Found Deceased CO - Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from bike ride, Chaffee County, 10 May 2020 #5

[Hatfield]

I'm curious to the opinions of some of the veterans on this site re: the lack of noise by the family on this. Obviously LE has been tight-lipped, and that's been discussed at length. We have very little from BM (original offer of a reward with a statement and a week later the video) - but nothing else. TN seemed to be active early on, but has apparently gone quiet. There is very little in the way of public comments from the family (and I'm including extended family in that). On one hand, I can potentially understand BM laying low (on advice of counsel, whether he's involved or not) until/if he's officially cleared (I don't think the husband can win in the interim - there's a presumption of guilt by so many, every statement and video gets micro-analyzed, etc.) - but for the entire family (both sides, apparently) to be keeping quiet (short of the uncle in Indiana who hadn't seen them in two years) strikes me as unusual - but is it?

Ive been here awhile but I often suck at getting things right so take with a grain of salt.

I do find it unusual that there has not been many public statements from certain people close to SM.

And now with the nephew shutting down too it makes me lean to the reason of that is probably discussions with LE. My guess, and its only a guess, is that LE did meet with some of them and have convinced them they have this case under control and so no need to ask the public for help or for any public statements of any kind.

Things can change in cases along those lines. Sometimes with cases, there is a good relationship between the family and LE but as time goes on and the person is never found with no arrests in a case, then sometimes that relationship deteriorates and we sometimes see more outspoken family members as time goes on.

Lets hope LE does have this under control and I hope we hear directly from LE soon.

 

[K9Enzo]

I think that the responses to your question are as variable as the folks who respond. And their responses will be based on their own likely actions, or that of their friends and families. Following that line of reasoning, I and my family would not be in the press or media at all. We wouldn't appear for any press conference or give interviews. I can't say what friends or acquaintances may say or do but I expect our friends would honor our wishes.
Whatever is considered usual or unusual, you can be sure that 50% of all the others will be on the other side of your behaviors. That's what keeps WS alive and kicking.

Agreed.

No media here, at all. Friends & family better do the same. However, that stance should not be taken as inaction, at all.

 

[GordianKnot]

I know. I don't believe in someone "staging" this bike. good grief. This isn't a movie.

BBM:

You've never heard of a crime scene being staged before?

I've followed numerous actual cases where disappearances were staged to look like runaway, voluntary missing, suicide, stranger abduction, etc.

It happens.
That doesn't mean it's happened in this case, but it definitely isn't simply the stuff of fiction.

The one thing I agree with you about is that this isn't a movie.

This is all too real.

JMO.

 

[happyday]

I’m not a senior member but one possibility that both sides are so quiet is that the family is very divided in who they believe/support.

If they support Barry, perhaps Barry is instructing them via his counsel to remain quiet because anything that is said could end up harming him.

If they support SM, perhaps LE has told them that they believe they know what happened but without a body and potentially with limited DNA type evidence in the house, they have a lot of work ahead of them to prove their theory and this speaking out in anyway could be harmful to their investigation.

Just a thought.

But the complete lack of silence from all side related to “finding a missing person” is very telling as to both sides having a good idea of what actually happened.

BBM

This is what I’m thinking. If my family member was missing and pretty much the whole family suspected another family member of being responsible—who would want to blab to the public about it? It’s such a horrible thing for a family. If we truly didn’t know and there was a chance the missing family member could be alive out there, I’d be all over the media and searching etc..I think it says a lot that no one is talking—especially when no arrests have been made yet.

 

[Ontario Mom]

<modsnip> IF the bike was placed where it was by someone other than SM as a way to make it look like she left it there during a ride, then it obviously worked. It’s taking the focus away from the home which we now see being searched. IMO this was never about the bike. Would a random person be able to cause such a stir over her and her bike? I feel her being missing has to be due to someone she knew or was acquaintances with and not a stranger.

I can't recall which member it was but someone brilliantly pointed out a few days ago (when another question like this came up), if the subject line said
"did not return after walking her dog" we'd all still be talking about the dog, nearly 2 weeks later. Just sorta the way it goes here.

I personally do not believe she went on a bike ride on Mother's Day Sunday.
Statistically, odds are she's been deceased from even before she was ever reported missing.
I believe the bike ride was an assumption either on the part of her daughters, or her neighbor, and then the magically "found" bike just fueled the assumption.
I'd so dearly love to be wrong, and learn that she's been found alive in some wild, harrowing story of getting lost or injured and surviving on berries and creek water.
Those stories do happen, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[happyday]

I feel this is pointing in one direction, and I just truly hope that 1) Suzanne is found SOON, and 2) she gets justice.

 

[Pak31]

I know. I don't believe in someone "staging" this bike. good grief. This isn't a movie.

Someone could definitely stage a bike to make people believe she disappeared on a bike ride. If someone caused her harm then placing items of hers in a certain area could divert attention away from what truly happened. Why is it hard to believe?

 

[scdiv]

I was thinking that if someone had her phone, they might have texted as Suzanne saying she was headed out for a bike ride -- perhaps even to stall for more time. For instance, if her daughters had tried to call her multiple times on Mother's Day morning, a perpetrator might have panicked since Suzanne wouldn't have been able to answer. Maybe that person picked up her phone to text back, "Headed out for a bike ride now, will talk to you later." Then had time to take care of anything in the house and leave the bike somewhere before the daughters or others started getting alarmed even earlier.

 

[oviedo]

BBM:

You've never heard of a crime scene being staged before?

I've followed numerous actual cases where disappearances were staged to look like runaway, voluntary missing, suicide, stranger abduction, etc.

It happens.
That doesn't mean it's happened in this case, but it definitely isn't simply the stuff of fiction.

The one thing I agree with you about is that this isn't a movie.

This is very real.

JMO.

Exactly - we just had this happen in Jennifer's case - which is coming up on a year - her SUV was staged at the park to make it look like something happened while she was on a run IMO.

 

[oviedo]

To be clear, the gimme fund has not been shut down. People are still donating.

Is the FB page still up as well?

 

[Pak31]

Yes, so has the missing facebook page he set up. Why is that?

Maybe he’s discovered something that doesn’t require a missing Facebook page anymore. I find it very sad actually. This whole situation has been disturbing.

The FB page not being updated is very curious, and the *** being shut down curious as well. Could it be that the leaky family member is not as close or in the know as first thought? They were starting to refer to him as the family spokesperson, and I do not think he really ever spoke on behalf of the family. Maybe the family reined him in, or LE did.

I don’t personally believe that family member ever backed BM. He referred to him as the husband. He’s his blood nephew. That’s very telling. Now the home is being searched. I think he’s given up on an alive SM. MOO

 

[Knox]

Is the FB page still up as well?

It is still up.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I know. I don't believe in someone "staging" this bike. good grief. This isn't a movie.

I don't believe for a moment a stranger would stage her bike and other personal items that belong to her, but I DO believe someone that knows her, and desperately wanted everyone to believe she was disappeared while on a bike ride, would 100% stage a scene.

I've followed way too many cases & seen way too many liars, pedophiles, cheaters, rapists & murderers lie their faces off about evidence they themselves planted, to ever think it only happens in movies.

jmo

 

[Uninformant]

If you strip this case down to confirmed facts, there’s really not much we know. Even the nephew, unless he was involved directly, would have gotten his info from sources who may have gotten info from others. I don’t think we even know for sure the husband claimed he was away for training. I believe we initially saw some media say family said he was in Denver that Sunday. I think the ‘training’ alibi theory came from discussion boards like this and got picked up by media. I think some of the clues we have are not clues.

 

[Acorunadepor]

If you strip this case down to confirmed facts, there’s really not much we know. Even the nephew, unless he was involved directly, would have gotten his info from sources who may have gotten info from others. I don’t think we even know for sure the husband claimed he was away for training. I believe we initially saw some media say family said he was in Denver that Sunday. I think the ‘training’ alibi theory came from discussion boards like this and got picked up by media. I think some of the clues we have are not clues.

Well there are three agencies involved. Can we assume, they, at least have an indication of what might have gone down. All I do is look at the satellite image, and just think, who (can be plural) can pull this off and how.

 

[pepper 34]

Pacing around staring out windows? He’s clearly strong and controlled. Lesser mortals would be weeping, distraught.

Maybe but we don't know that he hasn't cried. I thought he did look distraught during his public statement and that's all we've actually witnessed as to his behavior.

 

[kay74]

Maybe he’s discovered something that doesn’t require a missing Facebook page anymore. I find it very sad actually. This whole situation has been disturbing.

I don’t personally believe that family member ever backed BM. He referred to him as the husband. He’s his blood nephew. That’s very telling. searched. I think he’s given up on an alive SM. MOO

BBM: IMO, I think the nephew was ticked off because others and maybe LE was referring to BM as "the husband".

 

[yawningreyhound]

Remember Kelsey Berreth? That gf cleanup crew was certainly a staging.

BBM:

You've never heard of a crime scene being staged before?

I've followed numerous actual cases where disappearances were staged to look like runaway, voluntary missing, suicide, stranger abduction, etc.

It happens.
That doesn't mean it's happened in this case, but it definitely isn't simply the stuff of fiction.

The one thing I agree with you about is that this isn't a movie.


This is all too real.

JMO.

 

[kay74]

We don't really know much of anything about the bike. Was it damaged? Would the brakes be locked because she suddenly put them on? Just waiting and waiting.

 

[al66pine]

What Do Vet Sleuthers Think about SM Fam's Lack of Noise?

I think that the responses to your question are as variable as the folks who respond. And their responses will be based on their own likely actions, or that of their friends and families. Following that line of reasoning, I and my family would not be in the press or media at all...

@Rosiebones sbm bbm Yes, I think many vets here compare crime victim's behavior against what they think they/friends/families would do in a given situation. Imo it's pretty difficult, without personal experience, to think about these extreme circumstances. And thankfully some/many of us have not lived thru anything similar.

After reading many (~ 1000 plus?) true crime books over that past ~ 45 years, personally I try to think about what actual crime vic's in those cases have done in similar situations. Often helpful, other times not. Some predictions turn out to be waaaaay off the mark, when accurate info is released at arrest or trial, when a victim is revealed to be a perp. jmo