew more about BM’s movements on Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8.

IIRC, Wed, May 6 is the day SM drove MM2 to Gunnison for the planned camping trip with MM1 and MM1's friend. IIRC, it is also the day SM spent some time with JR at the Ritter home, during which she for some reason urged JR not to come over to Puma Path in the next few days. (We don’t know if she told JR why, but it seems reasonable to me to presume that she mentioned something about the marital conflict. She may or may not have mentioned her plans to end the marriage and BM’s resistance to even hearing such plans, depending on how well she knew and trusted JR.). And it is also the day SM sent BM the text stating she was “done. I don’t care what you’re doing and have been doing for years. let’s handle this civilly. (Paraphrasing.)

Then, it was Friday, May 8 that SM sent the unusual text to her sister, telling her for what sounds like the first time about the degree of conflict in her marriage and about BM’s abusive and threatening behavior. She had been disclosing the behavior to her close friend, SO prior to that, but the disclosure to her sister was new and left her sister uneasy - MB mentioned that she had urged SM to discuss her situation with church elders (“that’s what they are there for”) and that MB felt compelled to pray about SM’s situation after receiving the text.

IMO, I think it likely that SM sensed a change in BM after she’d sent him the “I’m done...” text beyond his usual refusal to accept and dismiss what she was telling him. And without KNOWING what exactly BM was doing on the intervening days (after the text May 6 through Thursday and into Friday), she sensed the danger enough that she did something new and reached out to MB. Perhaps, even though she felt an increase in risk, she didn’t want to impose upon her friend SO while SO was enjoying one of the most important events of her own life - the marriage of her daughter.

Let me just say this about intimate partner domestic violence: Unless we have personally experienced being subject to an intimate relationship with a very dangerous individual or have gone through that with someone very close to us, we almost all tend to downplay whether an intimate relationship that a friend or relative is involved in is potentially imminently fatally dangerous. And we take cues from the victim, who unfortunately has been downplaying the danger herself - not because there is no danger but because it feels insane to live with terror. So, the victim distances herself from her terror, placates the person terrifying her, and focuses on the parts of her life that feel better. And those around her tend to dismiss the seriousness of the danger “certainly it won’t come to that... at least not now, even she doesn't seem THAT worried” and urge steps to extricate that unfortunately are not proportionate to the danger.

So, while I believe SM - in reaching out to MB - was conveying that she was terrified at a level beyond any she’d shared before with MB, I completely understand MB missing what a huge red flag that text was. MB was responding as though she was at “point A” in SM sharing how abusive BM was, when in fact SM had shared “points A through W” with someone else (SO) and when she’d reached “points X and Y,” she had to try to convey "points A through Y" in a way that would make sense to someone who had missed most of the story. IMO, MB realized this the moment she heard SM was missing, when she immediately suspected BM was responsible for her disappearance. I feel so sorry for her and cannot imagine the horror of that moment when she came to full realization of just how far BM had gone and what it had cost her.

So, what was happening on late Wed, May 6 through Friday, May 8? IMO, BM may have been gradually becoming comfortable with the idea of causing SM's disappearance for as long as he suspected she was involved with someone else and had become "unloving toward him" (as he described it). Women who express their discomfort or displeasure with a marriage whose concerns are repeatedly ignored or dismissed by their spouse eventually move on, sometimes even while staying physically in place and making private plans and that is what SM did. I've seen it multiple times. The May 6 text was clear and BM knew it, so he decided to act to avoid the losses he'd incur (in status, image, and financially) when SM made her move to leave him and take her share. IMO, it is very likely he worked out details in his head for awhile, scouted out spots in advance, and may have even prepared the spot where SM's remains were placed.

For this reason, I think the hours and days immediately after that text on May 6 are important in terms of understanding what BM was up to and if his whereabouts during those many hours could be determined, they might lead to SM's remains. Unfortunately, we don't know if the plans preceded even then and he'd made his decision before the May 6 text and was just playing the part of the husband who dismisses and begs to continue on. However, if he did do anything to "prep a spot," I think that would likely have been done close to her disappearance as he wouldn't want others to discover that preparation. (Bringing to my mind the golfers who discovered the grave-sized hole - lined with a plastic tarp, holding bags of lime, and covered by a BBQ grate, so likely prepped to receive a body - on the grounds of a private golf/hunting club that Fotis Dulos' friend and fellow conspirator Kent Mawhinney had temporarily gained access to in the month before Jennifer Dulos disappeared.)

One thing is clear: the judge who had been presiding over this case before it was dismissed has a very limited understanding of what intimate partner domestic violence looks like and how victims in such circumstances behave while they remain in the circumstances. And even those more familiar too often miss the signs, taking cues from victim behavior that is designed to manage and live with the risk rather than reasonably assess the potential for escalation, and acting on the side of underplaying possibilities rather than on the side of securing the safety of those involved first and then sorting out the facts once that security is ensured. We all need to become better informed about recognizing power disparities, and the potential for and signs of abuse in its many forms in such circumstances. Power corrupts, even in marriages.

 

[Diddian]

Sure, here is a link to the arrest press conference

In it LS says LE never quit. We know she wasn't listening to them because the CBI agents said it was too early for an arrest. That's what I am referring to there. I do believe we know she did not file an appeal because instead she asked for a dismissal. Otherwise the appeal process would be playing out and you know the defense attorneys would be vocal about such an appeal.

It appears there was a difference of opinion among LE agencies involved in the investigation about whether the time was ripe for arrest. My memory might be failing me, but I thought I remembered hearing (whether it was Grusing telling BM as reflected in the AA or from LE or the prosecutor when the charges were filed) that the FBI had conducted an audit of the case and determined it was ready for charges. So that would put CCSO and FBI on the same page, with CBI's Cahill protesting and his superiors supporting his protest.

IIRC, the Prosecution filed a Motion for Reconsideration before filing the Motion for Dismissal without Prejudice. And while the clock was ticking on the Motion for Reconsideration, they were rapidly approaching the day when jurors would begin to be seated. I'm not sure of the precise time that jeopardy affixes, but the Prosecution was working against that prospect.

IANAL, but I would expect that such a motion - explaining why the judge's order was excessively punitive and giving him a chance to correct - would be necessary before filing an appeal to a higher court. Any lawyers willing to weigh in?

 

[GatorFL]

It appears there was a difference of opinion among LE agencies involved in the investigation about whether the time was ripe for arrest. My memory might be failing me, but I thought I remembered hearing (whether it was Grusing telling BM as reflected in the AA or from LE or the prosecutor when the charges were filed) that the FBI had conducted an audit of the case and determined it was ready for charges. So that would put CCSO and FBI on the same page, with CBI's Cahill protesting and his superiors supporting his protest.

IIRC, the Prosecution filed a Motion for Reconsideration before filing the Motion for Dismissal without Prejudice. And while the clock was ticking on the Motion for Reconsideration, they were rapidly approaching the day when jurors would begin to be seated. I'm not sure of the precise time that jeopardy affixes, but the Prosecution was working against that prospect.

IANAL, but I would expect that such a motion - explaining why the judge's order was excessively punitive and giving him a chance to correct - would be necessary before filing an appeal to a higher court. Any lawyers willing to weigh in?

Great points, I am interesting in learning about the proper procures as well.

 

[ar3593]

[

Here is a bit of history regarding Arbourville, the ghost town located at/near the Monarch Spur RV park. Remnants of the old brothel still stand. Apparently, there is still a partial cemetary underneath Hwy 50, some of which was relocated to Gunnison. I believe Arbourville is the location of the fire that happened the week prior to Suzanne's murder?

Madonna Mine Colorado – Jan MacKell Collins

Arbourville History - Monarch Spur RV Park and Campground

Thank you Aloe! As I was looking at OldCop's incredible map with the mines mapped out, my first glance and thought went to "Madonna Mine." I will take bets that the majority of us here would concur that BM viewed his wife as property. Suzanne was his "Madonna" until she wasn't, hence why I think she could be buried there. Just my opinion as always and praying Suzanne is found soon!

 

[crhedBngr]

Bringing this image forward - one of SM's texts.



I can't shake the feeling that he was scouting locations to disappear her.

Also hoping LE has telematics for that date.

JMVHO.

 

[Boxer]

What time did Barry back up his truck nearly 100ft?

I don't think he left PP prior to that.

I think Barry bundled his prey up early, then scoured the house. While there was daylight.

I still think he left after 10:30, with the singular task of disposal/ concealment.

I believe he didn't travel far but his task was labor intensive.

I think he returned home close to 3 am.

I believe Barry loaded vehicles twice. One on the 9th, with everything he'd need for entombment. And his truck on 5/10 with everything he intended to stage/dump.

I lean toward an overnight disposal because I think the dog hits were genuine. I think Barry was in contact with a deceased human being, giving off cadaverine, at the 8-10-12 hour post-death timeframe.

JMO

Agree.
The perpetrator could have backed the truck up in order to get out with the RR.

 

[waldojabba]

I have a niggling question too. Do we know where BM allegedly stopped on the way to Broomfield because things were flying out of his truck?
Aa page 74:
View attachment 340973

There are so many details we do not know that still tap on my shoulder
Just one :
Why did Iris incorrectly and purposely call the Monarch Association dumpster a community/town dumpster, and seek to have anything in that dumpster excluded?
We know iirc that there were beer bottles with BM's dna on them. Were they SM's ipa's that BM figured, well she won't need these anymore? I think there was apparel as well. What esle? Things that could readily prove he used it Sunday am before he departed that would underscore the question, why not throw everything there?
Was the brown towel in there ?

Foolish of me I know, but as far as the beer, I really bought that he did not drink. Which was just projection on his part like so many other things.

I added a pic to my profile to honor Suzanne. That S will forever be for Suzanne for me, kind of like a marker.
And also a reminder. I truly believe she is watching and waiting and coming for him.

 

[Megnut]

One of Suzanne's 50 reasons was about mental abuse while drinking -- sounds like she meant his drinking.

I imagine he hated Suzanne's IPAs and her new confidence. Probably threw out her beer because didn't want anyone to know his beloved angel sipped some.

Is there nothing he didn't control?

JMO

 

[mom2chloe]

There are so many details we do not know that still tap on my shoulder
Just one :
Why did Iris incorrectly and purposely call the Monarch Association dumpster a community/town dumpster, and seek to have anything in that dumpster excluded?
We know iirc that there were beer bottles with BM's dna on them. Were they SM's ipa's that BM figured, well she won't need these anymore? I think there was apparel as well. What esle? Things that could readily prove he used it Sunday am before he departed that would underscore the question, why not throw everything there?
Was the brown towel in there ?

Foolish of me I know, but as far as the beer, I really bought that he did not drink. Which was just projection on his part like so many other things.

I added a pic to my profile to honor Suzanne. That S will forever be for Suzanne for me, kind of like a marker.
And also a reminder. I truly believe she is watching and waiting and coming for him.

I have considered that all Barry’s Broomfield trash dumps were further alibi building and more so today after Megnut’s post regarding where else Barry may have dumped things prior to leaving for Broomfield. Whatever he dumped there was likely not related to the murder and it is IMO more likely he disposed of the murder and tranq evidence before he left. Why else would he purposely make 5 dumps in Broomfield knowing full well that he would be captured on video? He wanted LE to look there in Bloomfield and not closer to PP. Also interesting that IE wanted everything thrown out that was located in the PP community dumpster.

Also slightly OT but I recall early on Lauren reported that tampons had been gathered from the PP home and more recently read this again although I don’t recall where so IMO. If Barry violated Suzanne in a sexual manner while she was incapacitated and if she was menstruating that might leave a trail of its own. I doubt Barry would have known to treat bloody sheets with hydrogen peroxide but such evidence on a brown towel might require dumping too. I have a hard time imagining anyone else’s tampon would be located within the home especially considering MM2 had been gone for days.