Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #42

[Knox]

I believe exposure drives the case forward. Yes, I know, LE works their case regardless of press coverage or local interest. But I do believe that pressure from external forces-including elected officials who have a constituency to answer to-can assist in a case.

You bet it matters!

Re-read the press release from the Sheriff last night with this thought in mind. It was very responsive to the external pressure from the public.

 

[steeltowngirl]

@branmuffin, @steeltowngirl: Colorado adopted the Colorado End of Life Options Act in 2016. It has procedural protections that would not protect the kind of informal assisted suicide that you speculated on in your posts. A husband who killed his wife with her permission would commit Murder in the First Degree, After Deliberation. MOO

Thanks @Dalgliesh. To be clear, I do NOT speculate that SM’s death involved suicide, assisted or otherwise. I believe she was murdered.

While I don’t want to delve too far off-topic, I’m unsure why you are mentioning the Colorado End of Life Options Act, and murder, in the same conversation.

Colorado’s Proposition 106 permits terminally ill patients with under six months to live, as determined by two physicians, to self-administer aid-in-dying drugs to voluntarily die.

I firmly believe the above is NOT the path that SM took, nor do I believe she was terminally ill. But had she done so, even with assistance from her husband, LE would have learned this from interviews with BM, and medical records would support.

With the above in mind, please feel free to provide some clarity on the information you have about procedural protections for assisted suicide.

 

[LietKynes]

ITA. Also it is a MASSIVE secret he is carrying and he will be bursting at the seams with it. I have lost count of the number of true crime thingies I have seen where the perp just could not stop himself from eventually blabbing to somebody, either the full admission or just enough tidbits to put the case together.

I keep thinking someone could take BM out for a night of bar hopping and wear him down a bit until he talks ?
Act like his buddy ?
Sorry to put anyone into that situation, though.
Just saying.

 

[10ofRods]

This may have already been answered but I have several questions.
- is the bobcat in custody? Was the bobcat examine by dogs.. corpse detecting dogs?
- were the towels from the hotel saved and taken into custody?
- the timeline makes no sense to me, why leave at 5 am to check into a hotel, why not just go straight to the location, start the work and the check in after a days work?
- did dogs hit on the concrete driveway or was that just an assumption?
- was Barry on deadline for the Denver retaining wall? Sounds like it still hasn’t been fixed. To me it sounds as if it was on a to do list that happen to help him with alibi that day.
- have the owners of the retaining wall be interviewed by press?
- Most homes nowadays have video surveillance ...,. Especially an million dollar home in the mountains, has there been any mention of recovering that?
- Do you think the bike was dusted for dna and fingerprints?
- has Barry’s old truck been impounded, search/inspected by dogs?
- do the police have access to both phones? And where they last pinged?
- And my last, who are the witnesses who saw her on her bike that morning??? Have they since revealed they might have been mistaken?
I know it’s a LOT to ask, but any answers would be appreciated. I live in Denver and this story breaks my heart by the fact that it’s not getting the press other cases in the past have had. Thanks!

There are no witnesses who saw Suzanne on her bike ride on Sunday or on Saturday.

Suzanne's phone has not been found, but LE would surely have access to whatever is in the cloud.

Barry's old truck was initially impounded, then apparently given back to him.

I would assume the bike has been thoroughly looked at.

The video cameras at the house were apparently not working (can't remember where we learned this).

No interviews of the retaining wall owners or even verification of exactly which retaining wall or who might own it. We've had guesses.

There's a photo of the Bobcat at the Morphew home on Puma Path, with crime scene tape on it. We don't know what tests or examination they did of it.


Now that I type all that, I realize that deep inside, I believe there are some dark facts that LE knew early on, that we don't know.

 

[Seattle1]

That could be, but I never actually heard him say the investigator told him. He said he told him BM had not been cooperating and refused two lie detector tests. In another interview he said he asked if there were any signs of a struggle in the house and they said, "no." I can't remember what else he asked but I thought the answer to every question was no. It may have been at that time or another time he said he heard that house had a strong smell of bleach. I would go back and listen but I don't know which video it was.

I recall AM saying he asked two questions: 1) any sign of struggle in the house, and 2) was SM's phone located, to which the response was "no."

 

[LClapper]

Just a few days ago, it was something along the lines of, "we know who you are and we know that you know" & now its, "only one person is responsible and there are no witnesses."
*head explodes* I'm imagining that everyone writes ten different ideas or phrases on little pieces of paper. Those papers are then put into a hat & are pulled at random during the show.

 

[Chingaling]

Thanks so much for joining us. You have brought such valuable information to this thread. I have learned a lot.

Last year in the Canadian case when the two young men from British Columbia made their murderous run to Manitoba, it was an Indigenous tracker who figured out where their bodies were.

They had committed double suicide in the wilderness and he pinpointed the spot by watching the ravens. So much information to be learned by what nature brings to us.

It seems everybody leaves a footprint and I hope we can follow the footprints of BM and reel him in.

I followed that case also, after they were found dead all reporting seemed to stop, at least I couldn't find anything. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find anything on that case would you? TIA

 

[Fireflize]

Couldn't agree more. The holidays are approaching, who is going to be making that Thanksgiving turkey or decorating the house for Christmas? Who is going to fill that house with the love that SM brought? Can't even imagine that soulless emptiness he will be facing at a time when families usually unite.

This is so true. I can relate. When a mother dies, the family is never the same. It's true when they lose a father, as well. There remains an empty hole that can never be filled, even when the death is natural.

The fun is over for that family. They will not be making precious memories from Mother's Day 2020, going forward.

 

[Knox]

EK[URL='https://twitter.com/EllenKilloran']@EllenKilloran[/URL]
Who is handling media inquiries for the #SuzanneMorphew investigation? Will any updates on the case be limited to the
@ChaffeeSheriff 's Facebook page? The @CBI_Colorado spox who was handling media inquires since the case began says she is no longer the media lead.
7:30 AM · Sep 30, 2020·Twitter Web App

 

[Madeleine74]

Social media platforms (like youtube or reddit or facebook or others) absolutely do have the ability to affect the direction of an investigation and it can lead to negative consequences. Thousands of otherwise well-meaning people can do harm. If you're not familiar with the impact of just that on the Boston Marathon Bombing case, you can read about it here. Rumor, speculation, and 'digitalantism' can be a caustic mix. IMO

 

[Knox]

I keep thinking someone could take BM out for a night of bar hopping and wear him down a bit until he talks ?
Act like his buddy ?
Sorry to put anyone into that situation, though.
Just saying.

Typically we nominate @MassGuy for an assignment such as this, he'd have to dress like a rugged mountain man though. Wonder if he has a flannel in his closet?

 

[crhedBngr]

(more at link.)

I had to jump a few pages in this thread. @crhedBngr what is this about towel and blanket?

Good Morning, Everyone.

@Warwick7 : Here you go . . .

So far, Moorman has found no physical evidence to help unravel the mystery of his sister’s bizarre disappearance.

“It’s exhausting,” he said. “We’ve found some things: a blanket, a towel and a tarp. We’ve turned them over to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.”

Sheriff downplays reports of remains found in Suzanne Morphew disappearance | OutThere Colorado

ETA: Replaced first MSM source with more local Colorado MSM.

 

[DizzyB]

Social media platforms (like youtube or reddit or facebook or others) absolutely do have the ability to affect the direction of an investigation and it can lead to negative consequences. Thousands of otherwise well-meaning people can do harm. If you're not familiar with the impact of just that on the Boston Marathon Bombing case, you can read about it here. Rumor, speculation, and 'digitalantism' can be a caustic mix. IMO

Welcome to the 21st Century. Like it or not, crowdsourcing is here to stay. Instant access to information, the ability to search using all sorts of fields including images, people posting every moment of their lives on platforms, is what we are now part of. GPS data, Ring doorbells and trail cams, security cams everywhere, public opinion, the 24 hour news cycle, is what we have evolved to. Like it or not, we now have a lot more influence than we once did. There is certainly bad that goes with it. I do remember Richard Jewell, which was before social media is the way it is now. I went through the images along with so many others during the search for the Marathon bombers. I listened to the apprehension of the second suspect, on a live feed. Should I have? Maybe not. But I choose to think that there is good to be gained from all of these new tools, that outweigh the bad. I might be wrong, but there’s no going back.

 

[Murphy1950]

For those forensic and dog tracking experts, if someone were killed and within a short period of time wrapped in plastic and sealed tight - more or less shrink wrapped, and then buried roughly five feet deep in the ground, would tracking dogs be able to detect this, .

SBM...
Yes the dogs would be able to smell a body wrapped in plastic.
Contrary to popular belief, dogs cannot SMELL THROUGH things.
They can smell under things, around things and into things. They can even pick out a single smell hidden among thousands of others. Short of vacuumed packed and sealed so no air can escape, any material used will release smells that will carry through the air.

As usual your knowledge is valuable, thank you for answering! Any ideas why a dog may have hit there?

Dogs probably didn't "hit." Part of this sounds more like a reporters interpretations of what they witnessed. Dogs are only as good as their training and their handler. Often overrated. We learned later the dogs used against Scott Peterson, had a dismal record. They shouldn't have been a part of the case. IMO.

I am disappointed CCSO didn't supply/recommend or source dogs that were Colorado certified, could have save a lot of time, money and heartache.

Attached is an article on Dogs, I find the contents a bit snarky, but factual in that the information agrees with other articles on dogs I have read.

How to Fool A Sniffer Dog

 

[Knox]

There are no witnesses who saw Suzanne on her bike ride on Sunday or on Saturday.

Suzanne's phone has not been found, but LE would surely have access to whatever is in the cloud.

Barry's old truck was initially impounded, then apparently given back to him.

I would assume the bike has been thoroughly looked at.

The video cameras at the house were apparently not working (can't remember where we learned this).

No interviews of the retaining wall owners or even verification of exactly which retaining wall or who might own it. We've had guesses.

There's a photo of the Bobcat at the Morphew home on Puma Path, with crime scene tape on it. We don't know what tests or examination they did of it.


Now that I type all that, I realize that deep inside, I believe there are some dark facts that LE knew early on, that we don't know.

I strongly feel we will learn something like - Suzanne had consulted with an attorney, confided in her friend, or someone had confidential information related to the DV counseling she was doing at Church that was personal in nature.

Someone came forward to LE almost immediately.

 

[Queasy Gumshoe]

There are no witnesses who saw Suzanne on her bike ride on Sunday or on Saturday.

Suzanne's phone has not been found, but LE would surely have access to whatever is in the cloud.

Barry's old truck was initially impounded, then apparently given back to him.

I would assume the bike has been thoroughly looked at.

The video cameras at the house were apparently not working (can't remember where we learned this).

No interviews of the retaining wall owners or even verification of exactly which retaining wall or who might own it. We've had guesses.

There's a photo of the Bobcat at the Morphew home on Puma Path, with crime scene tape on it. We don't know what tests or examination they did of it.


Now that I type all that, I realize that deep inside, I believe there are some dark facts that LE knew early on, that we don't know.

No witnesses are a game-changer - because many of my neighbors insist they have read someone saw her Sunday morning, which I found to be confusing. There are so many things that don't make sense at all, it's mind-boggling. I have the interview with the female employee he called to drive to Denver, and she appears to be very scared of him. Yet so many people want to discount her story and I can't figure out why. Lots of holes are never good.

 

[Madeleine74]

Agreed - in general, there's a big reluctance for a DA to take a purely circumstantial case on....

Just jumping off your post, Hoosierfan...

This might one of the most misunderstood aspects of criminal cases. There are only 2 classifications of evidence: Direct or Circumstantial. Under the law both types of evidence are equal.

Direct evidence = an eyewitness to the crime, a confession by the perp, or a video showing the crime being committed.

Circumstantial evidence = everything else including all physical evidence, forensics, blood, hair, fibers, footprints, fingerprints, statements, the body, etc.

Most criminal cases are 'only' circumstantial. How often is there an eyewitness to the crime or a confession or a video of the crime as it's being committed? Most overturned convictions are because of false eyewitness testimony (i.e. direct evidence).

Circumstantial cases are extremely powerful cases when there's enough evidence to give to a jury. The DA has to decide when there's "enough." A DA who has never tried a case before would be more reluctant to cut their teeth on a high profile case, which is one reason the upcoming DA election affecting Chaffee County is so vital.

IMO

 

[Tricia]

Welcome to the 21st Century. Like it or not, crowdsourcing is here to stay. Instant access to information, the ability to search using all sorts of fields including images, people posting every moment of their lives on platforms, is what we are now part of. GPS data, Ring doorbells and trail cams, security cams everywhere, public opinion, the 24 hour news cycle, is what we have evolved to. Like it or not, we now have a lot more influence than we once did. There is certainly bad that goes with it. I do remember Richard Jewell, which was before social media is the way it is now. I went through the images along with so many others during the search for the Marathon bombers. I listened to the apprehension of the second suspect, on a live feed. Should I have? Maybe not. But I choose to think that there is good to be gained from all of these new tools, that outweigh the bad. I might be wrong, but there’s no going back.

Hey Dizzy B,
Love your post. This is one of my biggest topics on our YouTube Channel. Be sure and tune in at about 2:05 Eastern because I will be reading your post and others. CLICK HERE TO JOIN US LIVE AT 2:05 PM EASTERN

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Just jumping off your post, Hoosierfan...

This might one of the most misunderstood aspects of criminal cases. There are only 2 classifications of evidence: Direct or Circumstantial. Under the law both types of evidence are equal.

Direct evidence = an eyewitness to the crime, a confession by the perp, or a video showing the crime being committed.

Circumstantial evidence = everything else including all physical evidence, forensics, blood, hair, fibers, footprints, fingerprints, statements, the body, etc.

Most criminal cases are 'only' circumstantial. How often is there an eyewitness to the crime or a confession or a video of the crime as it's being committed? Most overturned convictions are because of false eyewitness testimony (i.e. direct evidence).

Circumstantial cases are extremely powerful cases when there's enough evidence to give to a jury. The DA has to decide when there's "enough." A DA who has never tried a case before would be more reluctant to cut their teeth on a high profile case, which is one reason the upcoming DA election affecting Chaffee County is so vital.

IMO

And as we have learned these days, two of those three direct types of evidence have been proven to be the worst types of evidence.... e.g. eye witness,( especially cross race ID's) and confessions which have been thrown out. Yet defense attys will always try to stress.... "it's circumstantial, therefore must be dismissed as not direct evidence"

MOO

 

[Madeleine74]

Welcome to the 21st Century. Like it or not, crowdsourcing is here to stay. Instant access to information, the ability to search using all sorts of fields including images, people posting every moment of their lives on platforms, is what we are now part of. GPS data, Ring doorbells and trail cams, security cams everywhere, public opinion, the 24 hour news cycle, is what we have evolved to. Like it or not, we now have a lot more influence than we once did. There is certainly bad that goes with it. I do remember Richard Jewell, which was before social media is the way it is now. I went through the images along with so many others during the search for the Marathon bombers. I listened to the apprehension of the second suspect, on a live feed. Should I have? Maybe not. But I choose to think that there is good to be gained from all of these new tools, that outweigh the bad. I might be wrong, but there’s no going back.

BBM

Like it or not? Welcome to the 21st century?

As someone who helped build Internet platforms and search technology starting wayyyy back in 1995, I obviously am a big believer in technology in general, the Internet specifically, connecting people digitally across the world, and all of it. It's what my graduate degree was focused on and what I worked on spanning 25 years, much of it in Silicon Valley, as part of some big name companies.

The technology isn't the issue and the platforms aren't the issue and data is certainly not an issue. It's when emotional humans think themselves members of an investigation. It always comes down to the human element and human actions and human choices. It's one reason, of many reasons, why LE needs to and does keep investigations very close to the vest.

IMO