Still Missing CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #83

[Momofthreeboys]

The jury doesn't need to know any of these things to decide BM killed SM. If the ground is dry when you go to sleep and wet when you wake, you have circumstantial proof beyond a reasonable doubt that it rained in your area during the night. You don't need to know when it rained, how much it rained, where else it rained, how much went into the soil, how much went into the reservoir, or what path it took to get there. You don't need to know if the rain was accompanied by winds, lightning, thunder or all three. You don't need a forecast or a news report. It rained.

Electronic evidence proves beyond a reasonable doubt that SM was happily communicating with her lover and her friend up until just before BM arrived at Puma Path on the afternoon of May 9. The ground was dry. He admits he was there at that time with a gun in his hands. After that, she disappears physically and in terms of all interactions with the human world. The ground is wet. BM killed SM, beyond a reasonable doubt. He made the hotel reservation for his patently phony alibi well before all this. He deliberated, beyond a reasonable doubt.

We're here because we like to analyze and speculate, and analyze our speculations LOL. It's not surprising that we feel there's something missing if we don't know everything BM could tell us about what happened that day, why, and how he disposed of SM.

But for the jury, this is a very simple case. They don't need to know all those things we want to know. It's as easy as deciding it rained during the night. Whole bunches of BM's statements can be suppressed without damaging the case.

All that's needed is a responsible jury with common sense, who will keep their eyes on the donut and ignore the defense attorneys shouting about the hole. The kind of jury our system of justice is designed to produce, and the kind of jury it commonly does produce. The prosecutors aren't worried about their case for Murder in the First Degree, After Deliberation. I'm not, either. BM will not enjoy his freedom long, if he enjoys it at all. MOO.

I don’t have your confidence but do not disagree with what you are saying. I am assuming the prosecution is tightening up their approach and getting rid of the distractions in their “theory” I have to assume we will see a much more focussed approach if this gets to trial. 65 chipmunks and a broken dart gun doesn’t help them.

 

[DizzyB]

The jury doesn't need to know any of these things to decide BM killed SM. If the ground is dry when you go to sleep and wet when you wake, you have circumstantial proof beyond a reasonable doubt that it rained in your area during the night. You don't need to know when it rained, how much it rained, where else it rained, how much went into the soil, how much went into the reservoir, or what path it took to get there. You don't need to know if the rain was accompanied by winds, lightning, thunder or all three. You don't need a forecast or a news report. It rained.

Electronic evidence proves beyond a reasonable doubt that SM was happily communicating with her lover and her friend up until just before BM arrived at Puma Path on the afternoon of May 9. The ground was dry. He admits he was there at that time with a gun in his hands. After that, she disappears physically and in terms of all interactions with the human world. The ground is wet. BM killed SM, beyond a reasonable doubt. He made the hotel reservation for his patently phony alibi well before all this. He deliberated, beyond a reasonable doubt.

We're here because we like to analyze and speculate, and analyze our speculations LOL. It's not surprising that we feel there's something missing if we don't know everything BM could tell us about what happened that day, why, and how he disposed of SM.

But for the jury, this is a very simple case. They don't need to know all those things we want to know. It's as easy as deciding it rained during the night. Whole bunches of BM's statements can be suppressed without damaging the case.

All that's needed is a responsible jury with common sense, who will keep their eyes on the donut and ignore the defense attorneys shouting about the hole. The kind of jury our system of justice is designed to produce, and the kind of jury it commonly does produce. The prosecutors aren't worried about their case for Murder in the First Degree, After Deliberation. I'm not, either. BM will not enjoy his freedom long, if he enjoys it at all. MOO.

Opening statement.

 

[Charlot123]

BBM. But he couldn't allow her to work, either, because then he would look like a bad provider. Barry is all about appearances, after all.

I think he began to really believe there was someone else around September 2019. I don't think he knew who it was, because he kept trying to get the agents to tell him.

I think about her working, she did, some, in Indiana, and plus, she was doing the bookkeeping for his company; only in Barry’s eyes, it did not count.

What I see wrong in situation? most stay home moms are still respected, make decisions about the finances, and have access to the funds. They have equal rights to decide. This is why I see Suzanne’s situation as very wrong. Suzanne in her grievances wrote about Barry opening Monex in his name only - she saw it, too. How many things were in his name? And now, all her inheritance is in his name.

She used the perfect word to describe BM. “Oppressive”. These are her words.

 

[Murphy1950]

I don't judge her at all. I understand her better now. Hopefully the jury will too.
moo

RSBM
That is my concern kkdj and where I have grave doubts. We got to know theses people over a years time frame. The jury will have a few hours/days and the message will start out negative with Suzanne on trial (hope I'm wrong) . Look at the skypen, It took us time to accept it was Suanne who bought it. (surely that had to be Barry but it wasn't) Her brother David's description of Barry as cunning tells me Barry has successfully fooled a lot of people his whole life. (Not only sold his business to local people where he had lived his whole life, but sold it twice and then it wasn't nearly worth what he proclaimed.) A lot for a jury to sort out.

 

[Charlot123]

I don’t have your confidence but do not disagree with what you are saying. I am assuming the prosecution is tightening up their approach and getting rid of the distractions in their “theory” I have to assume we will see a much more focussed approach if this gets to trial. 65 chipmunks and a broken dart gun doesn’t help them.

(I know that to prevent traumas in the house with a young kid who crawls or just starts walking, you have to stand on all four and look at the world from the kid’s angle…then you know where to install the barriers, and what tablecloths to remove. )

JMO - same here; we don’t look at this world from Barry’s angle. Could there be an expert, who, like Barry, is a local hunter, and then, a person with landscaping business? To look at the world with his eyes, so to say?

Some things were off-limits for Barry. He did not find the spy pen, because of where it was hidden. Not his territory. So one has to to understand, what was his. Maybe then they still can find Suzanne’s remnants, or DNA. To reconstruct what happened. Otherwise, even if Murder 1, there will be constant appeals.

I think FBI agents did perfect job with the human side of it. And the affidavit is well-written. Someone needs to look at the technical side now, in the same close way.

 

[nyvictoria]

IMO having been married to a narcissistic man BM will mess up on his parole conditions. My narc had a restraining order and was forced to turn in all his guns however to my surprise the police did not come search the house and he still had guns hidden everywhere! He also had his brother and father buy guns for him! They do not like being told what to do especially by the police or the court system. They do know how to tow the line so unless someone reports him ( which I highly doubt his family or friends will) he will get away with a lot before he’s caught messing up. It’s like they can’t help themselves it’s the narc compulsion! My guess is he will also violate no contact orders as my narc did as well. They think they are above the law and smarter than any other person. I’ve been rereading the AA and it’s mind boggling to me how much it’s similar to my own story. I was almost SM multiple times. I refused to go on vacations with my spouse for fear he’d push me off a cliff or murder me in another country and hide my body. I understand SMs fear and why she didn’t and couldn’t leave. IMO SM sent the text on May 6th and since it appears BM didn’t give her that hard of a time she let her guard down and that’s when BM struck. Narcs are very, very calculating and plan everything.

Great first post! I, too, lived with a narcissist. You’re absolutely right that they can’t help themselves. Mine violated every restraining that was issued. He was arrested every time but kept right on violating. I finally left with just the clothes on my back and swore everyone to secrecy about where I was living. They do not want to lose, no matter the cost. I’m glad you got away.

 

[MaisieBella]

Opening statement.

Yes.

 

[MaisieBella]

The jury doesn't need to know any of these things to decide BM killed SM. If the ground is dry when you go to sleep and wet when you wake, you have circumstantial proof beyond a reasonable doubt that it rained in your area during the night. You don't need to know when it rained, how much it rained, where else it rained, how much went into the soil, how much went into the reservoir, or what path it took to get there. You don't need to know if the rain was accompanied by winds, lightning, thunder or all three. You don't need a forecast or a news report. It rained.

Electronic evidence proves beyond a reasonable doubt that SM was happily communicating with her lover and her friend up until just before BM arrived at Puma Path on the afternoon of May 9. The ground was dry. He admits he was there at that time with a gun in his hands. After that, she disappears physically and in terms of all interactions with the human world. The ground is wet. BM killed SM, beyond a reasonable doubt. He made the hotel reservation for his patently phony alibi well before all this. He deliberated, beyond a reasonable doubt.

We're here because we like to analyze and speculate, and analyze our speculations LOL. It's not surprising that we feel there's something missing if we don't know everything BM could tell us about what happened that day, why, and how he disposed of SM.

But for the jury, this is a very simple case. They don't need to know all those things we want to know. It's as easy as deciding it rained during the night. Whole bunches of BM's statements can be suppressed without damaging the case.

All that's needed is a responsible jury with common sense, who will keep their eyes on the donut and ignore the defense attorneys shouting about the hole. The kind of jury our system of justice is designed to produce, and the kind of jury it commonly does produce. The prosecutors aren't worried about their case for Murder in the First Degree, After Deliberation. I'm not, either. BM will not enjoy his freedom long, if he enjoys it at all. MOO.

Bravo.

 

[Charlot123]

ITA. She had reevaluated her life and the rest of it.
I think she was an abused woman in more than one way and had grown starving for some nice attention. I believe she and JL really cared for each other and treated each other well and it felt good to her after all those years of verbal, mental and emotional abuse.
moo

I personally try to view her situation through the prism of a severe illness that hit her so young.

First, a cancer, even of her type, is the risk of dying. And then, she was told that she’d never have kids. At that time, I believe, Barry was loyal, and accepted the prospect of a childless marriage. And when they had children, it must have felt like divine grace to Suzanne. I think she accepted the marriage for what it was, because she felt so blessed, with recovery and kids. And was afraid to tip the balance, so to say.

And with the second episode, it might have looked as having done full circle and ended up at point zero. Her husband is missing her treatments. (Many here post how BM knew about JL because “people always know”. Consider that Suzanne must have “known” at one point, too, about Barry.)

I always asked myself, Suzanne could have found someone closer. Why JL? It was not a viable relationship, but maybe in her mind, she wanted to put a big cross on all these years? Or simply, she wanted to have a “romance in letters”, and it went further? That of all men surrounding her SM chose someone from “early Barry years”, living so far, has more of a symbolic meaning to me. Unless Barry was such a mafia-like type that she was scared to have someone closer, and people around her were scared, too?

His businesses were shady, and she was keeping the books. Was that one more reason for Barry to kill her when she asked for a divorce?

 

[Bluebythec]

I think BM's change of appearance after four months in a rural county jail is not so much a clever PR strategy by his attorneys as it is the physical manifestation of his guilty mind, and the psychological devastation of irretrievably shattered self image. Whether SM was the love of his life or not she was an essential part of his illusion of himself as a Man, in the classic tradition of the Protector, Hunter, Breadwinner, Irresistible Sex Magnet, etc. He was able to prop all that up and distract himself for a year, but since his arrest he's had nothing to do but read the evidence against him and watch the money disappear, that he killed to keep. His daughters can see him collapsing psychologically and they have rushed to save what's left of him. But he'll never be the same.

I know we all love to count the symptoms of his NPD, but bullies and narcissists are all terribly insecure and I think BM will be a much diminished human being in terms of the quality of his life, regardless whether he spends the rest of his years on earth in a Colorado prison.

His ego suffered a massive blow, I'm sure, when he no longer had access to his "beauty products" His appearance changed so dramatically while he was in custody! I looked at the pics on the day he was released and thought he looked quite feminine. Put a dress on him and he'd look like someone's sweet grandma!

 

[Seattle1]

O/T - This morning I read about a former Seahawk on house arrest and $400K bond after assaulting his GF. I was curious about bail numbers across the country -- very interesting results here:

The System: The Ins and Outs of Bail

 

[Momofthreeboys]

RSBM
That is my concern kkdj and where I have grave doubts. We got to know theses people over a years time frame. The jury will have a few hours/days and the message will start out negative with Suzanne on trial (hope I'm wrong) . Look at the skypen, It took us time to accept it was Suanne who bought it. (surely that had to be Barry but it wasn't) Her brother David's description of Barry as cunning tells me Barry has successfully fooled a lot of people his whole life. (Not only sold his business to local people where he had lived his whole life, but sold it twice and then it wasn't nearly worth what he proclaimed.) A lot for a jury to sort out.

The trial will stand on its own facts. Plenty of people are in or have failing marriages and neither spouse goes missing or presumed dead. The case is not about the failing marriage or infidelities or either of their personalities it is about was Suzanne murdered and did her husband do it. The jury won’t be deliberating about who cheated on whom or was Suzanne fairly compensated for her contributions or whether Barry was a jerk to do business with.

 

[rainbowshummingbird]

I personally try to view her situation through the prism of a severe illness that hit her so young.

First, a cancer, even of her type, is the risk of dying. And then, she was told that she’d never have kids. At that time, I believe, Barry was loyal, and accepted the prospect of a childless marriage. And when they had children, it must have felt like divine grace to Suzanne. I think she accepted the marriage for what it was, because she felt so blessed, with recovery and kids. And was afraid to tip the balance, so to say.

And with the second episode, it might have looked as having done full circle and ended up at point zero. Her husband is missing her treatments. (Many here post how BM knew about JL because “people always know”. Consider that Suzanne must have “known” at one point, too, about Barry.)

I always asked myself, Suzanne could have found someone closer. Why JL? It was not a viable relationship, but maybe in her mind, she wanted to put a big cross on all these years? Or simply, she wanted to have a “romance in letters”, and it went further? That of all men surrounding her SM chose someone from “early Barry years”, living so far, has more of a symbolic meaning to me. Unless Barry was such a mafia-like type that she was scared to have someone closer, and people around her were scared, too?

His businesses were shady, and she was keeping the books. Was that one more reason for Barry to kill her when she asked for a divorce?

BBM
I believe Suzanne was generally a conscientious person, and she was thoughtful and practical in her choice of affair partner. He lived far away from her which made it easier to keep secret. He is someone already known to her so she knew what type of person he was. He would’ve been equally careful to keep the affair hidden since he was also married with many children. He was professionally successful which meant he would be less likely to behave in a way that would damage his reputation.

If Barry hadn’t murdered Suzanne, then these two practical midwesterners might have kept their secret forever.

 

[Megnut]

I just drove by an excavation site. Everything locked up tight because it's a Sunday after all, but the line excavator just really caught me in the gut, and still reeling, I saw one of those huge commercial tree-root-digger-thingies and my heart sank.

Barry, where is your wife? All our sleuthing here can't bring her back, her children are forever without a mother, but you could man up.

Where is she?

JMO

 

[CGray123]

EBM ...I don't judge her at all. I understand her better now. Hopefully the jury will too.
moo

This has to be a theme of the prosecutors in voir dire, opening and closing. Suzanne was a kind person, a good mother, a fellow human being who made mistakes and who did not deserve to be killed. The defense will try to focus on her human flaws and the prosecution must detoxify the issue. "We are not here to judge Suzanne, but to determine what happened to her and who is responsible."

 

[WellThen]

The prosecutor should examine the possibility that there may have been more thn one tranquilizer dart gun. The gun that worked and that may have been discarded and the broken one which the defense are gloating over.

Barry was so confident about the home not containing any trace of evidence and I believe he intentionally left the "broken" dart gun at his home as a distraction. I don't think he used the dart gun LE found. Or even a secondary dart gun. I think he physically pinned Suzanne down and used a syringe to tranquilize her or perhaps modified the dart and injected her by hand. Some manner which did not at all require a gun and which would be easy enough for him to do and dispose of.

Just my opinion.

 

[Deleted member 222031]

RSBM
That is my concern kkdj and where I have grave doubts. We got to know theses people over a years time frame. The jury will have a few hours/days and the message will start out negative with Suzanne on trial (hope I'm wrong) . Look at the skypen, It took us time to accept it was Suanne who bought it. (surely that had to be Barry but it wasn't) Her brother David's description of Barry as cunning tells me Barry has successfully fooled a lot of people his whole life. (Not only sold his business to local people where he had lived his whole life, but sold it twice and then it wasn't nearly worth what he proclaimed.) A lot for a jury to sort out.

I think if the judge reins in the defense, this case is more than winnable. If the defense allowed to lie/misconstrue evidence like they did in the prelim by shortening and removing context from SM's "I'm done" text, then the jury will be misled. The defense needs to know in no uncertain terms that rather than just getting a sustained objection, that tactic is off-limits.

The prosecution will need to really focus on a series of distinct, irrevocable facts and evidence that smoke and mirrors cannot obscure and keep hitting those in different contexts over and over. An occasional smirk regarding what "this defense team would have you believe....rolling eyes" won't hurt, either.
JMO
(Have some mercy on me....non-attorney speaking here!)

 

[paul onions]

Well, to start with, Suzanne was a fully formed human with her wishes and desires... Let me respectfully disagree with you.

Have you noticed how hard Barry was trying to be nice to people who were not close to him or did not know him well? I think the same applies to women. As long as women are not dependent on him and don't share their money with him, he "behaves". JMO. The moment the women trust him - it all changes, and he becomes sadistic. He is very angry at the world and has to take this anger on someone, and I expect the victim to be the person fully in his control. (With Suzanne, by weak I mean not her personality, after all,, she survived cancer, twice, but her situation).

Whether Barry would date a "strong" woman or not, I think, depends on a lot of other factors. Whether she looks well, is refined, has money. In other words, how much of a trophy she is. Suzanne was a big catch for Barry, and I suspect, things changed, first, when she had kids and he understood that she was not going anywhere, and finally, when she got ill.

P.S. I think a man like BM is at his worst when he uproots a woman and takes her away from her family, friends, culture, or religion. (Happened many times.. This is why the parents who come to visit their daughter married to a BM-lookalike are often in shock of the real situation.) In case of Suzanne, she was probably much safer in Indiana. JMO.

Suzanne is a fully formed human. I see how my comment could infer the opposite and I apologize for that. It was meant as a comment toward Barry’s state of mind and what he expects out of a person. I think he views everything and everyone around him in purely utilitarian terms.

The term “‘strong woman” is what I was trying to address in my original post. It insinuates that people in abusive relationships are somehow weak and inferior and that is simply not true.

Ted Bundy was also friendly and personable. The term is called masking. They act one way in public and an entirely different way behind closed doors.

Moving a victim away is just another tool in the box. Isolate the target from their support systems to make them more dependent on you. Based on the AA alone, Barry exhibits MANY abusive characteristics.

I’m not diagnosing him, but I think everyone should read a little about narcissists, gaslighting, and the symptoms of an abusive relationship. Especially people who like true crime. You start to recognize so much behavior and have a better means of understanding it. A lot of people view abuse or DV as physical only and there is SO much more to it.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

Objections are normal and the grounds for an objection are pretty much established in law. For example if defense doesn’t object to an obvious situation the defendant could have grounds for appeal. If prosecutors mislead the jury or inflame prejudices they can be found guilty of prosecutorial misconduct. But the rules of evidence apply and both sides have the ability to object to any breach. A trial is a pretty controlled and serious environment. Each side knows what they can legally do and not do. Think of the judge as the referee. The state does the best job they can presenting evidence and the defense does the best job they can given the evidence. If this goes to trial it will be on the merits of the evidence. These are not newbie attorneys. It will be a fair trial.

 

[Murphy1950]

I think if the judge reins in the defense, this case is more than winnable. If the defense allowed to lie/misconstrue evidence like they did in the prelim by shortening and removing context from SM's "I'm done" text, then the jury will be misled. The defense needs to know in no uncertain terms that rather than just getting a sustained objection, that tactic is off-limits.

The prosecution will need to really focus on a series of distinct, irrevocable facts and evidence that smoke and mirrors cannot obscure and keep hitting those in different contexts over and over. An occasional smirk regarding what "this defense team would have you believe....rolling eyes" won't hurt, either.
JMO
(Have some mercy on me....non-attorney speaking here!)

Yes!! I didn't state my thoughts very well. The point is we were swayed by personalities and what we learned about the individuals. Previous to late July we didn't have one of the facts now presented. I just always felt his alibi was beyond pitiful and the stats weren't in his favor. The more we got a glimpse into them as people, the guiltier he looked, for example lying about lie detector test to family, clearly gaslighting his daughter and blaming Lauren, trash talking MG and JP to a major paper and he really didn't give it a thought or care etc... I could go on and on. The jury on the other hand won't have much knowledge of the personalities at all. 63 and half threads...well over 60,000 comments and most favored Suzanne.