Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #18

[Tate123]

Yes, IMO. Hwy 50 is a very thin slice of civilization through vast, very steep roadless areas that very definitely are devoid of any human habitation, present, past or in the foreseeable future. They are clear of smog, water pollution, litter and any other signs of human influence.
I don't like the word "wilderness" used in association with a crime because it implies that the only safety for human beings is in numbers, and I believe that whatever happened to SM is an extreme exception to the veil of personal safety that normal people enjoy. It could have happened anywhere.
IMO

Thank you!

 

[Topppps]

I’m leaning to this not being a suicide. If you read her Twitter account you clearly see she was a very spiritual and religious person. IMO If she did consider this as a way out, at least she would have left a suicide note.

Unless, someone is covering up her suicide and staging it as a disappearance for insurance reasons?

I don't think it's a big possibility maybe 5-10% still something I would consider.

IMO:

The chance of SM being a suicide is: 0.0%

The chance of SM running away from her life is: 0.0%

The chance of SM being missing due to other reasons, not involving her spouse: 5%

The chance of SM being a victim, involving her spouse is: 95%.


If there was a suicide, tracking dogs would have been able to follow SM's scent. If SM ran away tracking dogs would find a scent to indicate she left, maybe then losing the scent. SM did not drive away; her car was still at the house. She didn't ride her bike off to a new life, as the bike was found nearby. If she didn't ride that bike, it was staged by someone.

/IMO

The dogs mess up all the time look at Devin Bond on here there you'll see 10 other similar cases where dogs went over an area and missed it.

 

[dspdenver]

IMO:
If there was a suicide, tracking dogs would have been able to follow SM's scent. If SM ran away tracking dogs would find a scent to indicate she left, maybe then losing the scent.
/IMO

Not necessarily. LE and searchers apparently had K9 and cadaver dogs searching for Eric Pracht soon after he was reported missing and they didn't find anything. Yet he apparently committed suicide by gunshot in the spur of the moment in a mountain park close to where he lived in a populated area and he wasn't found for almost 4 years. It can be really tough to find remains even when there isn't a concerted effort to hide them.

Found Deceased - CO - Eric Pracht, 25, Lakewood, 22 July 2016

 

[TIGER0822]

They found a ‘personal item' on Thursday related to SM 1/3 mile from SM & BM house on a remote trail.

Item found 1/3 mile from house on a remote trail.
Dive team called in to search a body of water near the home.

SM was disposed of close to home in fast flowing waters or a remote cave etc. An item was dropped along the way.
BM staged the bike in another area. IMO
TD described how when he met BM he was wet and freezing cold like he was in a creek.
In my opinion he was revisiting an area that haunts him. IMO

Police discover 'personal item' in the search for missing Colorado mom-of-two | Daily Mail Online

1. 
   MOO
   

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Goes back to thread #2 that Grace Church was identified as their congregation.
I recall BM's Fire Chief made the statement about SM biking before church on May 21 and I think it was on his mind not because he witnessed this but because BM had probably been telling anybody that would listen that SM biked before church on Sunday. BM needed everybody to believe that biking on Sunday was routine and that SM's Sunday was routine up until she vanished. MOO

CO - CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #2

Thank you, Seattle, for sharing the congregation the M's attended in CO....
I missed that info. somehow...
:waving:

 

[Feistyomi]

The name of the city is Salida. Salida, Colorado - Wikipedia

Considering my horrible texting, if that’s the only correction...., my apologies.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

No legal term that I know of, but it would be smart to do. At a trial, anything that even appears to be groupthink by police will be questioned. It never looks good when an investigator admits on cross-exam that s/he didn't look at other possible persons or didn't consider alternative narratives unless the facts all point in one direction and perhaps only intent is at issue (i.e. a necessity defense or a self-defense claim). At the very least, it provides us defense attorneys with the argument that investigators came up with a suspect first and then looked at evidence in light of their preconceived notions instead of following where the evidence led them.

Thank you so much for thank you so much for the inside perspective of the world of law!

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

BBM:

I do think that was one of the reasons for the June 10th canvassing.

LE wants to demonstrate they considered all plausible scenarios before ruling them out.
They want to show their work to a jury, i.e., that they followed the evidence where it led them, versus having tunnel vision and only considering evidence that fit their theory.

I'm also convinced that's why LE included a picture of SM with her bike helmet alongside a casual photo of her on the missing person poster.

It's going to weaken any defense argument that LE made a "rush to judgment" in this case, that they never seriously entertained the theory that she may have actually gone for a bike ride that day, blah, blah, blah and blah.

If a defense attorney attempts to raise that issue in court, LE will now be able to counter, "Oh, but we did seriously consider that possibility. That's why we included the photo of her with her bike helmet on our missing poster."

And there's this, too:
We don't know whether or not LE found her helmet during their searches.
If SM's helmet was/is missing, LE obviously wants the public to keep an eye out for that evidence.
If they've found it, it's abundantly clear that Sheriff Spezze doesn't want anyone, including BM, to know.

What I'm seeing and hearing from LE has me very, very impressed.
Which is to say, I love the fact that they're keeping virtually everything close to the vest.
I love their silence, because it's abundantly clear that BM hates it.

Somebody else is pulling the strings now.
The puppeteer has become the puppet.

Advantage: LE.

JMO.

Thanks, GK!

 

[10ofRods]

.

Yes, IMO. Hwy 50 is a very thin slice of civilization through vast, very steep roadless areas that very definitely are devoid of any human habitation, present, past or in the foreseeable future. They are clear of smog, water pollution, litter and any other signs of human influence.
I don't like the word "wilderness" used in association with a crime because it implies that the only safety for human beings is in numbers, and I believe that whatever happened to SM is an extreme exception to the veil of personal safety that normal people enjoy. It could have happened anywhere.
IMO

The term is usually "wilderness misadventure," meaning you're some place without any other people or get separated from the one person you're with. It's not a crime.

I've never heard the term "wilderness crime." Crime in National Parks, yes. Crime in National Forests or Monuments. Crime on Bureau land. All of those places are designated crime reports, so I suppose if a crime takes place in a designated National Wilderness, that could be a term. But I think the reports would add the word "national."

I see no implication at all that people are safer in numbers. I've always felt much safer where there are few to no people discernible.

 

[PaulaDC]

This is so interesting, did you really only think 6 weeks? When the kids schools (scotland) said they were shutting for at least 5/6 months and potentially the whole year I knew it was not gonna be a wee time out. I've LOVED staying in my jammies all the time

Agree about the reporting, our local newspapers are only farming stories from Facebook at the moment rather than being out and about so if that's also what's happening in salida it's no wonder we've heard nothing

I knew in January. Tried in vain to warm family/friends, they poo pooed me. My hubby stood up for me. I was shocked when we started to reopen, should have been months more. Still shocked. I'm trying to see the good in all of this. As far as commiting a crime there are pros and cons with quarantine. Easy to trace electronically but no witnesses. Hoping the electronic part wins out.

 

[10ofRods]

There is no reason why the cell phone would have been disposed of, in any scenario. SM rode her bike in an area where there is NO cellular coverage. Carrying a phone would have been extra useless weight.
IF her cell phone is missing, that would tend to be a suspicious clue.

Snipped for focus

Not extra weight at all if you're not the kind of rider who is about all out speed - and instead like to listen to true crime podcasts or books on audible, the way every woman rider I know does.

You can do MapMyRide from just an Apple Watch, but the music app is poor (IMO). I can download and listen to Websleuths Radio or any number of Grateful Dead albums if I take my phone (which is a big disappointment and I've tried to do the playlist thing, but the new Itunes has made it pret' near impossible).

All the many things I have on my iPhone are not useless to me. And I like having a camera in case I spy wildlife.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Don't forget the Media Only thread linked on page 1 in every thread. It's a good place to catch up on only confirmed information, and a timeline based on the verified facts.

I, for one, find the Media, Maps, and Timeline threads of various cases (including this one) invaluable...

I joined this thread quite late in the investigation...

So I read the M,M, and T thread and I was able to catch up quite thoroughly...(or as thoroughly as my mind can be ...)

Thank you to all those posters who contribute to the M,M&T threads!
:waving:

 

[susiQ]

What I’m seeing, based on the number of likes this post is getting, many fellow sleuthers are 95% sure the spouse is guilty.

If there is no arrest in the next 12 months, do the odds drop down from 95% on the spouse?

Not in my mind, UNLESS these things happen, as posted earlier by @GordianKnot:

• They have proof positive that SM was alive on Sunday, May 10.
• They have eyewitness and/or video evidence proving that SM went for a bike ride on Sunday, May 10.
• They have ruled out/cleared BM.

 

[susiQ]

One step further, what are the odds on premeditated vs crime of passion?

I lean toward premeditation, although it might be hard to prove. I can envision a very serious injury and him not seeking medical assistance for her. I think the man has a very big ego and no way he was going to go down on assault charges. In his mind, there was only one way out for him. In my mind, that’s premeditated. JMO

 

[kkdj]

I lean toward premeditation, although it might be hard to prove. I can envision a very serious injury and him not seeking medical assistance for her. I think the man has a very big ego and no way he was going to go down on assault charges. In his mind, there was only one way out for him. In my mind, that’s premeditated. JMO

Yeah. I don't think this was a crime of passion. jmo

 

[lamlawindy]

What I’m seeing, based on the number of likes this post is getting, many fellow sleuthers are 95% sure the spouse is guilty.

Based on actual evidence that has been made public, I am not convinced that Barry Morphew is guilty at all:

1. His demeanor in the self-made video has been dissected ad nauseum. I just can't believe that a 30-second video can lead a person who does not know Barry Morphew to reliably predict whether he is lying or not.

2. The police searches of his home and work location indicate that investigators believe that he may have been involved. However, AFAIK, the search warrant probable cause affidavits are still sealed. Until I can at least read the PCAs, this fact doesn't sway me toward believing that Barry Morphew did anything.

To be honest, the fact that the PCAs are still sealed weeks after the searches makes me suspicious of investigators: The searches are complete, presumably in a professional fashion. What further need compels documents that are legally presumed to be public records to remain hidden from public scrutiny?

3. His behavior/silence since Suzanne went missing doesn't sway me either. The conventional wisdom is that the husband/boyfriend is always suspected. With that in mind, why would a husband/boyfriend make any public statements that are likely to lead to conjecture against him anyway? Heck, Barry Morphew has been crucified for making a video in which he was trying to get Suzanne back!

I'm not saying that I know that Barry Morphew had no involvement. He may have. I am saying that publicly available hard evidence is nil. Moreover, nobody seems to have a factual basis for a motive on Barry Morphew's part to harm Suzanne: neither family member nor friend has come forward with an allegation of a financial need or a marital relationship concern that would create a motive. Until there is some evidence made public or a person goes on the record to establish a viable motive, I'm simply not prepared to suspect Barry.

 

[DarkHorseRising]

Just a random theory having absolutely no basis in fact:

Perhaps when the Ms relocated to CO, they were befriended by someone through BM's work -- someone who periodically worked with BM on jobs, and one who became a trusted friend of the family. This friend could certainly have become privy to individual and family routines (such as hikes, bike rides, etc.) and potentially would know of planned absences. And maybe over time, that friend developed a preoccupation with SM, potentially misreading her kindness towards him as something more than simply friendship. Is it possible I wonder, that SM may have become uncomfortable with the relationship and rebuffed any advances that may have been made toward her? And could this have resulted in her disappearance (whether that be by reason of abduction or outright murder?)

 

[Dave F.]

Not extra weight at all if you're not the kind of rider who is about all out speed - and instead like to listen to true crime podcasts or books on audible, the way every woman rider I know does.

You can do MapMyRide from just an Apple Watch, but the music app is poor (IMO). I can download and listen to Websleuths Radio or any number of Grateful Dead albums if I take my phone (which is a big disappointment and I've tried to do the playlist thing, but the new Itunes has made it pret' near impossible).

All the many things I have on my iPhone are not useless to me. And I like having a camera in case I spy wildlife.

The only possible use for her phone on the ride that she was going to take would be to catch Spotify or some other channel on her direct satellite internet connection (if they had it at their house) and receive it via her own wi-fi unit. If she had an extremely good unit, she might get good reception for a thousand foot radius of her house, and spotty coverage as long as she was in "line-of-sight" of her house.
However, she would be a fool to do it, because the phone would quickly wear down it's battery trying to find a cell tower to "ping". If she ascended clear to the top, she might find pockets of good cellular connection with the A,T&T tower along the Monarch Crest Trail; but we know that she wasn't planning on getting to the top, as it was deep in snow on May 10th.........ideal for fat-tire bikers but not passable for her on a conventional mountain bike.
I'm going to stick with my assumption that she most likely did not have her phone with her. As I stated before, if her phone is missing with her, that alone might be a telltale clue. IMO

 

[windrower]

Scenarios and speculation, MOO, in no particular order:

4. accident and “got in the river”—possible. Also possible that she had a seizure or other acute medical attack, got disoriented and “got in the river”. Or wandered farther into the woods and became lost. MOO

rsbm

I don’t think #4 is a possibility. The South Arkansas River is more a creek. If she got into the water close to her home, she would have been found. She would not have been carried downstream. Yes, there are places the water would make a little pool, but this river is rocky, and not very deep or wide.

An article today from the NY Post about people disappearing in the wilderness
https://nypost.com/2020/07/04/why-hundreds-of-people-vanish-into-the-american-wilderness/
Would the area Suzanne disappeared from be considered the "wilderness" ?

Yes, IMO. Hwy 50 is a very thin slice of civilization through vast, very steep roadless areas that very definitely are devoid of any human habitation, present, past or in the foreseeable future. They are clear of smog, water pollution, litter and any other signs of human influence.
I don't like the word "wilderness" used in association with a crime because it implies that the only safety for human beings is in numbers, and I believe that whatever happened to SM is an extreme exception to the veil of personal safety that normal people enjoy. It could have happened anywhere.
IMO

I would say no to the question asked by Tate123. Suzanne lived in a rural area, and large areas of uninhabited mountains are close by. But, IMO, wilderness is umpteen miles into the back country, a place where there are no biking trails, no cabins, and no people unless they are horseback or backpacking.

However, like Dave F. says, the mountains of Colorado are vast, and they are dangerous if you aren’t careful.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

A recent episode of Plunder mentioned an interesting point, that SM isn't on the FBI Missing Person/Wanted/kidnap list. What would be the reason for that? Just curious.
Kidnappings & Missing Persons | Federal Bureau of Investigation