Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #79 *ARREST*

[K9Enzo]

We'll see, but I don't think the boot laces factor into this case. It's also possible he tossed the boots with the laces and just told LE that for whatever reason. It doesn't sound like LE was able to recover anything he threw away on the many trash dumps. I can also see him saving the boot laces just because. I personally would for my hiking boots and always keep a spare set in my backpack (along with 550 cord). IMO

 

[10ofRods]

I’m still mystified Suzanne knowing how crazy Barry was, treated her especially with him being a hunter and all those guns in the house why in the heck would she have this affair or whatever you call it phone relationship with this creep? She had to know if she got caught it would send Barry over the edge and especially if he saw the naked photos, controlling and jealous as he was. It was like some kind of death wish I just don’t get it. It might have helped Suzanne if she had another phone not used her personal. She waited too long to get out. One day while BM was on a big job just pack up a few things and just leave. She knew Barry would care for the girls. That creep JL could have sent her some money to a PO Box or something if he truly cared but I think he was using her for her beauty and kindness. Such a sad outcome. I sure hope there’s more damning evidence if this goes to trial I see lowering charge to 2nd degree with a 300,000 bond.

All I can do is quote Freud (weak, I know).

(Some) humans have a death wish.

Having just typed that, I remember how I prayed to die early, when I was in the abusive relationship. Sick, right? I didn't get myself into therapy until a particular incident in our home, when I was left questioning my sanity and was pretty suicidal. But I still kept having this general desire to die soon, for at least a few years. Freud noted a number of human behaviors that made him question whether people actually have rational self-interest, and his idea of the "death wish" encompassed all of those findings of his (it was new stuff when he was writing).

It was Mother's Day, maybe he felt like Suzanne was with her girls and even BM and couldn't talk freely like they normally did.

JMO

From the compiled tweets on Days 3 and 4, JL had just told Suzanne that "his crew was away," so he was alone. She knew she was alone (and probably thought she would be, as Barry had come home for lunch and usually didn't come back on a Saturday afternoon, IMO). Suzanne texts him the bathing suit photo and then he asks for nudes, IIRC. Sounds like they thought it was a good time for this. I think they were talking about as freely as any couple could...

 

[10ofRods]

We'll see, but I don't think the boot laces factor into this case. It's also possible he tossed the boots with the laces and just told LE that for whatever reason. It doesn't sound like LE was able to recover anything he threw away on the many trash dumps. I can also see him saving boot laces just because. I personally would for my hiking boots and always keep a spare set in my backpack (along with 550 cord). IMO

I never keep them, because all laces are worn (often more than I realize) where they pass through the eyes, and if it's hiking boots, a lot of us tie those pretty tightly. If I kept laces from my various shoes, I'd need a larger house (we have a small house - Barry would have kept his in his truck, I imagine, along with all his other junk).

I agree with others, though, that the laces will not play much of a role in the trial. I suspect LE can figure out from photos what brand boots Barry had, but footprints around the house aren't going to be forensically useful (much) unless there were newish ones right by the master bedroom window (surely Barry thought of that).

 

[Brubon]

I think Libler is a fool, frankly. Naïve, thinks he's living in a Netflix series about older people having romantic flings. He doesn't even know Barry that well, but wants to claim that Barry would come after him first (driving all the way to Michigan - yeah, that's believable...not).

JL seems not to be aware of Barry's caginess or intense need for control at all (but I think he's lying just to make himself look better).

I won't, for a moment, pretend I know how much fear JL felt ( in reference to being a victim of BM.)

But....how many trips to Indiana had BM made between May 2020 and Nov. 2020?
The 3.5 hour trip from Alexandria to JL's home in Michigan.is NOT THAT FAR. IMHO

Protection of JL by the FBI from Nov. 2020 until May 5, 2021 must have been such a welcomed relief (for our resident mouse.)

Justice is just around the corner, Suzanne.

MOO

 

[Auntie Cipation]

He definitely took them out for some reason while making numerous trash dumps. Do you believe he wanted to save them for a new pair of boots that come with new laces? What was wrong with the boots? I doubt they had holes in the soles, but even if they had why not use the dumpster by the pp home?
He did an awful lot of running around ditching 'garbage' when he was 'supposed' to be working to get the 'job' ready for his workers' impending arrival - which he didn't and didn't even supply the equipment/tools/bobcat for.
At that point, nothing was wrong at the Morphew home. He kissed Suzanne goodbye.
When something doesn't make sense, there's a reason. In a murder case, there's usually a very good reason even if it seems unimportant taken alone.

You say definitely? Can you provide the link for that please? I didn't think it was known for sure.

I think we have only BM's word that the reason he brought the boots into the hotel was in order to remove the laces before disposing of the boots. We don't know if he actually did remove the laces, and I don't even know if we know for sure that he later disposed of the boots, unless they were seen during one of the trash run camera captures, or even recovered from same.

I don't think he used the laces in any murder because we don't have any reason to think the laces weren't still in the boots when he entered the HIE which is after the crime.

That's not to say I disagree he may have tied SM up somehow, but if he was at home he would have had many better options than removing presumably-worn laces from his boots.

And, if he did remove the laces to use on SM (like say if they were in a vehicle and she regained consciousness and started struggling and that's all he could find at a moment's notice) -- why would he ever have made up a story about removing the laces to tell LE? He would have wanted to NOT draw attention to the laces, and if caught bringing the boots inside he would have just said he meant to wear them, or was going to clean or repair them etc. He would not IMO have mentioned the laces if they were actually used in his crime. MOO only.

 

[10ofRods]

I do believe that Suzanne lied about one thing-her affair. I believe that everything she told her friend about Barry was true. I tried to find an applicable statute in CO rules of evidence but I’m not that good. I have watched enough trials to see how attorneys can attempt to discredit or impeach witness testimony. If I were on this jury, I would want concrete evidence of Barry’s prior behavior, not just Suzanne’s say so. Some might say that Barry was controlling, but she went on 6 solo trips. Barry suspected Suzanne of cheating, and he was correct. She may have taken the money out of the safe. I don’t care if it was right or wrong or whose money it was or if Barry drove Suzanne into JL’s arms. I believe Barry killed Suzanne, and the facts support that. I don’t want the facts drowned by the noise of the things that the prosecution cannot prove. Get the bad stuff out of the way and move on to how Barry-and only Barry-could have made Suzanne disappear.

As much as I wish I didn't have to, I agree with you. If she denied her affair (which she must have), she was gaslighting him - juries don't like that. If she was distant (as Barry claims), then no one is going to think much about Barry seeking outside companionship, himself. I think Barry will be tried for something, not sure what, of course, and I agree the focus needs to be on the myriad details that show that Barry had motive, means and opportunity.

 

[susiQ]

Totally agree but you know how things can go. So much depends upon the judge NOT granting bail.
Can't pleas be changed? They already asked if the charge could be reduced to 2nd degree. Is that an admission of guilt?
He could give an interview between now and the trial saying how he lost his mind out of jealousy but didn't want to admit it before. He wanted to spare his wife from the humiliation! He found God, again. Lost his way. We all sin yada yada. Wishes he could take it back.
I wish I'd gone to law school!

For the charge to be reduced, BM has a LOT of “Barsplainin’” to do. No doubt JL was trying to “save face” and chose to shrink into the background until they pulled him to the fore, sheepishly trying to justify his inaction after learning SM was missing. However, BM has being lying his butt off to save face. I honestly can’t see him admitting to what he has done and revealing what he did to SM and where he disposed of her . He has spent 16 months long months professing his innocence and his religiousity (as fake and seriously twisted as it is) and that we “don’t know the truth!” Truth is, he can’t admit to his daughters, his family and his friends (if he has any left) what a lying fraud he is. That man wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped him in the face.

OTOH, I really hope he does make a deal and reveals where she is, so there is some measure of peace for her children and family. Losing her to murder is one thing, not knowing where she is would be torture. Sadly, BM has no empathy for anyone. No love either, except for his narcissistic self. If JL was in self preservation mode, Barry was too….on steroids dumping all over the place.

Poor Barry, locked up in a cage like an animal. Too bad, not sad…..at all. JMHO

 

[girlhasnoname]

All I can do is quote Freud (weak, I know).

(Some) humans have a death wish.

Having just typed that, I remember how I prayed to die early, when I was in the abusive relationship. Sick, right? I didn't get myself into therapy until a particular incident in our home, when I was left questioning my sanity and was pretty suicidal. But I still kept having this general desire to die soon, for at least a few years. Freud noted a number of human behaviors that made him question whether people actually have rational self-interest, and his idea of the "death wish" encompassed all of those findings of his (it was new stuff when he was writing).



From the compiled tweets on Days 3 and 4, JL had just told Suzanne that "his crew was away," so he was alone. She knew she was alone (and probably thought she would be, as Barry had come home for lunch and usually didn't come back on a Saturday afternoon, IMO). Suzanne texts him the bathing suit photo and then he asks for nudes, IIRC. Sounds like they thought it was a good time for this. I think they were talking about as freely as any couple could...

I was responding to OP wondering why JL wasn't concerned when he didn't get Suzanne all day on Sunday and Monday.

Well, we know she was dead. He probably thought she was busy with her Mother's Day activities and he knew she had a Dr. Apt on Monday. He had texted her a 'Happy Mothers Day' and a 'good luck at the Dr.' messages during this time.

 

[dkryder]

I think all this rage was building up in Barry and it probably started with him fantasizing about killing her and then it morphed into actual premeditation but it was not fully planned out yet and then that day Barry finally just snapped. He may have already decided how he would kill her and how he would get rid of her body but I don’t think Barry had an actual solid alibi planned for that day or weekend which explains the poorly executed Broomfield job fiasco. MOO

Edit to add @10ofRods I’m not sure why your husband cannot read your texts and I can read my daughters. Maybe it’s because we already shared an account and password. I’m curious if others that share an iCloud can get into one another’s stuff or are we an exception??

you might be right about the rage thing. i had pretty much discounted that because my thoughts were BM lacked a real solid emotional connection to Suzanne. i'd go so far to say over the prior year, maybe even since moving to CO he did not give a flip about her. Suzanne was a big chunk of BM's meal ticket. He needed her to live the way he wanted to. i have viewed this from the start as a planned event. But the events of that May , especially the last week could have accelerated things. and i can understand now that Suzanne basically cancelling his meal ticket might have greatly upset him but i doubt it had anything to do with the affair or naked pictures. as far as the icloud other members here have mentioned that if they have multiple devices they still only get 1 icloud for all of them. so i think it would depend on how you registered your daughters device. i don't have apple devices so i don't know the ins and outs.

edited to add, i think BM might have considered the affair and any naked pictures as possibly helpful in creating reasonable doubt that he was responsible and that someone else was responsible.

 

[marylamby]

I agree. And I think she went into town for her "bike rides" because, for one thing, there was cell service there and she could message JL without fear of being caught. I don't know their phone plan, but the one we used to have showed every single call made by each phone (it was great for managing teenagers). Today, most plans have unlimited calling nationwide and don't do that...but...if BM was a skinflint, maybe he had a limited data plan (free calls still, if using a wireless based calling service like Skype).

She lived a life where she need a reason or excuse to leave the house, IMO.

She probably also liked just interacting with people. She was isolated from her family and friends.
Before the pandemic, I relished my time alone - walking on the beach or just taking a ride.
During and after the shutdown, I longed to be together again with friends or just 'people'. Still do.

 

[10ofRods]

I won't, for a moment, pretend I know how much fear JL felt ( in reference to being a victim of BM.)

But....how many trips to Indiana had BM made between May 2020 and Nov. 2020?
The 3.5 hour trip from Alexandria to JL's home in Michigan.is NOT THAT FAR. IMHO

Protection of JL by the FBI from Nov. 2020 until May 5, 2021 must have been such a welcomed relief (for our resident mouse.)

Justice is just around the corner, Suzanne.

MOO

Barry didn't live in Indiana any more. Salida to Michigan is considerably further. That adds 18 hours to the trip according to maps.google.com

Barry would have had to discover the identity of the affair partner, drive to Michigan (and going through Indiana would make the trip longer - why would he do that?) Even if he decided to "disguise" this travel by heading to Indiana, Indiana is not close to CO. It's a distance.

I've never heard of any spouse doing any such thing, when the cheating person they married is close at hand, but would be interested to hear if some of you have heard of such a thing. Further, most people tend to blame the person who made the vows to them, less than the affair partner. Sure, if the guy is in your house and you come and find your wife cozying up to him (etc), then the affair partner may end up dead.

But I've never heard of a premeditated drive across such a long distance to exact revenge on an affair partner - especially one that was mostly an internet affair partner.

After Barry killed Suzanne, he was under scrutiny. Full stop.

Why would he drive 44 hours round trip to Michigan and then kill Suzanne? JL is full of it. No one does that. It would have been so obvious, and Barry really did a very good job of covering his crime. A really good job.

Further, once he had assaulted or killed JL, he would have been under scrutiny - and then Suzanne would still be alive. She was obviously and plainly his closest and main target, as has happened in countless spousal murders.

 

[BeachSky]

Knowing these things:

Shoelaces missing
Tranquilized cap found in the dryer
Cadaver dog didn't hit at the house or cars

I think he tranquilized her so he could tie her up then remove her from the house to another location. This prevents her from screaming, blood getting everywhere, and from cadaver dogs hitting at the house or on his cars. He listened to true crime stuff. He likely followed the recent Colorado cases where husbands killed their wives and how they got caught was killing her in the house, having a witness, doing video interviews, disposing of the bodies at work or in a location he would be known to go. I think he took all those cases and devised a plan that would not lead to his arrest based on things the others did wrong. Oh and the cell data on the Frazee case and the Watts case showed their movements. I think he tried to disguise all those things so he would be better than that and not get caught for things the others did wrong. That is the only thing I can think of for why he didn't want to do a video interview or plea for her, he used airplane mode, he set up his alibi and was careful with where his phone was.. ugh

He sold/closed on a house like she was dead.
He voted for her on her ballot like she was dead.
He got too greedy, too comfortable.
He did HUGE telling things.
Juries are not stupid.
I personally from beginning thought he set the bike ride up. He used his neighbor, he used his OWN daughters, his employees, his friends to save himself.
Of course he is capable of murder and the abuse of a body.
MOO

 

[Deleted member 718]

I am confused. Have any nude phots been actually put into evidence?

Barry Morphew In Court: Investigator Says Suzanne Morphew Was Having Affair When She Disappeared

"LinkedIn messages were recovered in December of 2020 which showed the pair had exchanged nudes and met on at least 6 occasions out of state where they eventually engaged in a sexual relationship."

 

[marylamby]

I never keep them, because all laces are worn (often more than I realize) where they pass through the eyes, and if it's hiking boots, a lot of us tie those pretty tightly. If I kept laces from my various shoes, I'd need a larger house (we have a small house - Barry would have kept his in his truck, I imagine, along with all his other junk).

I agree with others, though, that the laces will not play much of a role in the trial. I suspect LE can figure out from photos what brand boots Barry had, but footprints around the house aren't going to be forensically useful (much) unless there were newish ones right by the master bedroom window (surely Barry thought of that).

I've never kept a pair of laces in my life and neither did my kid or husband. They wear out faster than the sneakers/boots.
I've definitely bought new shoelaces, though.

 

[susiQ]

I agree. And I think she went into town for her "bike rides" because, for one thing, there was cell service there and she could message JL without fear of being caught. I don't know their phone plan, but the one we used to have showed every single call made by each phone (it was great for managing teenagers). Today, most plans have unlimited calling nationwide and don't do that...but...if BM was a skinflint, maybe he had a limited data plan (free calls still, if using a wireless based calling service like Skype).

She lived a life where she need a reason or excuse to leave the house, IMO.

BBM
True, but it was the wonderful BM that isolated her where she had limited ability to communicate other than through texts. Easy for him, he didn’t need an excuse to be where he had great reception to communicate with whomever he pleased. He just went to work. I dare say if any of us lived with that brute, we’d need an excuse to get out of the house too! His ego would make the house seem small .

 

[Lyanna]

Couple of things I've been pondering today...

TD's recording of BM - in the recording BM makes a comment about evidence being found, to take a picture and send to LE, so with helmet and bike being 'placed (maybe/absolutely) what else could have been placed by someone pushing an abduction story? Not the camelbak as that was in Suzanne's vehicle.
I reckon BM 'placed' other stuff and it's either not been made public or not been found.

I've been thinking bout how he may have taken Suzanne's life (if he has done so) - have considered snapping her neck (hate that I even thought of that and then consequently googled it ) and asphyxia - when googling asphyxia it mentioned 'Burking' - term comes from Burke and Hare :

In homicidal cases, the term burking is often ascribed to a killing method that involves simultaneous smothering and compression of the torso.[5] The term "burking" comes from the method William Burke and William Hare used to kill their victims during the West Port murders. They killed the usually intoxicated victims by sitting on their chests and suffocating them by putting a hand over their nose and mouth, while using the other hand to push the victim's jaw up. The corpses had no visible injuries, and were supplied to medical schools for money.[6] (courtesy of Wikipedia)

I think there's absolutely a possibility he may have done this, straddled her and smothered her.

moo

I feel sick

 

[DizzyB]

I've never kept a pair of laces in my life and neither did my kid or husband. They wear out faster than the sneakers/boots.
I've definitely bought new shoelaces, though.

I think the boots were going to be part of the trash runs, in their entirety, including laces. I would bet that the particular footage of them was obtained early on, before Barry developed his “my truck is my garbage can” shtick. He was probably asked why he would have taken holey boots all the way to Broomfield, and he came up with the frugal saving laces story. I imagine he kept good laces in the past, so it was an easy response. Wanna bet the laces were never found?

 

[susiQ]

My husband and boys save their shoe laces when they toss work boots. He probably sticks them in a drawer or in his truck and grabs one if he breaks a lace...just like my boys and H do. Does he need a reason for saving boot shoelaces that meets public opinion approval? Salida is a small town and while Walmart probably has boot laces it's not terribly convenient to their home. Or it's just a habit that he's had for years and years. Maybe he dad always saved his bootlaces. Who knows. But my money is not on the idea that he hog-tied Suzanne with his boot laces.

You make a valid point but it doesn’t explain taking a pair of old boots all the way to Broomfield to dump. I put my worn out shoes in the regular trash I don’t haul them into town and put them in some business’s dumpster. Unless of course they were evidence to some heinous crime? But, I would never do such a thing.

 

[10ofRods]

I was responding to OP wondering why JL wasn't concerned when he didn't get Suzanne all day on Sunday and Monday.

Well, we know she was dead. He probably thought she was busy with her Mother's Day activities and he knew she had a Dr. Apt on Monday. He had texted her a 'Happy Mothers Day' and a 'good luck at the Dr.' messages during this time.

Right. But I do wonder if their tryst (around 2 pm on Saturday) wasn't suddenly stopped (perhaps that happened all the time? That's kind of how I picture it). So he goes back to more neutral topics - and still doesn't hear from her. Too bad they hadn't downloaded the FindFriends app or similar where you can grant permission to friends to see your cell phone position - he could have used that to at least see what was up (not just this time, but occasionally, when he didn't hear from her for quite some time).

I think it's possible that they had been interrupted mid-convo many times, because Barry was constantly and intrusively popping in and out (because he suspected Suzanne, IMO). In that case, JL did what he could and tried to be patient.

But after 48 hours (unless it was common for them to go that long without any communication - which is possible), I'd type my beloved's name into news.google.com, for sure. Especially if I was having an affair and didn't have any other way of figuring out where they might be. After 72 hours, I would think almost anyone would do that - but, then, I hang out with people focused on crime. I don't believe him if he says he didn't wipe his phone until about 10-12 days later. This case made national headlines (I'd have to go look up when, but the FBI involvement and the case made both national and international headlines by about a week).

If it is true he didn't hear about it until 10-12 days later, and then deleted things and turned in his phone for a new one, he definitely may have destroyed evidence. She was, by then, a missing person and it was a criminal investigation...

(I'm sorry that I"m so hard on JL - I'm trying to get over it, talking to you helps).

 

[Momofthreeboys]

For the charge to be reduced, BM has a LOT of “Barsplainin’” to do. No doubt JL was trying to “save face” and chose to shrink into the background until they pulled him to the fore, sheepishly trying to justify his inaction after learning SM was missing. However, BM has being lying his butt off to save face. I honestly can’t see him admitting to what he has done and revealing what he did to SM and where he disposed of her . He has spent 16 months long months professing his innocence and his religiousity (as fake and seriously twisted as it is) and that we “don’t know the truth!” Truth is, he can’t admit to his daughters, his family and his friends (if he has any left) what a lying fraud he is. That man wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped him in the face.

OTOH, I really hope he does make a deal and reveals where she is, so there is some measure of peace for her children and family. Losing her to murder is one thing, not knowing where she is would be torture. Sadly, BM has no empathy for anyone. No love either, except for his narcissistic self. If JL was in self preservation mode, Barry was too….on steroids dumping all over the place.

Poor Barry, locked up in a cage like an animal. Too bad, not sad…..at all. JMHO

Well, there is no one to explain to...except his lawyers. What he has said is on the record and if his lawyers have any say he won't be saying anymore. What prosecution has is on record, too. So what they gots is what they gots for a couple weeks from now. I'm seriously curious what the prosecutions 15 minute summation is going to be especially since they couldn't get an arrest affidavit down from 130+ pages ...that 15 minutes should be the meat of whatever it is they have.