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

[Seattle1]

Lauren Scharf, a local news source, mentioned that the house was "taped" off on the 10th in her interview with DWAP.

I thought LS was referring to the hazard tape where the residence rock walkway and footbridge appeared under construction or repair. MOO

 

[Cassady]

Respectfully, after following many cases in Colorado and local reporters, it seems to me that local media professionals seek to confirm the issuance of any search warrants from LE versus the court system because it's not as easy to get access to this information as your post indicates.

Although a "search warrant" is defined as a court record for the purpose of public access to court records, I'd say Colorado statute for public access falls in the category of forgoing the perfect for the possible.

IMO, Colorado is very good at delaying access to the most minuscule information under the guise of protecting the integrity of an ongoing investigation. I think the only exception is searching new arrest warrants or outstanding arrest warrants for which it seems any party with internet can access instantly.

Maybe Crimeonline reporter Ellen K. can help us out here to determine if a search warrant was issued and served to owner of the searched residential building site.

Colorado Revised Statute 16-3-305 (5) requires that LE execute the SW and "make due return thereof". Subsection (6) requires that the SW be executed within 14 days of it being issued.

https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2016-title-16.pdf

The law requires that LE return the SW to the Court.

Rule 41 of the Co. Rules of Criminal Procedure subsection (d)(5)(vi) indicates that the "return" should be made "promptly".

Rule 41 - Search, Seizure, and Confession, Colo. R. Crim. P. 41 | Casetext Search + Citator

Thus, it is not a matter of delaying access to information to protect an investigation. That is why a motion to seal the warrant would be made. The law requires that the SW be promptly returned to the court after execution. This is pretty routine stuff for LE.

If there was a SW for the job site of the spouse of the missing person, this infomation would be easily obtained by going down to the courthouse and talking to a clerk.

 

[gliving]

As I said there is no LE confirmation.

I can use one hand to count what LE has confirmed

 

[Dave F.]

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


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.

Yes.............the location tends to indicate that she was taken on CR 225 early in her morning ride. The report of the suspicious vehicle, also on CR 225, in the morning, more important than we know. IMO

 

[FelicityLemon]

Thinking a wild animal may have swiftly killed your loved one might be easier than thinking a sadistic human has taken her for his pleasure, whatever that may be.

 

[oviedo]

We still have no LE confirmation of when she was even seen by an independent party IMO
So after many years of following these cases I’ve concluded she is deceased and someone close to her knows the details
iMo
please prove me wrong just once let a “beloved” wife be alive or at least not be deceased at the hands of someone known
JMO

 

[Lilypad13]

DBM. DWAP was only approved because he was speaking with a reporter is that correct or are we allowed to discuss his other interviews? TIA!

 

[gliving]

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.

Is that the one where Barry explains how officers saw tracks up the hill?

If it were my family member, no matter how rare or absurb a cat might be, I'd damn sure check it out.

 

[O.Incandenza]

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

That's a pretty big difference and makes more sense to me as well. By the 19th LE could have gotten some cell phone/location data back and that could have resulted in the house being held and the other property being searched. I had been wondering what dramatic piece of evidence they found (without a warrant) on the evening she went missing that allowed them to seize the house. But this makes more sense to me.

I have not been at all impressed with the Daily Mail's articles so far. At this point I'd basically only trust the directly attributed quotes, and even then I wouldn't be shocked if they're inaccurate.

 

[Madeleine74]

IMO:

For those who like to really get into the nitty gritty of cases and chew them over and discuss lots of evidence, this isn't going to be a case where there's much actual information to chew over.

LE is not suddenly going to become all chatty & share with the public what all is going on. I believe it will continue to be mostly <crickets> unless or until there's a break in the case. That could take months, or longer, depending. And then, assuming the DA does agree there's enough evidence to prove the case to a jury, it will be yet more <crickets> until the case is presented in court, which could be a year or more, maybe 2.

It's a good time to recalibrate expectations for the long haul.

/IMO

 

[branmuffin]

Is that the one where Barry explains how officers saw tracks up the hill?

If it were my family member, no matter how rare or absurb a cat might be, I'd damn sure check it out.

I'm not sure. I watched them briefly then TD took them all down for a while. I don't know if that particular video came back. I just saw today another one that's about 20 minutes long that's a compilation so maybe he edited them all together. I'm going to watch it tonight.

 

[Seattle1]

There is NO florist delivery in the Maysville area. The nearest florist who delivers at all is 32 miles away in Buena Vista. Buffy's Flowers & Gifts ONLY delivers in Buena Vista. IMO Buffy's Flowers and Gifts - Flowers - Buena Vista, CO - WeddingWire

@Dave F. said:
@ @Seattle1 - So the shop will deliver flowers for Mother's Day to Maysville by United States Postal Service?

@10ofRods said:
That's not what she said - she said if you have a street address recognized by USPS, they can deliver. Not that USPS now delivers flowers.

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

All we know is that OP was emphatic there was NO florist delivery in the Marysville area, and the nearest florist that delivers was 32 miles away.

We are talking about whether there was a pattern of BS sending flowers to his wife and if this pattern was broken in 2020.

The point of my post was to clarify that there is floral delivery to the Maysville area, and local Salida area florists cite that during the COVID19 pandemic they are employing contactless delivery by either local delivery driver or next day FedEx or UPS.

ETA: As it was implied that I personally said USPS was delivering flowers to the Maysville area, let me be clear that no local florist cited delivery to the Maysville area by the United States Postal Service that I'm aware of.

 

[Tate123]

I thought LS was referring to the hazard tape where the residence rock walkway and footbridge appeared under construction or repair. MOO

That is not how I took it but I'll concede it's a matter of interpretation.

 

[OldCop]

JMO
That picture in the top left that looks down from the sky at the roof tells me that house is one majorly expensive building project when they had it built. I did a little roofing and there are so many hips, valleys, and ridges along that roof line that it makes it complex to build a home like that.

By contrast when you have a regular simple rectangular A-frame type home with only one or two special features in the roof trusses and roof's structure, it makes for a less expensive home. When you have a home like they have with all those different room features where one part of the roof intersects with another creating hips and valleys, you are dealing with a very expensive and complex build.

The reason this stuck out to me is I was thinking about the previous threads where we wondered if financial difficulties may be happening and that picture of that home screams out to me financial difficulties.

We know the purchase and acquisition has already happened but we dont know how much was financed and we dont know about the ongoing utility bills, taxes, etc that are happening on an ongoing basis. Its hard to fathom that what appears to be a small business owner of a dirt laying company would be able to handle a home like that without other financial support or taking actions to raise finances. All JMO of course.

When I first looked at this home, I was like , “Wow!”. However when the footage zoomed in and I studied it a little more, I didn’t really like it. It was an expensive home in an expensive area, but for some reason it didn’t impress me. I don’t know anything about construction, but it seemed cheap to me; like they cut corners. As I mentioned in an earlier post, even the landscaping was unfinished after 2 years in the home.
This could very well fall in with your theory of financial hardship. They may have been living above their means, but of course we have no confirmation of that. MOO

 

[Goldenseal]

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.

Oh, most certainly it would be a big change and stressful -- just to be able to see a daughter who'd graduate in 3 years and get a job who knows where? And whom you would see only on weekends and only when she didn't have something else going on? I guess the daughter might be planning to work in Denver, but that's about 3 hours away on a good day. Plus I can't forget the friend who said SM had reservations about the move. I bet she did.

I don't know where the older girl goes to school, but the closest bigger town is Colorado Springs, 2 hours away on secondary roads. It's not close enough to commute. Mom and Dad, in Maysville, live hours away from any university the girls could go to. I just don't get it, I'm afraid.

 

[MsBetsy]

No BOLO = No Danger to Public?
@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?

I don't think LE has a duty to warn the public even when there is a serial killer on the loose.

Usually they will just make a general statement to be mindful and vigilant as always, but will not tell the public they may be in danger.

When I was growing up there was a killer in NY who murdered six women while he was out on probation. He hid two bodies in an abandoned farmhouse about a half a mile from my house.

I remember the State Police stopping me and questioning me if I had been out a week ago at a certain time and if I had seen any cars on the road leading to the house. At the time I had no idea why they asked.

It wasn't until a few days later that they arrested him and the public learned he was responsible for six murders over the past year.

So even if LE believed SM was abducted or killed by a stranger I don't think they would warn the public or alert the community that a killer is on the loose. They probably try to avoid unnecessary panic, especially in a small town.

Imo

 

[branmuffin]

No BOLO = No Danger to Public?
@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?

I know LE in Toronto chose not to issue warnings about a serial rapist named the Balcony Rapist because they thought it might hamper their investigation. The fifth of his victims successfully sued them.

In this investigation, I don't believe LE think anyone else is at risk from this particular (alleged) person of interest.

 

[Dave F.]

I don't think LE has a duty to worn the public even when there is a serial killer on the loose.

Usually they will just make a general statement to be mindful and vigilant as always, but will not tell the public they may be in danger.

When I was growing up there was a killer in NY who murdered six women while he was out on probation. He hid two bodies in an abandoned farmhouse about a half a mile from my house.

I remember the State Police stopping me and questioning me if I had been out a week ago at a certain time and if I had seen any cars on the road leading to the house. At the time I had no idea why they asked.

It wasn't until a few days later that they arrested him and the public learned he was responsible for six murders over the past year.

So even if LE believed SM was abducted or killed by a stranger I don't think they would warn the public or alert the community that a killer is on the loose. They probably try to avoid unnecessary panic, especially in a small town.

Imo

Besides, what are the odds of the same perp coming back for a second crime so soon after the first?
The same could be said of the lion. If he was stalking one petite woman, and suddenly there was smorgasbord with over a hundred items on the menu, and that was gone the next day but came back the day after that; wouldn't a wise puma sense that it was time to head for parts unknown?
JMO

 

[OldCop]

Quoting Inside Edition:
"A neighbor reported the 49-year-old mother missing after she went for a bike ride near County Road 225 and West Highway 50 and never returned. Her husband, a volunteer firefighter, was said to be 150 miles away in Denver when she vanished."
Home of Missing Colorado Mom Suzanne Morphew Returned to Family Following Investigation

“Was said to be 150 miles away” by who? No confirmation here.
RBBM. Poorly written article IMO.

 

[al66pine]

LE Warning to Public, to Tourists?
Someone said, if random abductor/killer is on the loose, LE should warn ppl.
Whether mtn lion or abductor/killer, when & where can LE give warnings? Who & how to warn, esp'ly tourists? Those staying for a week, a month, or others passing thru say for lunch/a.m. stroll & lunch, or shopping?

Station LEOs on US 50 at E & W county lines to stop vehicles to personally warn/pass out flyer? Cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, RVs? Other routes & locations? Bikers, hikers?
LE's FB & soc media?
Place flyers on retail shops, restaurants, traffic lights, traffid signs,etc thru out county?

Ask MSM - print, radio, TV - in Denver, CO Spgs, etc to cover/announce, 2x/day, every hour, or ?
Ask radio stns received in Salida, 13 AM stns, same, ^?
Ask radio stns received in Salida, 20 FM stns, same ^ ?
Ask 2 TV stns in Salida, same ^?
Ask local print media to include info in each edition?

I'm scratching my head about logistics of how LE could handle this, but maybe someone else here could have a go. just my 2 cts.