Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #15

[MsBetsy]

Do you remember anything about the neighbor interview or who interviewed him? I think the neighbor may have stated when the dirt work was done. Thx Moo

I don't remember now, but you could be right. He may be the person that was quoted ever since, and that's where the information came from that BM had been hired three weeks ago to do the dirt job. Jmo

 

[gliving]

"In a release sent to KRDO Sunday, the sheriff's office said investigators searched several locations on the property but were unable to make any connection to Suzanne Morphew."

Three-day search at Salida property yields no clues in Suzanne Morphew case - KRDO

 

[Jo in Calif]

So you don't think the smaller squares were for ease of removing concrete? That large square would be pretty heavy.

JMO
Been away following the breaking news in the Vallow case and trying to catch up here.

One of the few times I actually predicted something correctly was early on during the foundation search when we saw the dust flying and we all were speculating what was going on and why the dust. This was before we even saw the hole cut out of the foundation.

I have worked construction before and predicted that if I had to cut a hole in the slab what I would do is to cut a big square around the area first with a concrete saw. Thus the reason for all the white dust we were wondering about.

After seeing the search work, that ended up being exactly what they did. But what I didnt expect was they cut smaller squares instead of one larger square. The end result was one large square but the smaller squares were done for a reason and I think I know why.

I think they wanted to ensure there was not body parts or small parts of a body inside the concrete itself so by cutting smaller squares about the size of a limb like an arm or leg or thigh length, they were able to look at the edges of those smaller squares to see if any body part material was embedded in the concrete itself.

And when I looked at all those smaller squares, my opinion is they did in fact fit inside that larger hole, so I think all the small squares fit inside the large square.

All JMO of course.

 

[darring21]

So you don't think the smaller squares were for ease of removing concrete? That large square would be pretty heavy.

And if someone thinks bones are in the concrete, that would implicate the concrete pouring crew.

 

[Truecolors]

And if someone thinks bones are in the concrete, that would implicate the concrete pouring crew.

Agreed. That would be openly visible during the pour.

My guess is that they removed the concrete to access the soil below. They may be able to use the underside of the concrete, if soil is attached.

What they were looking for I can not fathom, but it must include small bits if they were using sieves.

I can’t see how a criminal would think that a building site with a work crew would be a better place to bury evidence than the wilderness of Salida. It just doesn’t make sense.

MOO

 

[Hatfield]

So you don't think the smaller squares were for ease of removing concrete? That large square would be pretty heavy.

JMO
I believe the main reason the squares were so small was because they wanted to check the edges of each one to make sure no body part material could be seen in the concrete itself.
There were a lot of small squares about the size of a limb.

If they didnt care about looking for body remains, they could have made larger square holes and used a front loader to pickup the larger squares to remove them. But yeah they couldnt go too big because it would make it difficult if too large. But those were way small and so I am guessing to the reason the squares were so small.

ETA--Just to add a little more to help explain how a front loader could remove a larger square of that slab. What they would do is to first expose an edge, so they would have to remove a small portion to be able to get the front loader bucket under an edge. Then raise up the edge of a large square and then two laborers would run a chain underneath and wrap the chain around the square. Then the front loader lowers it back down and then attach the bucket of the front loader to the chain itself and pull it up by the chain. That method could allow a front loader to remove a larger square if you had to. But you have to expose an edge to get started. Hope that helps understand how a front loader could get a bigger square out. Ive seen that sort of process be used on other heavy objects and chains are always involved.

It gets interesting with heavy objects because if too heavy , it can actually tilt a front loader, so a lot of tractors have counter weights that can be added to the tractor itself to counter balance it when moving really heavy objects.

 

[ogls]

<modsnip>

Prior to coming here, I could see how the public sees things and it's scary! I don't want some killer running free, because "he's soooooooo cute". I don't want to be fed what mass media spins. I'm crazy like that right/wrong, I'd like to try and form my own opinion from all information presented/not. Later, maybe crow for dinner? But at least it's me cooking it

I'm all for letting freedom ring by 4th of July, anything less, I'll put my bird in the oven.

 

[K9Enzo]

I understand exactly what you are saying. It’s perplexing that their friends and family have NOTHING to say. Under the circumstances, I understand folks not expressing negative comments (especially considering that SM is likely deceased), but it would seem acceptable for people to have SOME complimentary things to say about Suzanne and BM. It’s weird that there are no friends that seem to have a kind word to offer. IMO

You both make good points.

However, on the flip side, missing persons cases have bad energy surrounding them. IMO

Many people simply don't want to make public statements. Good or bad. If they do, now they just put themselves out there. They might worry (even if irrationally) that it might impact their job, the safety of themselves or loved ones, LE then might come and ask them questions, being embarrassed for supporting OR their condemnation of the person if they were wrong.

From that standpoint, for me, I'm not surprised by the crickets. I also don't think it means that BM is a good or bad guy by the silence. IMO

 

[Tate123]

BBM
Again, just me speculating. I believe this father wants to protect his daughters. That’s just my gut feeling. If he is responsible for SM’s disappearance, I believe he must be wracked with guilt and fear for his daughters’ future. So my speculation about the real estate transaction is that the money is needed for the daughters. The adult daughter signing supported that idea.
I really want BM to be innocent. But if he is not, my hope is that these steps are being taken for the daughters.
MOO

I feel like BM tested the waters by adding his name to the and it failed. He had 30 days to pick a permanent beneficiary and as that date was approaching quickly his next best choice was MM. If this situation plays out poorly for BM ( I suspect it will) It's a lot easier going to your daughters for support money then it is your mother. Mothers would be influenced by other siblings "don't give him a cent" yet it would be an unimaginable pain to turn down a request from what could be your only living parent. I see this as a calculated move on BMs part. IMO

 

[Hoosierfan72]

I thought it might be of interest to give a little bit of background on SMs hometown in Indiana. I'm from Indiana, live fairly close to Alexandria (where SM grew up and graduated from HS), have some personal connections to the town, and can offer a couple of observations about the town itself:

Alexandria is a classic Indiana small town. In fact, they hold the distinction of being called "Smalltown, USA" after a WWII publication put out by the United States Office of War Information in 1943 gave the town that moniker.

The population of Alexandria currently stands around 5,000. Historical census records indicate the population has typically ranged between 4,000 and 7,000 residents for the last 100 years.

Like most Indiana small towns, one might describe it (and most of its residents) as humble. Median family income in Alexandria, per the 2000 census, was around $43,000 annually. Current median home values in Alexandria are just north of $105,000 (per Zillow). Alexandria, like many small towns, has had its share of challenges but overall life in Alexandria has, for a long time, been about family, community, and some level of simplicity. You don't see extravagance in Alexandria, IN.

Alexandria is a tight-knit community. High School graduating classes run around 100. It's not uncommon in this community to have high school graduates whose parents also graduated from Alexandria High School (I've actually attended an Alexandria High School graduation, so I can speak from experience in this regard). I've eaten several times at one of the local "watering holes" and it's a bar/restaurant that you'll observe almost anyone walking in the door will make "rounds" in the room, shaking hands and and catching up with their neighbors. It's not surprising to me that the town Alexandria has done a lot for SM, despite the fact its been many years since she has lived there. Without sleuthing her family, I would expect she still has a number of relatives that live in or around Alexandria.

I've seen some speculation around possibly SM having "family" money and that being a possible motive in her disappearance. While of course it is possible knowing we can't/shouldn't sleuth family and people can come into money in a variety of different ways, I think it's not very likely that SM came from an independently wealthy family and inherited large sums of money that would/could be some kind of financial motive. JMO, MOO.

 

[pocketaccent]

@branmuffin
Re: When did BM lay dirt at the Salida property? (from previous thread)

From the article below, I interpreted as
BM laid dirt two weeks before May 10, Mothers Day >> SM disappears.

I may have misinterpreted? I guess we don't know when BM worked on that property. I wish we knew when that was.
---------------

Suzanne Morphew's husband was paid to lay dirt at the building site Colorado cops are searching | Daily Mail Online
...
"Barry Morphew, 52, had worked at the Salida property laying dirt on the riverfront land, around 12 miles from the couple's home, before his wife's mysterious disappearance almost two weeks ago, the property owner told CBS4."
...

 

[Tate123]

JMO
I believe the main reason the squares were so small was because they wanted to check the edges of each one to make sure no body part material could be seen in the concrete itself.
There were a lot of small squares about the size of a limb.

If they didnt care about looking for body remains, they could have made larger square holes and used a front loader to pickup the larger squares to remove them. But yeah they couldnt go too big because it would make it difficult if too large. But those were way small and so I am guessing to the reason the squares were so small.

ETA--Just to add a little more to help explain how a front loader could remove a larger square of that slab. What they would do is to first expose an edge, so they would have to remove a small portion to be able to get the front loader bucket under an edge. Then raise up the edge of a large square and then two laborers would run a chain underneath and wrap the chain around the square. Then the front loader lowers it back down and then attach the bucket of the front loader to the chain itself and pull it up by the chain. That method could allow a front loader to remove a larger square if you had to. But you have to expose an edge to get started. Hope that helps understand how a front loader could get a bigger square out. Ive seen that sort of process be used on other heavy objects and chains are always involved.

It gets interesting with heavy objects because if too heavy , it can actually tilt a front loader, so a lot of tractors have counter weights that can be added to the tractor itself to counter balance it when moving really heavy objects.

When concrete is poured what would the typical thickness of it be? Are we talking inches or feet?

 

[Truecolors]

@branmuffin
Re: When did BM lay dirt at the Salida property? (from previous thread)

From the article below, I interpreted as
BM laid dirt two weeks before May 10, Mothers Day >> SM disappears.

I may have misinterpreted? I guess we don't know when BM worked on that property. I wish we knew when that was.
---------------

Suzanne Morphew's husband was paid to lay dirt at the building site Colorado cops are searching | Daily Mail Online
...
"Barry Morphew, 52, had worked at the Salida property laying dirt on the riverfront land, around 12 miles from the couple's home, before his wife's mysterious disappearance almost two weeks ago, the property owner told CBS4."
...

The article was published 5/23. The dirt was laid almost 2 weeks before the article date, so around Mother’s Day. MOO

 

[Hatfield]

When concrete is poured what would the typical thickness of it be? Are we talking inches or feet?

Slabs are usually about 4-6 inches thick, so if any body material was embedded in the concrete, it would have only been pieces of a body. We dont know what happened to SM so I think LE was just making sure they did not see any foreign pieces or bits of material that did not look like regular concrete. They probably wanted to just make sure because some killers go to extremes (think along the lines of the Fargo movie and wood chippers).

 

[TruthIsStranger]

You both make good points.

However, on the flip side, missing persons cases have bad energy surrounding them. IMO

Many people simply don't want to make public statements. Good or bad. If they do, now they just put themselves out there. They might worry (even if irrationally) that it might impact their job, the safety of themselves or loved ones, LE then might come and ask them questions, being embarrassed for supporting OR their condemnation of the person if they were wrong.

From that standpoint, for me, I'm not surprised by the crickets. I also don't think it means that BM is a good or bad guy by the silence. IMO

I agree. How many of us could imagine ourselves making a PUBLIC statement in a national case? No way would I do that! For starters, look at the insanity that ensued when a man recorded BM and went public. He was villified and had to disappear for a few days. People may say nice things or not so nice things about BM when conversing with friends and family and LE, but what's the point of telling strangers, essentially, as well? It doesn't help the case and could be very scary and disruptive to one's life. As long as you've told LE anything you know, you've done your duty. If you go beyond that, your social and professional circles may think that you're seeking attention or trying to sway public opinion.

 

[Tate123]

Slabs are usually about 4-6 inches thick, so if any body material was embedded in the concrete, it would have only been pieces of a body. We dont know what happened to SM so I think LE was just making sure they did not see any foreign pieces or bits of material that did not look like regular concrete. They probably wanted to just make sure because some killers go to extremes (thick Fargo movie and wood chippers).

Thank you.

 

[Birmingplumb]

When concrete is poured what would the typical thickness of it be? Are we talking inches or feet?

4" to 6" residential imo
from google-

four inches

As for thickness, non-reinforced pavement four inches thick is standard for passenger car driveways. For heavier vehicles, a thickness of five inches is recommended. To eliminate standing water, the driveway should be sloped towards the street a minimum of one percent, or 1/8 inch per foot, for proper drainage.

 

[Cindizzi]

You both make good points.

However, on the flip side, missing persons cases have bad energy surrounding them. IMO

Many people simply don't want to make public statements. Good or bad. If they do, now they just put themselves out there. They might worry (even if irrationally) that it might impact their job, the safety of themselves or loved ones, LE then might come and ask them questions, being embarrassed for supporting OR their condemnation of the person if they were wrong.

From that standpoint, for me, I'm not surprised by the crickets. I also don't think it means that BM is a good or bad guy by the silence. IMO

ITA about people not coming forward with statements.
It occurs to me that this case is also affected by the current social distancing going on. If large public gatherings were allowed, IMO we would be seeing one or more candlelight vigils, etc. The MSM would definitely cover them and would find family members/friends willing to express a few feelings on SM and perhaps both SM and BM.
JMO

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Genuine question re the concrete/dirt - do people here think LE found something there? I'm wondering why it's being discussed in so much detail today and if I missed something.

No snark intended.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I thought it might be of interest to give a little bit of background on SMs hometown in Indiana. I'm from Indiana, live fairly close to Alexandria (where SM grew up and graduated from HS), have some personal connections to the town, and can offer a couple of observations about the town itself:

Alexandria is a classic Indiana small town. In fact, they hold the distinction of being called "Smalltown, USA" after a WWII publication put out by the United States Office of War Information in 1943 gave the town that moniker.

The population of Alexandria currently stands around 5,000. Historical census records indicate the population has typically ranged between 4,000 and 7,000 residents for the last 100 years.

Like most Indiana small towns, one might describe it (and most of its residents) as humble. Median family income in Alexandria, per the 2000 census, was around $43,000 annually. Current median home values in Alexandria are just north of $105,000 (per Zillow). Alexandria, like many small towns, has had its share of challenges but overall life in Alexandria has, for a long time, been about family, community, and some level of simplicity. You don't see extravagance in Alexandria, IN.

Alexandria is a tight-knit community. High School graduating classes run around 100. It's not uncommon in this community to have high school graduates whose parents also graduated from Alexandria High School (I've actually attended an Alexandria High School graduation, so I can speak from experience in this regard). I've eaten several times at one of the local "watering holes" and it's a bar/restaurant that you'll observe almost anyone walking in the door will make "rounds" in the room, shaking hands and and catching up with their neighbors. It's not surprising to me that the town Alexandria has done a lot for SM, despite the fact its been many years since she has lived there. Without sleuthing her family, I would expect she still has a number of relatives that live in or around Alexandria.

I've seen some speculation around possibly SM having "family" money and that being a possible motive in her disappearance. While of course it is possible knowing we can't/shouldn't sleuth family and people can come into money in a variety of different ways, I think it's not very likely that SM came from an independently wealthy family and inherited large sums of money that would/could be some kind of financial motive. JMO, MOO.

Thanks for this, it really paints a useful picture