Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #36

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When I read this, it was my impression that the half million was put towards the purchase of the house, not that she put a half million into it after they bought it. Checking the property history, it says they bought it for $475,000 over asking price. Bingo! There’s your half a million.
Maybe SM didn’t really want to put that inheritance into the house, but BM whined and pleaded and she relented. Maybe she has regretted it. Maybe she was unhappy and wanted to sell. Maybe BM didn’t want to.....
I haven't looked at the purchase for a while. I wonder who the seller of record was.
 
I believe it was said that she used her inheritance money on the home that her, BM and the girls were living in.
I think that was total speculation. And, it's total speculation on my part as well that an argument ensued following his decision (without her approval) to purchase the lot that resulted in her death.
 
Are you referring to the crumbling brick/block that's just above the curb on the lower right? It's the only thing I see in the image that looks like it needs fixing. It seems more of a cosmetic fix than anything. I wouldn't call it a retaining wall.
I’m about 100 messages behind, still. Apologies if this has already been addressed.

If you look at that wall on Google Maps and follow that damage just above the curve, you’ll find many places as the wall height increases where the capstones have failed and need to be replaced/reset. The height and the weight of the stone def make the repairs here a team effort, IMO. I don’t consider it a trivial job.

That said, if you follow the wall to the bridge and go across Flatiron Crossing, the sister wall on the other side appears to have a potentially serious structural problem — either a crack or a shifting of a bunch of stones due to hydrostatic pressure or something. This side of the bridge seems like a much bigger job that what I expected BM to be involved with, TBH.

But who knows. As has been noted previously, we can’t even confirm that this is the job BM had been contracted to do. But both sides of the bridge have retaining walls that are certainly in need of repair.

MOO.

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏
 
Sorry. I read that on realtor.com. Should have checked additional sources. See attachment.

$475k was the increase in appreciation/equity in the house since the last time it sold before the Morphew’s bought it. It is not what they paid over the asking price. The public record states this information in a manner that is confusing a lot of people.
 
I am still left wondering why Suzanne needed to put half a million into a property they owned outright. Did she discover Barry wasn’t being truthful? Did the money go elsewhere? If so where does $500,000 disappear?
AM stated that he didn’t believe SM knew her father was ill let alone terminally. Small town talk may have led SM’s best friend to learn of her dad’s dire circumstances. Perhaps she in turn shared this info with SM requiring SM to return to Indiana/Michigan asap. If she had another inheritance coming to her was she ready to leave Barry or would she have refused to turn over any additional inheritance? If she learned of her father’s death sentence would she have told BM?
Wth does half a million go when the house is payed for? MOO
I had assumed that the half million was a huge down payment -- the house cost around 1.5 mil. I may be wrong.
 
I just had a thought. Like many of us here, I don’t think BM is any rocket scientist. However, maybe we underestimated him just a tiny bit.
BM firmly believed that LE would buy his story and alibi “no questions asked”. He set it up so:
-He was in Broomfield when SM disappeared
-He left Sunday morning, he didn’t need a room for himself
-He did rent a room(s) for his workers
-He arrived at the HIE Sunday a.m. so he would be seen on video.
-Since he just checked in for his workers and he didn’t sleep there, LE would have no reason to search the room.
Or so he thought.....
ETA That may have been why BM was so furious with MG. Once she and/or JP blabbed to LE that the room had been used, the place smelled like chlorine, there were wet towels on the floor, useless tools had been left, and the bed had been slept in or on, LE knew BM’s alibi was all wet. Pun intended.
 
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I don't understand. BM owns the company. His pay is the profit/loss from each job, less operating expenses and taxes. He doesn't get double time. Are you suggesting he did a half hour of work on Sunday to cheat his employees, who he was paying to drive to the job? If so, how do you justify them doing no work? Did they do double no work on Sunday? JMO
I think the OP meant that his going on a Sunday to prep the jobsite was part of his alibi since it appeared that no work had been done.

But yes, BM probably lost money on that job and still had to pay his employees to be there. That was probably the least of his concerns, though.
 
Could the evidence that’s still needed to bring charges be a declaration of a presumption of SM’s death?

Not sure what the true legal term would be for it in bringing a no-body case. But I recall in the Kelsey Berreth case, a press conference was held that announced what they found in her apartment (massive blood evidence) was ‘incompatible with life.”
 
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I just had a thought. Like many of us here, I don’t think BM is any rocket scientist. However, maybe we underestimated him just a tiny bit.
BM firmly believed that LE would buy his story and alibi “no questions asked”. He set it up so:
-He was in Broomfield when SM disappeared
-He left Sunday morning, he didn’t need a room for himself
-He did rent a room(s) for his workers
-He arrived at the HIE Sunday a.m. so he would be seen on video.
-Since he just checked in for his workers and he didn’t sleep there, LE would have no reason to search the room.
Or so he thought.....
He rented the room in his name, left tools, used towels and some trash in the room, must have asked the desk to provide entry for his employees, and has he clearly stated, there are cameras everywhere he went. What could possibly indicate that he didn't think LE would search the room? IMO
 
Checking the property history, it says they bought it for $475,000 over asking price. Bingo! There’s your half a million.

How does one explain making an offer of $475,000 over asking price? Did a realtor handle that buy-sell? IMO

Well, we can’t sleuth this path, at least not here. But IMO this is a common way to start a multi-step money laundering operation — buying and selling real estate above fair market value. I mean, we’re talking what, 50% over FMV? Were other local properties showing similar sales results at the time?

It may not be likely, but it might also explain the delay in charges if there are other fish to fry. I’d love to know if forensic accountants are involved in this case.

The above is just more MOO.
 
Puma Path Property Transactions @OldCop
Altho Zillow* and other real est websites may display some confusing info, Chaffee County public records** show only three sales/transfers, in red below, w Grantees #3 BM & SM in sale #3.

Sale...year. ...... $$$...........Grantor (owner/seller) transfer prop.> by type of deed.. >..to Grantee (buyer) ........ Vacant/Improved.

#1.....2008..... 325,000...Grantor #1 FL & LL ---------> Warranty ---> Grantees #1 KL & LL........Vacant (Unimproved?)

#2 ....2015...1,100,000.. Grantor #2 KL & SL ----------> Warranty----> Grantee #2 CB Rev.Trust....Improved (house)

#3.... 2118...1,575,000...Grantor #3 LLC ---------------> Warranty-----> Grantees #3 BM & SM ........................

One of our verified atty's (sorry, forgot which one) explained why Chaffee County's "qpublic" shows two other doc's under "Sales."**
Over-simplifying it here: the affidavit & quitclaim deed were required to cure the gap in chain of title. Likely imo title ins co. would not issue a title ins policy for BM & SM, unless/until Grantee #2 signed those two doc's. Or an atty rep'ing BM & SM may have required. Jmo.

As always welcoming comment, clarification, correction, esp'ly from our legal or real est professionals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* "Price History" in 19057 Puma Path, Salida, CO 81201 | Zillow
** Sales info on above table from qPublic.net - Chaffee County, CO - Report: R368531400097

@Momofthreeboys I forgot to use reply
@LandManatee I forgot to use reply
@10ofRods

@24Brix Imo, nothing dodgy about sale #3, from these public records.
 
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Well, we can’t sleuth this path, at least not here. But IMO this is a common way to start a multi-step money laundering operation — buying and selling real estate above fair market value. I mean, we’re talking what, 50% over FMV? Were other local properties showing similar sales results at the time?

It may not be likely, but it might also explain the delay in charges if there are other fish to fry. I’d love to know if forensic accountants are involved in this case.

The above is just more MOO.

IMO, no local properties show that kind of appreciation - especially not per square foot/per acre. There was some discussion of this in very early threads. I only looked through 5 years on Zillow for similarly priced/sized houses.
 
Accuracy re Sales? realtor.com etc?
IMO, no local properties show that kind of appreciation - especially not per square foot/per acre. There was some discussion of this in very early threads. I only looked through 5 years on Zillow for similarly priced/sized houses.
@10ofRods Yep, that kind of appreciation? If only.

Just a gen observation re real est info ---
I've found the most accurate info about sales & transactions in public records, usu. avail thru county recorder's office or county clerk's office (or equivalent, depends on the state. May or may not be available online. Sometimes free, other times not.), rather than sites like realtor.com, zillow.com, etc. IME.
 
He rented the room in his name, left tools, used towels and some trash in the room, must have asked the desk to provide entry for his employees, and has he clearly stated, there are cameras everywhere he went. What could possibly indicate that he didn't think LE would search the room? IMO

The staging of the bicycle for one. I don’t believe he ever imagined law enforcement wouldn’t buy what he was selling. He seems arrogant like that.

He apparently meant for it to look like she was abducted on a bike ride, while he was many miles away.

If they were to buy that, then no one would be searching his room (likely in his mind anyway). He was never supposed to be a suspect.

I imagine he was prepared to play the role of grieving husband, until everything went to hell.

“The best laid plans of mice and men...”
 
He rented the room in his name, left tools, used towels and some trash in the room, must have asked the desk to provide entry for his employees, and has he clearly stated, there are cameras everywhere he went. What could possibly indicate that he didn't think LE would search the room? IMO
We know that, LE knows that. He thought if he just told them, “Hey. It wasn’t MY room, it was my workers’ room”, that LE would say, “Oh, okay.” and just walk away from it.
Like I said, BM is not the brightest bulb in the circuit.
 
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