Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #25

[Seattle1]

I have a copy of the note. Since we can discuss it, can I post a copy of it, @sillybilly?

The note was discussed by Profiling Evil host and why it's now allowed for discussion here. The note has been posted before but deleted since the source is not WS approved. I've never seen it any other place except on YT where the blogger explains it's origin.

 

[EggSalad]

You are impressively observant, EggSalad. Which made me wonder about enhancing photos. Sometimes I apply various filters using different creative photo apps to improve photos, but does anyone have a recommendation for a good app for enhancing photo resolution or detail?

Thanks! I wish I had the skills to enhance it. The best I could do is save a copy to my phone and zoom in.

I’m not sure how much can be gleaned from a zoom in but a better angle shot would be quite nice.

One more interesting coincidence (nothing more) is that it would be unusual for a regular mountain biker to carry a Dasani (or similar) bottle of water on a bike ride. They’d almost certainly use a bike water bottle that fits snuggly into a water bottle cage.

Interestingly enough, in TD’s video where he is wearing a yellow shirt and doesn’t realize that he comes up on BM’s truck; in that video you can see empty water bottles in the back of BM’s truck. (Somewhere around 4:30 into that video). Link to video:

Now, this means absolutely nothing. But food for thought, what is someone used BM’s truck to take the bike to where is was going to be planted. Perhaps the bike was thrown into the bed of the truck. Right before the perp disposed of the bike they thought, ‘oh yeah, she’d have a water bottle with her on a bike ride’ and the. Puts an empty bottle from the back of their truck into the bottle cage and disposed of the bike.

Hopefully some Testing of the water bottle was done to see if any of SM’s DNA was on it. If that is indeed her bike in the pic.

And yet another thought, what if that Suburu Outback was one of the two cars in the driveway that the neighbor sees when she goes to check on SM. She tells BM that SM’s car is there. BM immediately asks if both bikes are on the car rack and viola the bike story is hatched without the neighbor ever entering the house or looking in any windows. It would be one way to hatch that story with the hopes that no one ever enters your house and the search heads out looking for a lost biker.

 

[Murphy1950]

I'm trying to stay caught up but I confess, I'm confused at all the jewelry discussion.
Is this all speculation or is there a legit reason to believe her jewelry was pawned/sold/whatever?

The new interest in her jewelry is because it featured prominently in the latest photos used by LE for her BOLO poster. Some interpret it as an intentional choice, trying to send a message. I'm on the fence. Other gave weight to the fact the store featured in the background of the handouts was a "Loaf and Jug" and some read significance into that location. ...

 

[dlk1949]

The new interest in her jewelry is because it featured prominently in the latest photos used by LE for her BOLO poster. Some interpret it as an intentional choice, trying to send a message. I'm on the fence. Other gave weight to the fact the store featured in the background of the handouts was a "Loaf and Jug" and some read significance into that location. ...

 

[OldCop]

The note was discussed by Profiling Evil host and why it's now allowed for discussion here. The note has been posted before but deleted since the source is not WS approved. I've never seen it any other place except on YT where the blogger explains it's origin.

Yeah, I know, @Seattle1 . It’s just hard for people who haven’t seen it to discuss whether BM was talking about 2 or 3 items. The way it was written, there were three separate lines, but there was a good space between helmet and the next line, (biking clothes).

Baby blue bike
helmet

Biking clothes

It is true that helmet could have fit on the one line with baby blue bike, but it was a smallish piece of paper.
And why the larger space before biking clothes? It looked like intended separation of 2 items to me. MOO of course.
Plus, it had been alleged that the bike had already been found. BM wrote this on the spot, it was not pre-written.

 

[RumorMonger]

So, here are some thoughts I have about that flyer, thoughts which I'm going to qualify right away as being purely speculative in nature.

First, here are the things that struck me most forcefully about the flyer itself:

• Use of her full Christian name
• Exclusion of bike ride in the description of the circumstances under which she went missing
• Statement that she was "reported" missing on May 10th
• Photos used - both showing a very vibrant, happy Suzanne
• Prominent visibility of wedding ring in one of the photos
• Use of official seals of not just 1, not just 2, but 3 LEAs, including CCSO, CBI and the FBI
• Written Identification of the 3 investigating agencies (see above)
• Request for people having any information to contact LE
• No mention of reward offered by family
• No mention of when/where she was last seen

Based on both the contents and the timing of that flyer being distributed, here are some speculative theories about the reason for the flyer going out when/where/how it did:

• Sending message to the perpetrator: We ain't buying what you're selling. We know the bike ride story is malarkey. Evidenced by no mention of the bike ride in the flyer, no pictures of SM in her biking gear.
• Sending message to the perpetrator: Local, state, and federal LEAs are working together to bring you to justice. You're outmatched, and outgunned. You're not in charge of what happens in this case. You're not driving this bus. We are. Evidenced by the mention of CCSO, CBI and FBI as well as the official seals of each agent on the flyer.
• Psychological Warfare with perpetrator: Attempting to induce sense of guilt in the perpetrator for his actions. Evidenced by using her full Christian name, selection of photos highlighting SM's vibrancy and vitality and highlighting her marital status via the wedding ring.
• Sending message to the community at large, including any potential 3rd parties with guilty knowledge of the crime: Do not withhold information out of any misplaced sense of loyalty to family members/friends. Evidenced by exclusion of bike ride, mention of her being "reported" missing on the 10th, no mention of when/where she was seen, no mention of reward offered by BM.
• Psychological Pressure applied to perpetrator via the Chinese water torture method, i.e., slow drip of investigative information being intentionally leaked. Evidenced by the timing of the flyer distribution, i.e., on the immediate heels of both the PE video and LS's interview with SM's family members and at the exact 3-month anniversary mark of SM's having been reported missing.

I think this flyer was primarily about messaging the guilty party, with an ancillary message being sent to the community that the bike ride scenario has been dismissed/discredited.

In a (gigantic!) nutshell, those are my thoughts.

I'm convinced the FBI had a direct hand in developing this most recent missing flyer.

JMO.

As someone who is not at all convinced of the value of the fliers I thank you very much for your specific reasoning and conclusions. This gives me much more to think about than "oh they are putting pressure on BM." IMO

 

[dlk1949]

I agree with the "Loaf and Jug" reference. I believe even the locations LE visited and photographed were sending a message. Just my opinion.....and I don't think BM went to Denver! MOO

 

[Seattle1]

Thanks! I wish I had the skills to enhance it. The best I could do is save a copy to my phone and zoom in.

I’m not sure how much can be gleaned from a zoom in but a better angle shot would be quite nice.

One more interesting coincidence (nothing more) is that it would be unusual for a regular mountain biker to carry a Dasani (or similar) bottle of water on a bike ride. They’d almost certainly use a bike water bottle that fits snuggly into a water bottle cage.

Interestingly enough, in TD’s video where he is wearing a yellow shirt and doesn’t realize that he comes up on BM’s truck; in that video you can see empty water bottles in the back of BM’s truck. (Somewhere around 4:30 into that video). Link to video:

Now, this means absolutely nothing. But food for thought, what is someone used BM’s truck to take the bike to where is was going to be planted. Perhaps the bike was thrown into the bed of the truck. Right before the perp disposed of the bike they thought, ‘oh yeah, she’d have a water bottle with her on a bike ride’ and the. Puts an empty bottle from the back of their truck into the bottle cage and disposed of the bike.

Hopefully some Testing of the water bottle was done to see if any of SM’s DNA was on it. If that is indeed her bike in the pic.

And yet another thought, what if that Suburu Outback was one of the two cars in the driveway that the neighbor sees when she goes to check on SM. She tells BM that SM’s car is there. BM immediately asks if both bikes are on the car rack and viola the bike story is hatched without the neighbor ever entering the house or looking in any windows.

I'm assuming the DM photo was taken after SM went missing. I think the bikes seen in the DM photo most likely belong to the daughters. I don't believe the baby blue bike depicted here belongs to SM because I think SM's bike is in police custody as evidence. It doesn't follow that SM's bike would be on a bike rack at home while the missing person investigation in full swing. MOO

 

[Goldenseal]

Wow. This is fantastic. Does WS have a "tools of the trade" section so we can come back to stuff like this?

A "tools of the trade" section! I'm pretty new here so I don't know of one, but if there isn't one, what a GREAT idea!

 

[EggSalad]

I agree with the "Loaf and Jug" reference. I believe even the locations LE visited and photographed were sending a message. Just my opinion.....and I don't think BM went to Denver! MOO

Interesting fact about ‘Loaf & Jug’... it’s open 24 hours. Whereas many of the other gas stations in Salida close between 7pm -11pm and re-open in the morning. However, there may be other 24 hour fast stations. My info is from a google search of “Salida CO gas stations” and then clicking on “more places” to see a full list. Not all the gas stations list their closing time on google though.

 

[EggSalad]

I'm assuming the DM photo was taken after SM went missing. I think the bikes seen in the DM photo most likely belong to the daughters. I don't believe the baby blue bike depicted here belongs to SM because I think SM's bike is in police custody as evidence. It doesn't follow that SM's bike would be on a bike rack at home while the missing person investigation in full swing. MOO

Great point and it would make sense to be carrying them on the back of a car after coming home from a camping trip.

 

[RumorMonger]

I still maintain that the item found on the road belonging to SM early in the case is a piece of clothing. The Sheriff referred to found object as an "item". BM, in the surreptitious video, called it an "article ". I think that was a slip of the tongue.

LE is satisfied that the item unquestionably belongs to SM, yet BM states that "they won't tell us what it is." So how can LE be so sure? If the item is that teal/baby blue bike helmet, her photo would confirm it, along with the fact that perhaps her helmet is missing.

Anyway, it makes sense that if the bike was staged, the "item" might be a biking shoe, the helmet, or some other biking apparel. An article. I'd bet my retirement savings on it.

Agreed. That item/article was supposed to build on the bike ride theory but unfortunately for the perp, the bike ride story was never believed by LE.

@JosieMae
@EggSalad
I don't disagree but why so far away and on the highway? I've been leaning toward not staged due to the distance from the bike and not being on the bike trail itself. Love to hear your thoughts.

 

[EggSalad]

@JosieMae
@EggSalad
I don't disagree but why so far away and on the highway? I've been leaning toward not staged due to the distance from the bike and not being on the bike trail itself. Love to hear your thoughts.

I can’t remember if @OldCop posted this or it was on PE. But the theory was that the item found on Hwy 50 was just a short distance heading away from the direction you’d go if you were heading to Denver.

Basically, if a perp wanted to make it seem like she was abducted and heading away from Denver while the perp’s alibi places them in Denver it might be yet another misdirection for LE to follow.

I’m pretty sure this was @OldCop ’s theory.

 

[Mimi in London]

No, but I could see 2 other possible scenarios.
1) BM gives the jewelry to a third party and asks them to sell it for him. He could use the excuse that he wanted to put it towards the reward, but it would look bad if he was the one to sell it. BM knows how valuable that ring was and I can’t believe he would let it be buried in an unknown grave somewhere.
2) There is a mistress who, like Amber Frey in the Scot Peterson case, had no idea that BM was married. He gifted her the jewelry.

BBM
Jewellery aside for a minute.

A mistress who didn’t know he was married could explain another mysterious action on BM’s part. That is, his insistence on remaining anonymous when the reward was announced and the Gimme fund was launched.

Previously the only rationale I could think of for that was that it was part of his movie-fantasy need to project himself as mega-rich and mega-important.

 

[Seattle1]

Yeah, I know, @Seattle1 . It’s just hard for people who haven’t seen it to discuss whether BM was talking about 2 or 3 items. The way it was written, there were three separate lines, but there was a good space between helmet and the next line, (biking clothes).

Baby blue bike
helmet

Biking clothes

It is true that helmet could have fit on the one line with baby blue bike, but it was a smallish piece of paper.
And why the larger space before biking clothes? It looked like intended separation of 2 items to me. MOO of course.
Plus, it had been alleged that the bike had already been found. BM wrote this on the spot, it was not pre-written.

I did not have an opinion on the note until I saw the DM photo depicting a "baby blue" bike which is a distinctive bike color, and why I don't think BM was describing the helmet color.
I also think the double space before "Biking clothing" could be that the clothes were an afterthought as he was talking to the store clerk. BM allegedly told the clerk his daughter was making missing person posters that were not ready, and he wanted to know if SM had been seen i.e., she was riding a baby blue bike, wearing a helmet, and biking clothes. Or he may have been asked what SM was wearing and added the clothes description. MOO

ETA: Reviewed the note again and noticed capitalized "h" in Helmet.

Baby Blue Bike
Helmet

Biking clothing

 

[Sillybilly]

I have a copy of the note. Since we can discuss it, can I post a copy of it, @sillybilly?

As long as it can be linked to one of our approved sources.

 

[oviedo]

BBM
Jewellery aside for a minute.

A mistress who didn’t know he was married could explain another mysterious action on BM’s part. That is, his insistence on remaining anonymous when the reward was announced and the Gimme fund was launched.

Previously the only rationale I could think of for that was that it was part of his movie-fantasy need to project himself as mega-rich and mega-important.

reminds me of Scott Peterson and him telling his gf that he wasn't married IIRC.

 

[oviedo]

Unless, of course, there's good evidence that Suzanne was dead before May 10. I'm beginning to think that one search (where they closed the whole highway) turned up grim evidence that is crucial to the case, but that we don't know.

If someone was trying to stage the crime as if it were an abduction, then I suppose it could have been her phone.

I also think she was deceased before May 10 - I've moved my date up however based on this new information (I previously thought it was Thurs/Frid)

Is it unusual to close down a road for a search? Tia

I find it unusual and when we discussed it while it was happening several pointed out that it was the only road available which meant people could not get across IIRC. I'm waiting for CCSO to say something about a piece of the puzzle - I still can't forget the someone knows something.... and all what that may mean...
IMO

 

[RumorMonger]

Commenting yes, but I don't consider telling the world BM refused polygraph, inadmissible evidence to begin with, or BM not forthcoming with police according to GPS, leaking.

None of that is critical information that will jeopardize the prosecution. Don't forget the suspect whether it turns out to be BM or other has to prove anything. That falls on the prosecutor.

MOO

Agreed. Poor choice of word with "leaking." I did not mean to imply anything more than they finally had some inside knowledge to share.

 

[DizzyB]

BBM
Jewellery aside for a minute.

A mistress who didn’t know he was married could explain another mysterious action on BM’s part. That is, his insistence on remaining anonymous when the reward was announced and the Gimme fund was launched.

Previously the only rationale I could think of for that was that it was part of his movie-fantasy need to project himself as mega-rich and mega-important.

I find it hard to believe that a mistress would not know he was married. He was actively posting about his wife on the internet and how great she was before she went missing. There are many photos of him with his wedding ring on-even if he didn’t wear it in a potential mistress’ presence, he would surely have a tan cheater mark on his ring finger, with as much time as he spends outdoors. For him, I think it’s more about being in control of the narrative. If he isn’t big man on campus that everyone adores, he takes his ball and goes home.