Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *Case dismissed w/o prejudice* *found in 2023* #113

[DizzyB]

Just found it interesting. When I first saw the tweets about it being testified to at the preliminary hearings I always wanted to see it. There was some speculation from us Websleuths about whether SM really took the photo, etc. Just because they say she sent it to the girls could that mean BM took a selfie of himself and had her text it from her phone ? A lot us wondered if she was really out running errands with him on that date and time. JMO
Because it was not displayed in Court, I was skeptical and now, years later Lauren the former Journalist has an answer settling the question. That’s all.

I’ve seen the photo. It’s been so long and I’ve never been able to find it again, but it was not a selfie. It looks like it was taken from a distance, could possibly have been taken from someone sitting in a car waiting. There have been so many things that I’m sorry I never took a screenshot of. It seems to be a recurring thing in cases. Believe it or not, certain things can disappear from the internet. Same in the Kohberger case.

 

[Megnut]

Unless he was somehow locked out of it. If I recall correctly she wasn't active after 2:03 or 2:11 or so when she told Jeff she was getting on WA.. It is just odd that day. We don't know all of the activities because it wasn't outlined in the AA, but we know some. It seemed off. I really am curious about her texting him about hiking twice.. I just don't see her wanting to go to hike with him and I don't see her going to get pizza with him either and taking his photo. It is just very off. The FB resets and his phone having that higher than normal activities Friday and Saturday.

There are gaps for sure.

Until her spy pen was found and the audio enhanced, LE was working in the dark. I don't know what they were able to recover from her cellphone provider and when... how soon they accessed her proof of life photo, crazy they couldn't track where it was sent. And prior to that, her last contact was probably her friend S. I wonder how quickly S connected with LE... she only knew of Suzanne being missing on Mother's Day, missing the virtual wedding and probably dozens of calls/texts. She should have had no way to know she was the last person (before JL) to communicate with her. Makes sense too why LE was side-eyeing Friday even.

I don't give JL a pass and certainly not from about Day 2 onward but he didn't know in real time that he received Suzanne's last earthly communication... he was also under the impression she went missing on Sunday, a whole day later.

Still, he could have done so much to help establish the time line....

We don't know what LE knew and when but these oddities stand out --

Would Suzanne have gone for a walk with Barry on Wednesday? Does that ring true? Or is that a Bsplanation? Was it Barry and a dumpsterdbuddy?

Did Suzanne go to Moonlight Pizza with Barry? Was he ever in her vehicle that day or her in his? (Did Barry try to imply he was in her in case he left fresh fingerprints when he accessed her car on Saturday/Sunday?)

Who took the photo?

I recall Suzanne telling Jeff that she had a quiet night, had pizza.

With or without Barry?

Did Suzanne feel like Barry was coming around, was he feigning cooperation, so she was trying to play amicable in return? Veggie soup, the real day. Meeting for pizza. Touring the construction site. Texting about hiking.

And the hiking texts. Those seem really out of place. Unless she was trying to be friendly. Suzanne was eager for a boundaried relationship with Barry. Just Friends, if you will.

Or she didn't send them. Again, I don't think he had access to her phone or he'd have used it into Sunday to keep her digital presence alive. (He could theoretically have tranqued her to use her face or fingerprint to access her phone to find the identity of her lover but I find him neither that sophisticated nor that patient. He tranqued her in order to kill her. This however is arguable. Case could be made that that's exactly what he was doing. Sedating her in order to break into her phone to discover JL's name so he could kill him and win Suzanne back, and the dose killed her accidentally and the rest was a scrambled blur or he failed to sedate her without her seeing him so then he had to kill her. Regardless, Barry was resorting to murder. Suzanne was going to die. Or her lover. Or both of them.)

In the final analysis (trial), questions will remain, they always do. Barry gets to take secrets to the grave, but I hope they will be few. More-few.

JMO

 

[Megnut]

^^rsbm

IMO, we have to recognize the AA is not 100% on the communication between the parties, and without the full context, it's easy for the quoted texts to get lost in translation.

For example, at the conclusion of the prelim hearing on Sept 17, 2021, the prosecution gives context to the same communication quoted by OP (i.e. includes BM being first to ask about hiking, omitted from AA).

The passage below also demonstrates how SM was tricked into letting her guard down-- falsely believing BM had taken heed to her request for civility, as they made the transition to end their marriage.

From the Court Transcript of the proceedings on Sept 17, 2021, pages 13-15/99:

View attachment 502582
View attachment 502583

View attachment 502584
See docket #119.

CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 , MEDIA,MAPS,TIMELINE *NO DISCUSSION*

www.websleuths.com

O M G

I don't recall the line about sandpaper.

Sandpaper for the door.

THE DOOR?

Might that indicate that they'd had a baaaaaaad fight -- maybe the fight of which Barry couldn't recall any content -- and he breached that door in the dots prior to 5/9?

And now that Barry seemed civil and cooperative, she hoped he'd repair it before the girls came home/saw it?

I don't know that sanding would be a step in repairing the crack as we've seen it. Perhaps there was damage Barry did repair at some point. On 5/9 in the early evening. Buffed it out and hoped the crack would go unnoticed.

Doesn't really change anything. Either way, there was violence. But it's a curious request.

JMO

 

[Seattle1]

O M G

I don't recall the line about sandpaper.

Sandpaper for the door.

THE DOOR?

Might that indicate that they'd had a baaaaaaad fight -- maybe the fight of which Barry couldn't recall any content -- and he breached that door in the dots prior to 5/9?

And now that Barry seemed civil and cooperative, she hoped he'd repair it before the girls came home/saw it?

I don't know that sanding would be a step in repairing the crack as we've seen it. Perhaps there was damage Barry did repair at some point. On 5/9 in the early evening. Buffed it out and hoped the crack would go unnoticed.

Doesn't really change anything. Either way, there was violence. But it's a curious request.

JMO

Or it could have just been a cosmetic fix to one of many entry doors which wouldn't be unusual after winter, and part of spring home maintenance. BM strikes me as somebody careless in this regard. I'm recalling SM was reliant on a home handyman too -- BM did nothing here.

IMO, the fractured door frame needs more than sanding. The wood is split right through the door lock at the center of tension, and not structurally sound. JMO

See Peoples Exhibit #80 attached

 

[sassyblue]

I have a log home. My DH and I had it built in early 1995.

Over the last 29 years I've seen minor splits in wall logs but never any splits in the structural elements such as the very huge support log beams in our 2 story structure and the logs that support the door frames to any rooms whatsoever nor the window frames.

They warn you it will "settle" and do not recommend chinking the first year. We waited a year and a half just to make sure. No problems and my home is warm and tight without any structural defects.

We had the entire house re-oiled and re-chinked last summer for the third time. And everything was perfect structurally according to the company that did the work.

Absolutely no busted door frames in my house....but then my DH has never had an occasion to break into a room here.

Our floor plan is similar to the Morphew house except our "bonus" room is on the second level.

 

[Lore Listener]

Sad news out of Denver today. Some of you will recall Rick's reporting on Suzanne's case. I had the pleasure of meeting him a time or two. He will be missed; a very nice man and solid journalist. Longtime Denver news reporter Rick Sallinger dies

 

[Seattle1]

Just found it interesting. When I first saw the tweets about it being testified to at the preliminary hearings I always wanted to see it. There was some speculation from us Websleuths about whether SM really took the photo, etc. Just because they say she sent it to the girls could that mean BM took a selfie of himself and had her text it from her phone ? A lot us wondered if she was really out running errands with him on that date and time. JMO
Because it was not displayed in Court, I was skeptical and now, years later Lauren the former Journalist has an answer settling the question. That’s all.

We know that LS tweeted about testimony referring to a picture of BM waiting in line outside of Moonlight Pizza that SM sent to the daughters, but LS recently confirmed that she did not see the actual photo in court.

Lauren Scharf
@LaurenScharfTV
ON May 8, #SuzanneMorphew sent a picture of #Barrymorphew standing outside Moonlight Pizza waiting for pizza to the girls. The girls are in Utah on a roadtrip

I think the reason the actual photo is not found in the Exhibits (or viewed in Court) is that the photo was probably seen only on the daughters phone or corroborated by them but they do not have a search warrant for this photo and daughters phones were not seized or under warrant.

In other words, if SM was NOT backing up her photos to the iCloud, and I suspect she was not, and LE does not have her phone, they can only confirm via SM's Verizon subpoenaed phone records that the text transmission to the daughters happened on May 8, and the daughter(s) corroborated the the message/photo.

We have a similar issue with questions surrounding SM's final, POL/sunbathing photo where the image that's in evidence appears to be a screenshot of the photo and not the actual image. I think this image in evidence likely came from a search warrant for JL's accounts, and why it's in evidence. JMO

 

[MassGuy]

I have a log home. My DH and I had it built in early 1995.

Over the last 33 years I've seen minor splits in wall logs but never any splits in the structural elements such as the very huge support log beams in our 2 story structure and the logs that support the door frames to any rooms whatsoever nor the window frames.

They warn you it will "settle" and do not recommend chinking the first year. We waited a year and a half just to make sure. No problems and my home is warm and tight without any structural defects.

We had the entire house re-oiled and re-chinked last summer for the third time. And everything was perfect structurally according to the company that did the work.

Absolutely no busted door frames in my house....but then my DH has never had an occasion to break into a room here.

Our floor plan is similar to the Morphew house except our "bonus" room is on the second level.

The big thing here wasn't even the crack in the door, but Barry claiming ignorance of its existence. All he'd have to say was "oh yeah, that crack has been there a while." Fortunately, we're talking about someone on the lower end of the IQ scale.

So the crack isn't strong evidence without Barry's words, just like the cap in the dryer wouldn't be strong evidence without Barry's corroboration. That's pretty much the case with all of the evidence here. Thank God for big dummies who can't shut up.

 

[justtrish]

^^rsbm

IMO, we have to recognize the AA is not 100% on the communication between the parties, and without the full context, it's easy for the quoted texts to get lost in translation.

For example, at the conclusion of the prelim hearing on Sept 17, 2021, the prosecution gives context to the same communication quoted by OP (i.e. includes BM being first to ask about hiking, omitted from AA).

The passage below also demonstrates how SM was tricked into letting her guard down-- falsely believing BM had taken heed to her request for civility, as they made the transition to end their marriage.

From the Court Transcript of the proceedings on Sept 17, 2021, pages 13-15/99:

View attachment 502582
View attachment 502583

View attachment 502584
See docket #119.

CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 , MEDIA,MAPS,TIMELINE *NO DISCUSSION*

www.websleuths.com

Thank you for this! Now I do recall something about him texting about hiking and then her responding, but I could only find her texting him twice in the AA.. I thought I must have had it wrong and then started thinking this is just so odd.. WHY would SHE want to initiate hiking with him? If he did ask her first, then I see her asking again to try to plan the rest of her day. Again thanks for posting this! I need to read the court transcripts fully to get more info I might have missed!

 

[justtrish]

We know that LS tweeted about testimony referring to a picture of BM waiting in line outside of Moonlight Pizza that SM sent to the daughters, but LS recently confirmed that she did not see the actual photo in court.

Lauren Scharf
@LaurenScharfTV
ON May 8, #SuzanneMorphew sent a picture of #Barrymorphew standing outside Moonlight Pizza waiting for pizza to the girls. The girls are in Utah on a roadtrip

I think the reason the actual photo is not found in the Exhibits (or viewed in Court) is that the photo was probably seen only on the daughters phone or corroborated by them but they do not have a search warrant for this photo and daughters phones were not seized or under warrant.

In other words, if SM was NOT backing up her photos to the iCloud, and I suspect she was not, and LE does not have her phone, they can only confirm via SM's Verizon subpoenaed phone records that the text transmission to the daughters happened on May 8, and the daughter(s) corroborated the the message/photo.

We have a similar issue with questions surrounding SM's final, POL/sunbathing photo where the image that's in evidence appears to be a screenshot of the photo and not the actual image. I think this image in evidence likely came from a search warrant for JL's accounts, and why it's in evidence. JMO

OHHH this makes sense.

 

[Seattle1]

Sad news out of Denver today. Some of you will recall Rick's reporting on Suzanne's case. I had the pleasure of meeting him a time or two. He will be missed; a very nice man and solid journalist. Longtime Denver news reporter Rick Sallinger dies

Thanks for remembering Rick @Lore Listener.

I recall Rick reporting live from the beach house construction site. It was one of those live, soundbites of him standing the street that unfortunately was archived by the network and didn't pass the test of time. Also, his son Marc, a reporter for different network, tweeted during the prelim hearing. I agree, Rick Sallinger was trusted, solid.

 

[justtrish]

The big thing here wasn't even the crack in the door, but Barry claiming ignorance of its existence. All he'd have to say was "oh yeah, that crack has been there a while." Fortunately, we're talking about someone on the lower end of the IQ scale.

So the crack isn't strong evidence without Barry's words, just like the cap in the dryer wouldn't be strong evidence without Barry's corroboration. That's pretty much the case with all of the evidence here. Thank God for big dummies who can't shut up.

AMEN! In all his planning, he didn't think through what he'd say to LE did he. He just talked and talked and talked.. talked his way into many holes he then had to try to talk his way out of.. and he told on himself many times.

 

[Seattle1]

Thank you for this! Now I do recall something about him texting about hiking and then her responding, but I could only find her texting him twice in the AA.. I thought I must have had it wrong and then started thinking this is just so odd.. WHY would SHE want to initiate hiking with him? If he did ask her first, then I see her asking again to try to plan the rest of her day. Again thanks for posting this! I need to read the court transcripts fully to get more info I might have missed!

Fortunately, we also got the full message by Lauren during the preliminary hearing:

Lauren Scharf
@LaurenScharfTV
On May 9, Text messages:
9:50 BM: Wanna go on a hike?
9:52 SM: where? (no response)
Later on, asking about summer tires on range rover?
10:36 SM: Wanna meet to hike?
12 minutes later
10:48 BM:No, coming home
SM: Get Hottub stuff

CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 , MEDIA,MAPS,TIMELINE *NO DISCUSSION*

Alleged abuse, affair center of testimony on day 1 of Barry Morphew hearing; court continuing Tuesday Published: Aug. 9, 2021 at 7:59 AM PDT|Updated: 46 minutes ago

www.websleuths.com

 

[Error505]

Interesting.

LE will know. Because that photo should be in the cloud if nowhere else and LE has whatever phone data was recoverable from Suzanne's cellphone provider to see if she did make those stops with Barry. If she did, IMO she was probably wearing that white string outfit. No way she sat in that claptrap truck of his. I'm actually having trouble imagining Suzanne driving with Barry in any vehicle after his stunt pretending he was going to jump out or his violence in slamming on brakes.

I can't recall after all this time if LE verified her attendance. Seems like they knew she went to the construction site and restaurant, the only confusion was over where any pizza was eaten as I recall.

But the point you raise about a doppelganger gave me pause.

It was a pandemic. A couple months in. Suzanne was in treatment for cancer during that time. Presumably she was being extremely careful. Trying to maintain a bubble.

How much advantage did Barry take?

A baseball cap and a face mask, Barry could pass just about anybody off as Suzanne. Whether at a nearby dumpster or an anyler-y hotel. The impression is that they were living very parallel lives in the months leading up to that fatal convergence.

Suzanne's story should have been one of survival against the odds. Toxic cancer, toxic marriage --

I don't care about his story.

JMO

Gotta say, I love your posts @Megnut!

I hope Bury is feeling a little more anxious every single day….until he’s arrested again!
MOO

 

[Seattle1]

I have a log home. My DH and I had it built in early 1995.

Over the last 29 years I've seen minor splits in wall logs but never any splits in the structural elements such as the very huge support log beams in our 2 story structure and the logs that support the door frames to any rooms whatsoever nor the window frames.

They warn you it will "settle" and do not recommend chinking the first year. We waited a year and a half just to make sure. No problems and my home is warm and tight without any structural defects.

We had the entire house re-oiled and re-chinked last summer for the third time. And everything was perfect structurally according to the company that did the work.

Absolutely no busted door frames in my house....but then my DH has never had an occasion to break into a room here.

Our floor plan is similar to the Morphew house except our "bonus" room is on the second level.

@sassyblue -- thanks for sharing! And we'd expect nothing less from your warm, peaceful home.

 

[Seattle1]

The big thing here wasn't even the crack in the door, but Barry claiming ignorance of its existence. All he'd have to say was "oh yeah, that crack has been there a while." Fortunately, we're talking about someone on the lower end of the IQ scale.

So the crack isn't strong evidence without Barry's words, just like the cap in the dryer wouldn't be strong evidence without Barry's corroboration. That's pretty much the case with all of the evidence here. Thank God for big dummies who can't shut up.

Yup. And big dummies who contradict their previous statements to fit the evidence (or so they believe the evidence).

 

[Seattle1]

I’ve seen the photo. It’s been so long and I’ve never been able to find it again, but it was not a selfie. It looks like it was taken from a distance, could possibly have been taken from someone sitting in a car waiting. There have been so many things that I’m sorry I never took a screenshot of. It seems to be a recurring thing in cases. Believe it or not, certain things can disappear from the internet. Same in the Kohberger case.

Yes, I saw the photo too which I have no doubt likely attributed to a leak by crafty IE. Of course, putting that photo out was to benefit the the defense's story about a fairytale relationship, and daughters traveling on a church retreat! However, the defense made certain not to allow use of the image, if by an investigator (who first interviewed the daughters).

This is just one more underhand by the defense as explained by the prosecution during discovery hearings. You might recall the defense arguing for all notes, texts, electronic transmissions, etc. by investigators where Judge Murphy agreed with the prosecution that this was too broad, and how "all information by LE" may also include evidence that was not discoverable to the defense because they did not have a warrant for it.

But it didn't stop IE from using this Motion again before Judge Lama (leaving out the 'too broad' statement by Murphy), and who sided with the defense, and ruled this was another discovery violation! MOO

 

[gammagirl]

Can anyone speak to the judges instructions to the jury in murder cases with circumstantial evidence? I remember hearing that the judge will instruct the jury on what the prosecution needs to prove. But, there is specific language... proof is not necessary, if I remember correctly. We dont need to know the exact cause of death, just that enough evidence points to one person...I feel like there is lots of circumstantial evidence that points to the killer. And, now with the BAM... slam dunk... IMO

 

[Cindizzi]

Thanks for remembering Rick @Lore Listener.

I recall Rick reporting live from the beach house construction site. It was one of those live, soundbites of him standing the street that unfortunately was archived by the network and didn't pass the test of time. Also, his son Marc, a reporter for different network, tweeted during the prelim hearing. I agree, Rick Sallinger was trusted, solid.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1788756657046180179

 

[Warwick7]

Yup. And big dummies who contradict their previous statements to fit the evidence (or so they believe the evidence).