Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #20

[DizzyB]

Wouldnt a husband who is a volunteer firefighter call the police? Especially since firefighters (here anyway) handle a lot of 911 calls for injured people and he could give his own friends info on where she normally bikes?

And then while I was racing home, I would be calling my FF buddies and asking them to head right over to assist, as well as ask them to pull every favor with any first responder they had a connection to. I would want as many people out there searching as I could get, especially when you have to worry about stuff like big cats. Who knows, maybe BM did call a few friends and that is where he got the info on the bicycle recovery.

 

[al66pine]

IN. Guardianship. Sneaky? POI?

It seems like a sneaky work around whether it's legal or not...And he could be getting clearance while not being declared a POI, but by October he is and then what?...

@AbigailHobbs sbm Now responding to this ^ part of your post.
Sneaky? Let's look at hypothetical couple jointly owning their home but w no legal instrument for addressing an absence or disability circumstance, which would typically be handled thru self-administered trust or a power of atty doc. Say one person is injured in vehicle crash and is in coma in hosp. for months. If it becomes financially necessary to sell their jointly owned home, what could the other partner do to enable a sale? Answer might be petitioning for guardianship, which may be the only answer for this unwelcome coma. A gdn'ship procedure can be used by innocent, well-intended ppl w jointly-held properties, when their estate planning is/was not broad enough to have encompassed methods for addressing absence or disability situations.
Can a no-good, low-down skunk who harmed or killed spouse seek guardianship, sell prop, and use proceeds for riotous living? Yep, can happen. Hopefully rarely.
Spouse. PoI or Arrestee?
I'm trying to recall cases in which person w suspiciously-absent-spouse was publicly identified as a PoI in connection w disappearance, has petitioned for gdn'ship and sold prop. Coming up empty but maybe others can think of some. Granted, for many yrs now, LE does not tend to publicly name a PoI or suspect (until after arrest).
Plenty of cases in which surviving spouse tries to hurry probate of suspicious-death-spouse's estate and/or quickly submits life ins claim to ins carrier.
If (hypothetical only) arrest info (re suspicious disappearance) was made part of gdn'ship record, I wonder how that might impact judge's rulings/orders re gdnship. jm 2 cts.

 

[Knox]

I'm hearing this differently (certainly could be wrong here) It sounds and reads to me that the neighbor called Barry, not the girls, and said 'we are a little worried" and Barry says he is too...why down "we" call the police. (So neither the girls or Barry would make that call?) This could go either way...but we d know that ultimately it was the neighbor, that makes me think the "she called me in Denver is the neighbor, not a daughter.

Also if it was a daughter, it seems like you would use their name...(so Macy called me...whatever )

Yep, he said the neighbor called him after discovering Suzanne's car was home, but not her bike.

 

[al66pine]

IN. Guardianship. Sneaky? POI?

It seems like a sneaky work around whether it's legal or not...And he could be getting clearance while not being declared a POI, but by October he is and then what?...

@AbigailHobbs sbm Now responding to this ^ part of your post.
Sneaky? Let's look at hypothetical couple jointly owning their home but w no legal instrument for addressing an absence or disability circumstance, which would typically be handled thru self-administered trust or a power of atty doc. Say one person is injured in vehicle crash and is in coma in hosp. for months. If it becomes financially necessary to sell their jointly owned home, what could the other partner do to enable a sale? Answer might be petitioning for guardianship, which may be the only answer for this unwelcome coma. A gdn'ship procedure can be used by innocent, well-intended ppl w jointly-held properties, when their estate planning is/was not broad enough to have encompassed methods for addressing absence or disability situations.
Can a no-good, low-down skunk who harmed or killed spouse seek guardianship, sell prop, and use proceeds for riotous living? Yep, can happen. Hopefully rarely.
Spouse. PoI or Arrestee?
I'm trying to recall cases in which person w suspiciously-absent-spouse was publicly identified as a PoI in connection w disappearance, has petitioned for gdn'ship and sold prop. Coming up empty but maybe others can think of some. Granted, for many yrs now LE does not tend to publicly name a PoI or suspect (until after arrest).
Plenty of cases in which surviving spouse tries to hurry probate of suspicious-death-spouse's estate and/or quickly submits life ins claim to ins carrier.
If (hypothetical only) arrest info (re suspicious disappearance) was made part of gdn'ship record, I wonder how that might impact judge's rulings/orders re gdnship. jm 2 cts.

 

[Fireflize]

They remarked on how often Barry says “we”as opposed to using other pronouns like “I”. If I remember correctly, they thought Barry was using language that distances himself from the situation.

Thx. It was interesting to hear them discuss the case, to be able to take a fresh look at it through their eyes. No hype, just an intelligent conversation. Moo

 

[Knox]

ITA ^^

I’ve written this almost exactly several times. Couldn’t he have called one of his FF friends to run over? Connections in the CCFD or LE that he would trust to help him? How could he tell the neighbor he was worried and then ask her to call 911? IMO this is one of the most telling parts of his story.

As if he wanted others to find her missing.

IMO, we didn't hear all the details of that conversation with the neighbor or with the girls. I'm betting BM mentioned Suzanne's bike somewhere prior to the neighbor going to the house. Finding that bike was important and I'm fairly certain the personal item LE found will turn out to be her helmet.

 

[vaporlass]

The mountain lion theory didn’t originate with BM. IMO It was already in play when he got back from Denver. Unlike Letecia, who clearly threw out numerous “original” theories, BM has never steered this investigation in any direction. MOO He has been blindsided from day 1. He has never attempted to control the narrative. This speaks to his innocence as well, had he pulled off this sort of a disappearance, and 2 months later, SM is still missing. surely he would have premeditated a better scenario than mountain lion. JMO
We can’t have it both ways.
I believe empathy exists in most of us, but in just the basic form. Some, indeed never have it, and will never develop it.
I remember nurturing it in my children, different techniques. The golden rule, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. One of my newer favorites, anonymous quote, “be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a terrible battle”. The key word for me, kind. I cried when one of my difficult teenage daughter’s counselors, described her as kind. It gave me hope.
Point to this, most of us have put ourselves in BMs place, and judged him as we think he should have reacted. We’ve based it on our own personal experiences, or our past cases here.
I’d like to challenge us all to take those preconceptions and set them aside.

To really walk in the other persons shoes, you have to go back to the very beginning.
A simple, very happy family, yes SM was alone on MD, no big deal, she knows she is loved and cherished, on a daily basis. Consider this, who the heck planned a MD camp out? They weren’t the only ones missing for MD.
Things are totally normal. You have plans for Monday, to be a special day, and so on.
And then the unthinkable happens. Consider you have not planned anything, you truly have no clue. Then you get conflicting advice, scream from the highest mountaintop, vs no, let’s not panic this person!

Sometimes, I did have to get creative in my empathy teaching, sometimes the person really was not likable, but it really wasn’t about them, it was about my children. Soooo, pick a very happily married couple, that you know personally. suddenly the husband disappears. Use kindness, and judge BM not from a PF perspective.

It is very important for me, to somehow at least get more of us open to the real possibility that BM might be innocent.
We have enough collective brains and insight in this forum to actually sleuth for the truth here and find SM.
We need to at least be open to other POIs. We shut the investigation down on this forum long before LE has. JMHO

I make progress, I continue to sleuth, and the few of us still sleuthing are finding things. Sure is nice to have encouragement from some, and even better to be treated w/ respect here... thank you!

I can’t. He has not acted or spoken the way I would want or expect from my spouse. You are right, I’m speaking from my perspective. Why do I need to try to consider HIS innocence? What purpose would it serve? There are NO alternatives, are there? So why should I? I’ve stepped away from this case, trying to presume his innocence but my impressions are still the same. As I look at NEWS and find 1 month articles - no news, no pleas, no NOTHING from him, my heart convicts him ... maybe just on being a terrible husband. His actions or rather lack of action - screams to me, “I don’t care” and that is why he is guilty whether he is an actual murderer or not.

 

[BuySellTrade]

I just watched the TD video again and he says "the girls are gonna come home to spend time you on mothers day so you mind if i go to the job site?"

Then he takes off alone to set up a job site for his workers beginning Monday so it would be all set up.

The girls call the neighbor who calls them and says the car is there the bike is missing. The girls had not been able to reach their mother that day so they were worried.

They call him and they say Im very worried he says me too maybe we should call the police.

But then he doesnt call, the neighbor does? Wouldnt a husband who is a volunteer firefighter call the police? Especially since firefighters (here anyway) handle a lot of 911 calls for injured people and he could give his own friends info on where she normally bikes?

One would think BM would call one of the fireman / first responder buddies rather than a 70 plus year old neighbor (especially as we are not party to how close the neighbor may have been to SM) to check why SM was non-responsive. Also what type of man would have an acquaintance call 911 or LE in general when his wife was missing? Makes no sense.

 

[IronOreBetty]

Since one possibility is an abduction and vehicles must pass cameras on 50 going north or south from 225, MOO that footage needed the same immediate scrutiny as the river and roadsides, the home, the camp on 224 and the cement slab in Salida.
MOO absence of reviewing that footage immediately seems to be either a clear signal sheriff had a convincing reason to think she did not get abducted in a vehicle, or it was a big error.

Or they think she did get abducted or leave via that route somehow. We just don't know.

 

[IronOreBetty]

I'm hearing this differently (certainly could be wrong here) It sounds and reads to me that the neighbor called Barry, not the girls, and said 'we are a little worried" and Barry says he is too...why down "we" call the police. (So neither the girls or Barry would make that call?) This could go either way...but we d know that ultimately it was the neighbor, that makes me think the "she called me in Denver is the neighbor, not a daughter.

Also if it was a daughter, it seems like you would use their name...(so Macy called me...whatever )

If BM called 911 from Denver or the Denver suburbs he would not have reached Chaffee County 911, he would have reached 911 in the area where he was.

That is probably why the neighbor made the call.

 

[Fireflize]

I'm hearing this differently (certainly could be wrong here) It sounds and reads to me that the neighbor called Barry, not the girls, and said 'we are a little worried" and Barry says he is too...why down "we" call the police. (So neither the girls or Barry would make that call?) This could go either way...but we d know that ultimately it was the neighbor, that makes me think the "she called me in Denver is the neighbor, not a daughter.

Also if it was a daughter, it seems like you would use their name...(so Macy called me...whatever )

I'm confused about who he is saying called. Have no idea. That he didn't use anyone's name leaves it open to speculation. I do wonder about the calls, how many, when, with whom, as it could be insightful. For a guy with a reputation of being in control of things, it's so odd that he stayed so far in the background when Suzanne was first missed. He was also referred to as the unnamed husband when the nephew first spoke as the family spokesperson, strange. He seemed like he was trying to fade into the woodwork. Moo

 

[AbigailHobbs]

I'm hearing this differently (certainly could be wrong here) It sounds and reads to me that the neighbor called Barry, not the girls, and said 'we are a little worried" and Barry says he is too...why down "we" call the police. (So neither the girls or Barry would make that call?) This could go either way...but we d know that ultimately it was the neighbor, that makes me think the "she called me in Denver is the neighbor, not a daughter.

Also if it was a daughter, it seems like you would use their name...(so Macy called me...whatever )

That is what I meant sorry it wasnt clear. Yes that why would the girls call BM, probably after trying to ask their dad and mom, then not being able to reach her so they call the neighbor who then calls the police. I mean but after she reported to them that the bike was missing? I get being worried, I dont get why the neighbor would call and not the spouse who works for FD?

This article below has some new statements that I at least haven't seen/found interesting. I've only selected quotes I find to be new info so it's not how the article was written, MOO, you can view the entire article via the link

quote

"Friends said they asked neighbor Jeanne Ritter, 70, to check on Suzanne when they couldn’t get hold of her and it was Ritter who later called the police to report her missing."

next quote

"Summer Stehle, 43, the stepmother of 17-year-old Macy’s best friend, said: ‘The neighbors up there are spread pretty far apart but the only reason they found out [she was missing] is because the girls called the neighbors and said, ''we never heard from Mom – can you go check on her?''

‘Nobody actually saw her on her bicycle, sadly.’

next quote

"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.

Police also have his car and his cell phone – leaving the businessman and volunteer firefighter to communicate through his close friend George Davis, 33."

next quote from a firefighter

"Nelson added: ‘It’s a bad deal you know. They aren’t telling us anything. We got excluded from everything.

‘George [Davis] put together a search team of friends – I was going to go but pretty much all our fire guys are on it so I decided to step away just in case we get something [a fire].

‘Barry was very understanding from what I got from George. I know he’s not allowed to go home. He’s at a neighbor’s. I guess they got him there until he’s cleared or…’"


Police search and carry out evidence bags from the $1.5M home of missing Colorado mom | Daily Mail Online

 

[Truecolors]

If BM called 911 from Denver or the Denver suburbs he would not have reached Chaffee County 911, he would have reached 911 in the area where he was.

That is probably why the neighbor made the call.

That’s true about 911.

But if it was called in as a wellness check, I’m sure he could’ve called the non-emergency line directly. In that small town, and as a volunteer firefighter, I’d think he’d have buddies to call.

MOO

 

[KLM6]

ITA ^^

I’ve written this almost exactly several times. Couldn’t he have called one of his FF friends to run over? Connections in the CCFD or LE that he would trust to help him? How could he tell the neighbor he was worried and then ask her to call 911? IMO this is one of the most telling parts of his story.

As if he wanted others to find her missing.

The way he makes it sound is that it was set up for the daughters to find her missing, and if thats true it adds even more disturbingness to this case.

 

[Goldenseal]

I'm confused about who he is saying called. Have no idea. That he didn't use anyone's name leaves it open to speculation. I do wonder about the calls, how many, when, with whom, as it could be insightful. For a guy with a reputation of being in control of things, it's so odd that he stayed so far in the background when Suzanne was first missed. He was also referred to as the unnamed husband when the nephew first spoke as the family spokesperson, strange. He seemed like he was trying to fade into the woodwork. Moo

Yes! And as you say, "for a guy with a reputation of being in control of things," he is amazingly inarticulate and fumbly over just about everything. Yes, his wife is missing, but this is when you need the 'controller' to REALLY step up, and he hasn't. He seems like a little boy. MOO.

 

[sripey]

Finally watched the video. What immediately jumps out to me is that he is a compulsive liar. He is so accustomed to lying that he thinks people believe him when he makes statements that are dumbfoundedly ridiculous/impossible. I grew up with a guy just like that.

His ranger buddy did 400 tours of duty? Really? At a minimum, his buddy must be over 200 years old to be that dedicated. He probably still has his three cornered hat. That's gotta be worth something.

Maybe more impressively, BM and his 200+ year old buddy have thoroughly searched a 200 mile radius of rugged landscape including all the mountain peaks within...in just a couple of weeks! That's mighty impressive. Texas EquuSearch needs to sign these guys up.

Thank goodness only ten police officers handled the bike and not 100.

I totally believe him. I swear I do.

 

[AbigailHobbs]

ITA ^^

I’ve written this almost exactly several times. Couldn’t he have called one of his FF friends to run over? Connections in the CCFD or LE that he would trust to help him? How could he tell the neighbor he was worried and then ask her to call 911? IMO this is one of the most telling parts of his story.

As if he wanted others to find her missing.

It's also at that point him speculating that 911 needs to be called. I would try my best not to go from "go see if she's home" to "call 911 the bike is missing!" Especially as a firefighter it just smells off to me. Its a job that requires thinking under pressure. My first thought would be to make a personal call myself rather than having an unknown person go out from the sheriffs office. Nothing indicates that the neighbor reported seeing evidence of foul play. If she did then yeah call 911, The bike is gone? It's not that moving to me. I would for sure be worried, but I would not jump to terrible things happening to her . I'd try to run down some help with friends in the city first. And then drive home.

 

[AbigailHobbs]

One would think BM would call one of the fireman / first responder buddies rather than a 70 plus year old neighbor (especially as we are not party to how close the neighbor may have been to SM) to check why SM was non-responsive. Also what type of man would have an acquaintance call 911 or LE in general when his wife was missing? Makes no sense.

Especially as a person in a similar enough line of work. The firefighters would be the best help for her since a lot are paramedics (or at least more skilled/trained for emergency response) and would go out of their way to start looking around down cliffs and looking around just as a professional courtesy I think.

Other than the missing bike I have no idea what the neighbor would even say. I'd do it, but I'd feel stupid.

 

[LietKynes]

The way he makes it sound is that it was set up for the daughters to find her missing, and if thats true it adds even more disturbingness to this case.

Thanks for this comment.
Agreed that it's beyond troubling to think that someone wanted the daughters to find her missing !
Holy crapola.
MOO

 

[AbigailHobbs]

Finally watched the video. What immediately jumps out to me is that he is a compulsive liar. He is so accustomed to lying that he thinks people believe him when he makes statements that are dumbfoundedly ridiculous/impossible. I grew up with a guy just like that.

His ranger buddy did 400 tours of duty? Really? At a minimum, his buddy must be over 200 years old to be that dedicated. He probably still has his three cornered hat. That's gotta be worth something.

Maybe more impressively, BM and his 200+ year old buddy have thoroughly searched a 200 mile radius of rugged landscape including all the mountain peaks within...in just a couple of weeks! That's mighty impressive. Texas EquuSearch needs to sign these guys up.

Thank goodness only ten police officers handled the bike and not 100.

I totally believe him. I swear I do.

Ha i remembered that on the first watch. Did he just say 400 tours?