Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #17

[mom2chloe]

Agreed.

There is so much that isn't being said....
I'm surprised that family or friends haven't come forward to speak in support.
It's as if no one really knew them.

I believe SM was isolated from the very beginning of their marriage if not their entire relationship. Significantly more so once they moved to Colorado. IMO. I also believe she may have been limited in contact with old friends and or outsiders hence why we hear crickets from her acquaintances. Also IMO

 

[GordianKnot]

I don't see how they can have an FBI profile on the perp in this case since they don't have a body and would not know the manner in which she was killed or be able to compare it to other victims.

If LE suspects the husband and has evidence to prove he was involved, why the need for a profile? One murder does not suggest a particular MO. It would be a single case of intimate partner homicide.

Imo

BBM:

Ha! I can see it now:

Sheriff Spezze: "So, what kind of mountain lion are we looking for?"

FBI Behavior Analyst: "Based on our profile, you're looking for a single male, aged 5-10. Loner type. Probably stalks his victims. Outwardly, he'll come across as being a real cool cat."

JMO.

 

[branmuffin]

JMO
I saw most, if not all, of TD's videos and I get confused how BM's "went into the water" theory could even happen if the one video that had a ribbon on the tree where the alleged bicycle was found was actually the place where the bicycle was.

That video of the ribbon on the tree was the first time I was able to put the Cougar theory way down on the list of possibilities because I would have guessed any form of attack from the road by an animal would have came at her broadside while she was riding on the road and my guess is the bicycle would have gotten hung up in the brush much closer to the top near the road rather than down where the ribbon on the tree was.

Back to the water......Thats the thing. There was no water near the ribboned tree from what I saw unless the small creek was closer than it appeared. I did not hear any water rushing and did not see any water in the ribbon on tree video.

Now I do remember another one of TD videos showed a curved road and there was a "creek" looking water that was nearby that sharp curve. The water was rushing fast but it was not much more than a large creek to me although it could carry a body downstream a little ways but I would expect any body to get hung up on debri or rocks because it did not look wide enough at the time of the video.
But the main point is that curved part of the road where we saw the water I could never reconcile how far that area was compared to the ribbon tree area. Maybe its closer than I am thinking it is.

In a 3rd video segment when we see TD out on the main road near a parking area where BM drives by him and TD mentions about him being shirtless and looking disheveled and all wet, I dont think we know where BM could have been to enter into any water other than maybe that sharp turn area with the smaller creekish water. In that video we only see BM driving by so we really dont know what TD may have been referring to where BM may have been prior to that. It was also raining out on that video because we actually see rain drops during the video shoot so BM may have gotten all wet from the rain itself.

Hope some of this helps.

Thanks. I think you are right. It wasn't in the longer video where BM enacted the theory of a cat attack. It was a shorter video maybe just around a minute long. I'll have to go look for it. Dave F. has provided lots of maps showing where certain things are but I could never place where that location was. It's frustrating.

 

[Seattle1]

Correct.

The only source implying the residence held since the date BM returned from Denver or May 10 is the DM, and OP presented that here as fact which I disagreed with. I think the earliest date the house was held is May 19. MOO

The DM provided the following with no source:

But DailyMail.com can now reveal that Morphew, 52, has not been allowed to enter the home he shared with Suzanne since he returned from his trip to Denver.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8349987/Cops-search-property-Colorado-evidence-mom-two-missing-Mothers-Day.html

Following up our earlier discussion with link to Denver News 7 with a good timeline for this case and also more confirmation of the approximate date of a search warrant for the SM/BM residence:

CBI says home of Suzanne Morphew released back to family

May 26, 2020

CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. – The home of Suzanne Morphew was released back to the family Tuesday about a week after investigators took custody of the property as part of the investigation into her disappearance.

The notice that the property had been released came from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation by way of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Department.

[..]

On May 19, Susan Medina, spokeswoman with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, told Denver7 that they could not confirm that the Morphew’s house was being searched, but said it is being held as part of the active investigation. The search warrant has been sealed by the court. Medina also said that despite online rumors, authorities are not confirming if Morphew's bicycle has been found or not.

[..]

On May 22, the CBI confirmed that authorities were searching an area east of Salida off Highway 50. The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office said the area is a residential property and that the property owner is "fully cooperative" and is "not connected" to Suzanne's disappearance. The property is not the Morphew home. A white tent was spotted on the property, but the reason for it remains unknown.

At 5:08 p.m. that day, the sheriff's office confirmed that despite online rumors, they had concluded the search for the day and had not located Suzanne or made any arrests.

Two days later, on May 24, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office said it had completed its three-day search of the property in Salida. Investigators “were unable to make any connection to Suzanne Morphew’s case at this time," the sheriff's office said that afternoon.

 

[MsBetsy]

Just guessing at this:
Based on ALL the details LE have collected,
and from talking to those that knew this couple, and from speaking to the male spouse
in the beginning, LE has a pretty good picture
of the male spouse.
Good interviewers have pretty sharply honed
skills for sizing up people. Perps may try to fool them but LE interviewers get pretty good
at what they do.

I don't doubt LE has interviewed him and formed opinions about him. They have said he is cooperating.

But profiling is usually done by the FBI when the suspect is unknown and they look at victims to find connections among them to determine an MO or determine the personality of a potential perp.

I just don't think that would be necessary if they suspect intimate partner homicide.

We don't know who LE has interviewed, but from what little we have heard, the Morphews seemed to be happily married and there has been no mention of any significant problems in the marriage. A family member stated Suzanne seemed excited about moving to Colorado and had mentioned her nephew lived nearby. By all accounts, she seemed to be happy, she was trusting, and she liked helping people. Barry is described as a bit standoffish and not as friendly. That is how he comes across to me as well but it's not enough to assume he killed his wife.

LE may have a good picture of him but they will need a lot more than that to connect him to her disappearance. They may have solid evidence that points to him or they may not. There's just no way to know.

Imo

 

[Moonchime]

I believe SM was isolated from the very beginning of their marriage if not their entire relationship. Significantly more so once they moved to Colorado. IMO. I also believe she may have been limited in contact with old friends and or outsiders hence why we hear crickets from her acquaintances. Also IMO

ITA. I'm wondering if SM even had any close friends in Colorado? If so, they haven't stepped forward. We still know nothing about her whatsoever. All we know is that she owned a bike and she had cancer twice. Otherwise, she's a wife and mother. It's very odd that we have heard so very little concerning SM, the person. MOO

 

[branmuffin]

Yes. Lots of stress. I still struggle to understand why they even moved to Colorado. Hey, I know it's a beautiful place -- I used to live in Denver -- but with all the stress they already had, why did they add to it?

I don't get it either. I read that the Ms were looking forward to moving to where their oldest daughter was going to university. AFAIK the oldest girl is 20. That means she was probably enrolled in university in 2017. Considering she only had a couple of years left it seems like a fairly dramatic move for that. Couldn't she move out of state after she graduates?

 

[MsBetsy]

BBM:

Ha! I can see it now:

Sheriff Spezze: "So, what kind of mountain lion are we looking for?"

FBI Behavior Analyst: "Based on our profile, you're looking for a single male, aged 5-10. Loner type. Probably stalks his victims. Outwardly, he'll come across as being a real cool cat."

JMO.

Haha! Poor mountain lion.

 

[lamlawindy]

I still struggle to understand why they even moved to Colorado. Hey, I know it's a beautiful place -- I used to live in Denver -- but with all the stress they already had, why did they add to it?

Well, if I'm correct, the eldest Morphew daughter moved to Colorado for college, and the Morphews followed in 2018. It could be that they wanted to be close to their daughter, though moving halfway across the country would certainly be a big change.

 

[LietKynes]

Are you saying, it’s been done? What about tourists coming into Salida, which is right down the road and has Hot Springs which is what drew my husband and I to go there a few years ago with our grandsons. Personally, I’d really appreciate notice of a suspected murderer in the area if I was visiting.

Ita.
I would appreciate a notice if myself and my family were visiting.
The fact that LE have not issued a BOLO is proof that they know the public is not in danger of a random abductor/killer.

 

[Madeleine74]

Where is the info that proves allegations the M family was struggling financially? Somehow the M family had the means to purchase the CO house. They owned other property in IN and they allegedly sold their prior home. This financial stress sounds like speculation to me, not fact.

As for why the M family moved to CO, their younger daughter was allegedly also going to apply to a CO university; makes sense the parents would want to live close to their children, *IF* that's true.


IMO

 

[rainbowshummingbird]

ITA. I'm wondering if SM even had any close friends in Colorado? If so, they haven't stepped forward. We still know nothing about her whatsoever. All we know is that she owned a bike and she had cancer twice. Otherwise, she's a wife and mother. It's very odd that we have heard so very little concerning SM, the person. MOO

Maybe she didn’t have close friends in Colorado, but it does seem like she would’ve come into some type of contact with others. For instance, food; people have to eat. Did she grocery shop, have her food delivered, take out food from restaurants? Were there other regular bikers that would’ve spotted her riding? I tend to think that people would remember her because, physically, she was lovely.

There is so little we know of her, aside from her photos. She’s like an enigma, smiling her lovely smile; silent.

 

[oviedo]

IMO:

Those who are new to following missing person/criminal cases may not be aware just how long it can take to find a missing person. There's not some piece of paper that was handed to LE with a closeup of a map and a big red arrow pointing to a spot and the words, "she is there" on it. There seems to be an expectation that it should be easy to find SM.

Reality is quite different. If a person has taken some pains to hide/dispose of a body in a vast mountainous and rugged area (like Colorado), it's not easy and it's not quick.

People in the 'inner circle' are not sharing gossip or talking to the media and that is really upsetting the curious. I say, good for them; better to keep info private and share it where it's appropriate--with LE and the DA, the very people who will be the ones to solve the case, and ignore everyone else who just wants the dirt and gossip.

/IMO

We are still looking for Jennifer so yes it can take a long time and sometimes you never find them until decades later / Jonelle Matthews for example
JMO

 

[FelicityLemon]

@Seattle1 - So the shop will deliver flowers for Mother's Day to Maysville by United States Postal Service? Did you happen to inquire when the cut-off date for guaranteed delivery on Mother's Day might have been?

I don't know about where the Ms are, but where I live, US Post Office delivers on Sunday for Amazon delivers and for US Priority Mail Express - don't know about flowers, but it may be possible

I've listened to the video very carefully several times, and counted BLM's steps as TD's stealth camera caught them. I added the location that BLM says the bike was found and the location that he stopped to say HIS searchers believed the abduction happened. Frankly, listening to BLM describe it leaves me nothing but impressed with the tracking abilities of GD and his ragged band of firefighter buddies. It's my own opinion, which I have a right to have. IMO
The map is entirely generated in Google Earth. I've also added a yellow line which marks the perimeter of the GD and buddies intensive search area, described by BLM to TD.

Very well done Dave F.! Thank you for this. I'm a visual person and this helps me figure out some things and my point of view on some other things (no pun intended) has changed a bit.

I believe LE found her bike. I don't care that they haven't announced it - they haven't made public 99% of what they know. I think it's true because of all that BM has said about it and that would be a huge alert if there was no bike, but he made those statements about fingerprints, people handling it, etc.

Finding her bike doesn't mean she was riding it.

eta emphasis on my joy at Dave F.'s map - you guys have no idea how important visuals are to some of us, lol

 

[TIGER0822]

BBM, THIS is another reason i suspect LE has their suspect and has since day 1. the mountain lion theory was confirmed to not be one of the theories considered by law enforcement, and they said as much in one of the very first news articles that came out about her disappearance. in fact, i remember finding it strange that it was even mentioned so quickly in those first days by the sheriff's office. it felt a bit random to throw that specific info out there (even though i guess it was a possibility), but it was said "we do not believe this was an animal attack."

and yet someone sent an email to the church in those first few days saying exactly that, she had probably been attacked by a mountain lion, and BM told tyson with his own mouth that it was one of his main theories.

why would LE even mention that they didn't believe it was animal attack from the get-go? and why is BM still saying "it's possible"? how and why would you be so disconnected from LE, as the husband to a missing person, so early in the investigation?

There is no way that <mod snip> BM, knew that this could be possibly be a cat attack. He knows with certainty that an animal attack without a trace of evidence is ridiculous. I doubt he believes his abduction theory either.

 

[oviedo]

Ita.

Speculation alert :
What if Suzanne had come into this marriage with money--or had inherited some cash ?
So, if it was her $$$ and not BM's, what happens if they split up ?

What do you think? Unless she had a Will specifying bequests or a trust - best guess? husband but in my state you may not disinherit a spouse they are entitled to elective share regardless unless there is a prior Pre or post nup Or a trust
IMO

 

[oviedo]

Yes. Lots of stress. I still struggle to understand why they even moved to Colorado. Hey, I know it's a beautiful place -- I used to live in Denver -- but with all the stress they already had, why did they add to it?

Exactly
JMO

 

[Seattle1]

JMO
I saw most, if not all, of TD's videos and I get confused how BM's "went into the water" theory could even happen if the one video that had a ribbon on the tree where the alleged bicycle was found was actually the place where the bicycle was.

^^sbbm

From the video, BM states:

".....a car coming around this corner fast
maybe was disoriented and got in the river
we've covered all of this really good...."

In my opinion, BM does not speak in full sentences or express himself clearly. I think the keyword here is "disoriented."

Maybe his thought was SM was disoriented and eventually came upon the river?

I believe there's a creek in the ravine off the road where the men are standing but where it leads to I do not know.

YouTuber who ‘secretly’ recorded video of Barry Morphew discussing wife’s disappearance says he believes Suzanne Morphew’s husband knew the camera was on

 

[al66pine]

LE failure to warn residents. Irresponsible?

AND.... wouldn’t people be warned about a man-eating cougar on the loose? And what about a suspected abductor/kidnapper/serial killer??? I would consider it extremely irresponsible of LE not to warn the public and tourists coming into that area IF they had

evidence that a dangerous person was stalking/prowling and murdering residents.

@vaporlass bbm Ppl post the ^ on some threads, but such a warning seems virtually pointless to me. A 'dangerous person is always stalking/prowling & killing' someone, somewhere, sometimes. In fact, dangerous people, plural. All over the US.
On virtually every episode of Dateline NBC, Keith Morrison says: The grisly death of this vibrant young woman/perky, tennis playing grandmother took place in a neighborhood/town/city where residents don't lock doors of their houses or cars. Oh really, in the twenty-first century? Maybe I'm a knucklehead for not having LE/FD monitored security system in the home, but how hard is it to lock doors, etc?
If a family/household habitually does not lock doors, etc., why would they start taking safety measures after LE warning? Okay, okay, different comfort levels about locks, personal safety zones & measures.
But let's say tonight CCSO/LE arrests the Bad Guy for SM's disappearance/injury/death, then is it no longer advisable to lock doors, etc, because one BG is in jail, off the streets? What about allll the other BGs out there? End of rant, jmo. lol.

 

[al66pine]

No BOLO = No Danger to Public?

... The fact that LE have not issued a BOLO is proof that they know the public is not in danger of a random abductor/killer.

@LietKynes sbm Respectfully, I disagree. Just my 2 cts which is not worth a wooden nickel. LOL

ETA: Assuming, for sake of discussion, LE has a PoI in mind, ready to make arrest.
1. A local dude who has lived in area for many yrs. Should LE warn or not warn the 'public?'
2. A (hypothetical) spouse of a MisPErs woman? Warn or not?
3. A (hypothetical) spouse, living 10 mi away from MisPers woman? Warn or not?
4. A (hypothetical) ex-spouse, divorced 10 yrs ago, living 100 mi away from MisPers woman? Warn or not?
5. A person who stayed the past month at RV park/campground a few hundred yds (?) from MisPers house? Warn or not?

Is the identity of PoI/almost detainee, or the relationship to the MisPers woman relevant to LE's 'duty' to warn the public?