Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #4

[Seattle1]

Maybe I’m just obtuse, but what’s the purpose of having cameras if they don’t record?

At least it appears the CDOT cameras are at least providing a service! Try telling a parent whose child is missing that not only do the cameras not record but that they're also dummies! We learned about this practice last summer when Mackenzie Lueck was reported missing after being dropped off in a park by her uber driver. The explanation by the city was that budget constraints prevented them from installing real cameras and dummies with surveillance warnings are installed with the hope they'd be a deterrent to crime in the park.

 

[oviedo]

I wonder if the daughters asked him to make an appeal, and thats why he didnt seem very interested, I’d have written down everything I wanted to say so I didnt miss anything plus I’d be using msm to get the most coverage.

In all my years following cases I’m trying to recall a plea that wasn’t handled With LE - live at a presser? Anyone find this before in other cases and I’ve just missed this method?
JMO

 

[Seattle1]

According to the Nancy Grace article, the neighbor did see Suzanne on her bike. The Daily Mail claims that no-one saw her on her bike but when they approached Ritter, she declined to comment.

So I'm not sure which to believe.

Awww -- the perennial variances between the NG podcast and the print media. I recall media also reported that NG said the brakes on the bike were locked up but if you listen to the podcast, NG makes a disclaimer during the podcast prefacing with if it's true, the bike was located with the brakes locked up.

Also, I believe it was a mother of one of the daughter's friends that also stated that nobody actually saw SM on the bicycle on Sunday. (Also DM).

 

[Heliopops]

I find it odd that BM didn’t make a plea earlier, saying it was “too soon”. To me that implies he has some knowledge of the time frame of when she might be found. What if she had been found 20 minutes after he said it was too soon?!
MOO

 

[K9Enzo]

Sure. I know that during quarantine I’ve had more than enough “family time.” But that house and acreage looks like she could have a lot of alone time even with her family there.

I might be way off the mark as we're all different.

My husband was/is both military and LE. I sometimes look forward to having my time home alone if he's traveling for work. We like to miss each other. It's always worked for us. On those alone days at home I like my own schedule, making meals that are fun for just me to eat, watch a chick flick & fall asleep on the sofa, get my dogs out for a hike, have a friend over for a glass of wine, etc.

That was my thought behind my comment. She of course could have felt differently about that weekend which regardless had a devastating end.

 

[Ontario Mom]

well the police have his phone. If she calls Or a ransom calls the police will intercept it. Same as the daughters phone. Maybe it’s not a priority to get a phone right away. Maybe he’s looking for his wife.

Can you clarify what you meant by this?
TIA

 

[Ontario Mom]

Do we know what time Barry got back home on Sunday night?
If the house has just recently been shut down, did Barry stay there a few nights after returning home before LE wouldn’t let him stay?

it would seem to me that Barry could look around her closet and clothes to see what biking outfit was missing. Most husbands know what their wives bike in.

For the bike to be found sitting up, that tells me it was staged. Had she encountered a person on the trail, she would not have walked off and left the bike and helmet. If she was forced off the bike, I would have left my helmet on for protection and left the bike laying down so passerbyers would realize something had happened.

<modsnip: There is nothing in MSM to support this statement>

Do we even know Sunday night was when BM arrived back home from Denver? It may have been stated somewhere and I just missed it.

 

[kay74]

What fire training? Where has it been verified where he was that weekend? If he’s a volunteer firefighter presently then he would know what to do if his home caught on fire. Has it been verified he was at a training? Thanks in advance.

It's been "said" over and over he was fire training that weekend and I'm SURE it was verified. That would be the first thing they check out. Now to find the real suspect.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I hadn't caught this before:

"Morphew’s fire department colleagues have been ordered not to take part in the search by police, although locals said Morphew and his friends have been out looking for Suzanne."

"Morphew’s colleagues from the Maysville Fire Station have also been attempting to help with the search, although one told DailyMail.com they have been warned off by police."

"Tim Nelson, 33, said: ‘The Sheriff’s office, they told us none of the fire guys are allowed up there."

That makes perfect sense to me. The Sheriff's office is lead on this investigation and naturally they don't want anyone interfering, unless they bring them in, themselves. Not to mention whatever legal conflict of interest (I'm guessing) there might be since these are BM's colleagues and he... may or may not have been cleared at this point?

 

[MsBetsy]

Did Nancy Grace give a source for the claim? I think the DM article quotes the stepmother of one of Suzanne's daughter's friends. It's likely that she got the information from the daughter and not from other news sources.

Nancy Grace interviewed a reporter named Nicole who claimed that the neighbor did see her biking that day. It's hard to hear because NG kept interrupting her and talking over her when she was trying to talk.

The DM claimed the stepmother heard it from her stepdaughter who apparently heard it from Suzanne's daughter so there is no direct quote from either source. I doubt the stepmother actually spoke to the neighbor but I guess it's possible.

So it's hard to say which is accurate, since they are conflicting reports and nothing has been confirmed yet by LE.

Imo

 

[K9Enzo]

That makes perfect sense to me. The Sheriff's office is lead on this investigation and naturally they don't want anyone interfering, unless they bring them in, themselves. Not to mention whatever legal conflict of interest (I'm guessing) there might be since these are BM's colleagues and he... may or may not have been cleared at this point?

IMO, you are spot on.

SEAL Team Six would be asked to stand down even

 

[UnderstandBlue]

Catching up. Thanks for this - interesting.

**SBM** the police in this case would have had to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that there is a substantial risk of injury to persons or property if an order to seal is not granted. In the context of a missing person investigation, that should give everyone a great deal of pause.

 

[Hatfield]

At least it appears the CDOT cameras are at least providing a service! Try telling a parent whose child is missing that not only do the cameras not record but that they're also dummies! We learned about this practice last summer when Mackenzie Lueck was reported missing after being dropped off in a park by her uber driver. The explanation by the city was that budget constraints prevented them from installing real cameras and dummies with surveillance warnings are installed with the hope they'd be a deterrent to crime in the park.

Yes, even though the CDOT cameras dont record, they at least provide the service of commuters being able to see how bad the traffic is or if there is a backup due to an accident or something. And yeah, dummy cameras were invented as an inexpensive deterrent to crime.

I have had a somewhat funny experience with fake cameras. When I was growing up as a child, my Dad had bought one of the fake cameras that had a little motor in it which would move the camera every so often. It looked real and was pretty large by today's standards. It was way before personal home security cameras became popular and before smart phones with the neat App interface to the cameras. Back then a homeowner mainly only had the option of using an expensive service. So the fake cameras were the first thing I remember for a homeowner as an inexpensive alternative to try to deter a thief or burglar.

The funny part of this is, at the time, I kind of laughed it off and thought it was a silly idea.
Now add XX number of years when I got my first apartment. What did I do? I setup the fake camera my Dad had given me because I could not afford a real one or their service. LOL

Father knows best

 

[MsBetsy]

IMO Nancy got it wrong - if it happened we would have had a description of what she was wearing and we don’t JMO

It wasn't NG, but the person she interviewed who said the neighbor saw her go on a bike ride and was worried when she didn't return. I'm not sure NG even heard what she said because she kept interrupting her every time she tried to say something.

It's also possible that the neighbor couldn't remember or didn't notice what she was wearing.

Or maybe the reporter did not interview the neighbor at all, and is just speculating.

I don't find either source very reliable since both have reported inaccurate information before.

Imo

 

[HongKongPhooey]

It's been "said" over and over he was fire training that weekend and I'm SURE it was verified. That would be the first thing they check out. Now to find the real suspect.

I dont believe this has been verified, be great if you have a link to confirm.

 

[kay74]

I dont believe this has been verified, be great if you have a link to confirm.

No link, but if LE hasn't verified this, something is wrong. I would think that would be the first thing they did. I believe the husband is a good guy.

 

[kay74]

So if someone grabbed her, how in the world would they ever find this person? They could be long gone.

 

[Ontario Mom]

According to the Nancy Grace article, the neighbor did see Suzanne on her bike. The Daily Mail claims that no-one saw her on her bike but when they approached Ritter, she declined to comment.

So I'm not sure which to believe.

From my notes while listening to the podcast:

NG’s guest tonight Nicole Partin says, at 6:08 into the podcast that the neighbor SEES SM and knows she’s headed out on a bike ride – when she doesn’t return the neighbor gets concerned

I don't believe it. I don't think anyone actually saw SM on Mother's Day.

jmo

 

[MsBetsy]

It's been "said" over and over he was fire training that weekend and I'm SURE it was verified. That would be the first thing they check out. Now to find the real suspect.

I'm not sure if the family specified that he was in Denver for training related to volunteer fire fighters or for something related to landscaping. I think I've heard both, but don't know what the source for that is. I thought they recently made a statement but I could be wrong.

I don't think they ever specified when he left or what time he returned on Sunday.

Imo

 

[DizzyB]

From my notes while listening to the podcast:

NG’s guest tonight Nicole Partin says, at 6:08 into the podcast that the neighbor SEES SM and knows she’s headed out on a bike ride – when she doesn’t return the neighbor gets concerned

I don't believe it. I don't think anyone actually saw SM on Mother's Day.

jmo

Early on, I remember the tree cutters seeing Sherri Papini out on her jog. As the investigation dragged on, the tree cutters disappeared. I believe half of the so-called facts out there. Husband was not at home, kids were not at home, neighbor called 911. Personal item or items have been found. House is being searched. Water was searched.