Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #36

[NuttMegg]

I am still left wondering why Suzanne needed to put half a million into a property they owned outright. Did she discover Barry wasn’t being truthful? Did the money go elsewhere? If so where does $500,000 disappear?
AM stated that he didn’t believe SM knew her father was ill let alone terminally. Small town talk may have led SM’s best friend to learn of her dad’s dire circumstances. Perhaps she in turn shared this info with SM requiring SM to return to Indiana/Michigan asap. If she had another inheritance coming to her was she ready to leave Barry or would she have refused to turn over any additional inheritance? If she learned of her father’s death sentence would she have told BM?
Wth does half a million go when the house is payed for? MOO

I could have sworn that I heard AM on PE say that their father's cancer was diagnosed after she disappeared.

But I mostly agree with the rest of it, unless they had some humongous interest rate I wouldn't counsel anyone to sink in 500k all at once. There are other ways that money could make money. Ways to guarantee that the kids get some of it.

 

[MsBetsy]

MG said he left the wrong tools, not no tools. She said it looked like he just emptied out his truck.

How would they manage to complete the job without the materials to do it? They weren’t building a wall made of mud here. It required specific materials that were never delivered.

Which fits perfectly with a job (alibi) thrown together last minute.

Barry had called Morgan crying, saying that his wife had been attacked, or kidnapped by a mountain lion.

She said she didn’t want to bother him, and that rings true to me.

To me it wouldn't matter if they had figured out how to fix the wall themselves or they were sitting around for two days watching tv in the hotel room.

Barry's whole reason for having to leave at five in the morning was to prepare the jobsite for the following day. So what was he doing for 9 or 10 hours before he had to return home?

AM said that BM was extremely driven when it came to work. He left the job site at 11:00 am the day before. I would think he would have had all the right tools sorted out before he even left for Denver. Something must have kept him very busy that day.

Was he so exhausted from whatever he did on Saturday that he went to the hotel early so he could get a few hours sleep?

 

[MassGuy]

To me it wouldn't matter if they had figured out how to fix the wall themselves or they were sitting around for two days watching tv in the hotel room.

Barry's whole reason for having to leave at five in the morning was to prepare the jobsite for the following day. So what was he doing for 9 or 10 hours before he had to return home?

AM said that BM was extremely driven when it came to work. He left the job site at 11:00 am the day before. I would think he would have had all the right tools sorted out before he even left for Denver. Something must have kept him very busy that day.

Was he so exhausted from whatever he did on Saturday that he went to the hotel early so he could get a few hours sleep?

Exactly. MG said it looked like he had spent maybe half an hour at the wall site. Then you have the wrong tools, and no materials to complete the job.

It looks like Barry was a busy boy on Sunday, but it had nothing to do with work.

 

[Knox]

Exactly. MG said it looked like he had spent maybe half an hour at the wall site. Then you have the wrong tools, and no materials to complete the job.

It looks like Barry was a busy boy on Sunday, but it had nothing to do with work.

Or maybe just a really tired boy? I sorta think he took a three or four hour nap at the hotel. All those cameras will be able to tell LE just exactly how long he was actually in that room. <modsnip>

 

[BeckyF]

That wasn't my point. My point is that all court proceedings are taking longer, due to CoVid. From my personal understanding, that's true in Chaffee County as well. People are working rotating shifts, etc.

It's not "due to Covid." It's due to "changes in court hours and staffing." (Which are due to CoVid).

Further, people are meeting (a lot) by Zoom - yes, even in CO. But actual in person meetings are likely necessary, given Zoom's limited ability to handle viewing of physical evidence or complex charts and process boards. The FBI isn't flying into town regularly, IMO. Nor is CBI. They're using Zoom, it slows things down.

Where I live, it's taking an additional month just to get simple recordings done at the Superior Court. My cousins in CO waited 6 weeks to get a name change processed (not in Salida). Until I have other information, I'm going to say that there are good reasons why this case would move more slowly..

And the expense of issuing an arrest warrant too soon is vast. They've already said there are budget issues.

Agree, it is not ‘due’ to covid. But I still think they lack the evidence to make an arrest. That is why, IMO, there has not been an arrest.

 

[FairIsle]

[QUOTE="Goldenseal, Even if my husband was Husband of the Year for 5 straight years, I would not do such a thing with that much inherited money, because once you 'mingle' and inheritance with the spouse's and household money, it's half theirs. An inheritance put into a separate account with only SM's name on it would be hers ONLY. If she died, only the designee in her will would get that money.


All, I have a fantastic spouse. But my life insurance proceeds....where have I directed them? My three children! My husband is a smart, healthy guy, and should I die, I’m pretty sure he will continue gainful employment.

Consider carefully, especially as your children get older, like the “M” girls, your wealth and where it should transfer. Sadly, Suzanne’s inheritance will likely be leveraged by a mortgage or vaporized through the sale of the Puma Path property to pay for Barry’s legal defense. Unthinkable. Unacceptable. Unscrupulous.

 

[BeckyF]

To be fair, we can't find out anything about financial motives because we can't sleuth the Ms' financials and business records. However, I can't be the only one who cringed at the news that the half a million dollars of SM's inheritance went straight into their Colorado residence. Even if my husband was Husband of the Year for 5 straight years, I would not do such a thing with that much inherited money, because once you 'mingle' and inheritance with the spouse's and household money, it's half theirs. An inheritance put into a separate account with only SM's name on it would be hers ONLY. If she died, only the designee in her will would get that money.

I did a big cringe at the news of what was done with her inheritance.

 

[LietKynes]

[QUOTE="Goldenseal, Even if my husband was Husband of the Year for 5 straight years, I would not do such a thing with that much inherited money, because once you 'mingle' and inheritance with the spouse's and household money, it's half theirs. An inheritance put into a separate account with only SM's name on it would be hers ONLY. If she died, only the designee in her will would get that money.


All, I have a fantastic spouse. But my life insurance proceeds....where have I directed them? My three children! My husband is a smart, healthy guy, and should I die, I’m pretty sure he will continue gainful employment.

Consider carefully, especially as your children get older, like the “M” girls, your wealth and where it should transfer. Sadly, Suzanne’s inheritance will likely be leveraged by a mortgage or vaporized through the sale of the Puma Path property to pay for Barry’s legal defense. Unthinkable. Unacceptable. Unscrupulous.

bbm
Ita.
Esp. the lavender bolded.
That is disgusting.

 

[Boxer]

Snipped:
Barry's whole reason for having to leave at five in the morning was to prepare the jobsite for the following day. So what was he doing for 9 or 10 hours before he had to return home?

This is a big question.
If BM is work driven, why are materials and tools not ready by Sunday afternoon for the crew to start Monday at 8am?

 

[LietKynes]

This is a big question.
If BM is work driven, why are materials and tools not ready by Sunday afternoon for the crew to start Monday at 8am?

Maybe his mind was clouded by other 'concerns' ?

 

[OldCop]

I am bumping this up, because it is a great start on an essential tool for our discussions: a common set of facts. I didn't want it forgotten. I hope everyone will help @OldCop edit this and add links to MSM sources.

Thanks, @Dalgliesh. I’ve begun incorporating some of the suggestions submitted into my master copy. I would like to keep this timeline to the days surrounding SM’s disappearance for now, and not include the whole investigation. For this reason, shall we keep it to the same days that LE originally signaled out for people to save video? It appears those days are the most pertinent in trying to determine what happened to SM, how and when it was accomplished, and what might have been done to cover up evidence and dispose of the body. Let’s limit the timeline to 5/8/20 - 5/12/20. If we find out days before or after are pertinent, we can expand the timeline.
I’ll wait another day or so and repost with additions/deletions.

 

[Boxer]

Maybe his mind was clouded by other 'concerns' ?

When he speaks to LS he speaks in the pressured manner of an experienced

I did a big cringe at the news of what was done with her inheritance.

Good word, yes all these revealed actions and responses are "cringey."

 

[GordianKnot]

If SM had consulted with (or even retained) an attorney herself for some reason prior to going missing, would that attorney be able to contact LE to advise them that SM had been seeking legal counsel and/or what the nature of her concerns were, or would a lawyer be unable to notify LE of that interaction d/t client-attorney privilege?

I keep wondering if there's not a lawyer somewhere who knows something relevant.

JMO.

 

[DizzyB]

It would be interesting to know how many hours Barry spent in Jeff’s room at the HIE. If Barry had to leave at the crack of dawn because he had so much to do, was he able to explain his time at the hotel before he even knew Suzanne was missing?

 

[LietKynes]

Thanks, @Dalgliesh. I’ve begun incorporating some of the suggestions submitted into my master copy. I would like to keep this timeline to the days surrounding SM’s disappearance for now, and not include the whole investigation. For this reason, shall we keep it to the same days that LE originally signaled out for people to save video? It appears those days are the most pertinent in trying to determine what happened to SM, how and when it was accomplished, and what might have been done to cover up evidence and dispose of the body. Let’s limit the timeline to 5/8/20 - 5/12/20. If we find out days before or after are pertinent, we can expand the timeline.
I’ll wait another day or so and repost with additions/deletions.

bbm
I admit that 5/8/20 has me curious.
My guess is that LE have so much more information that they're sitting on.
Much of it potentially incriminating.

 

[OldCop]

I am still left wondering why Suzanne needed to put half a million into a property they owned outright. Did she discover Barry wasn’t being truthful? Did the money go elsewhere? If so where does $500,000 disappear?
AM stated that he didn’t believe SM knew her father was ill let alone terminally. Small town talk may have led SM’s best friend to learn of her dad’s dire circumstances. Perhaps she in turn shared this info with SM requiring SM to return to Indiana/Michigan asap. If she had another inheritance coming to her was she ready to leave Barry or would she have refused to turn over any additional inheritance? If she learned of her father’s death sentence would she have told BM?
Wth does half a million go when the house is payed for? MOO

When I read this, it was my impression that the half million was put towards the purchase of the house, not that she put a half million into it after they bought it. Checking the property history, it says they bought it for $475,000 over asking price. Bingo! There’s your half a million.
Maybe SM didn’t really want to put that inheritance into the house, but BM whined and pleaded and she relented. Maybe she has regretted it. Maybe she was unhappy and wanted to sell. Maybe BM didn’t want to.....

 

[Fireflize]

When I read this, it was my impression that the half million was put towards the purchase of the house, not that she put a half million into it after they bought it. Checking the property history, it says they bought it for $475,000 over asking price. Bingo! There’s your half a million.
Maybe SM didn’t really want to put that inheritance into the house, but BM whined and pleaded and she relented. Maybe she has regretted it. Maybe she was unhappy and wanted to sell. Maybe BM didn’t want to.....

Maybe he could only convince her to sink her inheritance into buying the Puma Path home, by promising to give her the money back when the Indiana home sold. But he never intended to repay her. Moo

 

[Dave F.]

If SM had consulted with (or even retained) an attorney herself for some reason prior to going missing, would that attorney be able to contact LE to advise them that SM had been seeking legal counsel and/or what the nature of her concerns were, or would a lawyer be unable to notify LE of that interaction d/t client-attorney privilege?

I keep wondering if there's not a lawyer somewhere who knows something relevant.

JMO.

I think that would be a decision that an attorney would have to make, based on many factors that only that specific attorney would know. Attorneys please correct me if I'm wrong. IMO

 

[kkdj]

When I read this, it was my impression that the half million was put towards the purchase of the house, not that she put a half million into it after they bought it. Checking the property history, it says they bought it for $475,000 over asking price. Bingo! There’s your half a million.
Maybe SM didn’t really want to put that inheritance into the house, but BM whined and pleaded and she relented. Maybe she has regretted it. Maybe she was unhappy and wanted to sell. Maybe BM didn’t want to.....

Why would someone pay 475k over asking price? Was it valued at that?

 

[OldCop]

Why would someone pay 475k over asking price? Was it valued at that?

I’m thinking maybe they got into a bidding war with somebody. Many of the homes out there are very expensive. That tells me that people with plenty of money are buying in the area.