Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #38

[elliefant]

Well he’ll want a personal invitation first

 

[seekingjustice**]

I don't dispute that he's a jackass. I do dispute that his actions are criminal.

I agree that his actions are not deemed criminal but his actions can be considered a piece of circumstantial evidence whilst piecing together the jigsaw puzzle - "He told reporter LS that he would do anything to find his missing wife - however witnesses can tell a different story "Witness told of watching BM putting up cameras around his property, with a shotgun over his shoulder, warning them off his property, while they were desperately searching the area for his missing wife"

 

[MrsWatson]

It's very exciting to see all the work that has been done in the search. The software that lets you follow is just incredible.

Regarding BM patrolling the house: Per TOS we can not sleuth BM/SM's business interests. However, BM is a big fan of real estate and land and real property, IMO. Clearly more important than his missing wife of 20+ years.

Hanging game cams (now? really? couldn't fit it into your busy schedule earlier?) and warning people about trespassing while they are looking for your missing wife is just baffling to me. Talk about bad optics. It just defies all common sense. But I don't think BM wades in that pool very often, anyway.

No way he'll be at the vigil tonight. Ain't no way, IMO.

 

[Boxer]

For the longest, I didn't think there was a way in the world Super Ego Barry would off himself. I pictured him talking and talking and talking 'til the bitter end, and feeling confident he could sell his story. (IMHO that's the way he has handled Suzanne for years....just talking and talking and talking, wearing her down with words.) NOW, it seems he may realize his story hasn't been such an easy sell, to those who don't have the love and devotion for him that his sweet wife did. I'm beginning to think that IF her body is found on their property, he may realize his time is up, and do the "going out in a blaze of glory" thing.

A shotgun is not going to keep his troubles away if evidence leads to the property.

 

[Boxer]

Well he’ll want a personal invitation first

My understanding is he did not return a call by AM. So he avoided being invited.

 

[Boxer]

Very true. He’s out there beating his chest when he could have secured his property earlier. Hide out in the condo while his buddy G “400 Tours” D watches the house for him. That said, I don’t find it as weird or alarming as some do, I’m used to rural folks doing stuff like this.

I love the teasing comments Andy and the PE guys gave, I think finding anything is secondary, the primary reason for the search is psychological warfare against Peanut Butter Barry.

MOO not "warfare."
He just didn't do the job, now he is mad someone else is.

 

[enelram]

I think we need to call it what it is. Barry can't anwer the question-what were the last words you said to Suzanne, join the search for her, say her name, organize his own search, or support Andy because he killed her.

A professional could tell you the psychological term for this, but I'll call it guilt/internal conflict. He’s unwinding because all he did to try and cover up the murder is being threatened. He has zero control right now.

I'll call it- a grown man who is a dictator and he's shown us how he acts when he doesn't get his way. Raise the ante. Grab a shotgun.

Poor Suzanne, this is her WILD MAN, that she had to coddle for 30 some years.

We may be witnessing a suicide by cop or searcher here. He can't fall much further down. He's a trapped rat and he knows it.

 

[lamlawindy]

I agree that his actions are not deemed criminal but his actions can be considered a piece of circumstantial evidence whilst piecing together the jigsaw puzzle - "He told reporter LS that he would do anything to find his missing wife - however witnesses can tell a different story "Witness told of watching BM putting up cameras around his property, with a shotgun over his shoulder, warning them off his property, while they were desperately searching the area for his missing wife"

Again, I don't see his actions as suspicious. The search is open to anyone, including anyone who may be intent on causing Barry Morphew or his property harm. To me, it seems that placing cameras on one's property & protecting oneself with a shotgun while outdoors is simply a reasonably prudent reaction when one knows that danger is possibly close.

 

[enelram]

I wouldn’t find it weird if his wife wasn’t missing. She is though, and he should be rolling out the welcome mat for anyone who wants to help find her.

He should also be out there himself, personally thanking searchers, and you know, helping to find his damn wife.

I think the primary reason for this search is in fact to find Suzanne. The psychological warfare is an added benefit, and it’s a move I absolutely love.

I was hoping they’d show a strong presence near the family home; not because I think Suzanne is there, but because it would unsettle Barry.

It clearly worked. I hope they do it again tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that.

I was more worried that Brave Barry would play sniper w/ Andy and the searchers, then claim they trespassed or some such foolishness.
So the trailcams and shotgun falls right in there w/ my fear.
LE probably knows his next move before he even does it.
Either Barry will need a straitjacket or handcuffs for the rest of the search.
Unless searchers back off the pressure of searching near his home, this dude is on a path to self-destruction. He's that loose right now.

 

[Boxer]

Again, I don't see his actions as suspicious. The search is open to anyone, including anyone who may be intent on causing Barry Morphew or his property harm. To me, it seems that placing cameras on one's property & protecting oneself with a shotgun while outdoors is simply a reasonably prudent reaction when one knows that danger is possibly close.

No one doubts he attempting to be prudent when it comes to his own presevation.

 

[lamlawindy]

However, a pattern of impulsive, threatening behavior does. Maybe you’ve missed some of the context here.

At any rate, my work is in behavioral science and my sense of this is that BM seems increasingly unpredictable.

Have you listened to all the vocalizations from him that we have availability? Combine that with his actions and you tell me - as a lay person (I’m a psychiatric anthropologist, specializing in epidemiology and field diagnostics/methods)...do you think BM comes across as an innocent man, with good relationships with others?

His wife is missing. His comrade MG says he was acting weird that weekend. Now his wife’s brother - his (former?) family member organizes a search which, instead of joining in, he disrupts with trail cams and comes bearing a shotgun.

He puts an elk head (with flesh) next to his house sometime around the same weekend - is this the behavior of a cautious man?

At least they found what appears to be a place where lions drag their kills today and the forensic people can take a look (Suzanne isn’t there is my bet).

And tomorrow, the drones fly.

I have more than 30 years experience interviewing and studying both the convicted and the non-convicted and I say that this situation is making BM feel upset and anxious. His response is to show up at the edge of his property with a shotgun.

Neither you nor I is a judge - but the one judge we have here on this thread said that they think a judge would find this very interesting. Provocative, even

Every judge I know would be keenly interested (but I’m in California where, of course, we do tend to err on the side of judicial caution - or at least we used to until very recently).

The fact is, neither you nor I knows what a local judge will find to be probable cause for the fourth known search warrant in this case - if it comes.

Time seems ripe for another one, if you ask me. Especially as BM has another place to live - he doesn’t have to be there and no one trespassed.

Why the trail cams?? What’s he afraid of?

More important, why isn’t he out there doing exactly what the searchers are doing? I’ve said all along that finding the mountain lion’s feeding grounds/den area is crucial here - to ruling in/out what happened.

It’s obviously possible and took only one day, with dedicated, organized people. What happened to the money raised for BM & family for searching? Why did AM have to raise other funds to do this search?

While misappropriation of donated money may not be a crime (although it can be, can’t it?), it’s just another red flag in this case.

Judges do act on red flags. All.the.time.

First, while I'm not a full time judge, I am called to act as a pro tem judge on occasion, so I have had to consider whether a person's actions constitute probable cause to believe that criminal activity is afoot. While I may not practice law in Colorado, I don't believe that I've seen Barry do anything from a legal standpoint that approaches probable cause.

Second, whether Barry Morphew has "good relationships" with others is irrelevant to a decision as to whether probable cause exists. To flip your analogy on its head, a person with good relationships with others isn't immune to a finding of probable cause if the evidence of criminal activity exists.

Third, Barry Morphew doesn't have to be afraid of anything to protect his property with cameras and a shotgun; it's a reasonable measure for any homeowner. In some communities, for example, even locking one's doors may seem to be excessive, but I'd argue that it's just reasonably prudent behavior. However, given that there are people who have less than warm feelings toward Barry on the search -- and DWAP interviewed one of them -- there would seem to be a greater degree of need to protect his property from trespassers or those wishing him harm.

You have asked a lot of questions about why Barry isn't acting the way we would want him to act. I wish that I could answer you, but I have no idea. However, I also know that I haven't experienced a trauma on par with what Barry is experiencing, so I cannot say -- and I know of no peer-reviewed studies* that point to the "innocent" way to act in such circumstances -- that his actions are somehow "wrong."

* Perhaps you have published some work that lays out percentages of how a person may act in such traumatic situations based on data you've personally gathered. If so, I'd really like to read it because I do think that behavioral science enriches the criminal justice process.

 

[TIGER0822]

Yes! I thought that was a great new detail. Upside down and against a tree.

It is hard to figure how someone riding the bike could accomplish that (and not be nearby, injured).

This is confusing

 

[lamlawindy]

No one doubts he attempting to be prudent when it comes to his own presevation.

Well, some have argued -- by implication -- that protecting his property and personal safety by installing cameras & carrying a shotgun are evidence of wanting to hide something. He may very well want to conceal something, but his actions equally can be interpreted as prudent protection.

 

[enelram]

Yeah, pretty weird.

I wonder if there are illegal grow sites tucked away here and there? I mean what else would make people nervous?

Just MO but I suspect locals 'know' the real BM.
Word gets around on construction sites of who you don't tick off. He's probably been a tough, threatening Dirt Guy his whole life. So nobody messes with him.
My guess is locals just want to stay out of his way.

 

[NuttMegg]

Again, I don't see his actions as suspicious. The search is open to anyone, including anyone who may be intent on causing Barry Morphew or his property harm. To me, it seems that placing cameras on one's property & protecting oneself with a shotgun while outdoors is simply a reasonably prudent reaction when one knows that danger is possibly close.

The "search" is and has been "open" to anyone since day one of her disappearance. He doesn't even live there and anyone monitoring the case for even 1/2 hour could know exactly where the house is. He waited until hundreds of people came from all corners to look for the decomposed remains of his "beloved" wife to put up trail cameras and to play the aggrieved metro-mountain man. Where were the functioning trail cameras when the bloody bait was in his front yard. Of course there were only 7 acres of area for storing decomposing big game parts.
I already posted that IMO it's legal for his macho act on his own property assuming he follows local firearm laws, but that doesn't whitewash his actions as somehow being normal, prudent or reasonable.
Oh if only there had been cameras when his wife was home alone day after day. I wish SHE had been carrying the shotgun when someone interrupted her texting with her dear friend. But she probably didn't recognize evil until it was too late.

 

[lamlawindy]

I was more worried that Brave Barry would play sniper w/ Andy and the searchers, then claim they trespassed or some such foolishness.
So the trailcams and shotgun falls right in there w/ my fear.
LE probably knows his next move before he even does it.
Either Barry will need a straitjacket or handcuffs for the rest of the search.
Unless searchers back off the pressure of searching near his home, this dude is on a path to self-destruction. He's that loose right now.

You bring up a good point. The trailcams & shotgun actually should calm fears about Barry vis-a-vis the searchers.

If one believed that Barry was going to fire upon the searchers with a .308 or 30-06, it would seem to me that a shotgun would present less of a threat, since its range is nowhere near that of most rifles. Moreover, going through the trouble of installing trailcams shows a desire to collect photographic evidence of trespass, which would mean that a forceful engagement is not the foremost thing on Barry's mind.

 

[lamlawindy]

The "search" is and has been "open" to anyone since day one of her disappearance. He doesn't even live there and anyone monitoring the case for even 1/2 hour could know exactly where the house is. He waited until hundreds of people came from all corners to look for the decomposed remains of his "beloved" wife to put up cameras and to play the aggrieved metro-mountain man.
I already posted that IMO it's legal for his macho act on his own property assuming he follows local firearm laws, but that doesn't whitewash his actions as somehow being normal, prudent or reasonable.
Oh if only there had been cameras when his wife was home alone day after day. I wish SHE had been carrying the shotgun when someone interrupted her texting with her dear friend. But she probably didn't recognize evil until it was too late.

The fact that he doesn't live there doesn't mean that he can't reasonably protect his property. IMHO, it's prudent to protect one's property even if it's not one's primary residence. I can't say whether his actions are "normal" or not for a person who's lost his wife and is being presumed to be at fault for her disappearance. I can only measure his actions based on what is legally permissible.

 

[NuttMegg]

Dbm

 

[lamlawindy]

It's very exciting to see all the work that has been done in the search. The software that lets you follow is just incredible.

Regarding BM patrolling the house: Per TOS we can not sleuth BM/SM's business interests. However, BM is a big fan of real estate and land and real property, IMO. Clearly more important than his missing wife of 20+ years.

Hanging game cams (now? really? couldn't fit it into your busy schedule earlier?) and warning people about trespassing while they are looking for your missing wife is just baffling to me. Talk about bad optics. It just defies all common sense. But I don't think BM wades in that pool very often, anyway.

No way he'll be at the vigil tonight. Ain't no way, IMO.

You're quite correct that the optics are bad. From the very start, Barry has done things that look bad, even if I cannot say that there is a "right" way to act when one's wife has disappeared.

That being said, Barry should've retained a family spokesman immediately. He could've hired an attorney to do this: I'm sure that some attorneys would give him a discount because of the earned media they'd receive by being the "face" for the family. This person could've been much more informative, holding biweekly press conferences, discussing what police were doing*, and expressing the thoughts and feelings of the family from an outside view.

* Even if officers asked the Morphews to not discuss the investigation, they or their attorney are not legally bound by such a request.

 

[EggSalad]

Wow the evidence they found today was likely buried.

Tricia had Marshall Terry (a friend of the family from IN and in the search) on her YouTube channel and they were discussing the evidence said to be found and he said that they had to dig it up. Wish he would have said more.. After he was off the call she said she too heard that the same way. (I had to ask in the chat if I heard him correctly and she answered me on the live feed)

Just catching up. In tonight’s PE video around 25:41, Andy says people around there are nervous and that he doesn’t know what that is all about.

Who is he referring to? The locals? Are they in fear of BM - or - of something being uncovered?

Any ideas?

This is my speculation - but I think it’s related to drugs.

-Meth has come up a lot and with various people all in BM’s orbit
-Salida is the cross roads of three highways making it an ideal location for trafficking
-The locals refer to the secrets in the mountains but everyone seems to scared to talk
-The former Sherriff of the county next to Chaffee opined very early on that he thought this would be more than a domestic issue.
-We seen alledged /mob like behavior out of GD and TN and probably others that I’m forgetting.

I’m not saying this is why SM was murdered but more than likely there is significant illegal activity that risks being exposed as part of this murder investigation.

FWIW, BM’s behavior has many common tendencies of someone that uses.