Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #4

[Warwick7]

I believe the husband went on the fire training. I believe her bike was found with the brakes locked. I believe someone hit her purposely and picked her up. Women are being grabbed by strangers, when they are jogging, this was when biking. MOO

True......

However, something more is here. LE are in her house taking evidence out. They would had to have acquired search warrant(s) to do this.

A judgedge issues a search warrant to authorize LE to search a particular home and seize specific items. To obtain a search warrant, police must show probable cause that a crime was committed and that items connected to the crime are likely to be found in the place specified by the warrant.

 

[NervousNellie]

JMO
I agree with another previous post that LE had to provide a probable cause to believe a search is justified in order for them to get approval on the search warrant.

I wonder though could the probable cause have simply been the fact that SM is still missing and they need to be certain she is not in her own home.

No. Probable cause must relate to an alleged crime or criminal activity. It is not a crime to go missing.

I'm not sure that's accurate for missing persons cases. I would want a lawyer to weigh in. @Gitana, where are you?

The probable cause is "there's someone missing from the house." That's all that is needed. It doesn't take blood. In fact, police should not go into a house without permission of one of the owners/occupants. They don't want to find evidence (blood) and then have it thrown out of court. So, before they go in, they get a warrant (sealed). Most judges in the US will give LE a general kind of search warrant if a person is missing. The amount of time the person has to be missing varies - but in a case like this, with a full fledged search happening on May 10, I assume LE contacted a judge on the 11.

You don't need anything more than a missing person and a judge who knows missing persons cases.

The judge may still ask questions (very common). The judge probably took until Tuesday to decide, and then it had to be filed. Then police had to decide who was going out and which experts they wanted.

Do we know which day the search happened? If someone has a lawyer and an interest in contesting the warrant, that could delay things.

BBM
@10 - an attorney has weighed in.

 

[Knox]

I understand LE requires "probable cause" for a search warrant, but maybe it's a pressure tactic, too?
Do we often see media photos of cops nonchalantly displaying forensic tools or ziplocs with what might be evidence? This wasn't exactly secretive. Items in a big clear baggie, especially when you'd normally get a paper bag? A clear-as-day photo of a cop with a spray bottle? Maybe they allowed the photos "accidentally on purpose". Maybe the goal is to freak someone out, as well as to do a search?

I understood the road to the house was blocked. I absolutely do not think they allowed the DM to accidentally on-purpose take photos. Wondered if they used a drone?

 

[Warwick7]

Since nephew was the person announcing to the public that the bike was found, I think he most likely knew the condition.

I think his request to the reporter for the "public to implore the sheriff" to release information about the bike's condition was to immediately steer the direction of the public's perception before it was too late to reverse the direction. This was my initial reaction and more than a week later I'm convinced this was the motive.

Perhaps he wanted to build off the sheriff's comments but the sheriff has obviously never given him that opportunity by remaining silent this entire investigation. Silent on the details. MOO

BBM
Well I never thought about it like that. Wow....

 

[clearskies1]

BBM
@10 - an attorney has weighed in.

Thank you!!! I was just getting ready to post that.

 

[Puzzles8]

Actually, how would the nephew know what the bike's condition was? I'm thinking he wanted to know, hence the pressure.

I really feel it was the nephew's strong intent to let the public know about the bike's condition as well as it's location, where it was found as well as the position of the brakes. I admittedly know nothing about serious biking, but it does stick out to me that the bike's brakes were locked. It makes sense to me that when transporting a bike on a vehicle, the brakes should be locked to prevent spinning.

Kind of suggests to me the bike might have been taken to it's final location in a bike rack on the back of a vehicle. Was the location the bike was found adjacent to a road?

LE still hasn't confirmed or released any of that information yet.

 

[RickshawFan]

Under Colorado law "an order to seal [a warrant] may only be based on a demonstration, by clear and convincing evidence, that there is a substantial risk of injury to persons or property if an order to seal is not granted."

This is not a PSYOP. The "clear and convincing" standard is a serious burden. The only burden of proof greater than "clear and convincing" is "beyond a reasonable doubt."

My point is: "Yes, LE undoubtedly met all the criteria for a search, whatever the criteria are, but maybe they strategically allowed some media glimpses so as to put the pressure on someone." I don't recall evidence in large ziplocs before, where you can kinda see what it is. Is this a pressure tactic?

 

[Warwick7]

Exactly. Most of the suspicious circumstances posited here could have been sussed out by LE in hours and the search warrant could have been issued a week ago. Surely if it could be proven that BM wasn’t at some nonexistent firefighters training (something I have not seen him claim anyway, but would be pretty easy to disprove) or SM hadn’t been heard from by anyone since 5/8 or the neighbor told them she hadn’t seen SM going on a ride, it wouldn’t have taken so long to get a search warrant for the home of a critically missing woman. I think they’re fresh out of ideas. MOO.

My guess? They aren't fresh out of anything.

In the P. Frazee trial there was so much evidence held close to the vest by LE that during trial IT BLEW US AWAY.

 

[BoatyMcboatface]

I understood the road to the house was blocked. I absolutely do not think they allowed the DM to accidentally on-purpose take photos. Wondered if they used a drone?

Looks like ground level to me. I can picture someone with a long lense crouching in the woods somewhere. Most of them aren’t perfectly clear.

 

[Knox]

Interesting. The man is wealthy. Why does he have to communicate through his close friend. He can get a new phone anytime. PF did it right away.

My thought was he wanted to put another person between him and let's say, well, maybe, Law Enforcement?

 

[Chomsky]

My point is: "Yes, LE undoubtedly met all the criteria for a search, whatever the criteria are, but maybe they strategically allowed some media glimpses so as to put the pressure on someone." I don't recall evidence in large ziplocs before, where you can kinda see what it is. Is this a pressure tactic?

Highly unlikely. Remember, these are trained professionals and they have to be meticulous while working against the clock. These aren't detectives in an interrogation room. They are processing a scene, a very large scene at that. And again, the clock is their enemy.

 

[Thisisjuno]

Yes in Silverthorne
I was living in Breckenridge then ... they were locals though and had been there and assimilated for years into summit county
No one knew these people
THey were the typical transplants
Huge difference between summit county and where the morphews lived where it’s much more desert and Airbnb houses
Not a local community network there
Very few locals in salida even knew of them

 

[Warwick7]

I don’t think they would have taken BM’s phone and car if he had an airtight alibi. He could have gone to training and the crime occurred earlier.

Now this is interesting.

Do we know of any other missing persons case where they never took the mate's cell or vehicle??

Maybe Broussard case?? Idk....

 

[OnlyFacts]

FWIW, the Daily Mail article says otherwise:

“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.”

That part keeps getting repeated. But, lets remember the daughters are not allowed in the house either.

Until authorities tell me something else, the husband was in Denver and the girls were camping.

 

[al66pine]

Indiana. Cannabis? CBD Oil?

Plus medicinal cannabis can be used for cancer treatment. It's legal in Colorado but not in Indiana.

@brainmuffin A new-ish IN statute.* In March 2018, legislation was signed to allow the use & sale of CBD for any purpose (less than 0.3% THC), with additional requirements re testing and labelling. May or may not have helped w SM's med issues.
Not saying it would have influenced M families' decision to move to CO, as statute seems to have been enacted about the time or after they moved to the Centennial State.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Text of statute = House Bill 1148. Indiana General Assembly.
Medical cannabis in Indiana
"Failed attempts to legalize medical marijuana (2015)
"CBD legalized for epilepsy (2017)
"CBD legalized for any use (2018) In March 2018, legislation was signed to allow the use and sale of CBD for any purpose (less than 0.3% THC), with additional requirement imposed for testing and labelling."
^ Cannabis in Indiana - Wikipedia

 

[Thisisjuno]

Interesting. The man is wealthy. Why does he have to communicate through his close friend. He can get a new phone anytime. PF did it right away.

A million dollar house is hardly wealthy in that area... that’s what a person making 70 a year rents
We all pay 6000 a month for rent up there

 

[ab01]

Highly unlikely. Remember, these are trained professionals and they have to be meticulous while working against the clock. These aren't detectives in an interrogation room. They are processing a scene, a very large scene at that. And again, the clock is their enemy.

yep they ain’t got time for silly games, they are focused on just doing their jobs and preserving evidence.

 

[Knox]

I really feel it was the nephew's strong intent to let the public know about the bike's condition as well as it's location, where it was found as well as the position of the brakes. I admittedly know nothing about serious biking, but it does stick out to me that the bike's brakes were locked. It makes sense to me that when transporting a bike on a vehicle, the brakes should be locked to prevent spinning.

Kind of suggests to me the bike might have been taken to it's final location in a bike rack on the back of a vehicle. Was the location the bike was found adjacent to a road?

LE still hasn't confirmed or released any of that information yet.

One of our own WS'ers, who also mountain bikes made that excellent point this morning. If an inexperienced person staged that bike, they would not have thought to take the travel brake off. I thought that was a real possibility, and may even be a clue to who the perp may or may not be. The poster also talked about disc brakes, and how unless the rim or (oh carp, can't remember) maybe frame, was damaged. The brakes could not lock up.

Thanks goodness we have posters like you two who can post real life experience, so very helpful

 

[Warwick7]

bbm
Thanks, this is new.

I'd assumed he was able to enter his home when he wanted to but was staying at the friend's for some reason.
Moral support ?
But to do a 180 degree , one would think if she'd been kidnapped that the husband would want to stay in the home in case she returned ?

But now we know he was barred from the house.
I think LE have investigated all avenues and are light years ahead of us.
I think most of what LE don't have, is Suzanne herself.
Imo.

Great point BBM!
It made me think of Etan Patz. His parents never moved or changed their phone number, in case he returned....

 

[RickshawFan]

I admittedly know nothing about serious biking, but it does stick out to me that the bike's brakes were locked. It makes sense to me that when transporting a bike on a vehicle, the brakes should be locked to prevent spinning.

IIRC the word was "jammed" rather than "locked" (I can't find the original source, however; maybe someone can verify here), but that's a clever reason you've given. I don't think I've ever locked the wheels on my bike when it's on the rear of my car. However, that's because I have a "tray" carrier. I just plonk the bike in the tray and press the clamps. If I had the type of carrier where the bikes are hung, I might lock them to keep them from spinning while driving.

There are other ways the brakes could be "jammed." If calipers, they could be unusably rusty or missing brake pads. If disc brakes, the disc could be bent, or the brakes could be out of fluid.

"Jammed" or "locked" wouldn't exclude the possibility of sabotage, either.