Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #48

[Curiousobserver]

I’d argue that the lack of communication is in fact a sign of how professionally this investigation is being run.

This is the Letecia Stauch investigation all over again, just with a much longer timespan.

Yep, they knew who did this on day 1.

They prevented him from entering his own house and searched it multiple times, removing boxes of evidence
They visited every local site he had been to and dug them up
They downloaded data from his truck and other vehicles
They gave no BOLO for vehicles, or the missing person, nor descriptions of found items, or clothing she was wearing
They excluded him and his friends from all searches
They told people to save their video, but not to review it or to bring it to them
And they haven't asked the public to help in any searches

 

[MsBetsy]

Lack of information causes rampant speculation. CCSO is not doing a professional job communicating, which includes PIOs having PCs and regular assurances they are working on the case.
This lack of assertiveness brings questions about their professionalism inside the investigation.

LE has stated repeatedly that they cannot share details about the case because their main priority is finding out what happened to Suzanne and protecting the investigation.

As far as I can tell they have been giving regular press releases and have listed all the resources they have utilized since the beginning. The only time I have ever seen LE do a PC in a case like this is when they have something significant to report, such as finding a body or making an arrest. Or when they need the public's help.

People are going to speculate in any case. It's not necessarily a reflection of LE's assertiveness, although BM and some of his friends seem to think so.

 

[10ofRods]

If it wasn't in Colorado, I would have thought maybe they were protecting something more than just SM's body on that land, but ...??? It sounds cartel-ish. And it's scary.

To me, it sounds local militia-ish, but I follow that kind of thing as a personal interest.

I had to re-watch the AwP SM update video just to be sure I heard what I thought I heard. I was unable to watch it all, but indeed these guys did say they had a "team" they were calling "overwatch", that according to them, were familiar with the area and looking out for their safety while they were there searching, complete with scopes and sniper rifles (3:02 and again at 16:43). Sniper rifles?

Seems a bit melodramatic to me.

Melodrama implies to me that nothing unexpected or truly dramatic is happening, that people are over-reacting. I'm not sure that's the case here, if there really is a local, armed watch group that is on BM's side.

I need to know more. There are some items from the local newspapers about this kind of activity, but we ought not to discuss it at this point. We'll see what happens after the PE guys talk to the AwP people on Monday.

Maybe LS will pick this aspect of the story up soon.

At any rate, I think there's background "noise" from local customs and politics at play here. I also think the case is affected by this noise. Sure doesn't help push the value of the Puma Path home up to $1.7M, IMO.

 

[fcavanaugh]

Regarding LSs report re: the wall:

• I don't understand how or why the job was apparently planned at least as early as the 7th to start on the 11th but there were no materials ordered/present. If that's not part of the planning process (and wouldn't have been ordered on the 7th), when would have they been ordered normally? Was BM simply bad at his job (or maybe had bigger things on his mind) and forget to order them, or is there more to it than that?
• Even if the ordering of the materials was an innocent oversight, BMs story that he had to leave at 5 am to do prep work has never rung true and LS cements that with her story. There was no reason for BM to be at that wall all day long on Sunday. Not only were they not in possession of the right materials, they weren't allowed to work on Sunday.
• Re: the no working on weekends without a permit. I didn't hear LS say what the penalty is for that. Is that a big deal? A big risk? What's the punishment? She alluded to her source saying BM should have been aware of that - but it wasn't clear to me if that's a strange town-specific ordinance that most officials would look the other way on (and many contractors ignore), or if that's a big deal and BM would have definitely been well aware of it (and taking some significant risk to work on Sunday).
• In terms of the speculation that SM's remains may be buried at the wall - I say zero percent chance of that. Even BM would know the dumbest thing for a criminal to do is to put remains in the location of your alibi. I'm sure it would be good due dilligence to take cadaver dogs there, but I just can't see that panning out.

MOO.

Great post @Hoosierfan72. You raise some excellent points and ITA with your entire post.

The more I think about the latest revelation that the wall job was planned on the 7th, yes, then how come the materials to do the job weren’t available?!?! If the materials were never ordered, that’s a pretty big oversight and frankly, makes zero sense to me. Is BM that inept a businessman, or did someone at the IN company drop the ball and forget to order the materials? (I’m not quite sure how that works in construction jobs r/t different Contractors/Subcontractors involved and who’s responsible for what).

Honestly, it seems the more info that’s revealed in this case, raises more questions than answers. Personally, I’ve been torn about whether this was pre-planned or an out of control, loss of temper/rage incident, but I’m leaning more toward the latter being the case. I could definitely see BM pondering over eliminating SM (gosh I hate typing that ) for some time, and then something happened on Fri(?)-Sat of MD weekend (SM confronted him about something?) being the catalyst, resulting in BM losing his temper and flying into a rage, and here we are. This would explain him going to Denver a day early and creating the last minute, extremely sloppy alibi. The girls being out of town and the planned wall job would be coincidences in this scenario.

As of right now, I’m having trouble wrapping my head around this having been pre-planned due to BM didn’t have a lot of time, and all the seemingly rushed, impulsive, sloppy aspects. I suppose BM could have pre-planned it though. If it’s revealed that he planned the girls camping trip and the wall job does seem to have been thrown together last minute, that would be very interesting. With what we know so far, which isn’t a whole lot, I just think it would have been planned better, not so sloppy, but BM could just be a poor planner idk. He definitely doesn’t appear to be the smartest tool in the shed (pun intended), so there’s that.

At any rate, seems there’s a lot of moving parts in this case, and LE knows a lot more than we do and are working diligently behind the scenes dotting all their i’s & crossing their t’s in order to bring this case to a successful prosecution.

Hoping SM is found soon!!


All of the above is IMHO

#FindSuzanne
#BringSuzanneHome
#JusticeForSuzanne

 

[DizzyB]

Could the “wall job” have been an excuse for heading up to Broomfield for a few days, just getting away from Salida and kicking back? All under the guise of a “wall job”? Then when things went sideways maybe the plan changed and instead of it being a planned getaway at the HIE, it turned into a group project with additional players beyond just the planned one or two?

 

[Boxer]

Serious question: how often does CCSO need to assure people they're continuing to work the case? From what I've seen people start complaining about every 7 to 10 days from the last time, assuming LE has dropped the case, the case is cold, LE doesn't care, etc, etc. It's like playing Whac-a-Mole with a Dementia patient.

The day after AM left town I read complaints that there's no one talking about the SM case, after literally 6 weeks of near-constant interviews, podcasts, articles, things on the news.

I don't know how many times people have been told that LE is not going to share investigative details, and yet the expectation and entitlement and the refrains of "...but *I* need to know..." continue. Not going to happen no matter how many tantrums are thrown.

IMO

MOO on such a high profile case, once a month.
Nov 10 will be six months, haven't seen any announcement yet of a PC.

MOO the El Paso Counry Sherrif's Office was a highly professional during the GS case and that kept confidence in them high.

EPSO used SAR searchers, asked for the public's help to look for evidence of GS along their property frontage roads for anything suspicious, and had a local military base volunteers perform roadside searches as well.

 

[Boxer]

As for the video at the market, I can only speculate that they didn't collect it because they didn't need it. I mean, it's not like it's Barney Fife running the show. The CCSO, CBI and the FBI know what they're doing, regardless of whether or not anyone agrees with what they're doing.

As to searchers being allegedly threatened, I honestly don't believe it. Sure, someone might have made some flippant comment or something but as to an actual threat on their personal safety or a threat on their life? Nope, I don't buy it. It does make for curious clickbait though.

jmo

And possible evidence?
Transients regularly turn in crucial evidence and the detectives don't say "Eww, I am not going to meet with a hobo."

 

[MassGuy]

MOO on such a high profile case, once a month.
Nov 10 will be six months, haven't seen any announcement yet of a PC.

MOO the El Paso Counry Sherrif's Office was a highly professional during the GS case and that kept confidence in them high.

EPSO used SAR searchers, asked for the public's help to look for evidence of GS along their property frontage roads for anything suspicious, and had a local military base volunteers perform roadside searches as well.

Not only do most cases I’ve followed not have press conferences, but they don’t even do press releases. We should be so lucky.

In the Stauch case, they told people to search their properties because they initially believed he was a runaway.

They utilized military searchers because they knew exactly what area to look in.

In this case, I have never seen so many organizations utilized. It’s an absolutely staggering number (second to last press release).

It’s a waste of time and a complete embarrassment to hold a press conference and say “we can’t tell you anything because we want to protect the integrity of the investigation.”

 

[Ninja Bunny]

As for the video at the market, I can only speculate that they didn't collect it because they didn't need it. I mean, it's not like it's Barney Fife running the show. The CCSO, CBI and the FBI know what they're doing, regardless of whether or not anyone agrees with what they're doing.

As to searchers being allegedly threatened, I honestly don't believe it. Sure, someone might have made some flippant comment or something but as to an actual threat on their personal safety or a threat on their life? Nope, I don't buy it. It does make for curious clickbait though.

jmo

Agree. These amateur searchers record everything. If they were being threatened they’d have some kind of a recording of it and turn it in to LE. I think they (meaning several different people, not just one channel) took the idea of Barry carrying a rifle or shotgun and putting up trailcams - not at all unusual for rural property owners to do - and ran with it, turning it into secret snipers and being followed by some vague menacing Barry-related entities (probably just harmless curious spectators, if it’s anyone at all) trying to frame Puma Path as some kind of Bond villain Legion of Doom lair. I think it’s just noise to get clicks.

I think Barry is arrogant and he says stupid things, but I don’t think even he is dumb enough to try to physically hurt or kill someone searching for Suzanne, the case is too high profile.

 

[K9Enzo]

Remains?
The Dylan Redwine (victim) jury selection process this week prompted me to think about other CO. cases starting as MisPers, then searches for remains, and eventually homicide trials.
IIRC Dylan's remains were found several months post disappearance, 10 miles from his father's home, also in so. CO.
Any disposal, burial, or LE search techniques used in that or other CO cases we have not discussed in this thread? Or any MisPers case not in an urban area.

IOW, not perp Frazee, victim Kelsey; not perp Watts, victim Shan'non (sp? ) & two dau's.

Wow. Look at that. WS's own thread on this case (Dylan Redwine) is a treasure trove of information on a particular dog handler. IMO

 

[Sportn]

Makes me question.....WHY would anyone feel the need to "scope" anyone searching for SM ? Or anyone for that matter. Sounded to me like they had people with them just observing to help them with equipment ect. Those people said this is not safe. We need to leave.

It's big game (rifle) hunting season in Colorado now. Hunters or others could be just warning them that they are putting themselves in danger if they're out searching in areas that others are actively hunting. Nothing nefarious if I had to guess. JMO

 

[skyvoyager]

Not only do most cases I’ve followed not have press conferences, but they don’t even do press releases. We should be so lucky.

In the Stauch case, they told people to search their properties because they initially believed he was a runaway.

They utilized military searchers because they knew exactly what area to look in.

In this case, I have never seen so many organizations utilized. It’s an absolutely staggering number (second to last press release).

It’s a waste of time and a complete embarrassment to hold a press conference and say “we can’t tell you anything because we want to protect the integrity of the investigation.”

Then if you don't return phone calls, the MSM reports, LE won't return our phone calls and refuses to meet with us.....which gets the internet herd into a frenzy.

 

[Fireflize]

Could the “wall job” have been an excuse for heading up to Broomfield for a few days, just getting away from Salida and kicking back? All under the guise of a “wall job”? Then when things went sideways maybe the plan changed and instead of it being a planned getaway at the HIE, it turned into a group project with additional players beyond just the planned one or two?

Well, MG thought that it would be a two man job, or rather, one woman and one man job. Then he changed it all at the last minute, after having the worst night if his life. According to MG.

Perhaps originally, he planned to mosey on up to Broomfield with MG and Bobcat on Monday and order the supplies on Monday as well. There didn't seem to be any rush to complete the wall. They could have taken their time.
Moo

 

[Ninja Bunny]

It's big game (rifle) hunting season in Colorado now. Hunters or others could be just warning them that they are putting themselves in danger if they're out searching in areas that others are actively hunting. Nothing nefarious if I had to guess. JMO

That too. Even though hunters are supposed to positively identify their targets, a searcher runs the risk of being mistaken for a deer. If you’re hiking/searching in the woods during hunting season, go in a group and wear hunter orange vests/sweatshirts and bright orange hats.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Wow. Look at that. WS's own thread on this case (Dylan Redwine) is a treasure trove of information on a particular dog handler. IMO

For those that did not follow that case (like me), who is the particular dog handler you're referring to?

 

[Madeleine74]

MOO on such a high profile case, once a month.
Nov 10 will be six months, haven't seen any announcement yet of a PC.

MOO the El Paso Counry Sherrif's Office was a highly professional during the GS case and that kept confidence in them high.

EPSO used SAR searchers, asked for the public's help to look for evidence of GS along their property frontage roads for anything suspicious, and had a local military base volunteers perform roadside searches as well.

CCSO has issued numerous press releases over 6 months, several which have detailed all the things they've been doing including number of tips followed up, number of searches conducted and other stats. I suppose what's put in writing and disseminated far and wide still doesn't count for some. CCSO has issued and executed many search warrants, used SAR resources and cadaver dogs, partnered with CBI and FBI personnel, but still not good enough.

CCSO asked numerous times for info and tips to be turned in and gave instructions if something was found, and by their word they have followed-up on a thousand tips and investigated any information provided. They've canvassed areas, passed out flyers, conducted many interviews and have made public statements.

Professional vs unprofessional seems to be arbitrarily attributed based on some people's feelings about whether they feel like they're involved in helping LE. Those who are incensed they don't know the case details call LE unprofessional, uncaring, and not competent. This is, I believe, a reflection on the case follower, who by all accounts doesn't actually know anything about what's going on (and is angry about that).

IMO

 

[Ontario Mom]

And possible evidence?
Transients regularly turn in crucial evidence and the detectives don't say "Eww, I am not going to meet with a hobo."

I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to.

 

[K9Enzo]

For those that did not follow that case (like me), who is the particular dog handler you're referring to?

The dog handler interviewed by PE (WK) who I believe stated both of her dogs indicated on HR while she was part of the SM private search. She is the same handler, who it appears had a dog that alerted on HR in the Redwine case back in 2013, I believe. Older threads in the Dylan Redwine case on WS, she is discussed.

I didn’t follow this case either but pay attention when @al66pine posts, because I think they are very clever and I always appreciate what they have to say, especially their research.

IMO

 

[Trackergd]

I honestly can't wait to see how the evidence in this case plays out so we can do a "post mortem" to see what we got right and where we made assumptions that did not pan out.

 

[charminglane]

IMO, BM never ordered the supplies because he knew he wouldn’t be completing the job Mother’s Day weekend. Or the next week.