CO CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #65 *ARREST*

[MassGuy]

I have a question, not sure if anyone knows the answer.

When they say 'live' tweeting, do they mean instantaneous (as in, no pause, so you get to see the live content)?

I know that over here, the journos can often tweet 'live' but that consists of them having to wait about 15 mins after that piece of testimony to make sure the judge doesn't suppress it.
Occassionally they slip up and tweet when they think they can, then the judge suppresses later and they have to go back and delete the relevant tweet(s).

Yup, it means “instant.”

We don’t have any of those concerns over here, as a judge can’t tell the media what they can and can’t report.

ETA: We still don’t know for sure if the judge will allow live tweeting, or if reporters will have to do that on scheduled breaks.

 

[SouthAussie]

Yup, it means “instant.”

We don’t have any of those concerns over here, as a judge can’t tell the media what they can and can’t report.

Thanks.

(Just to be clear, as I wasn't, it is not so much that the judge is saying what the media can or can't report, it is more that the judge has not allowed something (hearsay rule, or whatever) so the rumour doesn't get to be published as fact.)

 

[MassGuy]

Thanks.

(Just to be clear, as I wasn't, it is not so much that the judge is saying what the media can or can't report, it is more that the judge has not allowed something (hearsay rule, or whatever) so the rumour doesn't get to be published as fact.)

Even that distinction doesn’t apply here, so we’ll have no such concerns.

 

[Love Never Fails]

Yup. August 9th, 10th, then a two week gap, followed by the last two dates on the 23rd and 24th.

Thanks! Looking forward to it.

 

[Love Never Fails]

Yup. August 9th, 10th, then a two week gap, followed by the last two dates on the 23rd and 24th.

I was thinking Frazees preliminary was in January wasn’t it? And trial began in November? (2019 was a bad year for me)
Just wondering how far out a trial date can be set from the preliminary?

 

[fcavanaugh]

Sure they might find a recording device on their own. I am not saying it's impossible, I am just trying to put pieces together. I am inferring from the fact that LE got warrants right away that they had inside information. From a distance, early on, this was a plausible missing person or lost person case. But- LE got warrants to search a house, an empty field, dig up the foundation for a house and others very quickly. You need some probable cause to show a judge. One logical way that happens is if someone on the inside told police right away that there was trouble in the relationship, a potential for violence, threats made, talk of divorce, affairs etc.. This person may have (pure speculation) provided the list of things to look for, including that they knew recordings were made and we communicate via chat on her Kindle...

What is pretty clear is that as soon as it became publicly known she was missing, LE already had evidence of something to show a judge.

Good post @Curiousobserver. Just jumping off your post, personally, judging from Suzanne’s twitter, it appears to me she and her BFF in Indiana were extremely close, like soul Sisters is the impression I got. Having said that, and with the revelation/discussion on an early PE podcast with AM that Suzanne’s BFF had been trying to reach her since/after their wedding convo ended abruptly on Saturday and then when Suzanne didn’t show for BFF daughter’s wedding the next day, raised even more concern and red flags for the BFF, keeping these events in mind, I’ve often thought a lot about and imagined the possibility of LE getting a call from Suzanne’s BFF sometime Sunday afternoon raising concerns for SM’s welfare, hypothetically saying something to LE to the effect, I had been talking with Suzanne during the day yesterday about my daughter’s upcoming wedding when suddenly the conversation abruptly ended. Since then, I’ve been trying to get in touch with her but she’s not responding and since she didn’t show up to my daughter’s virtual wedding this afternoon, I’m extremely concerned as it just isn’t like Suzanne to not respond and to not show up without any notification. Hypothetically, if Suzanne had recently been confiding in her BFF about any troubles in the marriage, potentially wanting to leave/divorce BM and/or any possible suspicions she may have had about BM i.e., possible cheating, possible shady/illegal business dealings he may have been involved in that she found out about etc., it’s possible she elaborated and told them her concerns were amplified due to SM previously shared these type of concerns with her. Heck, maybe the BFF even knew about Suzanne’s spy pen and clued LE in to its existence as well, who knows, but I really do think it’s entirely possible that Suzanne confided and shared alot of “stuff” with her BFF that no one else knew about. IMO, alot of women have that one special friend they are very close to, share everything with and trust completely. I don’t believe it’s a stretch to think that this type of dynamic existed between Suzanne and her BFF, and imo, her BFF is going to be a critical, if not star, prosecution witness.

So say the BFF did call LE late afternoon on Sunday, and before LE even had a chance to perform a welfare check, next thing they know there was an 911 call received from Morphew neighbor JR stating that Suzanne’s daughters and husband reached out to her and asked her to go over and check if Suzanne is home as they are all out of town and haven’t been able to get in touch with Suzanne all day. JR tells dispatcher she went over to the house and confirmed to BM that Suzanne wasn’t at home and oh btw, her husband then asked me to go back over and check for Suzanne’s bike, so I went back over to the house and confirmed her bike was gone. Told husband bike was gone, husband said ok then she must have gone for a bike ride and since it was getting late, her husband asked me to call 911 to report Suzanne is missing.
At some point subsequent to JR’s 911 call, LE arrives at the PP home and notice a strong odor of bleach, no coolers to be found anywhere at the home, lord knows what else they might have noticed/found early on during search of the home, and find a bike at the bottom of a ravine which they quickly determine was likely staged. (not necessarily in that order). Yeah, who on earth has any reason to stage a bike, essentially create/stage a fake bike ride scene. I digress.

At any rate, this isn’t LE’s first rodeo and my guess is as a result of some and/or all of the above, probably more, in addition to BM’s own lies/inconsistent statements to LE early on, it’s obvious to me that LE were able to connect some important dots very early on, so much so to be able to prove to the Judge that enough probable cause existed to virtually immediately lock down the home and secure multiple search warrants that remain sealed, all of which speaks absolute volumes.

The good news is in just one more week, we should know whether some of our guesses have been right, and will likely obtain a lot more insight into why LE sprung into immediate home lockdown, multiple search warrant mode and treated this as a homicide investigation with a prime suspect from virtually moment one.

Like everyone else, really looking forward to next week’s preliminary hearings.

Justice is coming dear Suzanne.


IMHOO

#FindSuzanne
#BringSuzanneHome
#JusticeForSuzanne

 

[MassGuy]

I was thinking Frazees preliminary was in January wasn’t it? And trial began in November? (2019 was a bad year for me)
Just wondering how far out a trial date can be set from the preliminary?

Frazee’s was held just under 2 months following his arrest (December arrest, February prelim). The jury was seated on November, 1.

Trial date wouldn’t be set at the preliminary, and I have no expectation things will move anywhere near as fast (Frazee was convicted and sentenced just under a year after the murder).

That case was nowhere near as complex as this one is sure to be, and there was a material witness.

With the amount of evidence here (possibly several times as much), no known material witness, and Covid delays, I’d be shocked if this didn’t take well over a year for trial.

 

[CGray123]

Its difficult to even speculate. Looking at Suzanne's situation....her entire fortune was invested in Barry's vision for the future.....all of it. Her inheritance was not only sizable materially.....but the emotional attachment of her legacy must have been enormous, and Barry took that too. Likewise, Barry was disassembling Suzanne's relationship with her family, and had been for several years. IOW....Suzanne's identity was purged, imo. She was chattel. If Barry had designs on life without Suzanne...and was developing a new life and identity for himself.....liquidation was just down the road...and Suzanne may have figured that out, somehow. This guy stripped his wife of her identity....that was made clear when he alienated her and her daughters from her father, and likely her mother before that....not to mention Melinda and Andy. Suzanne was surely aware of this cruel, heartless and calculating behavior. At what point did it ignite an escape plan? While the marriage was deteriorating...Barry was removing Suzanne from her natural family, at the same time.

In April, when the FBI confronted BM with the fact that it was illegal to submit a ballot for his missing wife, BM said, "I didn't know you couldn't do that for your spouse."

I've been ruminating on that comment ever since. Reluctantly, I came to believe the comment reflects a value system that may be culturally supported in America, even in the time of #MeToo. MOO, it makes it easier to believe BM felt he was entitled to take SM's life because she was planning to leave him.

Across cultures, "uxorixide" (wife- or girlfriend-murder) long has been culturally supported and remains so in culturally conservative countries.

Vestiges of cultural support for the treatment of women as the property of their husbands can be found in the history of the English common law of "coverture", under which a married woman was considered to have merged with her husband and was subject to his protection and control - to the extent she had no legal right to act independently. It hasn't been that long since the practice was largely abolished in English-speaking countries. California finally abolished it by common law in 1954 (Follansbee v Benzenburg).

In fact, there are common law cases holding that a husband's marital rights included the right to beat his wife, including an American case that post-dates the Civil War.

"Wife beating is acknowledged in Blackstone's 'Commentaries,' and many court rulings sanctioned the practice.

(Perhaps) the earliest... (legal) reference to wife beating is the 17th century, when one Dr. Marmaduke Coghill, an Irish judge, held that a man who had beaten his wife "with such a switch as the one he held in his hand" was within his matrimonial privilege.

In the 18th century a judge named Francis Buller, dubbed "Judge Thumb" by the famous caricaturist James Gillray, was said to have allowed that a man could beat his wife, as long as the punitive stick was no thicker than his thumb. (A witty countess was said to have asked the judge to measure her husband's thumb exactly, so that she might know the precise extent of his privilege.)

..."Three 19th-century cases in America... mention the "rule of thumb," including an 1868 ruling in North Carolina that 'the defendant had a right to whip his wife with a switch no larger than his thumb.'" Misunderstood "Rule of Thumb"...

Back to the present day, we have seen the growth online of a terrorist "male supremacist ecosystem" that includes "incels" - a radicalized subculture of advocates for harassment of - and violence against - women. These men commonly feel entitled to sex and believe women have too much power.

In this context, I have been speculating (MOO) that BM had a sense of sexual entitlement, and a kind of "married male privilege" to act on his wife's behalf, that is supported by some influential elements of our current culture.

 

[Love Never Fails]

Since the judge sealed the AA, I’m wondering if the Morphew girls have been told of the content or if they will go through the shock of hearing it all beginning on the 9th.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

We don't know when LE was able to enter the premises. Has that ever been confirmed that it was prior to starting a search for her or did they immediately start searching outside in the area where she might have been riding her bike?

 

[MassGuy]

Since the judge sealed the AA, I’m wondering if the Morphew girls have been told of the content or if they will go through the shock of hearing it all beginning on the 9th.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Barry had filled them in on some of the (glossed over) details of the AA.

Of course by “glossed over,” I mean complete lies.

 

[Love Never Fails]

Frazee’s was held just under 2 months following his arrest (December arrest, February prelim). The jury was seated on November, 1.

Trial date wouldn’t be set at the preliminary, and I have no expectation things will move anywhere near as fast (Frazee was convicted and sentenced just under a year after the murder).

That case was nowhere near as complex as this one is sure to be, and there was a material witness.

With the amount of evidence here (possibly several times as much), no known material witness, and Covid delays, I’d be shocked if this didn’t take well over a year for trial.

Thanks. Time will pass. And as life goes on for everyone else, he will get to enjoy his cell.

 

[Love Never Fails]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Barry had filled them in on some of the (glossed over) details of the AA.

Of course by “glossed over,” I mean complete lies.

Yes that’s just the thing. His lies will make matters worse for them.

 

[Momofthreeboys]

Yes that’s just the thing. His lies will make matters worse for them.

That will be the most interesting.....to see if there are inconsistencies in the story he told. HIs GPS and phones could match exactly what he said...especially if Suzanne went missing late on Saturday. I personally am not going to assume anything in this case. I'm also particularly interested if that massive sift and dig that occurred at the River House turned up anything and if they actually found any forensic evidence in their home. I'm also very interested if the prosecution will get through proof positive, presumption great. If they don't the howling will be heard around the globe.

 

[MassGuy]

That will be the most interesting.....to see if there are inconsistencies in the story he told. HIs GPS and phones could match exactly what he said...especially if Suzanne went missing late on Saturday. I personally am not going to assume anything in this case. I'm also particularly interested if that massive sift and dig that occurred at the River House turned up anything and if they actually found any forensic evidence in their home. I'm also very interested if the prosecution will get through proof positive, presumption great. If they don't the howling will be heard around the globe.

There are over 10k pages of discovery, and over one terabyte of evidence (that we know about).

I think it’s a pretty safe bet that there are “inconsistencies” here.

If Barry’s account was supported by evidence, then there was no probable cause for arrest.

If Suzanne showed any sign of life after Barry left that morning, the same is true.

 

[SouthAussie]

We don't know when LE was able to enter the premises. Has that ever been confirmed that it was prior to starting a search for her or did they immediately start searching outside in the area where she might have been riding her bike?

I have never seen a confirmation of that.
I have the strong impression that the police put a 'hold' on the house fairly quickly, but did not commence a real search of the home until 10 days after Suzanne disappeared (perhaps they needed probable cause, because BM did not give permission for a search?)
The bike was found on the Sunday (Mothers Day), the personal item was found 5 days later, FBI and CBI called in to help search by 5 days later, police were seen carrying evidence bags from the house 10 days later.


"To clarify media reports about the Morphew residence, the house continues to be held by law enforcement during this open investigation through a search warrant that has been sealed by the court.
According to Sheriff John Spezze, it is not unusual in these types of investigations to start at the home and extend outward, in an effort to seek clues surrounding the disappearance.
The Morphew residence is just one of many areas of focus as part of this open investigation at this time."
Suzanne Morphew Missing Person Case (May 20) | Colorado Bureau of Investigation

Police search and carry out evidence bags from the $1.5M home of missing Colorado mom | Daily Mail Online
Police discover 'personal item' in the search for missing Colorado mom-of-two | Daily Mail Online

 

[Love Never Fails]

That will be the most interesting.....to see if there are inconsistencies in the story he told. HIs GPS and phones could match exactly what he said...especially if Suzanne went missing late on Saturday. I personally am not going to assume anything in this case. I'm also particularly interested if that massive sift and dig that occurred at the River House turned up anything and if they actually found any forensic evidence in their home. I'm also very interested if the prosecution will get through proof positive, presumption great. If they don't the howling will be heard around the globe.

Prosecution will indeed win. No howling for defense in this case.

 

[Love Never Fails]

There are over 10k pages of discovery, and over one terabyte of evidence (that we know about).

I think it’s a pretty safe bet that there are “inconsistencies” here.

If Barry’s account was supported by evidence, then there was no probable cause for arrest.

If Suzanne showed any sign of life after Barry left that morning, the same is true.

There are three cases where evidence will be overwhelming. Morphew, Stauch and Daybell. There’s no body yet in Morphew case and yet there’s tons of evidence. He is toast.

 

[MassGuy]

I have never seen a confirmation of that.
I have the strong impression that the police put a 'hold' on the house fairly quickly, but did not commence a real search of the home until 10 days after Suzanne disappeared (perhaps they needed probable cause, because BM did not give permission for a search?)
The bike was found on the Sunday (Mothers Day), the personal item was found 5 days later, FBI and CBI called in to help search by 5 days later, police were seen carrying evidence bags from the house 10 days later.


"To clarify media reports about the Morphew residence, the house continues to be held by law enforcement during this open investigation through a search warrant that has been sealed by the court.
According to Sheriff John Spezze, it is not unusual in these types of investigations to start at the home and extend outward, in an effort to seek clues surrounding the disappearance.
The Morphew residence is just one of many areas of focus as part of this open investigation at this time."
Suzanne Morphew Missing Person Case (May 20) | Colorado Bureau of Investigation

Police search and carry out evidence bags from the $1.5M home of missing Colorado mom | Daily Mail Online
Police discover 'personal item' in the search for missing Colorado mom-of-two | Daily Mail Online

Yeah, Barry apparently wasn’t able to enter the home when he returned, as the house was sealed.

I can’t imagine the house was not searched the night she disappeared however, as Suzanne could have been injured or dead inside.

So I suspect there was at least a cursory search of the premises, prior to law enforcement obtaining search warrants.

I also suspect that law enforcement didn’t initially spot anything amiss (blood, struggle, etc), as it appears to have taken over a week for a warrant to be obtained.

So walk-through, hold, search warrant.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Yeah, Barry apparently wasn’t able to enter the home when he returned, as the house was sealed.

I can’t imagine the house was not searched the night she disappeared however, as Suzanne could have been injured or dead inside.

So I suspect there was at least a cursory search of the premises, prior to law enforcement obtaining search warrants.

So walk-through, hold, search warrant.

I wonder if thats when they could smell bleach too.