Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #47

[PaulaDC]

I'm not so sure that there was "nothing." When he tried to do something -- the 27-second video -- he was scorned & criticized. Perhaps that convinced him that silence was preferable.

Maybe it would have been wise to follow through on his video promise of doing anything to have her back. Just my opinion.

 

[10ofRods]

I guess I would need to understand legally the word “brandishing”. I don’t recall in the recounting of the episode that his rifle was touched or brandished in my understanding of the word. I suspect this story has “grown legs” through the retelling.

Colorado has two laws. One is against brandishing (which I do believe means holding the gun or other weapon in a state of readiness) and the other is menacing (making a weapon visible in public with the intent to scare someone).

I believe BM's actions were menacing. But two things are necessary: the menaced person must feel frightened (and perhaps no one was - perhaps the persons who saw BM with the gun thought he was ridiculous and not scary) and the person with the gun had to want to scare people (which of course, nearly everyone here has said they believed he was trying to do).

You can protect your property without a gun. In California, if a person trespasses and you meet them on your property with a gun, you are going to be booked (because we have laws against guns in public - they must be properly stored while out of your house and only taken out of their storage, ammunition stored separately, when you get to the gun range or the hunting territory).

It would be very interesting to know if BM's gun was loaded. I assume that the searchers thought it was. I think it's good they didn't demand the police enforce the law (it would likely have been a misdemeanor), as then it would look like LE was using every reason to harass BM, which they should not do.

You can't carry a gun at your shoulder without touching it. So he clearly was touching it and n possession of it. He didn't need to brandish it to run afoul of CO law.

Colorado’s Menacing Law: What You Need to Know

That link includes tips on how to defend against the charge.

 

[Fireflize]

Just out of curiosity, how many guilty men have you seen acting this way?

Why I have a hard time totally jumping off the fence is BM is doing all the things that if you are guilty, no one with half an ounce of sense would do them. BM is by all indications a successful business man, which takes some brains. If he was guilty, why would he do so many things to make himself look so bad?

After hearing BM speak and seeing his actions, I do not have an impression that his intelligence is any thing but average, maybe below average.

His business success may be attributed to help that he had from his father-in-law and his love of money, as a motivator. I expect the later to have led to murder. Moo

 

[PaulaDC]

I'm not so sure that there was "nothing." When he tried to do something -- the 27-second video -- he was scorned & criticized. Perhaps that convinced him that silence was preferable.

Maybe it would have been wise to follow through on his video promise of doing anything to have her back. Just my opinion.

“You don’t just see beauty when Suzanne is around, you feel it”: Friends describe missing Chaffee County woman | FOX21 News Colorado

So not counseling, providing lunches. I was under the impression it was more involved. Thx

 

[MsBetsy]

I guess I would need to understand legally the word “brandishing”. I don’t recall in the recounting of the episode that his rifle was touched or brandished in my understanding of the word. I suspect this story has “grown legs” through the retelling.

He was reportedly carrying the gun on his shoulder, so I think he was within his rights. If he had pointed the gun at someone or threatened to use it, that might have been a different story. According to Andy he said something like, 'you know you're about to trespass on private property, right?'

For me the issue isn't so much that he wasn't within his rights. It was a stupid thing to do under the circumstances. He should have known better. Too bad he didn't just offer them some lemonade.

I think he tried to make up for it by eventually letting them search the property, but the damage was already done.

 

[10ofRods]

I'm not so sure that there was "nothing." When he tried to do something -- the 27-second video -- he was scorned & criticized. Perhaps that convinced him that silence was preferable.

If so, then he needs more than legal counsel. If he's that timid, he needs some psychological help.

What I find interesting about your perspective, though, is your apparent belief that BM was reading social media - specifically, WS. The subreddit for Suzanne wasn't up yet.

Besides WS, the other source for comments came from the Inside Edition youtube offering. I can't find BM's actual video, his own posting, any longer. But Inside Edition picked up the story 2 days after BM posted his plea.

It was the head shaking that most people mentioned. It's probably true that if his body language is going to contradict what he's saying (in the minds of the ordinary public) that he should cease making such offerings.

But...you think it's "scorn" for people to point out that they find his body language counter-intuitive? That's what humans do. They listen and notice and then make inferences. The fact that the inference was not favorable to Barry just seems like common sense to the people who think his head movements contradicted what he said.

Personally, as someone who studies human communication for a living, I don't find it as startling as others do. But I do think it's evidence that either BM produced the video by himself (with a cold edit at the beginning) or that whoever helped him was clueless about how it would be seen.

 

[Brubon]

That was true according to AM. And yes, that is mean and abusive. I think that was another aspect of his control over his wife.

That may be correct, which -- again --points to his need for a spokesman or counsel to assist him. That doesn't mean that he didn't have the legal right to keep others off of his property.

Since BM will not hire a spokesman or counsel
my suggestion is that BM should ask Steve Smith ( The Red Green Show ) to "assist" BM by providing him with duct tape.

That handy material might keep BM from consistently putting his own foot in his mouth every time he speaks.

MOO

 

[Ontario Mom]

Is there a link to SM relationship with YL anywhere explaining her involvement with the group?

"Suzanne also served, enthusiastically, at Grace Church in Salida, volunteering and providing lunches for students at Young-Life." “You don’t just see beauty when Suzanne is around, you feel it”: Friends describe missing Chaffee County woman | FOX21 News Colorado

That is the extent of any kind of explanation as to her involvement with YoungLife. Her church's site makes note that YoungLife is not a ministry of their church, but there is a meeting there on Mondays. Student Ministries - Grace Church Salida

 

[10ofRods]

Just wondering- if SM had any unpaid medical bills at the time of her "disappearance," would BM be responsible for those??

Yes. The debts of a married couple are shared, unless there's some really unusual pre-nup. I seriously doubt that SM and BM had a pre-nup that kept their assets and debts strictly apart.

This is yet another reason that I don't believe this was planned out extensively. I don't think there was a financial motive. I think his actions since Suzanne disappeared were partly planned by both of them beforehand, but that now he has some reason why he's liquidating assets. Perhaps he initially planned to build a more modest (tract style) home on that new lot (I don't really believe that though).

I think he now plans to sidle out of Dodge as soon as is practical. He does have a daughter in high school whose life should not be disrupted further, surely.

 

[rainbowshummingbird]

ita TB was extremely intelligent and Jeffrey Dahmer also had an extremely high IQ (144)

ETA: but they still got caught!

Ted Kaczynski has an IQ of 167. He killed three people and injured twenty three.

To be fair, it took the FBI a long time to capture him, eighteen year manhunt, but eventually he was arrested.

 

[Warwick7]

I guess I would need to understand legally the word “brandishing”. I don’t recall in the recounting of the episode that his rifle was touched or brandished in my understanding of the word. I suspect this story has “grown legs” through the retelling.

There has been not only MSM articles, but we've had interviews, videos, podcasts... I can't keep up with the different avenues to receive information on this case.

That said, I don't think we have detailed information on what he did do or didn't do.

However, just "letting someone know you are armed – whether it’s resting a hand on your pistol grip or sweeping back your shirt to let the other person know you’re armed – can and will be construed as a threat."

Brandishing can be something as simple as making sure you "show" them your weapon.

What Does Brandishing Mean? And Why You Should Never Do It… - USA Carry

 

[Trackergd]

Here's what makes me think LE knows a lot more and did from the moment the bike was found. 1) It is almost impossible that there were no footprints around where the bike was found. 2) The forensics team would have entered all of the prints around the bike location into Solemate software to determine brand and size. They would have done a search to determine what stores sold this footwear. The would have also noted "accidental indicators" that made these prints unique to the individual. 3)When LE searched the home, they would have taken note of any footwear belonging to the alleged actor and compared it to the forensic evidence developed at the bike location. If there was a footwear match, the footwear would have been checked for the "accidental indicators" seen in the prints. Its as accurate as a finger print and just as easy to prove in court. It would make me a happy person if the actor was reading this and had an "Oh ****" moment.

Link to solemate: https://www.officer.com/command-hq/...te-fpx-30-footwear-mark-identification-system

 

[Area52]

“You don’t just see beauty when Suzanne is around, you feel it”: Friends describe missing Chaffee County woman | FOX21 News Colorado

This article also verifies her cancer treatments in Colorado!

 

[GordianKnot]

Interesting that BM only thought to put up trail cams at Puma Path AFTER SM went missing.

One wonders what tale those trail cams might have told had they been placed around the perimeter of the property prior to MD weekend.

Also, still really wondering about the security system at the house.

I would think that most potential buyers looking to buy in a relatively remote location, especially at that price point, would have the expectation of a working security system.

If it isn't working, when exactly did it go on the fritz?

If we knew that piece of info, I think it would inform a lot of our timeline and/or theories re: amount of premeditation that went into this crime.

JMO.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Colorado has two laws. One is against brandishing (which I do believe means holding the gun or other weapon in a state of readiness) and the other is menacing (making a weapon visible in public with the intent to scare someone).

I believe BM's actions were menacing. But two things are necessary: the menaced person must feel frightened (and perhaps no one was - perhaps the persons who saw BM with the gun thought he was ridiculous and not scary) and the person with the gun had to want to scare people (which of course, nearly everyone here has said they believed he was trying to do).

You can protect your property without a gun. In California, if a person trespasses and you meet them on your property with a gun, you are going to be booked (because we have laws against guns in public - they must be properly stored while out of your house and only taken out of their storage, ammunition stored separately, when you get to the gun range or the hunting territory).

It would be very interesting to know if BM's gun was loaded. I assume that the searchers thought it was. I think it's good they didn't demand the police enforce the law (it would likely have been a misdemeanor), as then it would look like LE was using every reason to harass BM, which they should not do.

You can't carry a gun at your shoulder without touching it. So he clearly was touching it and n possession of it. He didn't need to brandish it to run afoul of CO law.

Colorado’s Menacing Law: What You Need to Know

That link includes tips on how to defend against the charge.

I find the legalities very interesting.

Those aside, face value, I wonder what was BM's intent? Was he going hunting? (Surely not, with searchers about). Was he cleaning it? (Strange timing.)

I do think it was an act of machismo, my land, my property (my wife..). This is what happens if you cross me.

I dont know, but I think it's another insight into his ego whatever legal line he may have been treading.

JMO

 

[Dalgliesh]

I guess I would need to understand legally the word “brandishing”. I don’t recall in the recounting of the episode that his rifle was touched or brandished in my understanding of the word. I suspect this story has “grown legs” through the retelling.

Colorado does not have an offense called "brandishing." The offenses that might apply are Disorderly Conduct [subsection (f)] and Menacing. One does have a right to carry a weapon openly in Colorado, with the caveat that if you knowingly place someone in fear of serious bodily injury, you could be in serious trouble.

 

[10ofRods]

You would think his liability insurance would demand it.

Once again, I'm going to say I need proof that BM ever employed anyone (as defined in tax law). Nor do I believe he issued his crew 1099 forms. I say this because I know so many people in both California and Colorado who work "under the table," so much so that it's really the norm. Sure, you can get an actual contractor (although landscape contractors do not typically pass the contractor's exam, and if they do, they are no longer "landscape" contractors - they are general contractors. Landscape businesses need only a business permit.

Did he have liability insurance? I wonder (I doubt it).

Did he pay payroll taxes for the "meth heads"? (I doubt it).

Did he write off so many expenses annually that he didn't pay much income tax? I bet he did.

Maybe he did file 1099's for his subcontractors - but that wouldn't make them employees.

I don't know what symptoms Suzanne was suffering through, but by far the most common side effect of chemo is nausea. It can be protracted and severe, leading to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Which is why cannabis is prescribed - and used in a home setting, as needed.

Let's not forget that Edmund Kemper possessed an IQ of 145. A little smarter than Bundy but still got caught. moo

Well, Kemper turned himself in (for his later murders). He was mad that the police in California didn't believe him at first. He said "The original purpose was gone ... It wasn't serving any physical or real or emotional purpose. It was just a pure waste of time ... Emotionally, I couldn't handle it much longer. Toward the end there, I started feeling the folly of the whole damn thing, and at the point of near exhaustion, near collapse, I just said to hell with it and called it all off."
--------

***In my post above, I should have said the rate of wife murder declined steadily after no fault (my grammar was off). You guys probably read it the right way, but I wrote it the wrong way.

 

[10ofRods]

I guess I would need to understand legally the word “brandishing”. I don’t recall in the recounting of the episode that his rifle was touched or brandished in my understanding of the word. I suspect this story has “grown legs” through the retelling.

Colorado has two laws. One regards brandishing (which is defined as moving a weapon or as holding a weapon in such a manner as to appear about to use it).

The other is menacing (displaying a weapon in a manner intended to frighten).

Obviously, he was touching his rifle if he was carrying it (where I live, that would likely be considered brandishing, as teens have been arrested for carrying pellet guns down the street on their shoulders). In some jurisdiction brandishing means "displaying" but Colorado has two laws, to cover all the bases.

Bottom line is that in CO it's not okay to scare people off your property by showing a weapon.

 

[skyvoyager]

Here's what makes me think LE knows a lot more and did from the moment the bike was found. 1) It is almost impossible that there were no footprints around where the bike was found. 2) The forensics team would have entered all of the prints around the bike location into Solemate software to determine brand and size. They would have done a search to determine what stores sold this footwear. The would have also noted "accidental indicators" that made these prints unique to the individual. 3)When LE searched the home, they would have taken note of any footwear belonging to the alleged actor and compared it to the forensic evidence developed at the bike location. If there was a footwear match, the footwear would have been checked for the "accidental indicators" seen in the prints. Its as accurate as a finger print and just as easy to prove in court. It would make me a happy person if the actor was reading this and had an "Oh ****" moment.

Link to solemate: https://www.officer.com/command-hq/...te-fpx-30-footwear-mark-identification-system

no way to use solemate..... all the 'foot tracks' were covered up by LE

02:41
sheriff's department they screwed
02:44
everything up they shouldn't have
02:45
touched it
02:46
left it it's evidence
02:52
and we had cars over here well the
02:55
sheriff let everybody
02:56
drive through here covering
02:59
all or messing up all the evidence they
03:02
were walking all over this area
03:04
which if somebody abducted her they
03:06
would have had foot tracks
03:08
they would have fingerprints on the bike
03:10
and they're like they let ten other
03:11
people touch the bike
03:13
oh man i mean we was really upset that
03:15
first night

 

[Cindizzi]

I find the legalities very interesting.

Those aside, face value, I wonder what was BM's intent? Was he going hunting? (Surely not, with searchers about). Was he cleaning it? (Strange timing.)

I do think it was an act of machismo, my land, my property (my wife..). This is what happens if you cross me.

I dont know, but I think it's another insight into his ego whatever legal line he may have been treading.

JMO

He couldn’t have been hunting (legally) during the search because rifle season doesn’t start until October 1st.
Moot point, I know. Just thought I’d throw that out there.
Moo

hunting season colorado - Google Search