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

[kay74]

This is from a post by @Dave F. BBM - I have no idea where Monarch Pass is or any of the bridges mentioned. I appear to have inserted the ravine myself confused, but could you please advise what is underneath local bridges please?

"I am saying that if the bike was found at, under or beside the Fooses Lake Bridge, the logical conclusion would be that she was separated from her bike there, on a return descent from the top of Monarch Pass toward her own house. It is highly unlikely that staging would have taken place there.
One example might be that she was descending at high speed, came around the bend and at first sight of the bridge saw that it was blocked by a person, took the only high speed escape route to the right of the bridge, slammed on her brakes so hard that they locked, throwing her forward and rendering her incapable of defending herself. Backing that imaginary vision up to start, we have heard that a biker called LE to report a car parked on CR 225 with a man in it, who looked suspicious. CR225 is entirely below Fooses Lake Dam, so It would have been possible to observe SM starting her bike ride from that road, but not possible to observe her descending to Fooses Lake Bridge from CR 225. In plain English, the could have seen her going up, and waited for her to come down at the one bottleneck where she could be stopped.
Did it happen that way? I don't know.
IMO

This is from a post by @Dave F. BBM - I have no idea where Monarch Pass is or any of the bridges mentioned. I appear to have inserted the ravine myself confused, but could you please advise what is underneath local bridges please?

"I am saying that if the bike was found at, under or beside the Fooses Lake Bridge, the logical conclusion would be that she was separated from her bike there, on a return descent from the top of Monarch Pass toward her own house. It is highly unlikely that staging would have taken place there.
One example might be that she was descending at high speed, came around the bend and at first sight of the bridge saw that it was blocked by a person, took the only high speed escape route to the right of the bridge, slammed on her brakes so hard that they locked, throwing her forward and rendering her incapable of defending herself. Backing that imaginary vision up to start, we have heard that a biker called LE to report a car parked on CR 225 with a man in it, who looked suspicious. CR225 is entirely below Fooses Lake Dam, so It would have been possible to observe SM starting her bike ride from that road, but not possible to observe her descending to Fooses Lake Bridge from CR 225. In plain English, the could have seen her going up, and waited for her to come down at the one bottleneck where she could be stopped.
Did it happen that way? I don't know.
IMO

IMO This is very likely.

 

[otto]

IMO This is very likely.

Is it? Doesn't it look like the trails around Monarch Pass are at a lower elevation than Foose's Creek? There is no trail going over the pass that I can see. If someone else can see one, please point me in the right direction.

Red circle is the 3rd bridge on the trail, 5-6 miles from the family home.



https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=4bf7a9c717334545a908314ab47a3328

 

[Quiet Time]

This is the part I like thinking about the most. I keep pondering what possible category of evidence could exist that would convince LE that there was no need for a BOLO, no abduction, no danger to the community.

Yes!...I'm with you on that one..

 

[LietKynes]

In the Watt case LE knew they had the right guy, but needed Chris' help to find bodies. In the Powell case they had a good idea who was responsible, but still haven't found the body. The lack of apparent movement here could be for same reason. LE may have their suspect but, considering the location, may feel that they may never find body without help from the perp.

bbm
Good point.^^^

I still hope that LE do not have to 'make a deal' in order to find her.

Imo, Suzanne's children need their mom's remains returned to them if what we fear has occurred --based on LE's actions.
They must be traumatized !

One doesn't dig and break up concrete looking for an 'alive' person.

 

[Boxer]

This is the part I like thinking about the most. I keep pondering what possible category of evidence could exist that would convince LE that there was no need for a BOLO, no abduction, no danger to the community.

Whatever it is, there would be lots of evidence processing. If it's the case that the house is now released back to the family, then I don't think there was a lot of blood evidence (if any). Perhaps there was, but it was in a small area and it's now being examined by various experts. First step, obviously, is to figure out whose blood. I'd think they'd have Suzanne's DNA profile by the Friday of that first week - but maybe not, PCR machines are not everywhere, perhaps they had to send away - maybe it was sometime in the week of the 18th. Lab workers who were working weekends due to CoVId have started getting back to normal routines, even taking days off.

Then, there would be the matching of that DNA to evidentiary body fluids and blood (if any). I would suspect that they took samples from drains, septic tanks, etc.

It's only May 25th. As all these different pieces of lab work get done, then a team has to assemble a timeline and basically, a storyboard and discuss all the permutations.

If they did find anything forensically valuable at the concrete digging site, it might take a couple of weeks to bring it to the attention of the D.A. Then more talks and storyboards, etc.

I do believe that the wording regarding the dig was ambiguous ("at this time" no connection to the case).

Yes. And policemen are the most adroit users of language.

The statement above avoids saying whether or not they found anything and practically frames the next question of
Then did you find something that may connect to SM case at another time?"

 

[TKG]

This is from a post by @Dave F. BBM - I have no idea where Monarch Pass is or any of the bridges mentioned. I appear to have inserted the ravine myself confused, but could you please advise what is underneath local bridges please?

"I am saying that if the bike was found at, under or beside the Fooses Lake Bridge, the logical conclusion would be that she was separated from her bike there, on a return descent from the top of Monarch Pass toward her own house. It is highly unlikely that staging would have taken place there.
One example might be that she was descending at high speed, came around the bend and at first sight of the bridge saw that it was blocked by a person, took the only high speed escape route to the right of the bridge, slammed on her brakes so hard that they locked, throwing her forward and rendering her incapable of defending herself. Backing that imaginary vision up to start, we have heard that a biker called LE to report a car parked on CR 225 with a man in it, who looked suspicious. CR225 is entirely below Fooses Lake Dam, so It would have been possible to observe SM starting her bike ride from that road, but not possible to observe her descending to Fooses Lake Bridge from CR 225. In plain English, the could have seen her going up, and waited for her to come down at the one bottleneck where she could be stopped.
Did it happen that way? I don't know.
IMO

I have had a suspicion since I first heard of the case. After a few (there were not many) MSM articles and seeing the neighbor JR I thought the following:

MOO, nothing to back it up my theory, it just seemed to work with the pieces we had been given. All facts have been published in MSM, how they are put together is IMO.

Daughters could not reach SM on Mother’s Day as they made their way back from a camping trip (duration unknown). For whatever reason BM is not involved in this conversation and so they call the neighbor. JR lives across a creek and is 70, likely she called and then drove over. When she arrived at the base of their long driveway she found the bicycle. Or when she crossed the creek to check the M household, she saw the bike. It doesn’t have to be a huge bridge, they’re even have a footbridge on the property. It’s has only read “a bridge”, no other details! After not seeing SM anywhere (wouldn’t she call the daughters back or BM?) she dialed 911 at 5:46 p.m..

MOO of the bicycle mystery. It covers why a 911 call would be warranted, how such grave concern would befall a neighbor, explains the lack of any prints on the bike including SM and, as reported early on, the brakes were “jammed”. I will later find sources to each of these if we haven’t already posted them a million times. That darn bicycle is either a really great distraction or a really big clue.

Does anyone know if SM’s car was in the garage or driveway?

 

[Quiet Time]

Everyone seems to think that releasing that search site and releasing the house must mean they just have nothing at all to go on. Do people not understand that lab results take time? LE has barely had enough time to get the phone data and begin to analyze it, and to have their personal electronics cloned and begin to be analyzed.

There’s still a LOT happening there.

I was watching a crime show last night(is there anything else to watch lol) and they mentioned that in the program. That just because they had sifted thru all the dirt/materials in that one spot...that they would be then taking it back to the labs to go thru it again. Do they have different equipment to use at a lab specifically for that?

 

[Hoosierfan72]

This is from a post by @Dave F. BBM - I have no idea where Monarch Pass is or any of the bridges mentioned. I appear to have inserted the ravine myself confused, but could you please advise what is underneath local bridges please?

"I am saying that if the bike was found at, under or beside the Fooses Lake Bridge, the logical conclusion would be that she was separated from her bike there, on a return descent from the top of Monarch Pass toward her own house. It is highly unlikely that staging would have taken place there.
One example might be that she was descending at high speed, came around the bend and at first sight of the bridge saw that it was blocked by a person, took the only high speed escape route to the right of the bridge, slammed on her brakes so hard that they locked, throwing her forward and rendering her incapable of defending herself. Backing that imaginary vision up to start, we have heard that a biker called LE to report a car parked on CR 225 with a man in it, who looked suspicious. CR225 is entirely below Fooses Lake Dam, so It would have been possible to observe SM starting her bike ride from that road, but not possible to observe her descending to Fooses Lake Bridge from CR 225. In plain English, the could have seen her going up, and waited for her to come down at the one bottleneck where she could be stopped.
Did it happen that way? I don't know.
IMO

I agree it is possible. But the only way that scenario, IMO, fits with the actions LE has taken to date (that we know about) is if the perp was known to SM (as opposed to a crime of opportunity). I think we all need to keep an open mind, but if I'm ranking scenarios from more likely to less likely, this is on the less likely side of the equation. But I appreciate the diversity of thought and the commitment on this site to not rush to judgment when there is so much we don't know. JMO, MOO.

 

[margarita25]

There's a third bridge 8.8km from her home, this is ~ 5.5M.

View attachment 248692

This is the bridge. The trail appears to go around the pass, not over the pass.

View attachment 248693

View attachment 248694

https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=4bf7a9c717334545a908314ab47a3328

Noticing “Banana Mountain“, “Pahlon Peak”, etc...

Good to know all the mountain names around there.

ETA: Hey cousin @otto, since you’re one of if not the best mappers on WS, if you get bored, feel free to circle all the named mountain peaks

 

[Spartygirl]

So, it isn't possible that their home security video caught SB leaving on her bicycle?

JMO

Possibly, if it wasn't turned off by anyone.
Maybe there isn't video which led LE to the construction site.
Maybe there is video but shows she rode bike in different direction than where the bike was found.
UGH-- I know LE has to stay quiet for a good reason, but I also get impatient with the waiting.

 

[otto]

Thank you Warwick. My mistake ... I couldn't recall who all was posting in this case.

100ofRods is a Verified Anthropologist
otto (please correct me if I'm wrong) is a Verified Architect Instructor
Angleterre is Verified LE from England.

Hello. I no longer teach architecture, but I did do that for many years. I also taught engineering and graphic design. I'm verified in several areas after having provided proof of degrees to WS from an established Canadian University in Pure Mathematics (science bachelor), Environmental Design, Industrial Design (master), Teaching (master) and I'm currently completing a PhD in Smart Tech related to maternal care, particularly remote and rural clients. That's way too much information and definitely off topic, but it does answer a question that comes up often. Additionally, I was married to an Assistant Chief Crown prosecutor (criminal) and therefore have insight into criminal investigations and prosecutions.

Bottom line, I'm just like everyone else where we all bring some level of expertise and insight into the mix to try to understand what happened and why it happened.

 

[Spartygirl]

Whadda y'all think about a speculative idea that BM "kidnapped" his wife and has her hidden somewhere?

In the absence of new information, I'm going for this concept: maybe some of these details are related in some bizarre way or other to the truth.

But, Why ??
Why would he do that ???
I always try to look for motive and I don't know why he would kidnap his own wife, but stranger things have happened

 

[DizzyB]

Would you call 911 right off the bat because someone didn’t return from a bike ride? Or would you wait until a whole bunch of friends and relatives had tried to get in touch with Suzanne and were unable to as well? There has to be more. If I went out for a bike ride, and I was home alone for the weekend, I might see a friend and stop by for a spell. Maybe even end up having dinner, with my friend saying they would drive me home later and drop off me and my bike. Have a couple of glasses of wine and kick back. Plenty of times I have come home to an empty house when someone should have been home. Haven’t called 911 yet.

 

[Murphy1950]

I do believe that the wording regarding the dig was ambiguous ("at this time" no connection to the case).

RSBM....(the entire post was so spot on BTW) but speaking to this sentence...it wouldn't have mattered what they found that day...could be a shoe with blood, or a watch but it would still have to go through testing/validation of some sort. It would be unprofessional and awful if they "assumed" anything they found belonged to the missing victim.

I'm thinking the bloody board and Gannon. Based on the information that led them to that area, they had to pretty much "know"...but still had to test.

 

[windrower]

There's a third bridge 8.8km from her home, this is ~ 5.5M.

View attachment 248692

This is the bridge. The trail appears to go around the pass, not over the pass.

View attachment 248693

View attachment 248694

https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=4bf7a9c717334545a908314ab47a3328

A power line follows North Fooses Creek up the mountain.

The Colorado Trail, which goes up to Monarch Pass Trailhead, follows South Fooses Creek, and crosses over North Fooses Creek again fairly close to the top, near the trailhead.

But I think anything found of SM's was at either the bridge over Fooses Creek or the one over the S Arkansas River.

 

[LietKynes]

I agree it is possible. But the only way that scenario, IMO, fits with the actions LE has taken to date (that we know about) is if the perp was known to SM (as opposed to a crime of opportunity). I think we all need to keep an open mind, but if I'm ranking scenarios from more likely to less likely, this is on the less likely side of the equation. But I appreciate the diversity of thought and the commitment on this site to not rush to judgment when there is so much we don't know. JMO, MOO.

bbm
Yes, I know your post was made in the general sense but I feel comfortable responding.
I try to look at all of the information no matter how long it takes and despite becoming impatient at times.
And I try to make it a point, to not rush to judgement.

So we wait and discuss what's available.

And there's quite a bit, even though things seem to be somewhat stalled.

Releasing the house back to the family feels premature, but in another sense it may put people off-guard.
The daughters can move back in, the husband can get back to work at his business, and life can resume as best it can !

What if a random perp senses that there's no new information and the coast is clear ; when in actuality LE are keeping tabs on him/her/them ??
Imo.

 

[Whiteorchids]

Would you call 911 right off the bat because someone didn’t return from a bike ride? Or would you wait until a whole bunch of friends and relatives had tried to get in touch with Suzanne and were unable to as well? There has to be more. If I went out for a bike ride, and I was home alone for the weekend, I might see a friend and stop by for a spell. Maybe even end up having dinner, with my friend saying they would drive me home later and drop off me and my bike. Have a couple of glasses of wine and kick back. Plenty of times I have come home to an empty house when someone should have been home. Haven’t called 911 yet.

Good point something must have caused concern early on to want to call 911 so soon.

 

[margarita25]

Speaking of VIs, has @Trackergd been in? (Verified SAR) If not, sending a shout out in case he’d like to join. Last time he accepted my invitation to Aubree Corona’s case.

 

[MsBetsy]

About the bridge, ravine, bike discussion, this is to topo map of the area. The black box is the family home, the two red circles are bridges close to home.

The second map tells me that Fooses Creek and the trail are in the ravine - which makes sense. Creeks trails are typically at the lowest elevation. This leaves me confused about tumbling into a ravine.

Does anyone have any information about the ravine? Was this a 20 foot drop, or a 2000 foot drop? Where does this information originate?

View attachment 248685

View attachment 248686

https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=4bf7a9c717334545a908314ab47a3328

Maybe the place the bike was found was more like a 'gully' near the bridge as opposed to a deep ravine. Jmo

 

[MyBelle]

“Oh Suzanne...” who starts a video to a kidnapper like that? He is saying Suzanne look what you made me do. He did it. Middle life crisis. His wife had been diagnosed with cancer, twice - made him confront his mortality. He wanted to feel alive and youthful. I suspect he was running around with younger women. He didn’t want the stigma of divorcing his beautiful wife who was sick with cancer. It would look bad. He chose to be the grieving widow. He needs to come clean for the daughters and her family.

BBM. I dunno. I've never had to make a video plea to a kidnapper. Considering his wife twice survived bouts with cancer, I think it is more likely he was confronting her possible mortality, not his.

JMO