Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #8

[pepper 34]

If a Good Samaritan found the bike in a ditch and 'staged' it so it could be found, I['d think they would come forward by now and say so.

...And they may have... One thing is certain; LE won't tell us .

 

[BeckyF]

So - If you are law enforcement, what do you do now? Wait for more tips? Family hires a private investigator? The only thing I can think of is that somebody needs to talk. I don't mean the husband necessarily, that would be nice, but I just feel like someone close to this couple knows something. Hopefully that person or persons come forward. I hate it when a killer walks free, assuming this is a homicide and I believe it was.

 

[Dave F.]

Right where your map "say" Yellow Tape": I noticed during the helicopter video... close to where the video ends... Across Route 50 (on the far side of Route 50) that area is flooded with what's probably snow melt off. It appears dry in all Google Earth shots throughout the years and also on your map. But during the helicopter "tour" it's flooded. I wondered if LE spent any time over there checking that area out. I don't have the link for the helicopter video but maybe someone else does. I'm checking out for the night as it's 3:10 am here... but I don't mind looking for it tomorrow. (Looks like it's quite a bit of flooding, too, but it's impossible to see how deep the water is.)

I think LE searched diligently all along the S. Arkansas river. In the search area road tour that I linked upthread, there actually is a search marker on a sign post on CR 225 just above the bridge. When I first saw it, I got all excited, and then I remembered that the customary practice is to mark and GPS log every false "hit" that the dogs get, in case it becomes important later. The thought rolling through my mind was "sign-post near water = obvious place for any dog to mark" and to the best of my knowledge, tracking dogs are not under command to avoid hitting on other dogs scents. It's kind of one of the things that comes naturally for a dog. IMO

 

[otto]

]
I didn't use a 5-6 mile range. LE has been very specific that they confined their search within a 2.5 mile radius area. Basically, I identified the three bridges, then theorized that the S. Arkansas Bridge would have been approached by her when she was riding away from the house (beginning her ride), while the Fooses Creek road bridge could be either coming or going, and the Fooses Dam bridge could only be when she was on her way home from her ride.

So if she did this every Sunday morning, and it was a serious ride, what path did she take? The true trailhead of the Colorado Trail is a turn off of CR 225 which leads into the power line cut. It is 8850 ft elevation at the trails head. The trail heads up the power line cut. There is a popular worn footpath from what is mapped as the lower Colorado Trail that crosses the dam and joins the true Colorado Trail. The trail is clearly traceable all the way to the Monarch Ridge Trail at 11,400 ft, just before it joins the Loop Trail that originates at the viewing at the US 50 summit (Top of Monarch). The bicycle descent trail to Fooses Dam begins at 11,385 ft and drops rapidly to the bridge at 9,100 ft.

The link takes you to a very quick descent of the trail, ending on the flat wooded area up from Fooses Lake. A still shot from that video is added below, showing exactly what it looks like to first see Fooses Dam Bridge at high speed on a mountain bike. It's possible that someone blocked the bridge, and she veered right of the structure and toward a small boulder field remnant of a creek back there, losing control of the bike and being at the mercy of whoever did this. Or, it could be all my imagination, or any other scenario in between. IMO
MTB Salida - The Mponarch Crest Ride You Should Have Done - Bing video

The problem I see with crossing the South Arkansas River is that if she was riding from home to Monarch Pass along the Foose's Creek Trail, she would have taken the driveway rather than the highway. I don't see why she would have crossed the Arkansas River.

 

[WildWest]

I'm just so dismayed with all the missing/murdered women in Colorado in the recent past. God Bless them all.

 

[Sarahlou]

I so hope the person responsible for Suzanne going missing doesn't get away with it. That would be infuriating. But I'm pretty confident they will get enough evidence to make an arrest, even if it takes a long time.

 

[otto]

I think LE searched diligently all along the S. Arkansas river. In the search area road tour that I linked upthread, there actually is a search marker on a sign post on CR 225 just above the bridge. When I first saw it, I got all excited, and then I remembered that the customary practice is to mark and GPS log every false "hit" that the dogs get, in case it becomes important later. The thought rolling through my mind was "sign-post near water = obvious place for any dog to mark" and to the best of my knowledge, tracking dogs are not under command to avoid hitting on other dogs scents. It's kind of one of the things that comes naturally for a dog. IMO

I suppose that brings up the question of who decided that she was cycling the Foose's Creek Trail? That must have come up early. This intersection is the entrance to the trail, with parking lot, for people who do not live in the area.

"On May 10, 2020 at 1746 hours the Chaffee County Communications Center received a report of a missing female in the area on County Road 225 and West Highway 50." ...

This will be an ongoing investigation into this matter and the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office asks that any person or persons who may have information please call the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office"​

Missing Person - Chaffee County Sheriff

Suzanne had a short cut to the trail.

 

[otto]

I'm just so dismayed with all the missing/murdered women in Colorado in the recent past. God Bless them all.

One day the art of permanent disappearance will be perfected.
Is there a law in Colorado where "no body, no trial"?

If so, it is the perfect place to commit murder and need little more than a clean murder and the perfect hiding spot. Clean murder being no blood, witnesses, timeline, or evidence.

 

[Dave F.]

No. Colorado's last "No body" conviction was just six months ago. IMO

 

[otto]

Every murderer leaves one clue - one moment of panic where they forget a small deal, or it takes longer than expected, so they're a bit sloppy - in my humble opinion.

 

[TIGER0822]

vPer reports referenced below
Suzanne was not seen on Mother’s Day, the day she allegedly disappeared.
Barry gave conflicting alibis, per family he was on a fire fighting training course, not so said the Fire chief. due to covoid19 all trainings are virtual. The chief was told he was away on a job. Both the house AND car were seized.
It leaves open the question where was Suzanne? Was she with him going to Denver on Mother’s Day weekend? Did something happen before she left the house/ on the way? Alibis don't pan out, they have strong circumstantial evidence. If something happened along the way, physical evidence may be tougher to prove.

Mystery deepens over missing mom Suzanne Morphew-- as cops search her house and neighbors say NO ONE actually saw her on a bike ‘Pacing around, staring out windows’: Chaffee County Fire Chief addresses questions about missing Suzanne Morphew’s husband Barry Morphy




Mystery deepens over missing mom Suzanne Morphew-- as cops search her house and neighbors say NO ONE actually saw her on a bike ‘Pacing around, staring out windows’: Chaffee County Fire Chief addresses questions about missing Suzanne Morphew’s husband Barry Morphew

 

[otto]

Searching for the body near the house may be a huge nomenclature (incorrect framing), but at the very least the cycling area has been ruled out. After that, it's anyone's guess.

It sounds like Suzanne's children were unable to reach her on Mother's Day. They may not have tried until after noon but, when they tried, she was unavailable. At 5:46 PM they convinced a neighbor to call not the local police, but 911.

It seems that the children believed that their mother went cycling, perhaps before church, and vanished. If church started at 11AM, latest time for morning Sunday service, then we know Suzanne was out of commission by 11AM on May 10. (mentioned upthread as well).

There was huge lead time between when she last had contact with someone and the police report. The report was not a wellness check - did she fall down the stairs - but a full scale search and rescue emergency on a biking trail that resulted in search warrants for the husband's vehicle, cell phone and the family home two days later. The home was seized for the maximum 14 days (referenced upthread - article 41 ??).

No one saw Suzanne leave the house to go cycling because she was at the home alone on May 10. Her family was not together, but they were all away. She was not found in the area of her bicycle or the trail and waterways. Bit of a mystery. Hope the finances are in order.

All of this is my opinion - just trying to figure out that puzzle where the edges are invisible - also mentioned upthread.

 

[BoatyMcboatface]

No. Colorado's last "No body" conviction was just six months ago. IMO

I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that. Just awful.

 

[otto]

I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that. Just awful.

Without evidence of death, it could be assumed that she is alive. Many jurisdictions do this - presumed to be alive until proof otherwise. After enough time, even investigators admit that someone is no longer alive.

Thoughts on how many weeks until Suzanne is declared deceased? Is she a candidate for trial without a body?

 

[trujac]

I hope Suzanne's socially confrontational and aggressive husband didn't put her in a situation where her life was taken by someone striking back at BM...BM's video plead for her return seems to suggest to me that he felt deep regret and responsibility for her disappearance and tried to apologize to her by offering a large sum of money for her safe return. I think it's possible someone knew Suzanne's daily routine and abducted off her bicycle, which could explain LE finding a few of her belongings scattered off the roadside.

 

[Poedelini]

So when i was catching up on the tread i noticed something. LE said immediately that the property owner in Salida was not involved in any way. That almost is a confirmation for me that BM is a POI. Imo.

 

[trujac]

I agree, LE has focused their search around BM as a person of interest...he seems to have some connection to her disappearance. Just how he is involved doesn't seem clear at this point.

 

[Trackergd]

Just received the invite to this thread. It will take me a bit to catch up. My first thought would be to search the available bike trails for tire prints matching her bikes tires. The tires would need to be checked for accidental indicators (cuts, nicks, etc) that could be matched to a specific set of tire prints. Next would be to check a pair of her shoes for wear patterns. Hoping that someone in the SAR and LE teams have done this.

 

[Mimi in London]

I hope Suzanne's socially confrontational and aggressive husband didn't put her in a situation where her life was taken by someone striking back at BM...BM's video plead for her return seems to suggest to me that he felt deep regret and responsibility for her disappearance and tried to apologize to her by offering a large sum of money for her safe return. I think it's possible someone knew Suzanne's daily routine and abducted off her bicycle, which could explain LE finding a few of her belongings scattered off the roadside.

This seems to be what he wants people to think.

He might replace ‘socially confrontational’ with ‘successful’ and ‘aggressive’ with ‘direct’, but imo he would be pleased if this was the public/LE perception.

 

[stattlich1]

I've been reading along on this case. First post in thread.

MSM reports went missing on bike ride.
MSM reports LE has recovered bike, but no pictures of bike available?
MSM reports nobody saw her on bike ride.
LE digs up new home construction site, reports nothing found.
LE searches husbands home, finds nothing, releases home to family.

Suspicion around husband, but nary a trace to him reported by LE?

Abducted roadside by someone and long gone?

Willful disappearance to start a new life?

Insurance claim?

The perfect murder?

Missing Colorado woman's home released back to her family, authorities continue to ask for information about Suzanne Morphew