Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #32

[MrsWatson]

As long as I've followed true crime, and especially Spousal Murder Theatre, and having a horrible first marriage myself, I have never understood how murder trumps divorce. Sure, divorce is a failure, writ large for friends and family to dissect; but murder is a better option? It's not like so many of them are so successful, and ride merrily off into the sunset with the new lady friend.

MOO

ETA: Or man friend. Because wives kill, too.

 

[enelram]

Could someone briefly explain....What is RTD and BM's association with it? Thanks!

reportedly (not confirmed) BM was going to work on a crooked/crumbling retaining wall that his firm had originally built in 2019. RTD
is the organization that gave out the contract.
Reportedly the wall is on or near an interstate hwy. this is where the hotel is that BM booked his crew of 3 employees to spend a few days working on the wall near Denver.

 

[Topppps]

Lots of dirt movement on the Morphew house.

Imgur: The magic of the Internet
Before picture from Google Maps view

Imgur: The magic of the Internet
Another before picture

Imgur: The magic of the Internet
missing tree replaced with pebbles.

Imgur: The magic of the Internet
rear clearing off and dirt piles

Imgur: The magic of the Internet
weird dirt over rocks

Imgur: The magic of the Internet
Lots of black sand added

Imgur: The magic of the Internet
Flattened off front

 

[Seattle1]

After November for a trial? Even if BM was arrested tomorrow, it would seem fairly quick to have a trial within a 2 month period. Would the defense be given all pertinent evidence and could they prepare their case within that time frame?

The Process:

1. Arrest: An officer may arrest a person when probable cause exists to believe he/she committed the offense. A police officer does not need a warrant to arrest someone he believes committed a crime.

2. 1st advisement: This is the first time the accused is brought into court. During this hearing, the judge will advise the accused that they are under “investigation”. This means the District Attorney has not filed charges yet. The Judge will advise the accused what crime they are being investigated for committing. Bond will be set on all cases except those involving investigations for homicides.

3. 2nd advisement: During this hearing, the judge will advise the accused what crime or crimes they have been charged with committing. The judge may also hear arguments to reduce bond.

4. Bond Hearing: A hearing in which the accused may ask the court to reduce the set amount of bond. Bond is an amount of money which is required to get out of jail while resolution of the criminal case. The posting of bond does not mean the case is over. You cannot pay to have a criminal case dismissed or thrown out. If the accused does not come to court after posting bond, the accused will be arrested.

5. Preliminary Hearing: At this hearing, the District Attorney will be required to present sufficient evidence to prove that it is more likely than not that the accused committed the crime or crimes he/she is charged with committing.

The District Attorney is not required to put on all of their evidence or even the testimony of the victim. The court will allow statements of witnesses to come into evidence through a detective or other police officer.

The accused will not testify. With few exceptions, only persons charged with a class 1, 2, or 3 felony or who are in jail on a class 4, 5, or 6 are entitled to this hearing. Any person may waive their right to a preliminary hearing. Waiving the hearing is not unusual and is done to keep open a plea bargain. By waiving a preliminary hearing, the accused does not waive any other of his/her rights.

A. Plea bargain - An agreement by the accused, his lawyer, and the District Attorney which may involve a reduction of charges, dismissal of some charges, or agreement on sentencing

6. Arraignment: A hearing in which the accused either enters a plea of not guilty and sets a jury trial or enters a plea of guilty to the agreed on plea bargain.

7. Jury Trial: A proceeding in which either 6 or 12 members of a jury determine the guilt or innocence of accused. [...]

http://www.coloradodefenders.us/wp-...e-to-the-colorado-criminal-justice-system.pdf

^^sbm

Impossible. See steps 1-6 before a Trial.

 

[Chelly]

The Igloo 120 quart cooler discussed up thread for body disposal & burial measures:
38.19 x 17.32 x 17.72 inches. Weighs 18.21 pounds.

 

[al66pine]

Could someone briefly explain....What is RTD and BM's association with it? Thanks!

@Chelly Good question. RTD = public bus and light rail in Denver/central CO. *
Some posters thought that BM's 'botched job'/'crooked wall' (retaining wall along hiway/tracks?) installation a yr ago, was the work he was trying to rectify on Mo. Day wk-end. And think JP and two others hired by BM to correct it were at the Denver area Hol.Inn-Exp to be/strengthen BM's alibi 'Nope, not me, I was at work, 2-3 hrs away from home.'
{{{ETA: Theories/comments of those ^ posters --- not BM's job-as-a-viable-alibi ---seem plausible to me too.}}}
Hope this helps.

* Regional Transportation District - Wikipedia

 

[Barry]

IMO, it’s so clear that the motive was financially driven potentially exacerbated by a planned divorce.

A strong possibility, and I am trying hard to make that solid with myself. Current hangups (I have a lot ): Being narcissistic, a divorce in itself would be something he could blame on her, he could feel he's a financial genius and that he could survive without her, or her half of the money. To suddenly not have an ego would be weird. Also, the same tactics he's using to try wiggle out of being an apparent POI in a murder case, would have been available to try to wiggle out of any blame for a divorce/accusations of infidelity. MOO.

I fear I am over-thinking it. Your explanation is the cleanest and most succinct, making it the most likely to be correct

 

[Chelly]

reportedly (not confirmed) BM was going to work on a crooked/crumbling retaining wall that his firm had originally built in 2019. RTD
is the organization that gave out the contract.
Reportedly the wall is on or near an interstate hwy. this is where the hotel is that BM booked his crew of 3 employees to spend a few days working on the wall near Denver.

OK. Many thanks @enelram . So, to clarify, RTD is an organization and not a contracting business, correct?

Edited to add. Answer was further clarified as RTD = Regional Transportation District

 

[Chelly]

@Chelly Good question. RTD = public bus and light rail in Denver/central CO. *
Some posters thought that BM's 'botched job'/'crooked wall' (retaining wall along hiway/tracks?) installation a yr ago, was the work he was trying to rectify on Mo. Day wk-end. And think JP and two others hired by BM to correct it were at the Denver area Hol.Inn-Exp to be/strengthen BM's alibi 'Nope, not me, I was at work, 2-3 hrs away from home.'
Seems plausible to me too. Hope this helps.

* Regional Transportation District - Wikipedia

OK Thanks @al66pine . This further clarifies. Appreciate the explanation.

 

[Seattle1]

Could someone briefly explain....What is RTD and BM's association with it? Thanks!

RTD (Regional Transportation District) is BM's client/customer located in Denver, and where he sent his crew to work.

 

[marylamby]

I don't get you. Wouldnt it be half assets either way?

I'm sure someone else answered your question but just in case... DIVORCE.

 

[Barry]

Colorado is a no fault divorce state:

What it Means to be a "No Fault" State | Colorado Divorce Attorney

 

[CaseZero]

MOO I can’t help wonder if it was the lack of control over SM that had been a slow build up to whatever transpired on the Saturday? It doesn’t have to necessarily be a suddenly exposed affair or anything that dramatic. Sometimes it’s just small incremental events that drive a narcissistic personality to rage.

The move from her family and friends in IN to a remote house in CO is sometimes something a controlling spouse will do if he feels others are interfering in “his” family business. Plus, certain situations may have caused SM to want to take her life in a different direction. I’m thinking of her cancer battles, her daughters at or close to adult ages and looking at independent lives outside the family home, peri-menopause or menopause, all junctions in life to maybe inspire introspection on SM’s part. Maybe she was interested in going back to school herself? Or thinking about exploring job or volunteer opportunities. This can enrage a narcissistic personality, believe it or not, because all of a sudden their partner is looking beyond them and their needs.

I can picture a scene where BM is at home talking to SM but she’s busy on the phone texting with her friend. After repeated attempts at conversation he may have grabbed the phone out of her hand and thrown it. I know it sounds ridiculous to us but I’ve seen terrible explosions in my family over a lot less. I think maybe events have been building for BM for a while. I also believe he’ll be justifying whatever behaviour ensued by blaming it on SM. She should know by now how he feels. If only she had listened and not kept texting. Whatever happened is not his fault. It never is.
All MOO

 

[Dr.StClements]

I'm reminded of the case of Robert Ward, Orlando Fl., who killed his wife admittedly then changed the story to being accidental.
Their two college age daughters stuck by the dad through his trial. He was convicted and is in prison.
Dad was also the purse strings that paid for the
daughter's expensive hobbies (show horses)
and their college and living expenses.

I've often wondered if they still stick by their dad since I believe both girls are now married.
Very hard place to be for young girls.

Yes - I mentioned Stockholm syndrome in another post, because I think that the daughters could currently be hostages in that they believe all that BM is telling them.
Someone else on here raised the loyalty of the Morphew daughters being linked to their financial dependence on BM and that's a real possibility. It made me think about their relationship with their mum - photographs of the three of them look as though they are full of love for one another and so happy at being together. If they accepted that BM had destroyed all of that, they'd likely despise him. This makes me think they are still very much in denial.
<modsnip>
MOO

 

[nyvictoria]

Or you've been to the same locations. A physician's patients were recommended to one another as friends? This is one of those "I knew it but I didn't really pay attention".. Consider me alarmed!

I gave up FB last year for reasons like this.

 

[branmuffin]

I’m way behind reading posts but has someone suggested that Barry May have taken out the SIM card out of his phone and put it into a different phone to fake his GPS location? Teenagers do that these days to trick their parents into thinking they are one place when they are really out somewhere else. When you put the SIM card into the wiped phone, it would then upload your data and contacts. It would make sense that it would also load your Facebook data.

Where were you months ago when I suggested that very SCENARIO? lol

I couldn't explain the purpose properly but I remembered reading about a case where two teenagers did that very thing to throw a strict parent off their trail to go out with someone. Apparently it wasn't a one off.

 

[Dylansmom08]

BM moved the family to Colorado in 2018, she is isolated from her family, church family and friends all she had left was BM and the girls for the most part. I can't imagine she would have been happy in this situation to just uproot her life and move for whatever reason BM came up with but she did it to maybe keep the peace, maybe she didn't want to worry anyone if their marriage was having troubles and she thought a change would make it better, who knows really. The one thing we do know is that within two years of that move she is missing. In my opinion BM is not standing up to find her, there is no public searching for her by him, there is the bare minimum of co-operation with LE that we know of and all of his inconsistencies and lies are simply icing on the cake. It's only a matter of time before everything comes crashing down taking BM with it. I just hope that she will be found and her family can have the peace they deserve when this is all said and done.

 

[Murphy1950]

Somewhat O/T: I just exited off the interstate between PA and Ohio. A mile back, I passed a large cooler on the side of the road. <shudder>.

After this week’s discussions, I may never again look the same way at a random abandoned cooler.

Nor will I, or any suitcase by the side of the road, that's for sure.

P.S. For those of you who were contemplating stealing the money, go sit on the naughty step.

RSBM
Hate when I get caught, I put myself in the corner instead.

Like everyone else, I learn so much from your post and pray you are feeling better! Thank you!

 

[al66pine]

Prosecuting the Case?
Who will represent the state in court - pre-trial and trial? The DA, an asst-DA? (Or atty from CO. AG's ofc, or other spec. pros. atty, if CO authorizes?) Who will be second chair?

Short or thin trial experience of this individual DA is not necessarily worrisome imo, as there are 11 attys on staff, plus ten legal assts.
W. a quick search, I have not located info on those 10 additional atty's, or even a list, but suspect a couple have longer and deeper experience in the courtroom.

Seems a DA focuses a lot of time on political issues and decisions, altho this case looms large to the public. jm2 cts.

___________________________________________________
"Office Of The District Attorney, 11th Judicial District
The 11th Judicial District is one of 22 districts that make up the Judicial Branch of the Colorado state government. Kaitlin Turner is the District Attorney currently serving as the chief law enforcement officer in the 11th Judicial District. The District Attorney's office prosecutes state misdemeanor and felony cases in court. Our office provides training opportunities for police officers and sheriff's deputies regarding legal issues in criminal justice. We serve the People of Fremont, Chaffee, Custer, and Park Counties. Our offices are located in Canon City, Salida, and Fairplay. Between our three offices, there are 11 attorneys including DA Turner. We also employee 10 legal assistants, 5 victim advocates, a diversion director, and 2 investigators, who work on behalf of the People in the 11th..." bbm sbm
About Us | Office of the District Attorney, 11th Judicial District

 

[branmuffin]

Someone in the work group surely has an old vehicle. I don't believe it is JP. moo

The only vehicle old enough to be without GPS is the daughter's car, I believe.