Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #23

[TxGidget]

I have to wonder if that has anything to do with the non-stop rumors on social media pointing fingers in a particular direction - like we see in almost every case.
I mean, can you imagine being LE these days with non-stop rumors being posted online about the case you're working on, and having to sift thru all that carp to see if there's any real meat to it, or it's all just bluster?
Many cases we've followed in the last couple of years the lead agency involved makes a public comment about how frustrating the social media rumor mill is, but that never seems to stop people from starting & spreading them.

jmo

Great comments! Even LS said that she had to step away from all social media to clear her mind on this case.

 

[Cassady]

Some might like to pretend nothing, but most of us know that it’s much more to add to the list.

I am not sure what you have experienced in murder cases you have handled; but in my experience and in the murder cases I have worked on multiple, sometimes dozens, of SW are issued, especially now with regards to electronic devices.

Often, some of the SW's do not produce evidence used in the prosecution. Just because a judge grant's a SW, especially in a murder investigation, does not mean incriminating evidence is found. In fact, sometimes in a murder case one SW produces incriminating evidence and another SW produces exculpatory evidence.

LE has to try to piece it together based on what they find. The SW itself is not evidence. It is an investigatory tool.

In this case any evidence gathered from the three known SW's would have been fully analyzed at this point in time. LE has whatever info that was procured during the SW's at their disposal right now to use as they see fit (more searches, arrest, prosecution)..IMO

 

[gitana1]

I am not sure what you have experienced in murder cases you have handled; but in my experience and in the murder cases I have worked on multiple, sometimes dozens, of SW are issued, especially now with regards to electronic devices.

Often, some of the SW's do not produce evidence used in the prosecution. Just because a judge grant's a SW, especially in a murder investigation, does not mean incriminating evidence is found. In fact, sometimes in a murder case one SW produces incriminating evidence and another SW produces exculpatory evidence.

LE has to try to piece it together based on what they find. The SW itself is not evidence. It is an investigatory tool.

In this case any evidence gathered from the three known SW's would have been fully analyzed at this point in time. LE has whatever info that was procured during the SW's at their disposal right now to use as they see fit (more searches, arrest, prosecution)..IMO

Yes. The search warrant is a tool. Not evidence. But the facts providing the probable cause used to secure it includes actual evidence.

Criminal defense attorneys will try to downplay the significance but I don’t take that bait. I’ve followed too many of these high profile cases to be misled.

ETA: If search warrants were so easy to secure, the Daybell property would’ve been excavated long before it was in the Vallow Daybell case.

Let’s be real- it’s not that easy to get a warrant to actually excavate property in a high profile case. Or any case.

Also, no attorney “handles” a murder case. They either prosecute them or defend them.

 

[Cassady]

Yes. The search warrant is a tool. Not evidence. But the facts providing the probable cause used to secure it includes actual evidence.

Criminal defense attorneys will try to downplay the significance but I don’t take that bait. I’ve followed too many of these high profile cases to be misled.

ETA: If search warrants were so easy to secure, the Daybell property would’ve been excavated long before it was in the Vallow Daybell case.

Let’s be real- it’s not that easy to get a warrant to actually excavate property in a high profile case. Or any case.

Also, no attorney “handles” a murder case. They either prosecute them or defend them.

I did not say that SW were easy to obtain. I stated that in my experience with murder cases there are often many SW's issued and executed.

I am a lawyer and I "handle" many types of cases. I also provide expert opinion in civil and criminal cases, which is not the same as "handling" a case, as the role in that situation is a witness. I also would not consider my work consulting with other attorneys to be "handling" a case. "Handling" a case means being the attorney or one of the attorneys for a party to the litigation. I am just a country lawyer, so "handle" seemed like an appropriate verb?

 

[al66pine]

Extending Temporary Gdn'ship in IN?
IC 29-3-3-4 Temporary guardians; notice; hearing; suspension of guardian; powers and responsibilities
"Sec. 4. (a) ...
the court, on petition by any person or on its own motion, may appoint a temporary guardian for the incapacitated person or minor for a specified period not to exceed ninety (90) days.* Upon notice and hearing, the court may, with good cause shown, grant one (1) extension of the temporary guardianship for not more than ninety (90) days...." ** bbm sbm
Indiana Code 2019 - Indiana General Assembly, 2020 Session

* June 1, BM's petition and other dox filed.
June 5, order, Letters of Guardianship Issued, Temporary Adult Guardianship
Sept 1 Hearing on Petition to Establish Guardianship

** Soooo, at Sept 1 hearing, looks like judge could extend for additional 90 days??????
my2cts.

 

[Hatfield]

When I first watched TD's video an heard the contempt in BM's voice when he trash talks the way the investigation was being handled from the very first evening on scene, that was really a big, fat, red flag for me.

His attitude about the LE in charge and on scene spoke volumes.
Same as his attitude about media.

I completely agree with you, and Shakespeare.

I totally agree.

For me, I got the impression that it wasnt so much that he was mad at them about their procedures even though that is how he vented it, but I felt he was mad and upset that LE did not see the bike scene and come to a certain conclusion on it as it was intended to portray a specific conclusion to those discovering it.

When LE did not come to the same conclusion as it was intended to show, he lost it. JMO of course.

 

[Fireflize]

I totally agree.

For me, I got the impression that it wasnt so much that he was mad at them about their procedures even though that is how he vented it, but I felt he was mad and upset that LE did not see the bike scene and come to a certain conclusion on it as it was intended to portray a specific conclusion to those discovering it.

When LE did not come to the same conclusion as it was intended to show, he lost it. JMO of course.

Yes, he lost it, when it would have been to his benefit to appear otherwise. That is telling about his emotional self regulation. Or lack, thereof.Moo

 

[Lilypad13]

Does anyone remember a discussion in a past thread about the job site BM went to Denver to set up for where someone said it was actually in a suburb of Denver? Does anyone remember the place they said? Was it in Aurora?? TIA

 

[Fireflize]

Does anyone remember a discussion in a past thread about the job site BM went to Denver to set up for where someone said it was actually in a suburb of Denver? Does anyone remember the place they said? Was it in Aurora?? TIA

I don't remember the name of the suburb, but the poster was iron ore Betty. It has not been noted anywhere else that I'm aware. Moo

 

[Lilypad13]

I don't remember the name of the suburb, but the poster was iron ore Betty. It has not been noted anywhere else that I'm aware. Moo

Thanks Fireflize!

 

[Fireflize]

Thanks Fireflize!

Welcome!

 

[Tate123]

Does anyone remember a discussion in a past thread about the job site BM went to Denver to set up for where someone said it was actually in a suburb of Denver? Does anyone remember the place they said? Was it in Aurora?? TIA

It was not Aurora. IronOreBetty mentioned the town Thornton in post #446 (albeit unsubstantiated)

 

[Knox]

It was not Aurora. IronOreBetty mentioned the town Thornton in post #446 albeit unsubstantiated.

I wonder if investigators visited that job site also?

 

[Lilypad13]

It was not Aurora. IronOreBetty mentioned the town Thornton in post #446 (albeit unsubstantiated)

Yes thanks Tate123 I found it. Thornton is just north of Aurora. I watched something that mentioned the Sand Creek Park & Sand Creek Riparian (I think that means birds?) Preserve Trail located in Aurora. Anyway don’t think it’s allowed for discussion here but it is very large park just outside Denver with lots of wilderness, trails & water. I wish we knew where all of LE’s other searches took place and if there were any near Denver.

 

[rainbowshummingbird]

I wonder if investigators visited that job site also?

We know that Barry said there was a job site, has it been confirmed? It’s always mentioned but never with details. Could he have invented it?

IMO

 

[MassGuy]

We know that Barry said there was a job site, has it been confirmed? It’s always mentioned but never with details. Could he have invented it?

IMO

It’s interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a last second thing, and he perhaps moved up the day they were to start. He needed an alibi after all.

In any event, law enforcement would have thoroughly vetted this.

 

[TIGER0822]

I am not sure what you have experienced in murder cases you have handled; but in my experience and in the murder cases I have worked on multiple, sometimes dozens, of SW are issued, especially now with regards to electronic devices.

Often, some of the SW's do not produce evidence used in the prosecution. Just because a judge grant's a SW, especially in a murder investigation, does not mean incriminating evidence is found. In fact, sometimes in a murder case one SW produces incriminating evidence and another SW produces exculpatory evidence.

LE has to try to piece it together based on what they find. The SW itself is not evidence. It is an investigatory tool.

In this case any evidence gathered from the three known SW's would have been fully analyzed at this point in time. LE has whatever info that was procured during the SW's at their disposal right now to use as they see fit (more searches, arrest, prosecution)..IMO

I have been catching up. I know they had two warrants, could you give details for the third one.

 

[Lilypad13]

We know that Barry said there was a job site, has it been confirmed? It’s always mentioned but never with details. Could he have invented it?

IMO

I wish we knew! I’m putting a lot of hope & faith in LE and those cell phone pings! Surely he wouldn’t lie to LE about driving to Denver? Wouldn’t he have had to provide some kind of verifiable alibi? So he could be “cleared”.

 

[TxGidget]

I have been catching up. I know they had two warrants, could you give details for the third one.

Two on the house, one on the slab.

 

[Hatfield]

Just thinking about the first evening when SM was reported missing. We’ve talked about the early disconnect between BM and LE. But why?
I think right from the git go BM’s attitude did not make sense to LE. If your wife was missing and you got home to find LE all over the scene trying to find her, would your first reaction be to get angry at LE? Yet, BM admits he was angry that first night. I am including here a screenshot of that part of the transcription from the TD interview with BM.
LE’s first priority is preservation of life, secondly would be preservation of evidence. Because it was reported that she did not return from a bike ride, the initial assumption would naturally be accident or injury. Once that bike was found, searchers would spread out to see if they could locate her.
So BM arrives home from Denver and he is mad at LE for searching for his wife. What’s the old saying? A good defense is the best offense.
To paraphrase Shakespeare: “Barry, I think thou doth protest too much.”
MOO

Great points.

See that is the thing. It was the very first night and he just got there. Trying to put myself in that situation if I really was working out of town and my spouse went missing. Being angry at the people trying to find my wife is not one of the emotions I would have expected to have that first evening.

These are the emotions I would have expected to have after just arriving on scene at 9pm that first night:

*Shock
*Confusion
*Being emotionally upset (crying type upset)
*Being scared and afraid of what could have happened to her

And then I would hope I would quickly shift to
"Search Mode" and start to work with LE and anyone else there to do whatever it takes to start looking for her

That very first night, the furthest thing on my mind would be to start getting angry at the LE people who were there to help me.

I understand and would expect LE would probably ask me where I was and some other personal questions, but unless they started to get mean and accusatory right away (i doubt that happened unless they had good reason to), then I see no reason of being angry at the people trying to help figure out where she is.

Search Mode and Search planning for the next day should have been the main focus for all that were present that first night.