Still Missing CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #93

[Iwondertoo]

Page 6 of AA: REDACTED (presumably MM2) stated, "Him' REDACTED and my dad are different people and they (Suzanne and Barry) argue and, I mean, they get in fights and... I don't know they both have just not felt safe at some point. REDACTED added that Suzanne and Barry "weren't getting along" and had discussed divorce."

SBM and bolded for focus.

Do we have a guess for who MM2 is referring to as the first redacted in bold?

 

[FromGermany1]

NEW MORPHEW TRIAL DATE: Court wrapped up. The judge changed Barry Morphew’s trial date. It’s now set for April 29-June 3. Barry is accused of murdering his ex-wife Suzanne Morphew. Suzanne went missing in Salida in May 2020. Barry’s next court date is Feb. 24. @KOAA
https://twitter.com/cwinderkoaa/status/1491911852166688769?s=21

bbm red

 

[FromGermany1]

I agree. I have always found it strange the girls were not involved in the wedding since they would have grown up with the bride.

What better way to spend mother's day than dressing up and being mum and daughters together virtually attending their mum's closest friend's daughter's wedding.

Do we know why the daughters were so delayed in returning from their trip?If they really were due home at noon what caused them to be so delayed that they did not return until nearly 12 hours after that?

Did BM ever call his sister, who allegedly was on the church camping trip with the girls?

 

[katydid23]

Defense doing their job and doing it well.
BM gloating I'm sure.
Interested in opinions on judge's ruling- was this expected?

I was afraid it might happen that way because of something the defense hit at hard previously---SM never told her best friend and confidant about her ongoing affair. So that can call into question how truthful she was with that friend. I hate that it went that way but I think the judge was being logically sound.

P.S.
I totally understand why SM wouldn't divulge that secret. They have friends in common and she probably swore to Jeff that she would never tell anyone, to protect his children, etc.

 

[DizzyB]

I agree. I have always found it strange the girls were not involved in the wedding since they would have grown up with the bride.

What better way to spend mother's day than dressing up and being mum and daughters together virtually attending their mum's closest friend's daughter's wedding.

Do we know why the daughters were so delayed in returning from their trip?If they really were due home at noon what caused them to be so delayed that they did not return until nearly 12 hours after that?

If you believe they were going to be home by noon, I’ve got a chipmunk gun to sell you. I suspect Barry only knew they were coming home at some point on Sunday, until he spoke to MM1.

 

[Seattle1]

Oh darn @Seattle1 nooooooooo. It's a bit much, but wasn't the Frazee trial the same?

Yes!

ETA: from the Frazee order:

 

[Skigh]

If you believe they were going to be home by noon, I’ve got a chipmunk gun to sell you. I suspect Barry only knew they were coming home at some point on Sunday, until he spoke to MM1.

Keep your rusty gun!

The question is why did the girls not make a real effort to arrive home to celebrate mother's day with Suzanne? Did they give an estimated time of arrival to Barry ?

 

[Megnut]

NEW MORPHEW TRIAL DATE: Court wrapped up. The judge changed Barry Morphew’s trial date. It’s now set for April 29-June 3. Barry is accused of murdering his ex-wife Suzanne Morphew. Suzanne went missing in Salida in May 2020. Barry’s next court date is Feb. 24. @KOAA
https://twitter.com/cwinderkoaa/status/1491911852166688769?s=21

Another nice Mother's Day brought to you by the BM.

Of course it's not husband's day.

By Father's Day he may be kissing LWOP.

We take (personal) freedom in this country seriously.

But we also take MURDER seriously too.

Steak up.

JMO

 

[MerBeach]

IF Sheila had direct info on when those statements were made. I think she still had valuable info like him returning early and not pulling in the driveway. Scaring them enough to need to call police. Any text messages she has with dates/times that allude to abuse. It seems the judge had issue with her not knowing exactly when statements were made. Maybe if she had a way to confirm/verify when that would help.

Suzanne also texted her sister about the abuse just days before. I think the judge understands there was abuse, but needs to have more solid and specific data instead of her friend of 30 years recalling she said that, but not when.

It’s also common for people who grew up with an alcoholic parent to feel a need to downplay difficulties in their present situation/life. Not to be deceitful, but to not worry or burden others. Or because it’s hard to admit they made the wrong choice in partner to themselves or others. I’m not surprised at all if Suzanne kept a lot to herself for years, or didn’t (until recently) spell everything out for even her dearest, closest friends and family members. The feeling of shame is a huge issue for children of alcoholics. It shouldn’t be their burden to carry, but it is very hard to overcome.

 

[justtrish]

I understand why the judge ruled the way he did. I understand the defense will try to get as much thrown out as possible. I also understand why Suzanne wouldn't tell SO about the affair. I think not telling someone something is very different than telling them a lie. There is plenty I don't share with my friends, but that doesn't mean what I do tell them is a lie because I didn't tell them every single thing. We have no evidence that says Suzanne told any lies or said things that later turned out to not be true. We do have evidence that shows a pattern of lies Barry told. The defense will do anything to distract from that because they don't have an explanation for it other than he was covering up a crime.

 

[Megnut]

If there never was a turkey ...

JMO

 

[nyvictoria]

I find it interesting that she said she hadn’t seen SM since 4/30. You would think they would have talked, however briefly, when SM dropped off MM2 in Gunnison for the camping trip on 5/5. MOO

I have a feeling (purely speculative) that in the months leading up to Suzanne’s murder, Barry had been working extra hard to alienate MM1 from Suzanne. I believe he took every opportunity that he could to complain to her about Suzanne.

He may have tried to do the same with MM2 but she saw first hand what was going on in the house and likely tried to avoid getting in the middle of it.

 

[justtrish]

It’s also common for people who grew up with an alcoholic parent to feel a need to downplay difficulties in their present situation/life. Not to be deceitful, but to not worry or burden others. Or because it’s hard to admit they made the wrong choice in partner to themselves or others. I’m not surprised at all if Suzanne kept a lot to herself for years, or didn’t (until recently) spell everything out for even her dearest, closest friends and family members. The feeling of shame is a huge issue for children of alcoholics. It shouldn’t be their burden to carry, but it is very hard to overcome.

Unfortunately I understand this first hand. I didn't have a physically abusive parent, but emotional abuse and control through manipulation is hard. No outward proof and just a feeling of is this normal, is it me, and deciding early on if I could just be good enough, etc. Add in alochol and it was a mess for my other parent too.. I watched one parent cater and be a doormat. Thankfully my spouse is nothing like that, but it takes a lot of work to "unthink" like that child that walked on eggshells.

I wonder sometimes if I believe Barry did this so much because I see and recognize some of the control and sneaky manipulations. I try to not view it through my own filter, but it's tough when much of this is so clear.

If they only could find her body.

 

[nyvictoria]

IF Sheila had direct info on when those statements were made. I think she still had valuable info like him returning early and not pulling in the driveway. Scaring them enough to need to call police. Any text messages she has with dates/times that allude to abuse. It seems the judge had issue with her not knowing exactly when statements were made. Maybe if she had a way to confirm/verify when that would help.

Suzanne also texted her sister about the abuse just days before. I think the judge understands there was abuse, but needs to have more solid and specific data instead of her friend of 30 years recalling she said that, but not when.

Suzanne also listed abuse in a few different lines in her list of why she was done with the marriage.

Barry admitted emotion abuse:

AA pg 77
Barry added, “If I abused her any way it was emotionally. And I got angry at times, but it was just because she accused me of these things that just were not true. And I had no way to prove it to her. She had no evidence that I ever did anything with another woman, and I haven’t. But I couldn’t prove that. I mean, you think, 32 years of a lover you could look ’em in the eyes and say, ‘Honey, I’ve never done that to you.’ And they would believe ya, but she didn’t. And I think she took that mindset with her alcohol and her pills, her depression, her, and her cancer, all of this. And I think she made this monster in her head. And it just blew up.”

Question for someone more astute than I…

Will the defense be able to have Barry’s statements about Suzanne’s supposed alcohol and drug abuse admitted?

 

[Seattle1]

Yes!

ETA: from the Frazee order:

Frazee order defining excluded media reporting/filming:

 

[CGray123]

If. you recall, I was troubled by Judge Murphy's release of the AA virtually un-redacted, because it could reasonably lead to a change of venue on the very grounds Judge L decided to transfer the case out of Chaffee County. I shared my thoughts with my trial attorney friends and family, and this seems to be the consensus:

1. Murphy was operating under a brand new criminal court records rule that had never been tested. The media consortium argued strenuously that because change of venue, expansion of the jury pool, and other tools were available to him to provide for a fair trial, he was required to release the AA immediately. The same argument could be made about the substantial redactions he would have to make to eliminate inadmissible evidence.

2. Judge M would not have wanted the media consortium to pursue an original proceeding in the SCOC seeking release of the redacted information, because it would divert judicial resources and only intensify public interest before the trial.

3. Judge M knows his community very well. He likely decided he could select a fair jury from an expanded pool of Chaffee County citizens, notwithstanding the intense public interest in the contents of the AA.

4. At the time he released the AA, Judge M had no reason to believe he would have to remove himself from the case. He would be the one using the judicial "tools" to assure BM received a fair trial.

 

[katydid23]

Oh darn @Seattle1 nooooooooo. It's a bit much, but wasn't the Frazee trial the same?

IIRC, the Frazee trial reporters were running to the parking lot and the front sidewalk area to send out texts. Am I remembering correctly? I thought there were many pictures of reporters out front of the courthouse, making little videos to tweet out during the breaks.

 

[MerBeach]

I understand why the judge ruled the way he did. I understand the defense will try to get as much thrown out as possible. I also understand why Suzanne wouldn't tell SO about the affair. I think not telling someone something is very different than telling them a lie. There is plenty I don't share with my friends, but that doesn't mean what I do tell them is a lie because I didn't tell them every single thing. We have no evidence that says Suzanne told any lies or said things that later turned out to not be true. We do have evidence that shows a pattern of lies Barry told. The defense will do anything to distract from that because they don't have an explanation for it other than he was covering up a crime.

I totally agree with you. I was just using your post to jump of from.

The defense just burns me up…even though I understand that they are just doing their job. I think they are really going to push the idea that Suzanne never brought up abuse until more recently because it was part of her plan to be with JL. Ugh. Makes me furious to think that they may portray a victim like that….as in using her trauma against her. That is the ultimate in invalidating Suzanne’s reality. The damn abuse continues even though she is dead.

 

[MerBeach]

Unfortunately I understand this first hand. I didn't have a physically abusive parent, but emotional abuse and control through manipulation is hard. No outward proof and just a feeling of is this normal, is it me, and deciding early on if I could just be good enough, etc. Add in alochol and it was a mess for my other parent too.. I watched one parent cater and be a doormat. Thankfully my spouse is nothing like that, but it takes a lot of work to "unthink" like that child that walked on eggshells.

I wonder sometimes if I believe Barry did this so much because I see and recognize some of the control and sneaky manipulations. I try to not view it through my own filter, but it's tough when much of this is so clear.

If they only could find her body.

Big hug to you, justtrish. I can completely relate.

 

[MerBeach]

Unfortunately I understand this first hand. I didn't have a physically abusive parent, but emotional abuse and control through manipulation is hard. No outward proof and just a feeling of is this normal, is it me, and deciding early on if I could just be good enough, etc. Add in alochol and it was a mess for my other parent too.. I watched one parent cater and be a doormat. Thankfully my spouse is nothing like that, but it takes a lot of work to "unthink" like that child that walked on eggshells.

I wonder sometimes if I believe Barry did this so much because I see and recognize some of the control and sneaky manipulations. I try to not view it through my own filter, but it's tough when much of this is so clear.

If they only could find her body.

Big hug to you, justtrish. I can relate to

Sorry about double post