Still Missing CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *arrest* #94

[Kemug]

It's obvious that BM is no creative genius as evidenced by the chipmunks, elk, turkey, deer stories. When he has to go off script, he's a bumbling idiot. That's why I think he is more of a "copy cat" killer who took notes from others he sees as being successful in their crimes.

So maybe we need to be looking at similar crimes that may have inspired him, and hopefully glean some clues from them?

 

[eyeseestars]

I don't think all of the trash dumps were red herrings. He thought there was no camera on him at the McDonalds. I street viewed it once, the cameras are pointed at the drive thru and the main door. It was an ATM across the parking lot that nailed him.

The shopping center where the Men's Wearhouse is had been mostly empty for a while and again, Google street view shows no cameras in the parking lots. There was no camera at the RTD bus stop. He knew he was on camera outside at the HIE and in the lobby.

Which begs a stupid question? He knew he was going to be on camera going to his room when he said he was on the job site. He made a big show lurking around to get "breakfast" on camera and the second HIE (5th overall) trash dump was all theater. Another big show bringing the tools in. Did he think the cameras didn't work when he didn't need them as an alibi?

The media made much ado about the "genius" of Susan Powell's husband most likely dumping evidence in distant dumpsters. I think this was BM's effort to copy something he saw as successful.

 

[Megnut]

How did Barry know which direction a mine went if they had bouldered it?

JMO

 

[Kemug]

How did Barry know which direction a mine went if they had bouldered it?

JMO

Maybe "they" didn't boulder it, maybe that was Barry.

 

[eyeseestars]

Do we have any additional info regarding the house viewing in Salida? I would love to know what the realtor had to say about the conversation there.

 

[Love Never Fails]

The thing about too many eyes watching him in the days following SM’s disappearance…………
He managed to shake off everyone and go to Poncha Market on Tuesday night to go rummaging through the trash. He was either getting rid of something or trying to retrieve something he left there. I always thought it was SM’s phone.
How long was he gone that night?

If it was the phone, what do you think he did with it? If he turned it on to search anything, wouldn’t LE know that?

 

[eyeseestars]

Let's talk about the timing of the fb reset on Saturday, BM's sudden immediate decision to pull MG from the worksite following that reset, and what comes after. Here's the situation I'm picturing: BM spends all weekend lulling SM into a false sense of security that he's going to let her leave, split the house proceeds, remain friendly (for the girls!) all the while planning the murder. He pays back Gene Moorman's loan, maybe suggesting to SM that he has the $$ now to pay her back her inheritance he borrowed via the house sale. She's talking marriage to JL. She's on cloud nine and placated.

We know from texts and testimony from friends and family that SM gets FURIOUS when she suspected he was spying on her. And at this point, BM is well aware there's no saving the marriage and she's leaving him. So what I'm seeing is someone who is freaking out that SM may get mad now and leave the house, spoiling his carefully laid plans. He runs home and does the "turkey hunt" but do we ever know for sure if they see each other at this time? Because I'm thinking this trip could have been made strictly to reposition a game camera on the drive to make sure she doesn't leave and mess up his plan without him knowing. I'm also wondering if the pestering of Salida Pool and Spa was done to be sure they wouldn't show up to service the hot tub, stumbling into a crime scene in progress. Doesn't BM ask them when they can come (or worded more likely when WILL you come?). I'm sure he considered the fact that he doesn't need anyone coming out to the house that afternoon.


Edit to add: It could additionally ruin his plan if SM tells a bunch of people that she's furious with BM. He's totally in damage control mode at this point.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

BIB

What we are going to see at trial is "Testimony from counsel"

AKA Wild Speculation ...

Barry always killed time by going to 5 dumpsters! He's done it all his life! *

* source Barry Morphew

No serious, coherent version was offered by Morphew despite having a year to think about it.

So yes. Counsel will try to claim many things are entirely possible and henpeck every single fact in the circumstantial web via speculation.

Whereas when a properly directed jury steps back and asks itself what circumstantial evidence it accepts, and what reasonable and obvious inferences should be drawn, it is clearly not even remotely possible the accused was killing time

I think we are all being vastly hopeful but personally I think that prosecution has huge hurdles with this case that have been evident since the arrest. The next month will be critical to understand just what prosecution can use at trial.

 

[eyeseestars]

Let's talk about the timing of the fb reset on Saturday, BM's sudden immediate decision to pull MG from the worksite following that reset, and what comes after. Here's the situation I'm picturing: BM spends all weekend lulling SM into a false sense of security that he's going to let her leave, split the house proceeds, remain friendly (for the girls!) all the while planning the murder. He pays back Gene Moorman's loan, maybe suggesting to SM that he has the $$ now to pay her back her inheritance he borrowed via the house sale. She's talking marriage to JL. She's on cloud nine and placated.

We know from texts and testimony from friends and family that SM gets FURIOUS when she suspected he was spying on her. And at this point, BM is well aware there's no saving the marriage and she's leaving him. So what I'm seeing is someone who is freaking out that SM may get mad now and leave the house, spoiling his carefully laid plans. He runs home and does the "turkey hunt" but do we ever know for sure if they see each other at this time? Because I'm thinking this trip could have been made strictly to reposition a game camera on the drive to make sure she doesn't leave and mess up his plan without him knowing. I'm also wondering if the pestering of Salida Pool and Spa was done to be sure they wouldn't show up to service the hot tub, stumbling into a crime scene in progress. Doesn't BM ask them when they can come (or worded more likely when WILL you come?). I'm sure he considered the fact that he doesn't need anyone coming out to the house that afternoon.


Edit to add: It could additionally ruin his plan if SM tells a bunch of people that she's furious with BM. He's totally in damage control mode at this point.

Piggybacking on my previous post, I think BM rushed home to make sure she didn't leave and to reposition the game camera but I also think once he sees her car in the drive he's going to want to see what her emotional state is- is she furious and blabbing to everyone about what he's done, ruining all the careful love bombing and happy couple (mystic pizza trip) he's portrayed throughout the weekend? Because if so, she's effectively ruined his plan to conceal his motive. He can't kill her now without all eyes on him. So, does he bust up in the house immediately and see for himself? If not, why? To avoid a potential struggle that creates evidence in the house? If he's got that mini cam inside he can always just see for himself from a safe distance.

BUT he's going to need cell service to see anything because wifi won't reach that far, so he has to trek up east to higher ground to do that. Apparently, SM wasn't too worried about the fb stuff because she doesn't say anything to anyone and seems fine, so BM is in the clear for now. Why doesn't he go ahead and tranq her now though? Is it because of the half life of the tranq? Is it because he needs the cover of darkness to get her to the dump spot? Is it because he really needs a few items before the plan is put in motion (hot tub supplies? Bobcat SIM? Replacement blade?). Is it because he needs her somewhere he can sneak up and dart her from a distance without her realizing what's going on? I think if we believe this crime was premeditated, we must believe that the things he did after the lunch time stop were important enough that he was willing to risk giving SM more time to spoil his plan.

 

[eyeseestars]

This has been bugging me -- telematics recorded all those door openings and other activities that morning.

Was there a data point for opening his window after he turned left, when he would've thrown the helmet?

Did he open his window anywhere else? Any trash cans where he simply had to drive up, never exit? The Poncha Springs trash can, within an arm's throw?

LE should at least have a telematic event around 4:40am, no? Otherwise how did he get it out of the vehicle? Unless he put it there later.

Maybe he was going to dump his spoils around Salida but thought better of it.

Once the mountain lion story fell flat, perhaps he pivoted to abduction, and was looking in the Poncha Market trash to retrieve her helmet....

The helmet just makes no sense!

JMO

I didn't see any window telematics, only doors and parking lights. So you could definitely be right about that one.

 

[justtrish]

I'm only raising this as a possibly of sorts.

Because it seems too coincidental that the the cutting edge of his bucket needs replacing the same MDW his wife gets herself gone.

3 blades

Blade A is on his skid steer
Blade C is brand new and he gets it installed in Salida around 1 on Saturday.
Blade B is an old blade that I have hypothesized into existence.

Stager Barry wants LE to leave his Bobcat alone. So he parks it. Goes one better, gets a new blade. Appearance: this thing hasn't even been used. Move on.

If he did use it, IMO he removed the newest blade at some point back at PP (Blade C), (he'd already donated his crappy Blade B when they removed it), used his active blade (Blade A) overnight, replacing it in the morning with his shiny one (Blade B).

Blade A, he used it going forward because he kept it (he's cheap)
Blade B, discarded at replacement
Blade C, he only needed it for staging, kept it for future use, when Blade A legitimately wears out.

I'm not married to this. I just think he did A LOT of stuff in and around his Bobcat --

Crazy amount of effort IMO but this is his beloved Bobcat we are talking about.

I watched a video where a guy replaced his old blade in about 7 minutes.

I'm 50/50 whether he even needed a Bobcat. I'm on board with a mineshaft --

But that means he may have needed a boulder mover.

I don't think he went far. Which means, whatever he did, it took time. 4 hours, give or take. That tells me he did some work.

I think it's because Barry tried to think of absolutely everything, he's drawn a big red arrow pointing at himself and worse (for him) revealed layers of premeditation, as evidenced by serious pre-planning.

JMO

Also not sold on the Bobcat being used, but as you said he was doing some suspicious things that day. The way I see it either Barry premeditated this murder and planned many things out or he didn't murder her and this was actually part of his "normal" Saturday work day.

If it's all planned out, then either he had a plan with the Bobcat and he needed that blade replaced as part of his plan or he felt changing his day totally (the DSI guy knew he was coming to get the blade changed so suddenly canceling that appt would be suspicious to police coming to investigate) would be more suspicious.

If there wasn't a barefoot print on the bobcat and the dogs didn't hit there or even if just one of the 3 dogs hit, but the others didn't, it would be easier to just dismiss the Bobcat. I think LE included that stuff in the AA, but then saying to date this hasn't been connected is a clue of sorts. Just because they can't connect it doesn't mean it wasn't used and clearly they were giving it a side eye with the footprint and dog hits there.

 

[justtrish]

This has been bugging me -- telematics recorded all those door openings and other activities that morning.

Was there a data point for opening his window after he turned left, when he would've thrown the helmet?

Did he open his window anywhere else? Any trash cans where he simply had to drive up, never exit? The Poncha Springs trash can, within an arm's throw?

LE should at least have a telematic event around 4:40am, no? Otherwise how did he get it out of the vehicle? Unless he put it there later.

Maybe he was going to dump his spoils around Salida but thought better of it.

Once the mountain lion story fell flat, perhaps he pivoted to abduction, and was looking in the Poncha Market trash to retrieve her helmet....

The helmet just makes no sense!

JMO

The defense released the truck data. So it would benefit them to not release things that could further proof the prosecutions theory. They conveniently left out the truck data from about 10am on Saturday until 2:43 on Saturday. Wouldn't surprised me if they left out other data from those reports they did release.

 

[Hoss569]

Did anyone else notice the aqueduct running along the Arkansas in the Morphew's backyard (if I am reading the map correctly)? So what would that be? A pretty big buried pipe? Wonder if it's still in use? Maybe a good place to hide a body?

Fooses lake is part of several pools that are combined via aquaduct on the South Arkansas to create a hydro electric power plant for originally the Salida Power company. That pipe runs above and below Fooses lake to carry water to turn the turbines east of Maysville, in a nutshell. They are still used and are visible along the side of Fooses lake as well.
Many mine permits were given in the area and only core samples were done, silver & a little gold was discovered in the area before the 1900's. Remnants of the original Silver Boom town (ghost town Oldcop refers to) are visible along the highway between Maysville and Garfield. A narrow gauge railroad also operated along the South Arkansas up to Monarch & Madonna mines, used to transport the limestone & Ore that was mined to Salida. There wasn't much silver or gold there, but the limestone that was found was high quality and taken to a kiln in Pueblo(still visible). Remnants of this railroad are still visible as well along the river, a switchback complex was very near the ghost town as well.

 

[waldojabba]

RSBM

Thanks for this reminder about the camouflage jacket.

So here we have a man who takes old boots along on a trip to salvage the laces, yet dumps a camo jacket along with the boots. The day after his wife was murdered.

Although not necessarily at the same time - on a day when time should have been precious, because no amount of anti Hallmark arguments will ever convince me that a loving husband leaves his wife home alone on Mother’s Day without a very good reason. No, on this day, which required a 5am start (according to his own account and super power ability to wake himself at will) he had time to follow a herd of elk in the dark, the wrong way, and then at his destination had time to make five separate trash dumps. One, at the Mens Warehouse place, lasting 40 minutes.

Then of course he had time for a good old nap, waking just in time to lie about where he was when he took the call.

When you lay it out like this, none of it is remotely credible.

JMO

Here's the thing
The defense are pretty much asking us to metaphorically retrieve that camouflage jacket from the dumpster at that HIE, and drape it over all the evidence lol.
They seek to normalize and minimize what are not normal behaviors

As far as the trash dumps -

Lets back it up to Puma Path - there is a dumpster Barry passes on his way out of his subdivision iirc.
Use of that dumpster is included in his HOA payments - easy enough to throw it all in there and not drive an hour and a half with garbage in your truck, right ?
You say there are rules about what can and cannot go into that dumpster? No worries, I am sure BM
would not think they applied to him

Lets back it up even further
I am with @HongKongPhooey
Let's start with why is BM leaving the house at all on that day.
Wouldn't BM as a self professed godly family man with a perfect marriage want to be with his wife and girls ( who were a miracle btw since SM was told after her first experience w/cancer that childbirth would not be possible) on Mother's Day to celebrate as a family unit? Esp since they were getting along so well and had a perfect night Saturday per BM.
But what does BM choose to do ? BM chooses to stay up all night, then leaves the house at the crack of dawn to drive an hour and a half to Broomfield to work on a BIG job. A BIG job with no permit, in a town where no work is allowed on Sunday on that BIG job, he brings no bobcat for that BIG job, he orders no material for that BIG job and on and on.
His day in Broomfield ? He spends 20 minutes or so at the wall, showers a few times and changes clothes a few times, drops trash at random places,spends 40 minutes at the MW parking lot while working on the BIG job, then takes a nap, just like any normal guy who is in town on Mother's Day to work on a BIG job, right?
Not even remotely

 

[charminglane]

Here's the thing
The defense are pretty much asking us to metaphorically retrieve that camouflage jacket from the dumpster at that HIE, and drape it over all the evidence lol.
They seek to normalize and minimize what are not normal behaviors

As far as the trash dumps -

Lets back it up to Puma Path - there is a dumpster Barry passes on his way out of his subdivision iirc.
Use of that dumpster is included in his HOA payments - easy enough to throw it all in there and not drive an hour and a half with garbage in your truck, right ?
You say there are rules about what can and cannot go into that dumpster? No worries, I am sure BM
would not think they applied to him

Lets back it up even further
I am with @HongKongPhooey
Let's start with why is BM leaving the house at all on that day.
Wouldn't BM as a self professed godly family man with a perfect marriage want to be with his wife and girls ( who were a miracle btw since SM was told after her first experience w/cancer that childbirth would not be possible) on Mother's Day to celebrate as a family unit? Esp since they were getting along so well and had a perfect night Saturday per BM.
But what does BM choose to do ? BM chooses to stay up all night, then leaves the house at the crack of dawn to drive an hour and a half to Broomfield to work on a BIG job. A BIG job with no permit, in a town where no work is allowed on Sunday on that BIG job, he brings no bobcat for that BIG job, he orders no material for that BIG job and on and on.
His day in Broomfield ? He spends 20 minutes or so at the wall, showers a few times and changes clothes a few times, drops trash at random places,spends 40 minutes at the MW parking lot while working on the BIG job, then takes a nap, just like any normal guy who is in town on Mother's Day to work on a BIG job, right?
Not even remotely

Thank you for this Sunday morning gift. Nutshell!

 

[charminglane]

Trash dumps.
Who among us has used 2 hands to push or pull trash in a public receptacle to dispose or retrieve of items - and not recall doing it?

 

[jakat]

No, but I'm not sure I can catch him

Trap him!

 

[NothingSurprisesAnymore]

It's obvious that BM is no creative genius as evidenced by the chipmunks, elk, turkey, deer stories. When he has to go off script, he's a bumbling idiot. That's why I think he is more of a "copy cat" killer who took notes from others he sees as being successful in their crimes.

I think Barry's experience listening to true crime prompted him to think of the crime of murder in a very broad sense.
I am without doubt though that considering his background as hunter and landscaper he could successfully disappear Suzanne without having ever followed a broadcast.
The skills required are second nature to him.
Add to that wounded pride and financial loss Suzanne never had a chance...
JMO

 

[sk716]

I think Barry thought he had an eye for cameras.

He thought the hotel could vouch that he was there, in and out, you know, back and forth to the work site. I think he picked locations where he didn't see cameras. He just didn't see far enough.

I wonder if there were any landfill searches.

Wouldn't it be nice to see Suzanne's teal jacket again?

If they could, what recovered item would be most damning?

JMO

They didn't do any searches or swabbing in Broomfield that I am aware of.

A few months back I did the research on landfills. As a general rule, LE doesn't bother to search the landfills anymore. Even with a grid system in place to know exactly which truck dumped where, the sheer volume of garbage makes it virtually impossible to find a body, let alone a biking jacket.

There was a case in CA not too long ago where they knew the body went into a garbage can, which truck picked it up, and exactly where it dropped the load, and even with dogs, they couldn't find it. It was just too much garbage.

The moral is, recycle if you want the bodies found.

 

[sk716]

Did anyone else notice the aqueduct running along the Arkansas in the Morphew's backyard (if I am reading the map correctly)? So what would that be? A pretty big buried pipe? Wonder if it's still in use? Maybe a good place to hide a body?

Apologies if anyone beat me to this, aqueduct here refers to the SouthArk itself, I believe. It's more a designation of the aquifer and water flow than a traditional aqueduct.