Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #34

[seekingjustice**]

I think this was not pre-planned or premeditated. I think SM and BM had a real argument Friday. Where did BM spend Friday night? He got up early, met MG at Salida for the beach job, and was still up because the argument was still unresolved. He went home they left the house together to hike and talk things through. She was resolute, he was enraged. She was within arms length of him and he reached out and strangled her. He disposed of her body near that spot.

He would not have needed to draw blood or make a mess. He is twice as strong and twice the size of SM. I think he didn't want to go home immediately after that and needed to think through how to set up an alibi. I think he went to Salida and walked around and thought about how to set up the weekend so he couldn't be suspected. Occam Razor. MOO MOO MOO MOO

Maybe that's why BM dropped to the ground in that certain spot, he may have been overcome with a feeling of remorse or maybe he noticed one of her earring shimmering on the ground. The only thing that bothers me with that theory is the fact that AM indicated that LE mentioned the home smelling of bleach.

 

[swedeheart]

I’m kind of looking at it as three time blocks that we want to dissect:

12:30pm (SM’s convo with best friend stops) - 11:30pm (Salida job site noise)

-11:30pm (Salida noise) - 5:00am Sunday (BM leaves for Broomfield)

-5:00am - 6:00pm Sunday (BM gets call from kids and neighbor).


I think the murder happened close to 12:30pm Saturday. I think BM then did as much of a cleanup as he could do, and puts SM’s body into a cooler. He then realizes he needs additional items for cleanup and off to the store he goes.

Some time close to sun down, BM heads out with the cooler in his truck bed to dispose of the body and evidence. He picks up the bob cat at the Salida job site and heads out towards the fire camp land that he knows so well. Somewhere back in that remote area he buries Susan.

BM arrives to the Salida job site around 11:30pm. In addition to dropping off the bobcat, he buries evidence at the job site. SM’s phone is put into the dirt where concrete would later be poured. LE discovers the phone during their dig/search.

BM gets home after midnight and then does more frantic clean up at the house.

At 5am and after just a couple hours of sleep he heads out to Broomfield. While in Broomfield, he empties out his truck and washes it, buys Chlorine/bleach and goes back to the hotel to clean off his tools. I suspect a heavy blow to the head, possibly from behind, is what killed Susan. BM disposes of some tools on his way back to Mayesville.


completely MOO. I also think at least 2 other people, probably 3-5 were involved in some capacity.

yes @EggSalad. absolutely agree with everything. i really hope the search will include the fire camp area. if for nothing more than to rule that possibility out. it's going to be someplace where he feels comfortable, an area he knows well, and a place where he would not look out of place "working." if he spent any significant time there, then that area needs to be searched. (i do not have any solid info that he did spend time there, but it's common sense that he would, being a firefighter. ) moo.

eta: also, i hope they search crested butte, where BM laid down on the ground. why were they there searching (with andy) in the first place? isn't that over and hour and a half from salida?

 

[MsBetsy]

So far Friday is unaccounted for to my knowledge -All CO time -
8am - met MG at the Salida river site?
11am ? - had to go home and make the wife happy?
12:30 - abrupt end to messaging (possible FaceTime? Or just messenger?) With IN friend

no information on Saturday afternoon/evening except he may have met with JP at some point ?
—- when was the room checked into in Broomfield?—-
Sunday
Sunday 5am by his own word Ledt her sleeping in bed and drove to “wall” site ?

called JP with family emergency - JP arrives at hotel room to find chlorine smell and wet towels
—-
When did MG arrive to same chlorine smell ?

—
trying to get these details straight for the timeline
JMO

MG said "we" opened the door and her eyes started burning and watering from the chlorine smell. JP said he arrived at 6:00 pm, so maybe she was with him at that time. I'm still not sure why he didn't request another room.

I wonder if the hotel room was actually booked for Saturday night since BM was planning on arriving early Sunday morning. That could explain why JP seemed surprised that it looked like the bed hadn't been slept in. Maybe they were under the impression he was arriving Saturday night? Or maybe BM was trying to make it look like he had 'not' slept in the bed. MG said it looked like he made it himself.

 

[Mimi in London]

I think this was not pre-planned or premeditated. I think SM and BM had a real argument Friday. Where did BM spend Friday night? He got up early, met MG at Salida for the beach job, and was still up because the argument was still unresolved. He went home they left the house together to hike and talk things through. She was resolute, he was enraged. She was within arms length of him and he reached out and strangled her. He disposed of her body near that spot.

He would not have needed to draw blood or make a mess. He is twice as strong and twice the size of SM. I think he didn't want to go home immediately after that and needed to think through how to set up an alibi. I think he went to Salida and walked around and thought about how to set up the weekend so he couldn't be suspected. Occam Razor. MOO MOO MOO MOO

This is plausible IMO. The only part I would contend with is the unplanned part. I reckon he knew when they set out on the suggested the hike that he was going to kill her.

 

[enelram]

I like how some of you are organizing the timeline- as much as we can.

Questions-
Are we assuming he took the bobcat w/ him to Broomfield, sunday am? Maybe chlorine needed for bucket or digger on that also?
MG would know if he took bobcat home Sat. at 11am.

What was the noise at 11:30pm Sat. night at Salida site? bobcat? chain saw? chipper?

Are we all believing his story that he left Puma
Path at 5am Sun.? Because he's mentioned it so many times I'm thinking this is what he told LE.
Chlorine at Holiday Inn leaves soooo many questions.
Was he cleaning-
tools?
bobcat attachments?
truck bed?
his clothes and shoes?
his body? maybe why his body was red later on when spotted by TD?

 

[enelram]

This is plausible IMO. The only part I would contend with is the unplanned part. I reckon he knew when they set out on the suggested the hike that he was going to kill her.

..except WHY was rear stone walkway cordoned off with crime tape at the home?
I'm thinking there were either drag marks or dogs hit on that spot.

 

[NuttMegg]

According to AM, Barry was offered a polygraph on the fourth day. I don't think refusing a polygraph necessarily makes one look suspicious since they are controversial and so many advise against it.

What is relevant to me is that BM told TD he had been cleared weeks ago, while LE stated no-one had been cleared. He also (reportedly) lied about taking a polygraph, which is why AM initially believed BM had nothing to do with Suzanne's disappearance.o

An innocent person shouldn't have to mislead people to convince them that they are innocent.

IMO

Absolutely, not taking the poly is one thing. Lying about it is something else.

 

[happyday]

I think this was not pre-planned or premeditated. I think SM and BM had a real argument Friday. Where did BM spend Friday night? He got up early, met MG at Salida for the beach job, and was still up because the argument was still unresolved. He went home they left the house together to hike and talk things through. She was resolute, he was enraged. She was within arms length of him and he reached out and strangled her. He disposed of her body near that spot.

He would not have needed to draw blood or make a mess. He is twice as strong and twice the size of SM. I think he didn't want to go home immediately after that and needed to think through how to set up an alibi. I think he went to Salida and walked around and thought about how to set up the weekend so he couldn't be suspected. Occam Razor. MOO MOO MOO MOO

I like this theory except that SM was texting w/a friend until 12:30. If he left the job site at 11:00 he would be home a long time before 12:30. Did he wait over an hour to ask her to hike? Why the “abrupt” end to her conversation? Did he not give her a chance to end her conversation & make her leave her phone at home? Also the bleach smell in their home.

 

[happyday]

..except WHY was rear stone walkway cordoned off with crime tape at the home?
I'm thinking there were either drag marks or dogs hit on that spot.

Yes, that too. I’m still leaning toward something happening in the house.

 

[DizzyB]

I like this theory except that SM was texting w/a friend until 12:30. If he left the job site at 11:00 he would be home a long time before 12:30. Did he wait over an hour to ask her to hike? Why the “abrupt” end to her conversation? Did he not give her a chance to end her conversation & make her leave her phone at home? Also the bleach smell in their home.

It might have taken a bit of time to pack up the jobsite, maybe he grabbed a coffee. He may have picked up the mail, went home and Suzanne was busy chatting. So he was annoyed that he quit work to rush home, but jumped in the shower. Still messaging. More annoyed. Got dressed And ready to go, still messaging, or maybe looking at the mail and messaging.

 

[Skigh]

I do wonder if he left his phone at home when he went to hide Suzanne,but then returned to collect it and actually did leave the house at 5am.
I think he probably knows that his location can be tracked via his phone.

 

[enelram]

Yes, that too. I’m still leaning toward something happening in the house.

I'd say 'definitely' happened in the home.

If there was a bleach smell, there must be some good stains to pick up using their luminol or those new lights that pick up blood spots.

 

[Barry]

Wondering out loud if chlorine might have been the COD/MOD.

 

[Rosiebones]

I like this theory except that SM was texting w/a friend until 12:30. If he left the job site at 11:00 he would be home a long time before 12:30. Did he wait over an hour to ask her to hike? Why the “abrupt” end to her conversation? Did he not give her a chance to end her conversation & make her leave her phone at home? Also the bleach smell in their home.

He could have been home by 11:30 and then taken a shower etc. and she could have been sitting around waiting for him to get dressed to hike etc. They could have left at 12 or a little after, she could have been texting her friend on the ride to the hike site. The abrupt end to the texting could have been because he killed her suddenly. I believe LE has never found her phone. I do not remember AM's comments about the smell of bleach smell in the house so I cannot comment it. Can you point me toward the MSM or his comments on that bleach smell?

 

[K9Enzo]

What if a body was in a plastic container, under water, weighted...and not right near the beach where the dogs were first asked to work.?

Would they find it? How far away could it be? I'm just hoping that you have a guess - I know there are many variables.

I just saw your post. IMO, I don’t know anyone that has recovered a victim under these circumstances (body in a cooler, weighed down). Most are drowning victims.

IMO, thinking this through, the water temps do play a role in the decomp process & the ability for the creepy crawlies to really take over. I believe you & I had this concern several threads back about the cold water temps in CO, especially in May. Some bodies of water will be warmed by the sun on the water surface and several feet below but still be 32 degrees at the bottom, as an example.

IMO, putting water temps aside, I still believe gases & skin particles would eventually release from the body & rise, even through a cooler. It’s not a scientific designed capsule. Many of these dog teams train with remains in some type of canister/container (I’ve even heard of autopsy rags being used).

IMO, the dog really needs to get its nose to the water surface. Jon boats are preferred by many handlers, if it’s safe for the body water being searched. Same if the dog is searching from the shore, nose at water level.

IMO, because of winds & water currents, a HRD probably won’t be able to alert at the exact location. Sometimes the conditions allow that to happen. When they do alert, a dive team is usually sent in to search the area, sonar used. Again, LE when utilizing these teams they usually have a general location of interest that they want searched. Then you have the brains that advise search areas based on many variables.

In this case, IMO, a body in a cooler might temporarily cause an issue but over time will only conceal a body for so long. Will a dog team be there when the stars align? Probably not. Some boater will see something unusual and call it in. At the same time, if LE has a area of interest and really think it’s possible for a cooler to be used in the concealment of a body, under water sonar imaging might be able to spot that easier than a body wrapped in a tarp, weighted down by an anchor, as an example.

Probably took your question on a hay ride but that’s my opinion. lol

 

[Ontario Mom]

I think it's safe to assume SM was at home when her convo with her friend "abruptly ended" at around 12:30 on Saturday the 9th.

I think it's also safe to assume that when her phone last pinged, it pinged off the same tower it does when she's at home. (did we ever get a date for the last ping?)

We know from MG, around 11am that Saturday, BM said he was headed out to "make the wife happy" who was... at home.

It seems pretty obvious to me, whatever happened to SM, happened in her home, and everything else has been a hastily weaved story (by BM) to answer for this, that and the other.

jmo

 

[DizzyB]

I like how some of you are organizing the timeline- as much as we can.

Questions-
Are we assuming he took the bobcat w/ him to Broomfield, sunday am? Maybe chlorine needed for bucket or digger on that also?
MG would know if he took bobcat home Sat. at 11am.

What was the noise at 11:30pm Sat. night at Salida site? bobcat? chain saw? chipper?

Are we all believing his story that he left Puma
Path at 5am Sun.? Because he's mentioned it so many times I'm thinking this is what he told LE.
Chlorine at Holiday Inn leaves soooo many questions.
Was he cleaning-
tools?
bobcat attachments?
truck bed?
his clothes and shoes?
his body? maybe why his body was red later on when spotted by TD?

A bobcat might be part of the missing necessary things in order to do the job. Maybe LE told JP and MG not to discuss the bobcat with anyone. Like that game show on tv Taboo.

I do wonder if he left his phone at home when he went to hide Suzanne,but then returned to collect it and actually did leave the house at 5am.
I think he probably knows that his location can be tracked via his phone.

Maybe Barry did disposal and clean up under cover of darkness, all before 5 am, with his phone in the charger on his nightstand. Would he have been smart enough to use a non-GPS vehicle, not captured by cameras, and tuck himself back in bed, to leave at 5 am Sunday? Maybe the bobcat GPS is the one thing that tripped up his timeline? LE knew the bobcat was being operated on Saturday night (corroborated by the neighbor)? He admitted he made the timeline mistake when he was “fixing” the bobcat.

 

[Barry]

Please bear with me on the chlorine thought, it just walked into my head a few minutes ago. I'm not a chemist, so I don't know if it could be achieved with ordinary products. But, the thought is that earlier in the day on Saturday, he mixed the right ingredients involving chlorine to create a fatal reaction for anyone in the house. His behavior by the "beach" may then have been that he already knew this was in process.

He would then be left with returning to the house, ventilating it, and then dealing with the body. He may not have anticipated the lingering smell, and possibly he himself was permeated with the smell, which might explain the hotel room smelling like it. It's possible too, that the house was still so bad, that he couldn't change his clothes.

In this scenario, he would not have been at the house when the messaging stopped. Probably outlandish, and MOO.

 

[NuttMegg]

I like this theory except that SM was texting w/a friend until 12:30. If he left the job site at 11:00 he would be home a long time before 12:30. Did he wait over an hour to ask her to hike? Why the “abrupt” end to her conversation? Did he not give her a chance to end her conversation & make her leave her phone at home? Also the bleach smell in their home.

Maybe just after 11 is when he was seen shopping, before going home. Can someone local tell me if it's correct that it is 20 miles to town from their house? I don't think he'd be doing a 40 rt to buy cleaning supplies if she was already dead but not buried.
I can't see him driving around with the bobcat in his truck (does it need a trailer?) After she's dead, it doesn't take all that much effort to grab a pick ax and shovel, dig a hole, what he had was "time". I also think he killed her away from the house.
Reading between the lines I think MG's statements about Barry shopping, being in town on Saturday had to come via JP. MG/JP had plenty of time to discuss BM, on the ride to/ from Denver, and then while they probably felt jerked around by him, re no dirt, not the right tools, no brick, and maybe no upfront $$. And maybe both of them were beginning to wonder about MG's noting his mood change, esp on Sunday morning.
We still don't know yet if/when C saw BM, maybe on Saturday, while shopping?

I think all of BM's employees have an idea of how the couple got along, and what were the possible issues. It's hard to work with friends day in and day out without griping a little about your spouse/boyfriends/girlfriends. Especially when working outside of an office and spending time driving around. Long drives with co-workers naturally provide the urge to chat and commiserate, imo.

 

[Rosiebones]

One other thought to have in this conversation about the overwhelming smell of chlorine or bleach is that Chlorox or bleach is exactly that-It takes the color out of whatever materials it touches and nowhere so far has that been mentioned, only the smell. If the solution is strong enough or if it is used full strength then there is color loss and splotches and fading everywhere. How can that be, that only smell is mentioned, if it was supposedly wiped over everything to get rid of blood etc.?