Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #6

[Alethea]

Curious to know if homeowners who have property damage due to LE investigations can later launch a civil suit against a defendant in a trial to recover damages?

The law review article I linked goes over state by state what different courts have said on the issue. It’s much easier to bring tort claims like that against individuals than to try to hold the state responsible through the theory that the damage is a “taking” for which you must be reimbursed. A few people pointed out that cities and states have voluntary programs to reimburse people for damage done during an investigation. Much of the law revolves around when for example LE breaks down a defendant’s door - usually in that case it’s too bad so sad, you “caused” the damage yourself. But with innocent third parties, I’m sure there’s more leeway since they have clean hands and were cooperating.

I forget which podcast it was - maybe Criminal - but there’s a company that specializes in cleaning and restoring murder scenes. They try to restore the house to what it looked like before the crime. Presumably that’s paid for by the state so there’s definitely some room for restitution and reimbursement. Especially when it’s something that we think “the public” should pay for (through taxes) as a community.

 

[kay74]

In regards to a fire...surely a home built in the mountains would have a wood burning fireplace, no?

Gas burning too

 

[DizzyB]

It would be a problem if BM said he was in Denver on Mother’s Day and the property owner could put him on a jobsite in Salida same day.

 

[Summit1964]

In regards to a fire...surely a home built in the mountains would have a wood burning fireplace, no?

No, a lot of them have gas fireplaces with inserts.

 

[pepper 34]

@CronesEye said:
"The first and third photo show what looks to be the back of a brown dog with dappling and a leash extended to the left going to the area of a pine tree. The "dog" appears in the central lower portion of the picture frame. Rocks and logs usually don't have leashes, but this could be a dog, could be a rock. What do you think?

Good to have a dog on hand.

My answer is:
What you see as a possible leash looks like a wire or cable to me. The rest of it seems to be wrapped around the 4"x4" wooden post on the right.
The brown thing is a puzzler. You think it might be a dog. I'm going with "Ernie about to get up and dance himself to sleep" - Final answer.
JMO[/QUOTE]

It is a curious object... looks like a large rock but the green color...! I don't think a cadaver dog would be kept lying on a pile of dirt and rocks. When not on the job, I would think he or she would be placed in one of the many vans on site with AC. It got up to 80 degrees yesterday in that area of CO. Ernie, huh? Not a bad name for a dog though.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

...wondering if LE searched the Arkansas River that runs behind the property where LE has most recently searched?

 

[RickshawFan]

Respectfully, I don't think that that is a void that was not poured as you can visually see the concrete slabs that were cut out from that area. The are littered right by the cut out area.

What does seem odd, though, is that square hole wasn't covered by LE. They weren't worried about it getting disturbed? Dewy? Flown over with night vision? Dust contaminating it? So many ways to wreck potential evidence....

 

[Ontario Mom]

The double wide was demolished earlier this year to make room for this new single family construction.

Can you share the link where you read this?
Much appreciated

 

[Peppered_peach]

C

That’s what I was thinking. Do they have a small fire pit? I couldn’t tell if my neighbors had a small fire. People burn brush here all the time - just carefully since we’re in the forest too. If the neighborhood is mostly AirBnBs would people really call the police over a fire down the block in a place they don’t live? I know I wouldn’t unless I saw a house on fire.

FYI- Chaffee county is in a stage two fire ban right now (no open burning or charcoal grills) you’re not burning anything in this area without the sheriff showing up. We’ve also had red flag warning for the last few weeks due to high winds and dry conditions.

 

[mrsu]

No, a lot of them have gas fireplaces with inserts.

Appears to be wood burning. And several stacks of wood along the garage as well as inside.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/19057-Puma-Path-Salida-CO-81201/96847591_zpid/

 

[Ontario Mom]

The contractor pulling permits for the site at County Road 105, is apparently the friend (GD) that BM is staying with right now according to Daily Mail article Police search and carry out evidence bags from the $1.5M home of missing Colorado mom | Daily Mail Online .

Link to recent permit at the address LE currently searching
Building Department Permit Detail

Very helpful, thank you.

 

[Peppered_peach]

Can you share the link where you read this?
Much appreciated

I can’t get it to link but you can search the county’s building permits and a demo permit was issued in December. I live in the area and the house was demolished early in the year. Not sure if the address is public knowledge and don’t know if that type of info is ok to post, so I’m not gonna post it. I really don’t wanna get kicked off here.

 

[BoatyMcboatface]

FBI evidence response team truck just left the scene where investigators were searching for Suzanne Morphew. I spoke with the Chafee County coroner who said he had NOT been called to the scene today. At this point, investigators say they have not yet found Suzanne Morphew #9News

 

[BoatyMcboatface]

Marc Sallinger on Twitter

 

[ChuckMaureen]

Appears to be wood burning. And several stacks of wood along the garage as well as inside.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/19057-Puma-Path-Salida-CO-81201/96847591_zpid/

There's also a large propane tank on the property. It is not installed next to the house. It may be used to fuel certain heavy landscaping equipment and/or it might be piped to the dwelling.

 

[Boxer]

In regards to a fire...surely a home built in the mountains would have a wood burning fireplace, no?

Human ashes are detectable. Have different composition than wood or paper. If anyone was burned in a fireplace CSI would know it.

 

[Dave F.]

Wait, hold your horses. What about Denver? He was working in Salida on Mothers Day? Is that in media? MOO.

I don't know that he could have been working on Mother's Day. If I read the permitting right, they asked for and got inspection of Insulation Under Slab and Plumbing in Floor Tube on Monday 5/11/2020 prior to pouring the slab and had the inspector back on 5/14/2020 to inspect caissons and piers. My guess is that the general contractor laid the insulation on Sunday, and the plumbing sub may have laid in the encased piping on the same day. If not, the plumber did it earlier and asked for inspection with the insulation inspection. That time window is the least likely time that I can imagine a landscaper buzzing his bobcat all around moving dirt.
Building Department Permit Detail

 

[Cindizzi]

Regarding when Suzanne was actually last seen alive by someone, apart from BM, do we know for a fact the daughters still lived at home? My brain is getting frazzled by this case and I couldn't remember

We are not allowed to sleuth the children, but according to a source who knew the family in Indiana, the eldest girl was in college in 2018.

Missing Suzanne Morphew may have had ‘angst’ about move to Colorado, family friend says [EXCLUSIVE]
A source who asked not to be identified said they knew the family when the Morphews lived in Alexandria, Indiana, and that Suzanne was a beloved member of the community.

“She’s a beautiful person. What you see is what you get,” the source said, adding, “You would never expect something like this.”

According to the source, the Morphew family moved from Indiana to central Colorado in the spring of 2018, after the Morphew’s eldest daughter moved to Colorado for college, and when their younger daughter was still in high school.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN REMINDER:

Re GD ... Please remember to redact full names and replace with initials for individuals who are not officially named POIs or suspects. Even though their names are contained in quotes from the media, we still try to protect innocent people so their names don't crop up forever in google searches, forever tying them to a case on a crime sleuthing website.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I can’t get it to link but you can search the county’s building permits and a demo permit was issued in December. I live in the area and the house was demolished early in the year. Not sure if the address is public knowledge and don’t know if that type of info is ok to post, so I’m not gonna post it. I really don’t wanna get kicked off here.

Thank you.
I did find it there, quite by accident, actually

Anyway that's here if anyone else hasn't seen it (it's probably just me, lol)

Building Department Permit Detail