Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #34

[Knox]

Is it possible LS and LE planned it together this way? Kind of like playing "good cop" "bad cop"? We know BM will not talk to LE but he will talk to LS and has already. This might have been a way to get BM to trust LS so he can talk if he feels LS is on his side and that LE is messing things up, but what I don't like though is why no one showed up to pick up the video footage from the store owner.

I'm really trying to understand why many think it was a failure on LE's part regarding the video footage from Poncha Market?

The employee turned over the receipt he wrote on and was interviewed by the CBI. What more could the video have contributed in terms of the investigation?

 

[Seattle1]

Perhaps this is why the business owner/employee did not get a visit from LE requesting any video. That business location was not identified as a search area. Maybe some residents did get a visit from LE and turned over video but certainly not everyone. Just a guess.
***
As the investigation into the Suzanne Morphew’s missing person case moves forward, Chaffee County residents are being asked to preserve any and all video footage from devices such as Ring doorbells, security cameras, game cameras, etc., from May 8th thru May 12th.

Citizens are only being asked to preserve the video at this time. Please do not send these videos to the sheriff’s office or call the sheriff’s office. As search areas are identified, investigators will contact residents in those locations to collect any camera footage within that May 8-12 window.

May 17 Search Press Release - Chaffee County Sheriff

When we were finally able to discuss "the Note" that BM left at Poncha Springs Market after it was published by MSM (Fox21), there were questions about whether or not BM was captured on surveillance at the market.

I posed those questions to LS and shared her response here (thread #27?).

LS provided that BM was on store surveillance, and the surveillance was not in police custody because although the store manager reported the information to LE, they did not follow-up after two weeks and the surveillance was recycled.

I believe the store manager confirmed this information in last night's Fox21 report.

In other words, I believe the store manager contacted LE prior to their public request for videos for the period May 8 - 12, they were aware of the video and did not respond.

MOO

 

[skyvoyager]

FOX21 News has confirmed the Sheriff’s Office asked people in Salida to save any video surveillance they may have captured between May 8 and May 12. However, a manager at Poncha Market said they did collect video surveillance, but law enforcement didn’t stop by their shop in time.

“We don’t have the video anymore because it deleted after two weeks – so we don’t have that, but I did talk with CBI, though, about the story,” Manager Tiffany Butala said.

That is why the Sheriff's office asked people to SAVE video.... (so it would NOT be deleted ) ...smh

Suzanne Morphew search: Residents near Salida asked to save video cam recordings

 

[303gmf]

I live just an hour and a half from Salida up in the mountains. Not disputing what you’re saying about the time it took for him to get home, but the drive out of Denver into the mountains is ALWAYS a traffic jam. It can be bumper to bumper traffic into the canyon outside Denver. Then, once you get past that, Highway 285 to Salida is a winding two lane road through the mountains and backcountry. It’s not an interstate. Four hours sounds a little excessive, but I’ve driven that road and it can take two to three hours depending on traffic.

Exactly!
If towing anything even more time required, one accident can halt for hours on 2 lane mountain roads that haven’t kept up with the growth

 

[Ontario Mom]

I'm really trying to understand why many think it was a failure on LE's part regarding the video footage from Poncha Market?

The employee turned over the receipt he wrote on and was interviewed by the CBI. What more could the video have contributed in terms of the investigation?

They didn't collect it because they didn't need it.
I'm not finding anything out of the ordinary at all about this.

jmo

 

[Jessthinkin]

I live just an hour and a half from Salida up in the mountains. Not disputing what you’re saying about the time it took for him to get home, but the drive out of Denver into the mountains is ALWAYS a traffic jam. It can be bumper to bumper traffic into the canyon outside Denver. Then, once you get past that, Highway 285 to Salida is a winding two lane road through the mountains and backcountry. It’s not an interstate. Four hours sounds a little excessive, but I’ve driven that road and it can take two to three hours depending on traffic.

Shouldn’t it have been lighter traffic cuz of quarantine? Was traffic lighter around Denver than usual?

 

[Summit1964]

Exactly!
If towing anything even more time required, one accident can halt for hours on 2 lane mountain roads that haven’t kept up with the growth

Yes, that’s right. Also, not sure about Salida, But Summit County where I live actually saw a surge in tourists this summer because people were looking to get out of the city due to COVID. Salida/Buena Vista is also a tourist area, and tons of people were out camping and “social distancing” during spring and summer. We camp A LOT, and we tried to find camping close to Salida in July (South of Mt. Princeton) and it was so crowded we almost had to leave.

 

[Summit1964]

Shouldn’t it have been lighter traffic cuz of quarantine? Was traffic lighter around Denver than usual?

See my other post about the surge in tourists looking to get out of the city and social distance while camping during COVID.

 

[MsBetsy]

I'm really trying to understand why many think it was a failure on LE's part regarding the video footage from Poncha Market?

The employee turned over the receipt he wrote on and was interviewed by the CBI. What more could the video have contributed in terms of the investigation?

Yes, she didn't say that LE asked for the video in the first place. It might not have been necessary for LE to view the surveillance video from that particular store. If they wanted it, they would have asked for it. Imo

 

[DizzyB]

FOX21 News has confirmed the Sheriff’s Office asked people in Salida to save any video surveillance they may have captured between May 8 and May 12. However, a manager at Poncha Market said they did collect video surveillance, but law enforcement didn’t stop by their shop in time.

“We don’t have the video anymore because it deleted after two weeks – so we don’t have that, but I did talk with CBI, though, about the story,” Manager Tiffany Butala said.

That is why the Sheriff's office asked people to SAVE video.... (so it would NOT be deleted ) ...smh

Suzanne Morphew search: Residents near Salida asked to save video cam recordings

I totally get that LE asked everybody to hang on to their footage, but unless an IT guy came to everybody’s house and put the footage on a flash drive, I think two weeks was more than ample time for somebody to come calling. I also get that the Poncha Market is an afterthought-this was days after Suzanne went missing that Barry dropped by. So it’s not during the commission of a crime that he was there. And I guess they photographed him head to toe so there was nothing on the footage that they needed. But what if there was something else that they saw when they reviewed? We will never know. I just would have wanted the option to take a look. And I would not have depended on everybody to be a tech expert. It was pretty early that info was out there on the note. I wish they would have dropped by and just taken a look.

 

[GordianKnot]

Is it possible LS and LE planned it together this way? Kind of like playing "good cop" "bad cop"? We know BM will not talk to LE but he will talk to LS and has already. This might have been a way to get BM to trust LS so he can talk if he feels LS is on his side and that LE is messing things up, but what I don't like though is why no one showed up to pick up the video footage from the store owner.

BBM:

Everyone keeps harping on this point, but it really doesn't bother me.

Salida is a small town, with a small-town police department.
Their LEOs could only cover so much territory in a day.

The priority in the immediate days/weeks following SM's disappearance was on physically searching for her.

LE asked business and private property owners to preserve their footage from between May 8th - May 12th.
This business owner obviously elected not to do that.

Had the business owner contacted LE with info about the strange note that BM left there right after he left the store, I'm sure LE would have hustled right over.

LE asked members of the public with any information to call them from the very beginning of this case.

JMO.

 

[Seattle1]

Looking back, the fact that LE banned BM and his volunteer friends from the original search is very telling. Something led them to that decision (and the decision to bar him from the house from Day 1).

What was it? Drives me crazy.

^^RSBM

IMO, LE was treating the search area as a potential crime scene.

Once investigators completed the search of the protected area, they allowed BM and his friends to move in and search.

I would not expect family, friends, volunteers to be allowed to crawl over/under a taped off crime scene area and don't find banning the firefighter friends from the protected area during the initial search any different.

I think LE knew this was not a bike accident or an animal attack and took the appropriate precautions. MOO

 

[citygirl]

Well, I have to eat my hat.
Thought the teaser would prove to be a nothing burger
A lot to unpack, having nothing to add ( so many good posts ) except for this.
I love that Barry is talking. IMO, he slips up quite a bit.
How often is he out searching on his dirt bike? And, where?
Do ya think LE doesn't have tabs on him?
I don't.
MOO.

 

[Cindizzi]

See my other post about the surge in tourists looking to get out of the city and social distance while camping during COVID.

IMO traffic was not light that weekend due to the nice weather, Mother’s Day and folks tired of self-isolating for 6 weeks. Some them NOT social distancing like in Castle Rock , South of Denver:

Video shows Colorado restaurant packed on Mother's Day; its license has since been suspended

 

[GordianKnot]

There will always be tension between the public's right to know and the public interest in sound investigations, responsible public statements, and fair processes.
Public relations is an area where a seasoned prosecutor with murder trial experience would be a great asset. MOO

SABBM:

I agree with you.

Unfortunately, that's a luxury we don't currently enjoy in this case.

November may bring with her the winds of change to Colorado's 4th Judicial District.

We'll have to wait and see.

JMO.

 

[Summit1964]

IMO traffic was not light that weekend due to the nice weather, Mother’s Day and folks tired of self-isolating for 6 weeks. Some them NOT social distancing like in Castle Rock , South of Denver:

Video shows Colorado restaurant packed on Mother's Day; its license has since been suspended

LOL! I remember that story. Yes, the front rangers (or “frangers”...that’s what we mountain folks call people from Denver, lol!) were out in full force once the weather turned nice. Our little mountain town was so busy this summer that we all got a little annoyed with the intrusion.

 

[Knox]

Yes, she didn't say that LE asked for the video in the first place. It might not have been necessary for LE to view the surveillance video from that particular store. If they wanted it, they would have asked for it. Imo

Or the store, since the employee found the interaction so odd- could have downloaded it to an external flash drive, problem solved.

What was the timeframe between when he came to the store and we first heard about this in the media, anyone remember?

 

[MsBetsy]

Well, I have to eat my hat.
Thought the teaser would prove to be a nothing burger
A lot to unpack, having nothing to add ( so many good posts ) except for this.
I love that Barry is talking. IMO, he slips up quite a bit.
How often is he out searching on his dirt bike? And, where?
Do ya think LE doesn't have tabs on him?
I don't.
MOO.

I hope the follow up interview with the employee meets our expectations. It's supposed to blow Barry's alibi apart. Any word on when that is supposed to be released? I thought it was today.

 

[skyvoyager]

I totally get that LE asked everybody to hang on to their footage, but unless an IT guy came to everybody’s house and put the footage on a flash drive, I think two weeks was more than ample time for somebody to come calling. I also get that the Poncha Market is an afterthought-this was days after Suzanne went missing that Barry dropped by. So it’s not during the commission of a crime that he was there. And I guess they photographed him head to toe so there was nothing on the footage that they needed. But what if there was something else that they saw when they reviewed? We will never know. I just would have wanted the option to take a look. And I would not have depended on everybody to be a tech expert. It was pretty early that info was out there on the note. I wish they would have dropped by and just taken a look.

I get that but the Market was /is a place of business and probably use the camera system more than a homeowner. Increasing the retention from 2 weeks to 30 days is very simple on most commercial systems.

I would also think the market may have a camera facing the parking lot / road. Perhaps see a vehicle drive by. BM made a point to stop by there to leave his very detailed description note... maybe he drove by there on the dates in question.

 

[Seattle1]

SABBM:

I agree with you.

Unfortunately, that's a luxury we don't currently enjoy in this case.

November may bring with her the winds of change to Colorado's 4th Judicial District.

We'll have to wait and see.

JMO.

Reminder -- this case belongs to Chaffee County, 11th Judicial District.

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