Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #16

[gitana1]

Is it possible that this same economical reliance on tourism might impact the investigation in some way? I know that some towns can go a bit overboard with trying to protect their "image/reputation" in order to preserve incomes

Edit: So, to paraphrase, is it possible that some might want this investigation swept under the rug?

I don’t think the FBI or CBI would be impacted by the local tourism industry. And it appears that when they got involved is when the focus shifted. The CBI has a great track record. I can’t see them being swayed by local economic needs. The FBI of course doesn’t care about state or county economics.

If it was just the county sheriffs department I might wonder.

 

[Warwick7]

IMO

Are assumptions being made that LE is not conducting a thorough or accurate investigation and mistakes have or are occurring? Is this assumption arising because LE is not sharing information and talking about all they've found so far?

If yes, that's unfortunate because there are hardworking people behind the scenes who take their work seriously and are diligent, and LE's job is to protect the integrity of the case so any suspects won't know the details, and future litigation can proceed by the DA's office, if it comes to that, and not be tried in the "court of public opinion."

/IMO

Such a good post!

We've been reminded that WS is primarily pro law enforcement. And we have no idea what LE is doing or has been doing behind the scenes that we are not privy to.

City, county, state and federal agencies are involved. To insinuate that any of them have not conducted this case properly just because we aren't given information is so disheartening.

 

[Brubon]

Interestingly, there was a case of a missing bicyclist in Indiana.

Remembering Jill

John Myers II was just released from prison on 6.15.2020 as he awaits appealing his 2006 conviction for the murder of Jill.
WTH.
MOO

 

[LietKynes]

BBM
We do not know any of this information. We are not privy to LE information.

Agreed.
I think it's too soon to disparage the efforts of law enforcement.
It's entirely possible that LE did just that already.
And saw something on the footage that piqued their interest !

For instance, unusual activity or suspicious vehicles/large machinery movement /etc.
In the photo it looks like the Morphew's own or rent a Bobcat earth mover and a flatbed trailer.
What did LE see when they looked at the neighbor's footage or even the Morphews' security footage ?
Imo.

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

 

[gitana1]

IMO

Are assumptions being made that LE is not conducting a thorough or accurate investigation and mistakes have or are occurring? Is this assumption arising because LE is not sharing information and talking about all they've found so far?

If yes, that's unfortunate because there are hardworking people behind the scenes who take their work seriously and are diligent, and LE's job is to protect the integrity of the case so any suspects won't know the details, and future litigation can proceed by the DA's office, if it comes to that, and not be tried in the "court of public opinion."

/IMO

Yeah I hardly think the FBI and CBI AND local LE have all failed to follow proper investigative procedures and simply jumped to a quick and baseless judgment due to BM having an attitude. That wouldn’t be professional. I’ve yet to see the CBI not be professional.

 

[LietKynes]

Yeah I hardly think the FBI and CBI AND local LE have all failed to follow proper investigative procedures and simply jumped to a quick and baseless judgment due to BM having an attitude. That wouldn’t be professional. I’ve yet to see the CBI not be professional.

Agreed.
It looks like what we're seeing is LE getting their ducks in a row.
And not much else, other than the waiting -- which has to be so hard for Suzanne's side of the family and her daughters.
Imo.

 

[oviedo]

Agreed.
It looks like what we're seeing is LE getting their ducks in a row.
And not much else, other than the waiting -- which has to be so hard for Suzanne's side of the family and her daughters.
Imo.

I cannot imagine their pain - I have total confidence that LE will discover what happened to This mom ... sigh - most of us know already
IMO

 

[alleyoop24]

Is it possible that this same economical reliance on tourism might impact the investigation in some way? I know that some towns can go a bit overboard with trying to protect their "image/reputation" in order to preserve incomes

Edit: So, to paraphrase, is it possible that some might want this investigation swept under the rug?

I'm going to say no on this, MOO of course.
There are big banners that you see without trying on Hwy 50 and at Walmart. and there are smaller signs at many businesses. One of the banners is at the hot springs pool in town. I think it's missing the mark to suggest that there's some sort of county-wide conspiracy to make the disappearance disappear.

ETA: Besides, COVID-19 had already flattened the economy for a bit and nothing really opened back up for about 3-ish weeks after May 10 anyway.

 

[10ofRods]

I'm going to say no on this, MOO of course.
There are big banners that you see without trying on Hwy 50 and at Walmart. and there are smaller signs at many businesses. One of the banners is at the hot springs pool in town. I think it's missing the mark to suggest that there's some sort of county-wide conspiracy to make the disappearance disappear.

ETA: Besides, COVID-19 had already flattened the economy for a bit and nothing really opened back up for about 3-ish weeks after May 10 anyway.

That's good to know - I've seen no MSM on this, so it's nice to have someone drive by. This the first time I've heard about the banner at the hot springs pool.

I hope the County remains committed to finding Suzanne. They may continue to need the help of other counties.

 

[gitana1]

I'm going to say no on this, MOO of course.
There are big banners that you see without trying on Hwy 50 and at Walmart. and there are smaller signs at many businesses. One of the banners is at the hot springs pool in town. I think it's missing the mark to suggest that there's some sort of county-wide conspiracy to make the disappearance disappear.

ETA: Besides, COVID-19 had already flattened the economy for a bit and nothing really opened back up for about 3-ish weeks after May 10 anyway.

I hadn’t even thought of that (COVID).

 

[gitana1]

That's good to know - I've seen no MSM on this, so it's nice to have someone drive by. This the first time I've heard about the banner at the hot springs pool.

I hope the County remains committed to finding Suzanne. They may continue to need the help of other counties.

It is nice to know. Poor lady. Who paid for the billboards?

 

[10ofRods]

Thanks for your support and the question...I think a preliminary step for LE would have been to reach out to SM's neighbors immediately requesting that they save any outdoor camera related video tape; as a preliminary step LE would have also canvassed the Salidas residents for relevant information/camera footage, etc. In other words, several investigative steps that LE took after they dug deep into SM's husband for evidence that he was responsible for her disappearance should have been done in the very beginning when SM was reported missing. A wide net around the area of her disappearance should have been cast with investigators gathering as much as they could from sources that could have provided leads that were possibly lost because no one was looking beyond the assumption that BLM had something to do with his missing wife.

I believe they did your Step 1 during the evening of May 10 (there are only 2 neighbors, neither seems to have a good view of the house from their houses, but perhaps there are trail cams or other cams). The asking for video from 16 miles away came next. Then, they went house to house.

They got 400 tips, presumably from people who had reviewed their camera footage included (and not everyone is going to go look at their footage for LE - but the call was out, and they say they've done that).

I'm guessing this turned up at least some information (even if it's negative information).

How do you know what they were doing in those first hours - even before BM came home? What makes you think LE was lax in this regard?

 

[alleyoop24]

That's good to know - I've seen no MSM on this, so it's nice to have someone drive by. This the first time I've heard about the banner at the hot springs pool.

I hope the County remains committed to finding Suzanne. They may continue to need the help of other counties.

Hmmm... I don't know if I can prove with MSM that there's a banner at the pool, but I know that there is for sure. Technically what I know is that there was one there Wednesday but I haven't driven by since. A short few weeks ago there was a really bad windstorm that took out trees. Many smaller (paper) signs might not have survived. There are smaller signs in downtown businesses.

 

[alleyoop24]

It is nice to know. Poor lady. Who paid for the billboards?

They are big banners - total guesstimate but something like 4'x16' maybe? The kind that are sort of plastic/canvas like. Printed in color. I don't know who paid for them. They had the same pictures that were on the flyers.

 

[MsBetsy]

I've never heard anything about a neighbor seeing SM on a bike on Sunday, May 10. Would you please furnish that audio?
Thanks so much in advance.

I think it was in the Nancy Grace podcast that was posted around the 18th or 19th of May, or whichever was the first that she did. I only listened for about five minutes, but the journalist claimed the neighbor saw her on her bike on Sunday (she actually said it twice) and NG just kept talking right over her so it's hard to listen to.

I think the podcast came right before the DM article which contradicted what was reported by Nancy Grace. It might have been the same interview that she said the bike was crashed, but I'm not sure.

I was able to find the discussion of the podcast from May 19th but I can't find the audio.

 

[al66pine]

Tourists Dissuaded by Crime?

Is it possible that this same economical reliance on tourism might impact the investigation in some way? I know that some towns can go a bit overboard with trying to protect their "image/reputation" in order to preserve incomes. Edit: So, to paraphrase, is it possible that some might want this investigation swept under the rug?

@caffeinatedinsomniac Which type of crime would be more likely to scare off tourists from a particular destination --- a spouse physically injuring/killing spouse, or random ppl being robbed/attacked/killed on the street or bike trail? Which is worse for an area's "image/reputation?" If BM is under the microscope here, then stepping into Chamber of Commerce shoes, I don't see incentive for that local faction to encourage LE to sweep this one under the rug.
And even if Ch/Com or community leaders were so inclined, I doubt any such encouragement would sway sheriff, CBI, & FBI. Just my 2 cts.

 

[chinablue1]

My thoughts .... I was thinking in the beginning, that maybe SM accompanied BM, when going to that FF/training or job, and maybe that's when something happened to SM. If the bike was staged, by BM, when was it done?, it must of been planted on the way to his work/training job(timing). Why do I say this, because if SM was alive with him on the way to his job it would be difficult to stop and plant the bike, unless she was no longer alive? So I think IF he did do this, it must have been done before he went on that job/training,


Just moopinion

J4SM

 

[Cindizzi]

They are big banners - total guesstimate but something like 4'x16' maybe? The kind that are sort of plastic/canvas like. Printed in color. I don't know who paid for them. They had the same pictures that were on the flyers.

Here’s a pic of a banner on a restaurant in Poncha Springs. Not sure if it’s the same one.

https://twitter.com/greg_nieto/status/1265317448150061060?s=21

 

[FelicityLemon]

Thanks for your support and the question...I think a preliminary step for LE would have been to reach out to SM's neighbors immediately requesting that they save any outdoor camera related video tape; as a preliminary step LE would have also canvassed the Salidas residents for relevant information/camera footage, etc. In other words, several investigative steps that LE took after they dug deep into SM's husband for evidence that he was responsible for her disappearance should have been done in the very beginning when SM was reported missing. A wide net around the area of her disappearance should have been cast with investigators gathering as much as they could from sources that could have provided leads that were possibly lost because no one was looking beyond the assumption that BLM had something to do with his missing wife.

But, we don't know that they didn't do those things you list because we don't know everything they've done. Everything you list sounds exactly like what LE would do as soon as they realized it probably isn't a standard missing person in the woods, an animal attack.

 

[caffeinatedinsomniac]

Tourists Dissuaded by Crime?
@caffeinatedinsomniac Which type of crime would be more likely to scare off tourists from a particular destination --- a spouse physically injuring/killing spouse, or random ppl being robbed/attacked/killed on the street or bike trail? Which is worse for an area's "image/reputation?" If BM is under the microscope here, then stepping into Chamber of Commerce shoes, I don't see incentive for that local faction to encourage LE to sweep this one under the rug.
And even if Ch/Com or community leaders were so inclined, I doubt any such encouragement would sway sheriff, CBI, & FBI. Just my 2 cts.

It was more of a general question at the time - mostly because I know that smaller towns/closely-knit communities - while some rallying around the victim - can cause bias.

Although do keep in mind that I'd forgotten about the numerous other agencies that were also involved, such as the FBI. Mental note to self to refresh before commenting.