Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee Co, 10 May 2020 *Case dismissed w/o prejudice* #105

[Megnut]

This tweet by LS was from the prelim hearing where the prosecution had to pry it out of the defense to confirm that instead of unloading his truck bed to his room and the hotel reception, he could have used those minutes to call off his crew and tell them the job was canceled due to his family emergency.

... But he didn't because BM believed he had the perfect alibi for a perfect murder, NOT!

He also forgot to stay in character.

Bike ride, disappearance. Plenty of possible outcomes, murder low on the list. Surely she'd be found and he could drive his wrong equipment back to Broomfield in the morning. And since it was a non-job anyway, he could have told his crew just to hang tight, await further instruction. What's a day of wasted, paid labor when your beloved wife is missing?

Everything about BM telegraphed that Suzanne was gone and wouldn't be coming back. It can take true victims years to arrive there.

When you know what you know, it's hard to remember to unknow what you know so it doesn't look like you know more than you would know if you didn't know.

JMO

 

[mrjitty]

Watching the Murdaugh interrogation in depth, I am struck by how good the interrogation of BM was.

The most interesting thing about the Murdaugh interrogation is the way these psychos exist in bizarre constructs. The interrogation proceeds in the usual shadow dance where the interrogators reveal things they know and slowly push him into mistakes, dubious answers etc. The idea is to capture bad stuff on video for the trial. Of course he won't confess. The killer aims to find out what investigators know, tries to address problems etc - anything to avoid getting charged really.

But acceptance of this framework is a tacit admission that he is the killer. If you aren't the killer, why wouldn't you just break out of the theatre. Say "guys what are we doing here? What answers do you need from me? we need to find the real killers?" The innocent person does not exist in the shadow dance construct. They exist in a reality where someone else really did it, and the evidence of that is findable. It simply makes no sense to play along with the drip drip game. That is not their experienced reality.

Same thing happens with BM.

By the end of his final talk with investigators he effectively admits all the evidence points and him and that he has no more stories he can spin.

I find this psychology fascinating. He doesn't confess but he does appear to accept that the pretence is over.

Why does he accept that?

 

[mrjitty]

He also forgot to stay in character.

When i was following this case pre-trial, I was really struck at random by an interview with Succession Actress J. Smith-Cameron. She was talking about how she approaches her character and explained the importance of not just reading the screenplay. She talks it through with the show runner and delves into how her character would react to the situations. What place is her character in? How does she feel about what happens?

This is a richness brought to screen which might only be a few lines on the page.

The noobie killer producing his first murder crime drama does not understand any of this. In fact he is a bad actor and bad liar, who got away with it his whole life, and therefore assumes he is good at deception.

Bike ride, disappearance. Plenty of possible outcomes, murder low on the list. Surely she'd be found and he could drive his wrong equipment back to Broomfield in the morning. And since it was a non-job anyway, he could have told his crew just to hang tight, await further instruction. What's a day of wasted, paid labor when your beloved wife is missing?

Everything about BM telegraphed that Suzanne was gone and wouldn't be coming back. It can take true victims years to arrive there.

When you know what you know, it's hard to remember to unknow what you know so it doesn't look like you know more than you would know if you didn't know.

JMO

Right - he was too busy explaining and following the plot he created, instead of reacting to events.

For instance, why doesn't he react to the most obvious storyline? That SM has left him for her affair partner?

We know he at least suspected this, yet he attempted to conceal it!

 

[FromGermany1]

When i was following this case pre-trial, I was really struck at random by an interview with Succession Actress J. Smith-Cameron. She was talking about how she approaches her character and explained the importance of not just reading the screenplay. She talks it through with the show runner and delves into how her character would react to the situations. What place is her character in? How does she feel about what happens?

This is a richness brought to screen which might only be a few lines on the page.

The noobie killer producing his first murder crime drama does not understand any of this. In fact he is a bad actor and bad liar, who got away with it his whole life, and therefore assumes he is good at deception.



Right - he was too busy explaining and following the plot he created, instead of reacting to events.

For instance, why doesn't he react to the most obvious storyline? That SM has left him for her affair partner?

We know he at least suspected this, yet he attempted to conceal it!

I believe, he thought, he didn't even need to pretend a certain reaction. Unfortunately, at the end he was right. He is roaming the states as a free man, for now.

 

[mrjitty]

I believe, he thought, he didn't even need to pretend a certain reaction. Unfortunately, at the end he was right. He is roaming the states as a free man, for now.

This is the fifth big case I've really got down in the weeds on, and I've come to the conclusion that there are 2 aspects to it

1. The noob killer does not have the basic skills and experience to do a proper crime drama. For instance any experienced writer understands the use of dramatic tools, and has a feel as to how they can be used to tell a story, in ways that differ from experienced reality . The most obvious is that real life does not have exposition but story telling does. So the noob makes the error of overusing exposition to advance the plot, whereas the experienced writer knows you need to use action and dialogue to do that. The noob always forgets to script actions and dialogue for the victim for example. Once the murder is done, the victim never has any actions. We see it in this case. SM just becomes a black hole as soon as BM gets home.

2. The abusive killer type persona has a very poor idea of how he is perceived, and how he will be perceived. Because he has been a successful manipulator in his family and perhaps at work, he will assume his skill level is high at that it will stand up to being tested by actual criminal investigation, FBI, prosecutors etc

I think he thought he was good at this, when he was suspiciously bad right from the first moments.

 

[MountainDad]

I believe, he thought, he didn't even need to pretend a certain reaction. Unfortunately, at the end he was right. He is roaming the states as a free man, for now.

I'd love to watch the interrogation videos, if they even recorded them. I thought their technique lacked professionalism, showed bias, and failed to produce irrefutable evidence. I thought the followup questioning was weak, and lacked preparation that this case and SM deserved.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1429934988603052035

 

[CGray123]

I am not able to judge investigators' technique for bias or professionalism without actually hearing the tape.

However, style points don't count. Results do. They were able to get BM on the record lying multiple times, showing knowledge of guilt. They were able to get him to admit he was at the house with a gun in his hand at the very time all communications from SM ceased. So much more - in a lengthy non-custodial investigation over a period of days. Remarkable!

IMO they needed expert testimony to support the interview evidence, and the ruling excluding most of these witnesses for the prosecutors' discovery violations was, as they said, tantamount to dismissal.

IMO, the investigation produced proof beyond a reasonable doubt that BM murdered his wife and concealed her body, for the reasons such murders usually happen: divorce was imminent, with financial and self-image consequences for BM.

Any expectation that good investigative interviews always produce irrefutable proof of guilt is totally unrealistic IMO. Even confessions have been successfully contested as coerced, etc. The CCSO/CBI/FBI investigation did its job. The collapse of the case is down to the prosecutor's office, which seems to have a chronic problem LS has failed to prioritize.

 

[MountainDad]

I'd love to watch the interrogation videos, if they even recorded them. I thought their technique lacked professionalism, showed bias, and failed to produce irrefutable evidence. I thought the followup questioning was weak, and lacked preparation that this case and SM deserved.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1429934988603052035

This July 8th get together at Barry's house is the final interview with BM. They prayed and grilled steaks. <modsnip - no link>

 

[CGray123]

Yeah, but I'm asking if they can't just get new experts to present the same evidence.

IMO, when the new case is filed, the prosecution will have reports ready for discovery and will argue that Judge L's ruling does not apply in the new case.

 

[mrjitty]

I am not able to judge investigators' technique for bias or professionalism without actually hearing the tape.

However, style points don't count. Results do. They were able to get BM on the record lying multiple times, showing knowledge of guilt. They were able to get him to admit he was at the house with a gun in his hand at the very time all communications from SM ceased. So much more - in a lengthy non-custodial investigation over a period of days. Remarkable!

IMO they needed expert testimony to support the interview evidence, and the ruling excluding most of these witnesses for the prosecutors' discovery violations was, as they said, tantamount to dismissal.

IMO, the investigation produced proof beyond a reasonable doubt that BM murdered his wife and concealed her body, for the reasons such murders usually happen: divorce was imminent, with financial and self-image consequences for BM.

Any expectation that good investigative interviews always produce irrefutable proof of guilt is totally unrealistic IMO. Even confessions have been successfully contested as coerced, etc. The CCSO/CBI/FBI investigation did its job. The collapse of the case is down to the prosecutor's office, which seems to have a chronic problem LS has failed to prioritize.

Right

Typically the suspect is not going to confess.

The job is to get damaging admissions and contradictions that can be placed in evidence at trial. Especially these may contradict the defence version at trial, or hem them in to particular things that have already been admitted.

Just as one example, the way they committed BM to multiple versions about when he got up and departed from Puma Path are obviously devastating for the defence case.

 

[mrjitty]

This July 8th get together at Barry's house is the final interview with BM. They prayed and grilled steaks. Barry now lives in Indiana as a free man.

I believe this kind of stuff is best practice.

The idea is to try to establish trust with the suspect, and wear him down. BM came quite close to confessing in the final interview IMO - but in any case made damaging admissions.

 

[BeckyF]

I believe this kind of stuff is best practice.

The idea is to try to establish trust with the suspect, and wear him down. BM came quite close to confessing in the final interview IMO - but in any case made damaging admissions.

Yep. And at one point Barry asked if he could get a plea deal.

 

[Lyanna]

Yep. And at one point Barry asked if he could get a plea deal.

So he did! If he could get a plea deal if he told them everything iirc

moo

 

[Seattle1]

Yep. And at one point Barry asked if he could get a plea deal.

I don't think it was a plea deal but asked if he could get immunity if he opened up and told all. JMO

 

[BeckyF]

I don't think it was a plea deal but asked if he could get immunity if he opened up and told all. JMO

Ok, gotcha. I misremembered.

 

[Seattle1]

Ok, gotcha. I misremembered.

IMO, Johnny Grusing's investigative technique worked on BM -- he trusted him. And as BM was being arrested, those were BM's last words to Grusing!

 

[mrjitty]

IMO, Johnny Grusing's investigative technique worked on BM -- he trusted him. And as BM was being arrested, those were BM's last words to Grusing!

Exactly - he got played.

 

[Seattle1]

Reading the dated MSM from 4/19/2022, I was reminded of the FB page for missing SM by the nephew on behalf of BM. What was that all about?!! Did somebody else get played big-time?

Fact-check: Here's why charges can still be filed against Barry Morphew

The murder case against Barry Morphew was dismissed without prejudice Tuesday.

www.koaa.com

 

[10ofRods]

I'm starting to think there was no job on Mothers Day repairing his previous big job that he screwed up. Could he have used this as an alibi? But SM stops all communication on Sat @ 2? Could she have shut her phone down before a shared plate steak and sex and never turned it on again- or maybe that didnt happen either He was up all night according to phone and truck data. Possibly calling stone suppliers and landscape suppliers for materials? Maybe going over plans and schedule-such a hard worker. Or, imo,could he have been murdering SM, hiding her body, planting the bike, bleaching the house, dumping items used in the crime, burning her journal, and setting the stage for an unrelated party to discover SM missing.

First of all, it was illegal to work at the side of a public road on a Sunday and no, he didn't have the permit to do it and he never intended to do it, IMO. It was entirely alibi. This is way back in the early threads, but I'm sure I'm remembering properly. Since I have no links, it's JMO, but I think nearly everyone who has been here from the beginning will agree.

Suzanne was ON her phone with JL (I think those are his initials) when Barry arrives home, IMO. They never had steak or sex, IMO. Barry's phone shows frantic activity in the backyard starting around 2 pm. He says he was shooting at chipmunks.

Suzanne answers no Mother's Day texts from her children the next day. I believe her phone was never found, but they did get the phone records and JL did provide information about Suzanne's use of the phone on Saturday (to facetime with him).

Then Barry is up all night. I believe his phone was on his person during a walk he took down to the ravine where the bike was found - at any rate, there was a record of this. There are no records of him calling any stone suppliers nor would the job have been able to receive stone (it was later rebuilt by someone else, using state-approved cement blocking which is exactly why it had to be redone - Barry had done it cheaply and wrongly the first time). The job could not be done with just any supplier or with stone/cinder block (he used cinder block, IIRC, the first time - not legal at the side of a freeway in CO). Landscape suppliers are not open in the middle of the night and he was not being asked to landscape - just fix the barrier/retaining wall. IIRC. IMO.

So your last opinion is very well-supported, IMO.

Whole story is terribly sad. There's so much more that implicates Barry, as I'm sure you know - but some newcomers might not. The burning of her journal is so incriminating.

All IMO.

 

[10ofRods]

Watching the Murdaugh interrogation in depth, I am struck by how good the interrogation of BM was.

The most interesting thing about the Murdaugh interrogation is the way these psychos exist in bizarre constructs. The interrogation proceeds in the usual shadow dance where the interrogators reveal things they know and slowly push him into mistakes, dubious answers etc. The idea is to capture bad stuff on video for the trial. Of course he won't confess. The killer aims to find out what investigators know, tries to address problems etc - anything to avoid getting charged really.

But acceptance of this framework is a tacit admission that he is the killer. If you aren't the killer, why wouldn't you just break out of the theatre. Say "guys what are we doing here? What answers do you need from me? we need to find the real killers?" The innocent person does not exist in the shadow dance construct. They exist in a reality where someone else really did it, and the evidence of that is findable. It simply makes no sense to play along with the drip drip game. That is not their experienced reality.

Same thing happens with BM.

By the end of his final talk with investigators he effectively admits all the evidence points and him and that he has no more stories he can spin.

I find this psychology fascinating. He doesn't confess but he does appear to accept that the pretence is over.

Why does he accept that?

Brilliant post, Mr Jitty. He also asks interrogators a couple of dumb questions, I don't remember them exactly, but along the lines of, "So, if I were to plead to something, what would it be?" He's trying to be his own lawyer!! He's a skinflint, that's one reason why. He's stupid is the other reason. IMO. Suzanne probably did all his university work for him. He was always surrounded by women who enabled him, IMO. He doesn't seem to understand either induction or deduction. He always gets his way.

(@Seattle1 just clarified this above - he asked if he could get immunity if he told everything).

More support for him being what some would call a dum-dum. But, lots of people know virtually nothing about the law - Barry Morphew is one of those.

He bought his way out of this by hiring lawyers, but there's something else amiss in the system in Salida County, IMO.

It's one of the most angering crimes of our time; the killer is still out there and used the victim's money for his defense, IMO.

IMO.