Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #16

[Cassady]

None at all. However I’m assuming that some believe LE is incorrect or was incorrect and has now realized that (although they continue not to seek the public’s help in locating a possible abduction victim, nor are they putting that possibility out there).

But I have no problem exploring that theory. Is it at all possible. What, if anything, do those cases have in common. Does this case have any possible factors that are similar to the others.

I thought the last thing we heard from LE was about them canvassing Salida, handing out fliers and asking for any tips from the public?

 

[Moonchime]

Right. However, I was asking about cases as you specified in your post: women never found.
Also, the one case I found, where Tara Calico has never been found, Tara was seen on her bike.
So, I'm looking for cases as you specified: Never found.
Also, all the cases I've seen so far, the victims were actually seen riding their bikes.
Am I correct that the public has no information that SM was seen riding her bike that day?

You are correct. SM was never seen riding her bike that day.

 

[Moonchime]

<modsnip: Removed snarky comment>

What possible hint has LE given that would give credence to an abduction and/or being hit by a car? It seems obvious (to me) LE doesn't believe this case was a hit & abduction or just an abduction, nor an attack by a mountain lion.

What evidence is leading to an oppositional viewpoint?

IMO

There is absolutely no evidence that LE has been leading towards an abduction or any kind of animal attack.

IMO whatever LE found at the scene in the beginning, told them exactly what direction they needed to investigate. MOO

 

[gitana1]

This makes a lot of sense to me. In a panic to stage the scene, someone forgot all about the bike lock. MOO

Which would indicate more of a second degree murder situation as opposed to first degree, assuming this poor lady was killed.

 

[gitana1]

There is absolutely no evidence that LE has been leading towards an abduction or any kind of animal attack.

IMO whatever LE found at the scene in the beginning, told them exactly what direction they needed to investigate. MOO

I don’t think it was necessarily just the scene where the bike was found as much as other things. That’s just my feeling. Maybe someone contacted LE when they heard SM was missing and had some things to say?

 

[marylamby]

This makes a lot of sense to me. In a panic to stage the scene, someone forgot all about the bike lock. MOO

YUP.

 

[Moonchime]

Which would indicate more of a second degree murder situation as opposed to first degree, assuming this poor lady was killed.

This is just my Opinion: Actually, I was hoping that SM's murder wasn't premeditated. (I don't believe that SM is alive because I don't believe she would put her daughters through such torment).

It's far more likely that the killer made more mistakes if it turns out it was not planned. MOO

 

[Moonchime]

I don’t think it was necessarily just the scene where the bike was found as much as other things. That’s just my feeling. Maybe someone contacted LE when they heard SM was missing and had some things to say?

I've thought this too. It likely was a part of the reason that LE moved so quickly with everything they did to secure the scene.

 

[MsBetsy]

Has LE or MSM confirmed that nobody saw the missing person on the bike on MD?

I don't think it's been confirmed one way or the other. The reporter interviewed by Nancy Grace claimed the neighbor said she did see her on the bike while another source interviewed the stepmother of SM's daughter's friend, who said nobody saw her. Yet the DM said the neighbor declined an interview so I doubt anybody ever spoke to her. Jmo

 

[susiQ]

I just had a thought. Many of us believe that LE zeroed in on one suspect very quickly, hence the lack of good descriptions of SM, bolo’s etc. So what would make them zero in that fast?
Evidence found at the home? That might take a bit of time while awaiting forensics results.
Inconsistency in stories. That might take a bit of time while alibis were checked.
What if it had something to do with the bike? And the way it was found?
This is a question for experienced bicyclists: What are the ways a bike can be locked or prevented from riding aside from a big obvious lock/chain thingy?
If the bike was a plant, could have someone placed it where it was found not realizing it could not have been ridden?

Lots of things to ponder! It’s very possible he forgot something obvious, like maybe her riding shoes. Remembered to dispose of the helmet but not the shoes. Or, did she always take her water pack, but it was at home. Or, does she always take her driver’s license and health card (I do when going for a long walk) but they were still in her wallet at home? Did she habitually wear her Fitbit while riding, but it was on the dresser? Did she usually take along some mace when riding, but it was found at home. Her favourite sun glasses? Riding gloves?

It is difficult to plan the perfect murder, especially as we pass 50. We tend to forget minute details and since it appears BM wasn’t much into riding, he might not have thought it through thoroughly.

I have no doubt the daughters and BM were asked all kinds of routine questions related to SM’s habits when going for a ride and perhaps a search of the home turned up things that should not have been there had she gone for a bike ride. JMT

 

[Itsapuzzle]

I dunno. I watched the video from start to finish, and I'm kind of wondering how much camera expertise is available on staff. Also, I'm not seeing a lot of yard lights on poles. By "not a lot", I'm saying I could have missed all of them. I'm going to leave that security camera question open for now. IMO
Park Tour

Good find, enjoyed the Park Tour. So, maybe there are no cameras there, couldn't pick up any ..... had a look at street-view from the front too and couldn't see a sign - I read a few campers reviews .. h'mm, interesting if there's no surveillance on the park. Thanks for the upload.
Off topic: John Denver singing about Colorado in the background ..... made me think there sure are a lot of songs with American place names in them .... Colorado, California, Ohio, Kentucky, Witchita, Las Vegas ..... the list goes on

 

[gitana1]

I thought the last thing we heard from LE was about them canvassing Salida, handing out fliers and asking for any tips from the public?

Requesting tips from the public is a far cry from publicizing every detail of this woman’s height, weight, hair and eye color, various photos of her, photos of her bike helmet, her bike, “If you have seen this woman at any time, please contact...”

In any event, it is telling that on 6-10-20 the Chafee County Sheriff’s Dept. announced a canvas of “residents and others who knew Morphew in hopes of generating new information in the case, according to a Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office news release.”

It’s targeted toward neighbors and friends.

Those of us following these missing persons cases for decades have an idea what this signifies. It fits a pattern.

 

[K9Enzo]

I thought the last thing we heard from LE was about them canvassing Salida, handing out fliers and asking for any tips from the public?

Speaking of the recent LE flier- what’s everyone’s thoughts on them choosing the one where SM is wearing her bike helmet?

Perhaps it was the found personal item? Or they are trying to jog someone’s memory if she was out recently on her bike wearing that helmet? IIRC, the LE flier had two pics of SM, IMO, the one where she’s wearing the helmet was deliberate.

 

[Truecolors]

Speaking of the recent LE flier- what’s everyone’s thoughts on them choosing the one where SM is wearing her bike helmet?

Perhaps it was the found personal item? Or they are trying to jog someone’s memory if she was out recently on her bike wearing that helmet? IIRC, the LE flier had two pics of SM, IMO, the one where she’s wearing the helmet was deliberate.

I’ve wondered about that, too.

I thought that maybe bike rides would be the most common way people on the trails would see her. From the Lauren Scharf interview, it sounds like LE was trying to figure out when she was last seen. So maybe they were hoping for someone to say “I saw her biking on Friday the 8th” or something like that, just to narrow down when she actually went missing.

MOO

 

[Feistyomi]

None at all. However I’m assuming that some believe LE is incorrect or was incorrect and has now realized that (although they continue not to seek the public’s help in locating a possible abduction victim, nor are they putting that possibility out there).

But I have no problem exploring that theory. Is it at all possible. What, if anything, do those cases have in common. Does this case have any possible factors that are similar to the others.

Respectfully to both of you, I’ve NEVER said that LE was or is incorrect. I’ve said that we have incorrectly interpreted their actions. The husband being the usual POI, wouldn’t they take exactly the same steps in clearing him? Wouldn’t house and vehicles be first things used to clear BM? The construction needed to be cleared and done quickly.

What is the standard abduction procedure? I believe they’ve asked for tips, how do you bolo an unknown vehicle?
I’ve said all along LE has been pursuing all the possibilities. One of those is BMs guilt.

Every action taken is just as likely to have
proven him innocent, as it is to have proven him guilty.

<modsnip> All of this indicates the local LE took huge steps to clear BM someone they possibly knew personally and wanted to be absolutely free of bias toward him.
They’ve been busy proving him innocent, not guilty.
They have also been clearing the usual suspects, and may actually have another POI they ARE making case against, possibly a stalking case.

 

[susiQ]

This is just my Opinion: Actually, I was hoping that SM's murder wasn't premeditated. (I don't believe that SM is alive because I don't believe she would put her daughters through such torment).

It's far more likely that the killer made more mistakes if it turns out it was not planned. MOO

Possibly, but I recall Patrick Frazee who planned the murder and “mistake” should have been his middle name.

 

[gitana1]

Respectfully to both of you, I’ve NEVER said that LE was or is incorrect. I’ve said that we have incorrectly interpreted their actions. The husband being the usual POI, wouldn’t they take exactly the same steps in clearing him? Wouldn’t house and vehicles be first things used to clear BM? The construction needed to be cleared and done quickly.

What is the standard abduction procedure? I believe they’ve asked for tips, how do you bolo an unknown vehicle?
I’ve said all along LE has been pursuing all the possibilities. One of those is BMs guilt.

Every action taken is just as likely to have
proven him innocent, as it is to have proven him guilty.

<modsnip>All of this indicates the local LE took huge steps to clear BM someone they possibly knew personally and wanted to be absolutely free of bias toward him.
They’ve been busy proving him innocent, not guilty.
They have also been clearing the usual suspects, and may actually have another POI they ARE making case against, possibly a stalking case.

I wasn’t directing any comment to anyone specific. I’m assuming SOME believe LE is incorrect.

And in my decades following this case, absolutely no. No way is it standard to obtain a search warrant of a home and hold it for days, and use ground penetrating radar on, and dismantle cement at a spouse’s website, just to eliminate them. It is not.

You need probable cause that evidence of a crime will be found in the location to be searched, for a search warrant.

None of this is standard protocol in a missing persons’ case. Not close.

<modsnip>

 

[trujac]

Madeleine74, I understand your points here..."What evidence is leading to an oppositional viewpoint?" and I am wondering what your take is concerning LE immediately doing a sweep of SM's house, her husband's vehicle, phone etc.? Isn't it standard LE practice to quickly retrieve as much evidence and profile possible suspects and likely scenarios that might have happened leading to someone's disappearance, so they can expediently capture potential evidence and eliminate a line of inquiry if it doesn't produce results? I think LE's narrow focus on BLM happened for a combination of reasons...not the least of which his peculiar behaviors and confrontational personality played a big role. Without LE telling us specifically why they first focused their investigation on BLM, we can only speculate on why BLM was in LE's crosshairs. IMO, LE also focused on the possibility of an abduction by closing the road and searching where SM's personal belongings were found, and by also searching the Arkansas river area close to where the bicycle was found. IMO, as it stands now, nothing has been ruled out by LE accept an animal attack in the disappearance of SM. And, I don't see any current hints from LE as to where they are going with this case.

 

[Madeleine74]

I am wondering what your take is concerning LE immediately doing a sweep of SM's house, her husband's vehicle, phone etc.?

IMO:

LE is following where their investigation leads them. Those closest to the missing person, in particular an intimate partner, as well as family, would be interviewed first.

In their interviews they may have seen an indication of deception or something that didn't quite sit right or set off their hinky meter. Not their first rodeos as the saying goes.

LE would be remiss if they didn't explore the possibility that harm came to the missing person before the day they were reported missing.

Probable cause is the standard to seek a warrant to be able to search someone's house, their vehicles, their digital equipment, etc. It's not just a fishing expedition, it's to ascertain if the victim was hurt (or possibly killed) in her/his home, if there was some kind of trouble going on that led to their disappearance, etc. That LE also went and did an excavation at a site where BM did some work is another area that could be connected to the disappearance.

 

[trujac]

agree...LE has to have probable cause to get a search warrant--in this case, IMO, the probable cause might have been a rush to judgement.