Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #47

[BuySellTrade]

I am in financial trouble. I will kill Suzanne and my money problems will go away. I’ll throw her bike down a hill and make it look like an abductor or a lion took off with my 49 year old wife. No one will ever guess it was me. The police won’t be bothered to look into my financial situation. They will be too busy tracking down the lion. I will be a free, happy man.

Do we really think this is how it went down?

What if the Morphews were in financial trouble but only BM knew?

Perhaps their finances were already stressed by the move from IN to CO and the dfficulty of getting established as a new small business in CO. Then came corona virus and personal stress and financial stress on steroids.

Perhaps in their Christianity, the husband dominated and mostly they had been comfortable with that arrangement and the marriage was more positive than many marriages, lasting 20plus years, two fine daughters, nice homes, and material success. So there was stress from finances (including college costs), the virus, a major midlife relocation, and SM's continuing health problems and attendant fragility, physical limitions, and care. BM by nature is not that empathetic and when things worked for the couple SM's empathy carried most of their mutual load and this worked, the strong man and the woman who loved and catered to him and mothered the girls. But BM was lacking in care giving skills.

Perhaps there was a melt down about revelations to SM about their finances and all the situations cascaded into a head. What happened was over in an instant. SM suddenly moved towards BM and then she was on the floor with her neck bent at a right angle. No true blame or attack, rather momentary and unclear event turned horrendous.

BM got very stupid and has been trapped in that stupid loop ever since. He should have called 911. The can-do BM devised a cover up that turned multi-faceted, Byzantine, and obvious. BM has contined to double down and cascade to near ludicrous but he hid or disposed of the body so never to be found. He is also angry at SM for initiating the death event and is certain that SM would not blame him for what occurred. But BM is on legal and public fly paper and still wants to protect his daughters, which to his nature is largely material. BM is just plain angry and ever desperate. Wonder how much BM has leveled with his daughters?

I am not saying that this scenario is the most likely but is a scenario that has not been discussed.

 

[Hoss569]

Not quite, this is how I think it went down.

They had a major fight over something, and perhaps Suzanne used the word “divorce.” Whatever the fight was about, Barry had already done the math; he knew the stakes.

A divorce meant money, and a loss of the lifestyle he had become accustomed to.

After killing her, he had to figure out how how to draw suspicion away from where it would naturally go, the husband.

He would have been panicking at this stage, but it appears he was able to somewhat hold it together.

His concern was staging the bike, establishing an alibi, and misdirecting the investigation that was sure to happen.

I don’t believe this was planned in advance, but still meets the legal definition of premeditation.

And it was all about the money.

Money is pretty close to the top of my list.

I do think this was planned tho or certainly given a great deal of thought. This thought is only based on the fact that this is an awful lot for BM to come up with in such a short time. Some of BM's comments/actions are nonsense, but some of this is pretty well thought out, IMO.

To our knowledge there is no crime scene, several possible indications of one tho. I would think the 'how to' would have had some thought involved, whoever the culprit.

Where is she at? Even tho its fairly remote and plenty of remote options to disappear, I would think its not that easy to disappear someone without a trace. IMO, there would have had to be some thoughts about this.

A weekend without the kids, if this plays any part of it.

A special holiday weekend, I know it seems like he doesn't care, but it does fit some alibi's. There would have not been a good excuse to leave a job or his employees at a job site.

BM may be pretty smart or smarter than he appears, or maybe all this could be done on a whim, who knows.

Just my thoughts and IMO only.

 

[GordianKnot]

Something keeps sticking in my craw that the sale of the Indiana house is the root of this case. Either there could not be a clear title prepared because BM had leans against it that SM did not know about.
Perhaps she found out and BM wanted her to ask dear Dad for some $ and she said no way . Or she would not sign the papers to sale , she had changed her mind . IMO as several others , she found out something she was not supposed to find out. Or she refused to sign a unknown to us document and he killed her , quickly got guardianship and signed the documents anyway. Suzanne these papers will get processed if you are dead or alive ! A physical act commenced and BM picked the option . What if he had used her $500k to clear the title on the the Indiana home that she thought was clear? I keep chewing on banker Barry mishandling her inheritance.
Don’t torture me to bad for bringing things up we have discussed. We are running out of speculation cookies. They cost $$$$$$$$

I also think the Indiana property sale is somehow relevant to this crime.

The timing is way too coincidental.

*Speculation Only: I can think of a few possible scenarios r/t the property that might have sparked conflict b/t them:

• SM having second thoughts about selling the property for some reason, e.g., wanting to move back to Indiana, thinking about implications for division of property in a divorce situation, etc.
• BM having pulled something over on SM related to that property sale which she later discovered, i.e, finding out BM forged her signature on documents or that he had duped her into signing temporary guardianship papers.
• BM did something like refinance their house back in IN without SM's knowledge. This could possibly explain his having the money to buy the CO house, as well as explain his need to make the sale of the IN property.

JMO.

 

[al66pine]

Prop. Tax Bills?
@oviedo
Did you ask whether county sends PP prop tax bill to street address or P.O. box, which SM may not have known of?
If not you, someone else asked today. Per link imo, county sends bill to PP street address.

"Physical Address 19057 PUMA PATH
Owner Address MORPHEW BARRY L
MORPHEW SUZANNE R
19057 PUMA PATH
SALIDA, CO 812019249"
Per qPublic.net - Chaffee County, CO - Map

 

[Trackergd]

I keep looking at the satellite view of the Puma Path property and wonder why one would go to elaborate extremes to move remains and hide them or other evidence miles away, under concrete or in an excavation, all the while taking the chance of discovery...when there are hundreds of square miles of land, right behind the property, complete with off road trails. Most discovered hasty burial sites are shallow and not camouflaged very well. If you had ample time and resources and knew the landscape well, you could find a very out of the way spot, well off the trails and take the time to conceal the site. If the search teams were looking for a body on the ground, they very well could have completely missed a well hidden burial site. Leave the cell phone at the house and use a vehicle without a GPS to move the remains to the burial spot. It's just too darn handy. If the remains are well wrapped in plastic, there is no scent trail for the ground scent dogs to detect.

 

[Seattle1]

Something keeps sticking in my craw that the sale of the Indiana house is the root of this case. Either there could not be a clear title prepared because BM had leans against it that SM did not know about.
Perhaps she found out and BM wanted her to ask dear Dad for some $ and she said no way . Or she would not sign the papers to sale , she had changed her mind . IMO as several others , she found out something she was not supposed to find out. Or she refused to sign a unknown to us document and he killed her , quickly got guardianship and signed the documents anyway. Suzanne these papers will get processed if you are dead or alive ! A physical act commenced and BM picked the option . What if he had used her $500k to clear the title on the the Indiana home that she thought was clear? I keep chewing on banker Barry mishandling her inheritance.
Don’t torture me to bad for bringing things up we have discussed. We are running out of speculation cookies. They cost $$$$$$$$

IMO, following the money is definitely going to factor in on the charges and conviction of the party responsible for disappearing SM. I believe SM recovering from cancer was a game-changer for SM where she found herself wanting time apart from BM after she expected to receive a clean bill from cancer at her medical appointment on Monday, May 11, 2020. I believe attending the wedding of her best friend's daughter in Indiana was part of that plan as well as spending time with her ailing father.

As for the former Morphew residence located in Indiana, this sale was a done deal in June 2019. I also don't think it reasonable to change your mind and expect to get your house back one year after you've sold it.

According to Indiana public records, the pending transaction in June 2020 causing BM to seek guardianship of SM was a balloon payment due the sellers on the one year anniversary of the sale (June 2020) where buyers obtained conventional financing to cash out the seller.

Both BM/SM's signatures were required at closing to release their security interest in the property and convey the property deed to the buyers. BM needed to seek guardianship of SM because he did not have a general POA for his wife to sign the closing documents. (I think this fact is one more telling sign of the direction the relationship was headed).

While I don't believe the sale of the Indiana residence the issue, I do believe that the proceeds expected early June 2020 could very much have been an issue between BM/SM.

Personally, I think SM likely saw these proceeds as a means to reimburse herself for allegedly using her inheritance as the downpayment for the PP home. I believe SM most likely saw her inheritance not as a means to purchase joint real estate with BM but for the continuing support of the next generation or her own daughters-- just as SM received this inheritance from her own mother.

However, it does seem clear to me that BM's idea for the balloon proceeds had nothing to do with SM's wishes to be reimbursed. I think BM had already set his eyes on building lot #8 located in the Longhorn Ranch subdivision, and I believe SM disagreed that this purchase was an option for the proceeds from the Indiana residence.

Again, I don't think BM is capable of accepting the answer "no" to what he wants. BM wasted no time securing this vacant land which public records provide was secured by warranty deed (for Lot 8) on June 25, 2020.

MOO

 

[Midwestmom2019]

I keep looking at the satellite view of the Puma Path property and wonder why one would go to elaborate extremes to move remains and hide them or other evidence miles away, under concrete or in an excavation, all the while taking the chance of discovery...when there are hundreds of square miles of land, right behind the property, complete with off road trails. Most discovered hasty burial sites are shallow and not camouflaged very well. If you had ample time and resources and knew the landscape well, you could find a very out of the way spot, well off the trails and take the time to conceal the site. If the search teams were looking for a body on the ground, they very well could have completely missed a well hidden burial site. Leave the cell phone at the house and use a vehicle without a GPS to move the remains to the burial spot. It's just too darn handy. If the remains are well wrapped in plastic, there is no scent trail for the ground scent dogs to detect.

A no GPS vehicle? 4 wheeler comes to mind. Many hunters have these. Camouflaged, tricked out.

 

[Seattle1]

DBM wrong thread

 

[Seattle1]

DBM - wrong thread

 

[Trackergd]

A no GPS vehicle? 4 wheeler comes to mind. Many hunters have these. Camouflaged, tricked out.

Could be anything from a wheelbarrow to a lawn tractor with trailer. Not sure if they owned a ATV or not. If the tan Jeep in the Zillow garage pictures belongs to the actor, there is a lot of money tied up in off road accessories, which makes me wonder if offroading was a hobby.

Link: 19057 Puma Path, Salida, CO 81201 | Zillow

 

[Madeleine74]

County deed records are online and publicly-accessible, and some (perhaps most?) also have mortgage and lien records included. If there was anything legally enforceable or financial (mortgage, lien) happening with the IN home, or any owned property, there would be something filed with the county. The IN home that sold in June 2020 is located in Hamilton County, IN.

I looked online several months ago on the public register of deeds website in that county to see when the house went into escrow and what else was filed. The people living in the house were apparently leasing the house with an agreement to purchase it, and the agreement was made spring 2019.

IMO

 

[DizzyB]

I’m in the “Barry lost it” camp. I think his rage got him and he killed her. I would not be surprised by strangulation or her hitting her head and then him finishing the job. Barry’s got a temper, and I think he is absolutely used to getting his way in every situation. Suzanne May have been the obedient wife-we don’t know for sure, but sweet and maybe docile comes up a lot. She may have objected to something, and he flipped.

I thought of Barry this morning when I read about a woman who was murdered, and found with her thumb severed. It is believed that her killer used her thumb to access her phone and send messages than she was ill and not coming to work.

 

[Megnut]

IMO, following the money is definitely going to factor in on the charges and conviction of the party responsible for disappearing SM. I believe SM recovering from cancer was a game-changer for SM where she found herself wanting time apart from BM after she expected to receive a clean bill from cancer at her medical appointment on Monday, May 11, 2020. I believe attending the wedding of her best friend's daughter in Indiana was part of that plan as well as spending time with her ailing father.

MOO

SBM

Suzanne already planned to view the wedding online due to Covid restrictions and was her father's health issues weren't discovered until after Suzanne's disappearance, as I recall.

But it sure does seem that tensions were brewing.

Oh, Suzanne.

JMO

 

[oviedo]

Prop. Tax Bills?
@oviedo
Did you ask whether county sends PP prop tax bill to street address or P.O. box, which SM may not have known of?
If not you, someone else asked today. Per link imo, county sends bill to PP street address.

"Physical Address 19057 PUMA PATH
Owner Address MORPHEW BARRY L
MORPHEW SUZANNE R
19057 PUMA PATH
SALIDA, CO 812019249"
Per qPublic.net - Chaffee County, CO - Map

Thanks @al66pine - was hoping this might reveal a "bill to" address - guess not.

 

[Hair of the Dog]

I thought of Barry this morning when I read about a woman who was murdered, and found with her thumb severed. It is believed that her killer used her thumb to access her phone and send messages than she was ill and not coming to work.

Respectfully snipped and BBM

Good Lord!

MOO

 

[Hair of the Dog]

I wouldn't be surprised if there are a bank of individual locking mailboxes for the Puma Path neighborhood based on the community trash collection site.

MOO

 

[Hair of the Dog]

Could be anything from a wheelbarrow to a lawn tractor with trailer. Not sure if they owned a ATV or not. If the tan Jeep in the Zillow garage pictures belongs to the actor, there is a lot of money tied up in off road accessories, which makes me wonder if offroading was a hobby.

Link: 19057 Puma Path, Salida, CO 81201 | Zillow

IMO the pic of the garage and Land Cruiser was from when the Morphews purchased the house. The most recent listing for some unknown reason doesn't include any photos of the garage, the utility room or the kitchen.

 

[Knox]

I also think the Indiana property sale is somehow relevant to this crime.

The timing is way too coincidental.

*Speculation Only: I can think of a few possible scenarios r/t the property that might have sparked conflict b/t them:

• SM having second thoughts about selling the property for some reason, e.g., wanting to move back to Indiana, thinking about implications for division of property in a divorce situation, etc.
• BM having pulled something over on SM related to that property sale which she later discovered, i.e, finding out BM forged her signature on documents or that he had duped her into signing temporary guardianship papers.
• BM did something like refinance their house back in IN without SM's knowledge. This could possibly explain his having the money to buy the CO house, as well as explain his need to make the sale of the IN property.

JMO.

Maybe something like he didn't really sell his Indiana business for a million dollars?

 

[Murphy1950]

SBM

Suzanne already planned to view the wedding online due to Covid restrictions and was her father's health issues weren't discovered until after Suzanne's disappearance, as I recall.

But it sure does seem that tensions were brewing.

Oh, Suzanne.

JMO

Not so sure about this. She may have planned on being there, Covid or not, then plans changed, could have been abruptly, meaning the week before. It was her best friend’ s daughter, she had to know that child while she was growing up. Barry and Suzanne lived in Indiana their whole lives up until the Colorado move.

From my experience with this Covid mess, the big guest list is cancelled, BUT parents, closest friends and family, the wedding party etc. are there. For other guest, the ceremony may be zoomed. That could be why the girls planned a trip out of town that weekend anyways, and the reason no extended family planned to arrive, because no one was going to be around, Then Barry changed the plans.

ETA...I just don't think COVID alone would have kept her away. Besides the wedding, I think she would have loved an opportunity for a trip home.

 

[JosieMae]

I keep looking at the satellite view of the Puma Path property and wonder why one would go to elaborate extremes to move remains and hide them or other evidence miles away, under concrete or in an excavation, all the while taking the chance of discovery...when there are hundreds of square miles of land, right behind the property, complete with off road trails. Most discovered hasty burial sites are shallow and not camouflaged very well. If you had ample time and resources and knew the landscape well, you could find a very out of the way spot, well off the trails and take the time to conceal the site. If the search teams were looking for a body on the ground, they very well could have completely missed a well hidden burial site. Leave the cell phone at the house and use a vehicle without a GPS to move the remains to the burial spot. It's just too darn handy. If the remains are well wrapped in plastic, there is no scent trail for the ground scent dogs to detect.

I've thought the same thing. But, mulling it over, I always come up against the hurdles of getting machinery back there, possibly under cover of darkness.

Of course, the burial place could have been prepared in advance. Then it would be a matter of returning at night on an ATV with, say, a loaded cooler. But what about refilling the site with soil? And wouldn’t our guy want to place some big rocks there, as he does?