Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #53

[Ontario Mom]

Thanks for posting.

I think it's an unreasonable stretch to compare an adult missing woman to a child that has gone missing and the family home being sold/family moving.

In a bizarre scenario where SM stumbles back, alive, to Puma Path, I'm certain she would not be lost forever because the family no longer lives there. I suppose she could knock on the neighbors door.

It's possible BM sold the home because the remaining Morhew family does NOT want to be there anymore and they know, down deep, she's never returning, anywhere. That's the reality they are living in. IMO

I agree that it's a stretch, but I also suspect BM knew Suzanne was never coming back. Ed Smart would have never sold the family home and moved away but that's because he had genuine hope Elizabeth would be found alive and come home to loving, familiar surroundings. Thankfully, that's exactly how it worked out.

I don't believe BM ever had any kind of hope like that because he knew Suzanne was never coming back. All the legal, financial and real estate moves from almost immediately after she went missing (3 weeks in, when "Gene, you know I loved your daughter, now sign these papers" happened), reek to high heaven, that he knew from day 1. As has been reported from the PE guys, that past tense reference to Suzanne really stood out to GM, and it would have to anyone else as well.

jmo

 

[susiQ]

Coolers being taken on a long car trip during pandemic very possible.
The Sheriff knows if they were.
There was a lot of suggestion that previous DA wasn't moving on the evidence. Kind of a low blow that can't be defended against because a DA saying it's not true, reveals the lack of evidence.
Now a new DA is not filing charges, and that is two DAs that have not.
Looking like killer gets away with it.

With no disrespect to the former DA, she was appointed, not elected. Perhaps her experience in homicide prosecution was limited or non-existent. JMO. The new DA has loads of experience and I have no doubt is all over this case. It has only been 2 short months since Linda Stanley took office and from what’s been written in media, she hit the ground running. I think it is more a question of being well prepared for an eventual arrest than not having enough evidence. One bite at the apple as our trusted attorneys tell us! Clearly, they would like a body if at all possible to prove SM is indeed dead, which we all know she is. Just harder to prove without her remains.

I have full confidence the new DA will get there. Patience Grasshopper!

All MOO, naturally!
ed:sp

 

[Ontario Mom]

Please someone clear the air. MK stated that BM "has the conservatorship now and beat the system".

Did BM do this illegally and pull a fast one on the courts? The courts are not capable of working within the law and are not competent to handle such cases? IMO

I don't think he did this illegally, I think MK might have meant that "lucky" BM gained legal authority over Suzanne in IN and CO where he didn't have to wait 5-7 years, as it would have in many other states. That was the impression I got, anyway.

 

[susiQ]

Please someone clear the air. MK stated that BM "has the conservatorship now and beat the system".

Did BM do this illegally and pull a fast one on the courts? The courts are not capable of working within the law and are not competent to handle such cases? IMO

This may not “clear the air,” but what I think MK was trying to say is, that in BM securing guardianship over SM’s assets he has “beat the system” in that BM is the one responsible for SM being “missing” in the first place and he has “beat the system” since a murderer should not be able to benefit from his crime. Of course, this is only my opinion of MK’s comment and my assumption that MK believes BM is solely responsible for SM’s “missing” status.

JMHO

 

[Error505]

Thanks for posting. It’s pretty concise summary of where we are today. I really like Mike’s approach.

 

[Error505]

I don't think he did this illegally, I think MK might have meant that "lucky" BM gained legal authority over Suzanne in IN and CO where he didn't have to wait 5-7 years, as it would have in many other states. That was the impression I got, anyway.

I’m sure BM enlisted the help of a very knowledgeable attorney to successfully liquidate SMs property legally. Hmmm
MOO

 

[StarrDetective]

Coolers being taken on a long car trip during pandemic very possible.
The Sheriff knows if they were.
There was a lot of suggestion that previous DA wasn't moving on the evidence. Kind of a low blow that can't be defended against because a DA saying it's not true, reveals the lack of evidence.
Now a new DA is not filing charges, and that is two DAs that have not.
Looking like killer gets away with it.

i agree with the first part of your comment, but not the second. We all need to be patient a little bit longer. I truly believe BM will be arrested by mid-summer 2021. I kind of feel like LE wants to give a search for the body (perhaps in a cooler) one more go. This winter storm Salida is having is postponing that. (I’m sure BM is super happy about the snow storm.)

Time flies.
I’m sure the new DA is busy getting all sorts of cases together.
If i’m wrong, i’ll be extremely upset like the rest of you.

 

[KindaSleuthy]

There is road down from Highway 50, Old Monarch Pass Road that leads to a mining area.
Parallel electric line towers and their catwalk trails provide miles of passable, off road, extremely remote, and untraveled wilderness.
This is the area BM layed down.

A person on a mission to hide something has many many options in the area.

A Salida friend of mine has hunted all over that area and is convinced that BM took her there.
He said that if he didn’t put her in a mine he could have dragged her down a hill and covered her with leaves and branches. A lot of the land is privately owned, never visited and search teams would need a warrant to search ... fat chance without probable cause.
The vertical mines are not only dangerous but often have water at the bottom. Plus, if they are on private land it couldn’t be searched without a warrant. In my research, for those on public land, using a drone copter to try to go to the bottom is a problem due to root invasion. A body could crash through them but not a drone. A weighted camera on a cable might make it but a skeleton would be below the water.

For those reasons I’m concerned her remains will never be found. But, somehow I remain hopeful.

 

[KindaSleuthy]

I don't think he did this illegally, I think MK might have meant that "lucky" BM gained legal authority over Suzanne in IN and CO where he didn't have to wait 5-7 years, as it would have in many other states. That was the impression I got, anyway.

It was legal, as you said. He got “guardianship” in Indiana in order to close on their former home (which had a sales contract when Suz was around").
This was presented to a Colorado judge for the sale of the Puma home. The judge honored it, paving the way to sell the home.
As I understand it, this has little bearing on the distribution of SM’s financial assets, which will be a topic for a far distant discussion.
GuardianshipofEstate.pdf

 

[Rachelj1]

A Salida friend of mine has hunted all over that area and is convinced that BM took her there.
He said that if he didn’t put her in a mine he could have dragged her down a hill and covered her with leaves and branches. A lot of the land is privately owned, never visited and search teams would need a warrant to search ... fat chance without probable cause.
The vertical mines are not only dangerous but often have water at the bottom. Plus, if they are on private land it couldn’t be searched without a warrant.
For those reasons I’m concerned her remains will never be found. But, somehow I remain hopeful.

That is my biggest fear, she is on private property and Barry knows they need a search warrant.
MOO

 

[Rachelj1]

i agree with the first part of your comment, but not the second. We all need to be patient a little bit longer. I truly believe BM will be arrested by mid-summer 2021. I kind of feel like LE wants to give a search for the body (perhaps in a cooler) one more go. This winter storm Salida is having is postponing that. (I’m sure BM is super happy about the snow storm.)

Time flies.
I’m sure the new DA is busy getting all sorts of cases together.
If i’m wrong, i’ll be extremely upset like the rest of you.

I agree with you I don't think she has had enough time. Ultimately though it falls on her because she does have the most power over LE. Hopefully people close to Suzanne are speaking with her.

MOO

 

[KindaSleuthy]

A Salida friend of mine has hunted all over that area and is convinced that BM took her there.
He said that if he didn’t put her in a mine he could have dragged her down a hill and covered her with leaves and branches. A lot of the land is privately owned, never visited and search teams would need a warrant to search ... fat chance without probable cause.
The vertical mines are not only dangerous but often have water at the bottom. Plus, if they are on private land it couldn’t be searched without a warrant. In my research, for those on public land, using a drone copter to try to go to the bottom is a problem due to root invasion. A body could crash through them but not a drone. A weighted camera on a cable might make it but a skeleton would be below the water.

For those reasons I’m concerned her remains will never be found. But, somehow I remain hopeful.

I forgot this link. Mind blowing stats.
Mining In Chaffee County, Colorado

 

[OldCop]

A Salida friend of mine has hunted all over that area and is convinced that BM took her there.
He said that if he didn’t put her in a mine he could have dragged her down a hill and covered her with leaves and branches. A lot of the land is privately owned, never visited and search teams would need a warrant to search ... fat chance without probable cause.
The vertical mines are not only dangerous but often have water at the bottom. Plus, if they are on private land it couldn’t be searched without a warrant. In my research, for those on public land, using a drone copter to try to go to the bottom is a problem due to root invasion. A body could crash through them but not a drone. A weighted camera on a cable might make it but a skeleton would be below the water.

For those reasons I’m concerned her remains will never be found. But, somehow I remain hopeful.

I agree, @KindaSleuthy. People, especially from the east coast or major cities just don’t realize how vast these wilderness areas are. Plus, the mines are a whole ‘nother ball game. They are treacherous. If SM’s remains are not in one of the mines, it’s going to take some random hunter or hiker to stumble across them. Or not.
LE knows she’s deceased.
LE knows they will likely have a No Body Case.
LE knows they must proceed slowly and methodically to make their case.
LE knows they have only one shot at this.

 

[Trackergd]

A Salida friend of mine has hunted all over that area and is convinced that BM took her there.
He said that if he didn’t put her in a mine he could have dragged her down a hill and covered her with leaves and branches. A lot of the land is privately owned, never visited and search teams would need a warrant to search ... fat chance without probable cause.
The vertical mines are not only dangerous but often have water at the bottom. Plus, if they are on private land it couldn’t be searched without a warrant. In my research, for those on public land, using a drone copter to try to go to the bottom is a problem due to root invasion. A body could crash through them but not a drone. A weighted camera on a cable might make it but a skeleton would be below the water.

For those reasons I’m concerned her remains will never be found. But, somehow I remain hopeful.

I fully agree and a very nice analysis that dovetails with my analysis much earlier on. A burial site in the back 40 behind PP still might be detectable with a LiDar equipped drone and/or a specifically trained search team.

 

[KindaSleuthy]

I agree, @KindaSleuthy. People, especially from the east coast or major cities just don’t realize how vast these wilderness areas are. Plus, the mines are a whole ‘nother ball game. They are treacherous. If SM’s remains are not in one of the mines, it’s going to take some random hunter or hiker to stumble across them. Or not.
LE knows she’s deceased.
LE knows they will likely have a No Body Case.
LE knows they must proceed slowly and methodically to make their case.
LE knows they have only one shot at this.

Exactly! Not only wilderness but in the mountains with thin air. I was last in Colorado in 1958, basic training at Fort Carson. I was in great shape but going uphill was a lot of wheezing and marching downhill gave me shin splints. Trying to traverse forest land involved constant falls and sliding. That is why hunters follow mining roads and Jeep trails. For those of you doing the math, I am 82.
I only follow this case and thanks to COVID have spent 6-8 hours every day on this matter since about May 18, 2020.
I kept copious notes on legal tablets until recently when my wife convinced me to trash an 18” stack of them. I should have kept a database/cross reference on my computer but never imagined it would go on and on.

 

[Rachelj1]

Exactly! Not only wilderness but in the mountains with thin air. I was last in Colorado in 1958, basic training at Fort Carson. I was in great shape but going uphill was a lot of wheezing and marching downhill gave me shin splints. Trying to traverse forest land involved constant falls and sliding. That is why hunters follow mining roads and Jeep trails. For those of you doing the math, I am 82. I only follow this case and thanks to COVID have spent 6-8 hours every day on this matter.

Well I’m so glad you are here !!!

 

[LietKynes]

A Salida friend of mine has hunted all over that area and is convinced that BM took her there.
He said that if he didn’t put her in a mine he could have dragged her down a hill and covered her with leaves and branches. A lot of the land is privately owned, never visited and search teams would need a warrant to search ... fat chance without probable cause.
The vertical mines are not only dangerous but often have water at the bottom. Plus, if they are on private land it couldn’t be searched without a warrant. In my research, for those on public land, using a drone copter to try to go to the bottom is a problem due to root invasion. A body could crash through them but not a drone. A weighted camera on a cable might make it but a skeleton would be below the water.

For those reasons I’m concerned her remains will never be found. But, somehow I remain hopeful.

bbm
Re. the bolded : Sounds great. I will hope along with you !

 

[KindaSleuthy]

I don't recall ever hearing about an apartment. The woman lived in the home next door to the construction site. moo

I stand corrected. It was a house. That is one of the constant challenges ... trying to get accurate info. Someone will guess, it spreads and then it becomes a pseudo-fact. Thank you so much!

 

[KindaSleuthy]

I agree that it's a stretch, but I also suspect BM knew Suzanne was never coming back. Ed Smart would have never sold the family home and moved away but that's because he had genuine hope Elizabeth would be found alive and come home to loving, familiar surroundings. Thankfully, that's exactly how it worked out.

I don't believe BM ever had any kind of hope like that because he knew Suzanne was never coming back. All the legal, financial and real estate moves from almost immediately after she went missing (3 weeks in, when "Gene, you know I loved your daughter, now sign these papers" happened), reek to high heaven, that he knew from day 1. As has been reported from the PE guys, that past tense reference to Suzanne really stood out to GM, and it would have to anyone else as well.

jmo

I agree. The one exception is the Indiana home. It was under contract and Suzanne had co-signed. The closing was prescheduled for June and Barry needed guardianship to close and avoid a lawsuit.

 

[OldCop]

Cooler Needed After Strangulation?
@KindaSleuthy sbm bbm Thanks for your post and I'm trying to make sure I'm understanding it. Mostly speaking gen'ly here, not about SM & BM specifically.
Is post is saying - when a person is fatally strangled, there's no leakage of vic's bodily fluids, so no need for perp to place intact body into a cooler? And saying/suggesting a tarp or blanket is sufficient for transporting body and leaving no forensic evd of injury? Respectfully I disagree.

Some medical evaluation protocol materials* state - involuntary loss of bladder & bowel control may occur during strangulation, both fatal or non-fatal. May occur within one minute duration of strangling. So, imo a cooler or equivalent could be useful in containing and concealing body, which likely leaked fluids before being transported. Preferable to tarp/blanket.

Post states as fact - LE found no blood evd. If LE released that, I missed it. Link, anyone?

In trying to gain control of vic resisting, perp may inflict other injuries on vic who then bleeds, leaving blood evidence at strangulation site. May be miniscule, esp'ly after perp cleans up, but still may be detected and DNA matched. (An insignificant amt of vic's blood in her own house may also remain from non-nefarious actions, like vic herself inadvertently knicking fingers while prepping food.)

Was there bleeding and loss of bladder & bowel control? IDK, but a clear-headed perp, whether acting spontaneously or carrying out a detailed "master-plan," should consider opting for a cooler. And maybe a tarp too.

Or if perp is actually clear-headed, forget homicide & file for divorce instead. my2ct.
_____________________________________________
* pages 1, 5, 10. PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF STRANGULATION
https://www.tribal-institute.org//2018/F7HO.pdf

Good points, @al66pine. Many people believe that strangulation is such a “clean” type of murder when it isn’t at all.
I have considered that SM may have been strangled in the hot tub. Too late, the suspect realized that there were bodily fluids in the water. Did he drain it and try to clean it out?
There is a business called Salida Stove and Spa which carries pool cleaning supplies. I wonder if BM happened to stop in there Saturday afternoon while he was in town?
Is that the receipt he was looking for in the trash at the Poncha Market on Tuesday? Or was he stashing the receipt there? By Tuesday BM knew that LE wasn’t buying his story.
MOO