Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #13

[Hoosierfan72]

Isn't NamUs an official website? Under the department of Justice. They list SM as:

"Circumstances of DisappearanceSuzanne Morphew went missing on 05/10/2020 while on a bicycle ride on County Road 225 and West Highway 50, located in unincorporated Chaffee County."
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

I can't see an official website posting heresay. I sure hope it isn't and they have proof. Very confusing.

You bring up an interesting point. From the NamUs website itself (BBM) https://www.namus.gov/Content/downloads/user_guide/UserGuide-EnteringMPCases.pdf:

Entering a Missing Person Case All registered users can enter missing person cases into NamUs. Prior to publication in NamUs, a Regional Program Specialist will verify the missing person report with the appropriate law enforcement agency and obtain permission from that agency to publish the case information in NamUs.

The way I read that is whomever entered this into NamUs likely chose the wording. Maybe the specialist would catch the nuance from LEs language in the official press release (BBM) Missing Person - Chaffee County Sheriff
Members of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and contacted the reporting party. They advised that their neighbor, Suzanne Morphew, age 49, from the Maysville area had reportedly gone for a bike ride in the area and failed to return home.

A press release on the 13th also mentioned a bike ride. I don't believe any press releases since the 13th have mentioned the bike, as the wording shifted to "reported missing on May 10th".

I'm not convinced NamUs is more accurate than LE on this and IMO LE has never actually confirmed the bike ride. I fall in the camp of believing the bike ride was staged. JMO, MOO.

 

[CronesEye]

I believe it was the member here @OldCop that explained in Gannon Stauch's case, despite the fact the boy never went to a friend's house and then failed to return home, as reported by his step-mother who now sits in county lockup awaiting trial for his murder, on the initial police report he is in fact listed as a missing child, that went to a friend's and didn't return, and when police first respond, they take all the information as presented to them by the reporting party, at face value. (I hope I paraphrased that correctly, if not he is more than welcome to correct me).

On a police report, I'm not sure it's considered heresay exactly, to write information that has been given to the responding officer. In Gannon's case it turned out that it was a lie about where he really was, and the police were able to confirm that was a lie.

But in this case... we still don't know if she really did go for a bike ride, and we also don't know if LE can yet prove it, if in fact she didn't.
So, as of the date of when the NAMUS post went up, that would be the working info that LE had.

Thank you for your reply although I wish it were different, I do understand. Myself, if it was my world, I would clarify by stating "it is reported.." as an incorrect piece of evidence may lead someone to not report something if it didn't seem consistent. As an example, if SM really went out mountain climbing instead and someone found repelling gear in the area, they might not think to report it thinking someone biking couldn't be climbing, ya know?

 

[LietKynes]

BBM. LOL. Smart move on the part of LE. Keep it up I say!

Agreed.

I will have to agree with fence sitters and even the solid "team Barry's" -- he looked in the 27 second video plea as if he hasn't had very much sleep !
Imo.

 

[gamma gal]

Body found along Arkansas River in downtown Wichita

I started searching for bodies found along Arkansas river.... not sure what became of this discovery

 

[Brubon]

This scenario. Well put. Someone planted a seed that a bike was involved, but we don't know it's a fact.

I cannot wait until the garden mole (metaphorically speaking) gobbles up that seed.
Patience...we simply need patience.
IMO

 

[GordianKnot]

Thank you for your reply although I wish it were different, I do understand. Myself, if it was my world, I would clarify by stating "it is reported.." as an incorrect piece of evidence may lead someone to not report something if it didn't seem consistent. As an example, if SM really went out mountain climbing instead and someone found repelling gear in the area, they might not think to report it thinking someone biking couldn't be climbing, ya know?

It would be interesting to know exactly who entered SM's case information into NamUS.

 

[marylamby]

Did anyone notice whether BM had any scratches or marks on his face or hands during his FB video?

Well, not a week later when we finally saw him appeal to someone(s) who abducted her.

 

[Hoosierfan72]

Snipped/BBM:

Oh, and I don't see BM this way at all.
He appears as if he's lost his favorite sleeveless tee.
"No questions asked".
For cryin' out loud.

LOL. My wife and I were remarking how in Ty's video you'd think he was talking about a lost wallet. Sleeveless tee is better. MOO.

 

[trujac]

but if that were the case, they could still be thinking random abduction. And they weren’t.

Right...and if LE bought into the bicycle ride and the theory she had an accident that jammed the bicycle brakes...she should have been able to walk home or she should have been found around the area. I think her bicycle was found, and the condition of the bicycle was peculiar to LE--it didn't fit any normal scenarios that might have happened, and her disappearance only added to the rush to cover as many bases as possible for evidence.

 

[Seattle1]

Isn't NamUs an official website? Under the department of Justice. They list SM as:

"Circumstances of DisappearanceSuzanne Morphew went missing on 05/10/2020 while on a bicycle ride on County Road 225 and West Highway 50, located in unincorporated Chaffee County."
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

I can't see an official website posting heresay. I sure hope it isn't and they have proof. Very confusing.

It seems to me, NamUs is reporting exactly what we learned from media.

My understanding is NamUs is a national database/clearinghouse collecting names of the missing and profiles of the unidentified and unclaimed. I believe the missing person report filed by others is the source for the information entered into the database and not the investigative files of LE. They receive funding from the Dept of Justice but I think the program is administered by an affiliate of the Univ of Texas. Their resources are available to everyone.

ETA: Any registered user can enter names to the database.

 

[CronesEye]

There are a lot of people that can go on with business as usual, and I tend to call them the "auto-pilot people".
I only know that because I found out years ago that I am one.
Those are the people who receive the most gut-wrenching, earth shattering, hearth breaking news, and still get it up and go to work the next day.
Those are the people that, once the crisis is over, and they no longer have to be in charge, or pay the bills or whatever it is that needs attention and doesn't care about heartbreaking news, that's when they let themselves lose it. Privately.
But generally, in my experience, those people are not at all detached from the situation, but instead very actively involved in any way they can be, in a sort of "just the facts ma'am", no nonsense approach.
You tend to see this sort of warrior like personality in mothers of missing children, and advocates for SA and DV.

jmo

Oh, and I don't see BM this way at all.
He appears as if he's lost his favorite sleeveless tee.
"No questions asked".
For cryin' out loud.

Again, I understand. Myself, I vary in my response and having to carry on often helps one hold it all together. I am an advocate. Have family and friends, neighbors who have gone through this sort of loss. I'm also gonna say, there is never going to be a time where I can just say well I am all done caring about those we have lost through unnecessary violence, because we can be better than this and I am always going to look for justice.
And ask those questions, "for cryin' out loud."

 

[Hoosierfan72]

It would be interesting to know exactly who entered SM's case information into NamUS.

Agreed! It wasn't entered until the 18th, which seems like a long time....

 

[gamma gal]

Body found along Arkansas River in downtown Wichita

I started searching for bodies found along Arkansas river.... not sure what became of this discovery

Another one found...
Ninnescah River. ~. Body found in Ninnescah River

 

[marylamby]

I agree that he used his daughters on Mothers Day. Not nice.

I think if he had harmed her before Mothers Day, and if people were inquiring about Suzanne not returning calls, missing her, to which he had no good answers to give, and BM couldn't take it any more.

He had to slap together a plan so people would stop bothering him. He needed Suzanne to be officially missing. He desperately needed the staged bike to be discovered that day so he could come home and not have to answer personally to anyone looking for Suzanne.

This is precisely why I think SM was gone days before. He knew the girls were going to get in touch with her on Mother's Day (we only have his word for it that they were to be seeing her on Mother's Day, as they don't live there) so he had to do something prior, if he did, in fact, do anything.

IMO

 

[CronesEye]

You bring up an interesting point. From the NamUs website itself (BBM) https://www.namus.gov/Content/downloads/user_guide/UserGuide-EnteringMPCases.pdf:

Entering a Missing Person Case All registered users can enter missing person cases into NamUs. Prior to publication in NamUs, a Regional Program Specialist will verify the missing person report with the appropriate law enforcement agency and obtain permission from that agency to publish the case information in NamUs.

The way I read that is whomever entered this into NamUs likely chose the wording. Maybe the specialist would catch the nuance from LEs language in the official press release (BBM) Missing Person - Chaffee County Sheriff
Members of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and contacted the reporting party. They advised that their neighbor, Suzanne Morphew, age 49, from the Maysville area had reportedly gone for a bike ride in the area and failed to return home.

A press release on the 13th also mentioned a bike ride. I don't believe any press releases since the 13th have mentioned the bike, as the wording shifted to "reported missing on May 10th".

I'm not convinced NamUs is more accurate than LE on this and IMO LE has never actually confirmed the bike ride. I fall in the camp of believing the bike ride was staged. JMO, MOO.

Thank you for that indepth response, a combination of a Regional Program Specialist, the appropriate law enforcement agency and whoever it was that reported the bike ride to SM's neighbor, (daughters, isn't it?) In all it is just an assumed bike ride for now. Don't mean to be picky, but I would really like to see just one word added to NamUs...."reported"

 

[trujac]

I'd really like to know what his personality is and was. I guess that is profiling. And maybe if he had a recent head injury or disease process to change his personality as he seems very detached and able to go on with business as usual. Brains change from many things, affecting behavior. There is a statistic I can't recall of inmates often having brain damage.

Yes, head impact injuries that happened decades earlier in one's life can manifest terrible results in middle age. BM appears to me to have a cluster of possible issues that might explain some of his actions and some of his lack of actions.

 

[marylamby]

What was suspicious about it? It was maybe a Cadillac? A stretch limo?
Isn't this sighting on a Sunday up the road from a busy trailhead? With, like hundreds of bike riders in cars jostling for a parking spot? In that context, what could look suspicious? Dawdling? Peeing in the woods? Having a good look at every car? This is, like, normal at a trailhead.

Maybe the car was oddly parked on the side of the road where there's hardly any room to do so? It could be a lot of things that make something look suspicious. <modsnip: Please don't personalize. Address the post and not the poster.>
IMO

 

[Hoosierfan72]

Thank you for that indepth response, a combination of a Regional Program Specialist, the appropriate law enforcement agency and whoever it was that reported the bike ride to SM's neighbor, (daughters, isn't it?) In all it is just an assumed bike ride for now. Don't mean to be picky, but I would really like to see just one word added to NamUs...."reported"

Agreed. And I don't think that's picky at all, MOO.

 

[BuySellTrade]

That’s a good question! Maybe they did talk to the daughters and the daughter’s had their suspicions based on things they have witnessed between their parents or for all we know Suzanne could have even told one or both daughter’s that if anything were to happen to me...sad but we don’t know what went on behind closed doors. For all we know the police could have been called to the home before for DV issues. It will be very interesting when everything finally comes out. If it ever does! ??

There were many life event stressors on the Morphew marriage: children leaving home and impending empty nest, SM's medical condition, move from IN to CO, etc. SM appeared to have loved and respected BM very much from what I have seen on social media. But marriages stale and erode. There could be third parties involved. I find it suspicious that no current photos of SM are in the public sphere and the silence from most family and friends. It looks from my perspective now that BM may have used family and acquaintances in a ham handed attempt at misdirection, apologize in advance if wrong. My druthers would be for SM to be miscreant, running off with a lover and positioning best for money even before SM disappeared, but still being alive and BM guilty of no crimes. There is so little we know

WS does not know who actually lived at the CO house. Where did the youngest daughter reside and where is she finishing HS even (not to sleuth but to pose question as an example)? But bet LE has spoken to the daughters, obvious place to go, and they are in best position to know the dynamic.

 

[mom2chloe]

Thanks. It appeared to be two separate cases as I could not link the case. Interesting that their adult daughter, per crimeonline, said, "The court documents show that Suzanne and Barry Morphew’s eldest daughter, who is an adult, provided consent for her father to be appointed guardianship of Suzanne."
Why would they need his adult daughter's consent?
Also, guardianship would cover more than just the RE sale, I believe.

IMO

Because the younger daughter is not yet an adult and therefore they need an adult child to sign off on it. IMO