Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #61 *ARREST*

[MsBetsy]

That Tyler video puzzles me. It shows Barry walking around by himself in the area of the bicycle discovery. Then, his mom shows up in a pickup truck, gets out of it and goes to the passenger side....if I remember correctly. Why was she there? Did they agree in advance that she would pick him up on the side of the road? Why? That just seemed like an odd exchange to me.

Maybe they were both driving around in the truck but his mom didn't want to get out and scramble down the hillside. He may have walked a distance from the truck, and she pulled up to pick him up.

 

[MsBetsy]

You're probably right. Here is what I am thinking. BOTH BM and SM created a fantasy image of their marriage for others - especially for their daughters. They hid the tensions, the disputes, the resentments, the anger - appropriately IMO while the daughters' brains were (and are) in development, in the interest of Christian character formation (this latter interest may have been SM's and not BM's). But since last Mothers Day, this fantasy image has been shattered. These are kind and loving girls, but they are intelligent girls, too. They have their mother's gift for discernment as well as her gift for love. Until the arrest, it was possible to believe that LE was simply focused on BM because he was the last person known to see SM, and they had no other leads. His suggestions that SM was the victim of a puma attack, or a stranger abduction could be plausible so long as they were without official contradiction. But unless they are brainwashed, the daughters must now confront, or turn away from, the facts that led to their father's arrest. That will take a while, and they may continue to resist even contemplating the possibility, but the arrest and the charge is, to me, all they need to know to begin that process. The judge's compassion has given them time to decide whether they are even open to the possibility that their beloved father killed their beloved mother, and what that means for them. But the arrest has forced the issue.

Yes, that's exactly how I imagine the family dynamics. They probably viewed their parents as having an ideal marriage, just as many people have described. I can understand how hard it must be to believe their father could be responsible for their mothers death. They may even chose not to know what's in the AA at all, other than what BM tells them.

But one day, sooner or later, they will know the truth. Even then they may continue to love and support their dad. It's their choice to make.

 

[EggSalad]

The Interview Room3 hours ago (edited)
I wanted to share with you a few things that have been on my heart and pressing on my mind. Over the course of my career, I’ve seen many wonderful lives taken from criminal domestic violence (DV) incidents. As I write this, I can’t help but think about some of the horrendous DV murders that I’ve investigated. The 4 most common motives for homicide are love, lust, loathing and money. Under the guise of love in a DV homicide involving a married couple, one spouse accuses the other of having an affair or actually has an affair, and somehow snaps and commits murder or lays the foundation to premeditate a murder. Later in court, they are painted by their attorney(s) as the victim. I know it’s outrageous to think that anyone who kills the one they loved the most because they could no longer work things out ends up in a courtroom seeking empathy. Let’s use Betty Broderick as an example. We watched Betty in San Diego years ago on the witness stand tell everyone about her ex-husband, Dan Broderick, and why she shot him and his new wife in their bed. Well, she actually said she can’t recall pulling the trigger, she just heard a loud bang. Or how about Scott Peterson or Chris Watts. So far watching Barry Morphew’s defense -- as he’s accused in the murder of his wife, Suzanne Morphew -- start to move, don’t be surprised if Suzanne is subtly painted as the suspect and Barry the victim. I’m going on the record saying don’t be fooled by the smoke and mirrors from the defense. No behavior from any victim justifies murder and mutilation of the body. None! My experience tells me that the defense has already started to lay a foundation of empathy. If Barry is seeking empathy, I suggest he share with law enforcement the whereabouts of his wife. My experience has also taught me that couples drift apart after years of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual abuse. Just look at Chad Daybell allegedly taking out his wife, Tammy, for Lori Vallow. In the perpetrator’s mind, they continue to twist the victimology and reflect it back into themselves as classic narcissists. Barry is a master, and his attorneys will become his servants. Let’s be clear. Suzanne Morphew is the victim of a mutilation homicide.
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CM really keeps pushing the needle more and more on the ‘mutilation’ aspect of this murder. I take CM with a grain of salt but at the same time he arrived in Salida the night before the arrest, he knew about the bulk chlorine purchase last fall, and seems to have some insight into details of the case that are not public, perhaps from the M family.

If there is solid probably cause that BM mutilated SM, I can definitely see why the AA is sealed.

 

[clearskies1]

CM really keeps pushing the needle more and more on the ‘mutilation’ aspect of this murder. I take CM with a grain of salt but at the same time he arrived in Salida the night before the arrest, he knew about the bulk chlorine purchase last fall, and seems to have some insight into details of the case that are not public, perhaps from the M family.

If there is solid probably cause that BM mutilated SM, I can definitely see why the AA is sealed.

The facts of what happened and how it happened will come into evidence at the prelim and trial. Anything truly graphic can be redacted. I understand that it may be time consuming to redact, but the facts of the alleged crime should be released. Sounds like LE/the DA threw too many extraneous matters into the AA. JMO.

 

[MsBetsy]

CM really keeps pushing the needle more and more on the ‘mutilation’ aspect of this murder. I take CM with a grain of salt but at the same time he arrived in Salida the night before the arrest, he knew about the bulk chlorine purchase last fall, and seems to have some insight into details of the case that are not public, perhaps from the M family.

If there is solid probably cause that BM mutilated SM, I can definitely see why the AA is sealed.

He probably got the information about the chlorine purchase from JP, and he seems to be basing the mutilation theory on the tampering charge. So it's certainly not evidence but it's one possibility. Another possibility is that BM buried the body without mutilating it at all. Or disposed of it in a body of water.

I don't think it would have been necessary to dismember the body in such a secluded area, especially if the security cameras weren't working. He could have loaded the body into the truck, contained in a large cooler or toolbox, without anybody seeing anything.
Imo

 

[Momofthreeboys]

Yes, that's exactly how I imagine the family dynamics. They probably viewed their parents as having an ideal marriage, just as many people have described. I can understand how hard it must be to believe their father could be responsible for their mothers death. They may even chose not to know what's in the AA at all, other than what BM tells them.

But one day, sooner or later, they will know the truth. Even then they may continue to love and support their dad. It's their choice to make.

I would think most parents attempt to put up a united image for their children. Some may shield their children from bickering or arguments. Until we learn otherwise from a credible source we have no information that there was any DV in that family. The only information we have was the minimal information that Suzanne had something going on in her life that she was afraid about. Was that a trigger…possibly. But that on its own doesn’t tell us that there was a history of marital issues. That is speculation.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

MOO more information is allowed in the AA than eventually will be in court, for instance hearsay is allowed in the probable cause.
Judge Murphy was Public Defender and supervised the Public Defenders Office before becoming a judge, maybe he is preemptively speaking for the defense?

More likely he had read the documentation and as a judge can glean how much won’t be admitted. I took it more as preemptively cautioning the prosecutor and speaking as a judge to tighten thugs up legally. The defense probably didn’t need to bring these things up intellectually for the judge but certainly for the record they had to.

 

[Trackergd]

He probably got the information about the chlorine purchase from JP, and he seems to be basing the mutilation theory on the tampering charge. So it's certainly not evidence but it's one possibility. Another possibility is that BM buried the body without mutilating it at all. Or disposed of it in a body of water.

I don't think it would have been necessary to dismember the body in such a secluded area, especially if the security cameras weren't working. He could have loaded the body into the truck, contained in a large cooler or toolbox, without anybody seeing anything.
Imo

I tend to agree. Dismemberment is pure speculation at this point without seeing the AA and not particularly helpful in the general narrative other than to use shock and horror to sway opinions. BM had hundreds of acres to do what ever he wanted with whatever equipment he had available. The potential scenarios are endless. To me the most simple scenario makes the most sense. Dig a hole out in the middle of nowhere, deposit the remains, fill back in and tamp down. Check occasionally for settling and call it a day. Of course BM is not the brightest bulb in the light fixture so he may have made it much more complex than it needed to be. If that is the case, blatant stupidity should be an additional charge were it possible.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

He probably got the information about the chlorine purchase from JP, and he seems to be basing the mutilation theory on the tampering charge. So it's certainly not evidence but it's one possibility. Another possibility is that BM buried the body without mutilating it at all. Or disposed of it in a body of water.

I don't think it would have been necessary to dismember the body in such a secluded area, especially if the security cameras weren't working. He could have loaded the body into the truck, contained in a large cooler or toolbox, without anybody seeing anything.
Imo

I agree. I think the possibility of a leak exists but I also take some of the speculations and opinions for nothing more than speculation. Tampering does not equal mutilation legally…it is only one potential example of the charge of tampering. If prosecution is discussing mutilation they will need to prove it beyond doubt.

 

[MadTing]

As much as i would love to read the AA i am ok with them not releasing it yet, my only issue would be that if the daughters are able to read it then so should her siblings.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

I tend to agree. Dismemberment is pure speculation at this point without seeing the AA and not particularly helpful in the general narrative other than to use shock and horror to sway opinions. BM had hundreds of acres to do what ever he wanted with whatever equipment he had available. The potential scenarios are endless. To me the most simple scenario makes the most sense. Dig a hole out in the middle of nowhere, deposit the remains, fill back in and tamp down. Check occasionally for settling and call it a day. Of course BM is not the brightest bulb in the light fixture so he may have made it much more complex than it needed to be. If that is the case, blatant stupidity should be an additional charge were it possible.

I completely agree other than the statements about Barry being a "dim lightbulb"....there is no evidence of that and "we" the public have rarely heard him speak plus I would not consider any college graduate running their own businesses and seemingly living a nice upper middle class life a dim lightbulb so we differ there.

 

[Niner]

Someone - sorry can't remember who - about media coverage. Don't know about tweeters - probably will be there.

From my notes:
5/24/21: Order re: expanded media requests & the recording/broadcasting of hearings filed/signed by Judge Patrick W. Murphy, Chief Judge, 11th Judicial District. Pursuant to Chapter 38, Rule 3 of the Colorado Supreme Court rules, "Notwithstanding an authorization to conduct expanded media cover of a proceeding, there shall be no expanded media coverage of pretrial hearings in criminal cases, except advisements & arraignments. The hearing 5/27/21 is neither an advisement nor an arraignment. Therefore, any requests for expanded media coverage of that hearing, or any other pretrial hearing except the arraignment, are summarily denied.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

As much as i would love to read the AA i am ok with them not releasing it yet, my only issue would be that if the daughters are able to read it then so should her siblings.

Alot of people are arguing this perspective...that the "siblings" of Suzanne have the same rights as the daughters. My only thought about that goes to the judges comments about credibility of witnesses. If the prosecution intends to put any of Suzanne's siblings on the stand I would think they would want their testimony to be untainted or formed in any manner from their original memories/statements made to anything they would have read in the arrest avidavit. I think in my opinion there is enough anecdotal information to tell us that those relationships, between Suzanne and her siblings, were at times strained and for several years they lived in different states so the state needs to preserve what they learned in interviews and not open any of their testimony....if it occurs....up to defense cross examination.

 

[155etta]

I completely agree other than the statements about Barry being a "dim lightbulb"....there is no evidence of that and "we" the public have rarely heard him speak plus I would not consider any college graduate running their own businesses and seemingly living a nice upper middle class life a dim lightbulb so we differ there.

BBM
It's the casting of Suzanne's vote that dims him for me. Among other things. MOO.

 

[K9Enzo]

Reporter Bayan Wang will be starting the ABC 7 team in Denver this week. It would be awesome if he took an interest and started reporting on Suzanne's case. I like him. LS seems like the only reporter who is carrying a torch in this case. I would love to see another reporter start digging for info. IMO

https://twitter.com/bayanwang/status/1402352631587115010

 

[jakat]

It does seem that the bobcat figures into the disappearance. Would be interested to know if the authorities screened that bobcat for DNA evidence....was it impounded at any time and out of Barry's control?

I never read or heard they had impounded it before he was arrested. I've often thought every place went with it and used it, he left Suzanne's dna there.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

BBM
It's the casting of Suzanne's vote that dims him for me. Among other things. MOO.

I had a heated offline discussion about this when it came out. Interesting out of the 5 of us discussing it at the time, one admitted that they had done the same thing for an aging relative for whom they had conservatorship so I have to ask myself if Barry actually knew that it was not legal. I personally did not know the answer if you hold conservatorship at the time it happened which spurred the off-line conversation with a couple people I know. Voting by proxy is allowed, but one must request separate permission to vote by proxy I think so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on that one since I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable person about elections and I did not know given the conservatorship that he couldn't do this. Really it's the least of his problems right now I think and the I'll let the courts judge this charge.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

I completely agree other than the statements about Barry being a "dim lightbulb"....there is no evidence of that and "we" the public have rarely heard him speak plus I would not consider any college graduate running their own businesses and seemingly living a nice upper middle class life a dim lightbulb so we differ there.

Even a dim lightbulb shines in the dark.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

I never read or heard they had impounded it before he was arrested. I've often thought every place went with it and used it, he left Suzanne's dna there.

I don't believe it was impounded either that early in the case. But one has to think they would not take this to trial without some hard evidence that she is deceased and without some hard evidence her body was tampered with. What that evidence is remains to be seen and thinking waaaay back to the Cal Harris case where no body was ever found if it's enough dna or blood or whatever they got to prove that it was connected to a murder by Barry.

 

[jakat]

I missed the fact that he was working on Friday night at the river house? I guess I thought he and MG were there on Saturday morning?

The interview LS had with MG, she stated he was working at the beach site Friday night.

Starts at 2:17

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