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

[10ofRods]

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.

If I knew that my family member had been self-isolating except for a routine bike ride, and they had not come back by their usual time - yes, I would call 911.

Further, having lived in some isolated places and still keeping track of crime in the place I used to live, I'd be even more likely to do so. However, the Morphews hadn't been there that long (according to BLM's MSM information he became a volunteer fireman in August 2018, but they didn't buy the house until December - so presumably, they had only had about 17 months of local residency).

There were virtually no other humans living near their house, IMO. There's no place to "just stop by," IMO, except the neighbor whose house was called. However, it would be strange indeed for a woman who had been battling cancer and is probably still on some medication to risk breaking quarantine.

Ending up having dinner? During self-isolation? In that case, Suzanne would indeed be an extreme risk taker and if I were her spouse, I'd want to know what she was up to, that she'd risk her incredible health progress for dinner. Anyway, if we're just going to use our own notions about common sense, I'd say that yes, a spouse should be concerned if their spouse is out and about, in an unexpected manner, during CoVid self-isolation.

You can look up the residency situation of the other buildings in that little area where she biked. If she had completed her ride, it's my opinion that she would have encountered no more houses - only campsites.

I'll add one more risk factor, just in case other people don't worry about such things. Being one of the richest people in an area (as judged by locals eyeing your digs) is not the safest position on the social pyramid.

Keep in mind that it was the daughters who called the neighbor. Clearly, they expected to talk to their mother on Mother's Day (IMO). Then the neighbor for whatever reason (missing bike? finding the bike?) calls 911. The neighbor knows way more about the situation than we do.

 

[Boxer]

I bet her close friends and family know, and LE knows. It's just none of those people has gone to the media to tell them/the rest of the world.

For a missing person the public is asked to remember if they saw the person. They always provide a time frame.

"Last talked to husband, daughter, friend at this specific time on a specific day.
Reported missing 5:46pm Sunday, etc. "

 

[Truecolors]

I suppose one could drive the bike to the bridge, stop for a minute, and throw it over the bridge in the middle of the night without being seen.

I was wondering if driving was possible. Walking or riding seems really risky from a standpoint of being seen, and possibly leaving a lot if evidence.

If it was true she was social distancing and quarantining, that also would apply to her husband and well as her daughters, would it not?

Covid-19 didn't skip Mother's Day.

JMO

But it also seems like all the more reason to call or text regularly to me. If the girls were camping, I’d think her husband would be even more conscientious about checking in and making sure she got back safely from the bike ride, and a nice Mother’s Day greeting.

 

[wheatnotchaff]

I don't think most spouses social distanced from each other (we need a this & that smilie).
Unless one or the other actively had the virus, or there was high risk of someone working outside the home being infected and bringing it back.

My husband and I continued to work throughout the SIP order (essential business).

Makes sense. One could also imagine a situation in which one spouse may want to social distance from the other for reasons that could create conflict. Who knows if anything like this may have had bearing in this case ... once again, all speculation.

 

[10ofRods]

If it was true she was social distancing and quarantining, that also would apply to her husband and well as her daughters, would it not?

Covid-19 didn't skip Mother's Day.

JMO

Yes - but we're not allowed to sleuth the daughters on WS. And for all we know, BLM was self-isolating elsewhere. We don't know.

But also, as far as we know, Suzanne was the only one in the family who had survived two bouts of cancer (since she had gotten her one year clearance, we can assume some sort of chemotherapy or other anti-cancer treatment, and cancer itself challenges and is a symptom of lowered immunity).

I find it really odd to presume that no one in this family would care about Suzanne's health enough that they would ignore the need for her to self-isolate. I presume that they all cared. The best thing for the daughter who is at college would be to stay in her college apartment and it would be best if the other daughter could also stay elsewhere (it's hard for teens to stay isolated for the months needed by CoVid).

Each family does it differently, and I'm glad Suzanne felt good enough for a bike ride - if in fact she did.

 

[MyBelle]

Are you saying that distancing is why no one seems to know who saw or talked to her last?

I'm saying self-isolation because of her compromised immune system is why her children and husband were not staying at home. They may have had jobs where they were out in the public and they didn't want to carry it home to her.
I think LE is well aware of who she spoke to last. They are not under an obligation to reveal it to the news media.

JMO

 

[osu]

‘They can’t find her’: Message to church group shows desperate plea in early days of search for missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew [REPORT]

 

[Quiet Time]

DBM

 

[Murphy1950]

RSBM:

The song lyrics that keep flashing through my mind whenever I think of this case are the opening lines in James Taylor's classic, "Fire and Rain:"

Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you

Sadly, I think those words are going to prove only too apropos here.

JMO.

Couldn't agree more, especially with the added emphasis of the "Oh" Suzanne. I do think the words will literally be apropos to whatever they find of Suzanne if anything, I am not sure if a body will be found. That song has rolled constantly through my mind.

 

[Crazyat]

We don't know what we don't know, with that in mind if I was an investigator on the case, I would want to know when did the camera system become inoperable, why did it become inoperable (cut wire or ???) and was the system managed by an outside monitoring company? I would also want to see everything it did record up until the time the camera system went out. I think they likely would have done this though, but we don't seem to be getting a lot of information about what the investigators have found and what they know.

 

[Alethea]

Are you saying that distancing is why no one seems to know who saw or talked to her last?

I don’t understand this either. It has nothing to do with COVID19. We live 6-8 hours from my family and my MIL lives in Europe. We never see each other for smaller holidays. We send gifts that arrive around Mother’s Day and call Mother’s Day morning to say Happy Mother’s Day. My MIL in Europe will sometimes give us the time to call because she’s a busy bee. If we didn’t hear from either mom by the end of the day we’d be frantic. Just like SM’s daughters.

When was the last time someone SPOKE to SM? Where was BM all day? No morning call? Afternoon, evening? SM spent Mother’s Day without one person saying Happy Mother’s Day to her on the phone? I know different people have different ways of celebrating but a phone call doesn’t seem like an extreme celebration.

 

[Observer33]

Spartygirl said: ↑
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

Money.

Money. Maybe the real money is her money, maybe life insurance, maybe wanted out and this looked like the easiest way and best way financially. When we find out who did this, the motive will be very clear.

 

[pepper 34]

We know that the daughter called the neighbor. If he tried to contact her and couldn’t, knowing that she has these bike rides into the mountain with lions and bears, I just can’t imagine him not going into protective mode and action. He seems like a take charge, protective sort of guy.

Maybe they were on the outs after an argument and neither wanted to hear from the other. I find the problem with this case, as opposed to so many other cases where we have so much more information is... that we just don't "know" this family. I don't think we can guess what sort of a MDay they "should have had" or decide what would be "normal" within their family when we compare them to other families we know. A simple phone call on Saturday from BM saying he'd be home on Monday and he'd bring her something to mark the day... for all we know, that might have been all SM would want to hear. (I only wish something like that happened but somehow, I think not.)

I had the impression that BM was controlling before I read that in MSM just as you feel BM is a take charge and protective kind of man. We could both be right. I wish we had enough information so that we could know if we guessed right or not.

 

[MsBetsy]

Or any time. Hardly anyone to see you.

Yeah, except maybe a mountain lion.

From the pictures I've seen the whole area is so wild and isolated she could be anywhere. I'm afraid she will never be found. I hope investigators are making progress. Her story needs to be told and her family needs closure.

 

[crhedBngr]

(It's not me... my SO is a recently retired Supreme Court Justice ( Criminal) NY and I think he could add good info to the mix. He asked me if it would be kept private..working on him joining)

Absolutely! I'd love to hear his perspective.

 

[MyBelle]

Not sure what you're suggesting. We don't know whether or not any of the family members were observing social distancing, or to what degree. The pandemic and all that entails is actually an interesting complexity to ponder in this case, IMO. It raises all kinds of questions about what was more/less likely to be occurring within the family, the marriage, and perhaps beyond around the time of SM's disappearance. All speculation of course.

You're right. We don't know for sure if any of the family members were observing social distancing and self-isolation. I'm making an assumption based on the fact that everyone I know who has recovered from cancer is practicing social distancing and isolation because that is what their loved ones are insisting upon.

JMO

 

[MsBetsy]

Couldn't agree more, especially with the added emphasis of the "Oh" Suzanne. I do think the words will literally be apropos to whatever they find of Suzanne if anything, I am not sure if a body will be found. That song has rolled constantly through my mind.

By "literally" are you thinking she may have committed suicide?

 

[Seattle1]

Bolding mine.

I just can’t get past that part. Your beloved wife, twice cancer survivor, high school sweetheart, mother of your two beautiful daughters—and he hasn’t checked in before 5 pm on Mother’s Day?

And no contact the day before???

This does not fit the narrative of the happy, loving relationship I’m reading about from family and friends.

Especially considering that the girls were away and he’d know she’s alone in the house, daily contact seems minimal expectation. A text, a phone call...

I wonder if they have a Life360 type app on their phones to keep tabs when apart.

I think it's possible the daughters had been trying to reach their mother for 8 or more hours on Sunday (e.g., 8 AM-5 PM) if not longer. I think this also explains the seemingly urgent manner the neighbor made the 911 call and reported SM missing.

From personal experience, it would be easy to dismiss mom not answering in the morning thinking church, walk, bike, etc., already knowing about spotty cell coverage at home but after not getting through ALL DAY, that would definitely warrant asking the neighbor to check the house. However, the neighbor calling 911 to report my mom missing (as understood by MSM reporting) would definitely be my last resort.

What I'd like to know is if/when the daughters contacted dad and if he was aware by his own efforts or by the daughters that SM had not been available and/or responding all day Sunday (or maybe longer).

More important to me is the incredible burden I saw placed on the neighbor. I can't even imagine that!

For example, if I was trying to reach mom under these circumstances, it would have gone one of two ways at whatever time of the 911 call to Police:

1) Dad would have long been aware I was trying to reach mom without success on Mother's Day.
2) Dad would have initiated the welfare check.
3)Dad would have contacted CCSO, advised them of his location, informed CCSO that daughters were also out of town, and dad and his family very concerned that mom has been out of reach all day, Mother's Day (or longer).
4) Dad would tell CCSO that neighbor was at the house now to give them access. 5) Dad would inform CCSO he was heading home and what time he was expected expect to arrive.
6) Dad would ask how to proceed.

OR

1) Daughter would contact CCSO and inform them of all the above except that she also had not been able to reach dad but does not believe they are together, and why not.
2) Daughter would give CCSO dad's (and mom's) phone numbers.
3) Daughter would advise CCSO that neighbor was waiting at the house to give them access.
4) Ask CCSO how to proceed, and confirm they have my contact information.

While I don't expect anybody else to respond the way I would per my example above, I think what I'm trying to say is that in my opinion, the response here to report the mother and wife missing did not fit the picture of the family I had in my head. MOO

ETA: To be clear, all the assumptions in my example are my own and not claiming how the day happened. There will be no links.

 

[zecats]

I don't think most spouses social distanced from each other (we need a this & that smilie).
Unless one or the other actively had the virus, or there was high risk of someone working outside the home being infected and bringing it back.

My husband and I continued to work throughout the SIP order (essential business).

I learned it only takes one person to infect one person. DH contracted the virus from one client, while he was in the process of learning and setting up telecounseling. And getting approved for telephone counseling by insurance companies. So he brought it home even though we didn’t think he could catch it.

We were socially distancing somewhat before he became sick because he was out and I wasn’t, and big time after. Except I had to take care of him. I never got it that I know of.

Suzanne had good reason to stay apart from Barry, in the house at least, if he was coming and going and working with and for others.

Something else we have no knowledge of about this case. JMO

 

[DizzyB]

There is a lot of rough terrain in the area. Should we assume that Suzanne always rode with her phone? I don’t walk the dog without a phone. I sometimes walk down a very deserted road late at night and always have my phone just in case. Sometimes I think about animals, sometimes I think about tripping in a pothole and breaking my leg. And that’s with people in my home who would miss me after 15 minutes and would know exactly where to look. Do most of you carry your cell for emergencies at all times when out alone? Could LE already know where she was that day, using her cell phone information? Does the family share their locations with each other?