Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #14

[oviedo]

IMO we can surmise the following meanings (and there will likely be others too):

- LE is going to protect the case and the investigation from prying eyes and interference.
- The public will not be privy to many details, not until a trial.
- Any potential perp will not be privy to what LE knows or has found until they are arrested, then they will find out after indictment.
- LE is working the case and that work continues (without "assistance" from people not part of the investigation).

I would just add that we will know some details if there is an arrest as CO seems to allow the arrest warrants to be public based on the other cases we have followed
IMO

 

[Madeleine74]

LE is quiet also but we all know indeed the above possible meanings. What about the family and friends. Jmo

LE will be cautious in releasing info to anyone, perhaps even including the family. People talk and keeping a secret is well nigh impossible for some.

Perfect example: I followed a case a long time ago where I was told inside info by someone connected, who was told by a close family member of the victim. The info included a major piece of evidence that had been found that would come out in court, and did, later. There was no way I'd ever tell a soul, and didn't, but the irony wasn't lost on me that a few people closest to the case couldn't keep their mouths shut and I, not a party to or involved in the case, never repeated anything I was ever told, and still haven't to this day, and never will.

 

[GordianKnot]

Or they really have nothing - perfect crime, or no crime.

Yes, and Patrick Frazee thought so too.

BBM:

In the immortal words of PF:

"No body, no crime, right?"

WRONG.

 

[windrower]

The initial permit was issued by the Chaffee County Building Department on December 17, 2019. Anyone can look on Google Earth and see that the site has changed dramatically. The demolition and prep work turning it into the present building site required extensive use of a landscaping contractor. The homeowner met BLM three weeks before May 22, 2020. I think it's a given that the homeowner was not the person who scheduled the work of sub-contractors on that building site.
So when and where exactly did the homeowner meet BLM? I have no idea. Rick Sallinger didn't ask. IMO

At the link, fill the "Permit Number" box with:

10070781

Building Department Permit Search By Permit Number

People do it!

I had improvements done on my property, and I chatted up every subcontractor. Of course, I was living on the property at the time, but I met them all.

My friend was a business owner, and I worked for him. The only time he could get to the home site during construction hours was lunch. He’d drive there, observe and chat, and grab drive thru on the way back to the office. He took me with him sometimes. It was fun.

I don’t think it’s unusual for the homeowner to watch over a build, especially if they have some construction knowledge or interest.

MOO

BBM

Where I live, it is not unusual for the landowner/homeowner to act as the general contractor for his/her own construction project, thereby taking on the responsibility for hiring the tradespeople, the subcontractors, who work on the project.

No general contractor is listed on this building permit #10070781. "Owner" is listed as General Contractor on a different permit for a different project (#10068522), so hard to know what the absence of such means on this particular building permit.

 

[oviedo]

BBM:

In the immortal words of PF:

"No body, no crime, right?"

WRONG.

Well, Exactly......

 

[Cindizzi]

It does seem like a lot. The thing that gives me pause though is how many people call tip lines for things like, “I feel you need to search x, y or z.”

They may just call that kind of thing a “tip” as it’s called into a tip line and it might help pressure someone into thinking they’re close.

I don’t know.

I recall the Gannon Stauch case and how the PIO would stress at each presser that they did NOT want theories and speculations called in, She gave an example that someone called in “ check every car trunk in town”. At one point there were almost 900 tips called in.
I’m sure it happens in most cases. I wonder if in this case the reward $ caused a lot of calls. Wouldn’t surprise me.
JMO

 

[Minordetails]

SM was reported missing on Mother’s Day. Today, a month later, that’s all we the public know. SM is missing. We don’t know if she was abducted , we don’t know if she voluntarily disappeared, we don’t know if a mountain lion killed her, we don’t if her husband killed her, we don’t know if she took her own life. We don’t know.

But LE knows more than we know. It’s early, and let’s say there is no arrest made in the next 6 months, how much time needs to pass before LE shares a few tidbits about what they know? A year? Never?

 

[gitana1]

The extent of damage caused in the search is not relevant to standing. The issue is whether the person challenging the search had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the place searched so as to have standing to challenge the search.

Here the property owner would have standing if they were implicated by the search. Yet, if they consented voluntarily to the search, it would likely be validated by a court...IMO

LE do not like “likely”. They don’t want any errors at all in a case of this magnitude:

“I was coerced. I didn’t consent.” Whatever that may be. This is a major case. I have never seen a case of this magnitude with a search that extensive without a warrant. That would be totally against protocol in every LE agency in the US, IMO.

But I want to hear what our resident prosecutor has to say about it. She’s going to be vastly more knowledgeable about this than I am. At present, that’s my legal opinion.

 

[Whiteorchids]

Just checking in looks like no new updates. Where are you Suzanne?

 

[EggSalad]

I thought I would do a search on tips for other CO cases - still looking btw - but ran across this article - and it really helps me to look at this investigation with "fresh eyes" - it's quite fascinating IMO how things were unfolding and being interpreted by LE in the early days of Kelseys case. very interesting and I think we can speculate what's being done for Suzanne at this point.
JMO
'We never wanted to let her down': Meet the investigators who helped solve Kelsey Berreth's murder

That was a really interesting article to read and I agree that it give fresh perspective to SM’s disappearance.

Makes you wonder if there were even fresh mountain bike tire tracks leading away from the M’s house to the trail. MTB tires are all very unique and the various tread types will leave a distinct trail, especially in the CO dirt/dust. Lack of tire tracks would be an easy way to realize the bike ride never occurred.

So many other fascinating points in that article and will be interesting to see how many dots might connect in the future depending on how this plays out.

 

[Dave F.]

BBM:

In the immortal words of PF:

"No body, no crime, right?"

WRONG.

Sorry, but I'm gonna have to ask for a link on that PF quote. *I thought I read every paper towel in that case, and it's just not coming back to me.

(Edit) G1 has pointed out to me that old Joe is the source, and he swore he was quoting PF word for word. Joe was not challenged by the Defense, so it stands as true. I humbly withdraw the question, but also would like to state for people who didn't follow that case that PF greatly exceeded his quota of spoken words in 1998, and remained silent for all of 1999. I may have mixed up my PF years.

 

[gitana1]

Well, Exactly......

HAAAAA!!

 

[gitana1]

Sorry, but I'm gonna have to ask for a link on that PF quote. *I thought I read every paper towel in that case, and it's just not coming back to me.

'No body, no crime,' Patrick Frazee said before fiancée vanished, friend testifies

 

[GordianKnot]

It turns out BM's uncle was named:
“Everybody loves Suzanne and Barry,” family member wants Chaffee County mother’s safe return
[Bob Morphew said he believes his nephew, Barry had absolutely nothing to do with Suzanne’s disappearance.]
[He added for those pointing the finger at Barry, “I think they can bury that kind of thought.” Bob went on to say, “tell that to the Chaffee County Sheriff.” “They’re a loving couple and I’ve never seen any kind of unhappiness with each other or produced by either one of them,” Bob Morphew said.]

BBM:

Really unfortunate choice of words by Uncle Bob there.

And once again, note the pugilistic stance BM's family members have assumed against LE.

First, it was his nephew TN, demanding that people on Social Media, "Ask the sheriff about the condition of her bike!" or whatever he was spouting.

Then it's Uncle Bob here putting in his .02 worth, in the form of "Tell THAT!" to the Sheriff.

Not to be eclipsed, BM himself then tells TD that LE screwed everything up.

The air of hostility being directed at LE by #TeamBarry is palpable.

JMO.

 

[Cassady]

Agree with others that this was absolutely done with a search warrant. The risk of the owner withdrawing that consent once the jackhammers came out would have been too big a risk (and entirely likely, IMO).

The Chaffee county court should be able to verify the existence of a sealed SW for that property.

Consent search of a property not connected with POI or suspect is low/no risk. Even in murder cases my experience is that LE will use consent searches to gather evidence.

Here if the landowner withdrew consent when they started cutting the concrete the search would have to stop.

But if LE already had enough to get SW prior to the start of the consent search they can simply apply and return with warrant and resume search. If they did not have enough PC for SW prior to the start of consent search, they really have not lost any ground by starting the consent search.

In fact, whatever they discover in the consent search can be used for PC for SW. Thus, consent searches are popular tools for LE.

 

[Dave F.]

'No body, no crime,' Patrick Frazee said before fiancée vanished, friend testifies

Thanks! I had forgotten about old Joe!

(Edit) for those of you who didn't follow that case, PF was silent for all of 1999, but knew old Joe for many years. Old Joe said it in sworn testimony, and the prosecution didn't challenge it at all, so it's true on the record. I was confused about my PF years and stand corrected.

 

[GordianKnot]

'No body, no crime,' Patrick Frazee said before fiancée vanished, friend testifies

Thanks for supplying that link, @gitana!
Snipped from above article:

Moore said that in April 2018, he asked Frazee how things were going with Berreth, and Frazee replied: “I figured out a way to kill her."

Moore testified that Frazee grinned and said, "No body, no crime, right?"
_________________

I don't know why these evil morons don't do their research.
What, they don't know how to do a basic Google search?
For the record, a majority of no-body cases brought to trial result in convictions:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...a0bffa-206b-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html
SFA:
Since the early 1800s, about 480 no-body cases have gone to trial. Of those cases, about 89 percent resulted in convictions, DiBiase said.

Repeating for the benefit of all the asinine perps out there:

A majority of no-body prosecutions result in convictions.

JMO.

 

[Bridger]

The hostility being directed toward LE by #TeamBarry is palpable.

...which is a perfectly natural reaction when you are frantic about your missing relative and believe LE is wasting time, energy and resources investigating an innocent person. It speaks to their strong belief in his innocence.

 

[rainbowshummingbird]

SM was reported missing on Mother’s Day. Today, a month later, that’s all we the public know. SM is missing. We don’t know if she was abducted , we don’t know if she voluntarily disappeared, we don’t know if a mountain lion killed her, we don’t if her husband killed her, we don’t know if she took her own life. We don’t know.

But LE knows more than we know. It’s early, and let’s say there is no arrest made in the next 6 months, how much time needs to pass before LE shares a few tidbits about what they know? A year? Never?

With how the investigation has played out over the last month, I would not be surprised if we heard nothing from LE until either Suzanne’s body is found or there is an arrest.

 

[Cassady]

LE do not like “likely”. They don’t want any errors at all in a case of this magnitude:

“I was coerced. I didn’t consent.” Whatever that may be. This is a major case. I have never seen a case of this magnitude with a search that extensive without a warrant. That would be totally against protocol in every LE agency in the US, IMO.

But I want to hear what our resident prosecutor has to say about it. She’s going to be vastly more knowledgeable about this than I am. At present, that’s my legal opinion.

I've handled many serious cases, including murder charges, were consent searches were used to gather evidence. Consent searches are constitutional and widely accepted in state and federal courts. They are used extensively by law enforcement.