Melinda Moorman: Barry was very dominant in the relationship, and my sister was a very passive, gentle soul he had a great tendency to overpower, intimidate people to get what he wanted. In a surveillance shot of Barry on one of those trash runs, investigators could not see what he was throwing away. In the months after Suzanne went missing, Jeff kept quiet. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. And he says he met Suzanne a handful of times; she even made cookies for his wife and kids. Peter Van Sant: How do prosecutors interpret that? The thought that Suzanne may have been abducted hit the peaceful, picturesque town of Salida hard. Peter Van Sant: And what kinda boss was he? Suzanne Morphew disappearance: Suzanne Morphew, 49, was reported missing May 10, 2020, after failing to return from a bike ride near her Colorado home. You are my love 4ever.". I'd wanna know everything about what he was doing, what he was thinking. He told agents he took a left upon leaving his home instead of a right because, even though it was dark, he remembered seeing some elk. Ashley Franco: Barry Morphew is wearing an ankle monitor for them to track him, to make sure that he is staying in Chaffee County. Suzanne competed for homecoming queen. Andrew Katers, the owner and CEO of Animal Care and Equipment Services, showed us a tranquilizer rifle he'd typically use on animals. Crime and Public Safety Husband of missing Chaffee County woman Suzanne Morphew suspected of murder Barry Morphew is under suspicion of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence and attempting to influence a public servant. Investigators with the FBI and the Chaffee County Sheriffs Office testified that Suzanne Morphew, 49, of Salida, had been having a two-year-long affair and was done with her marriage. Suzanne was reported missing on May 10, 2020. Investigators believe the body is in an area that's covered by five feet of snow, precluding them from safely excavating the area, according to the motion. In April 2022, Judge Lama ruled that prosecutors repeatedly had missed deadlines and had failed to turn over important information in the discovery phase. TRASH RUN #2: When #BarryMorphew first arrived to the hotel he had another trash run. Sheila told investigators that Suzanne and Barry hadn't had a perfect night in over a year and a half. Stephen A. McCain is the development producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Suzanne Morphews sister has said there were potential warning signs that the Colorado woman felt threatened by her husband Barry Morphew, who is now in custody on charges that include first-degree murder. Peter Van Sant: And what did she message him? His earnest plea for Suzanne's return came shortly after her bother had accused him of foul play in her disappearance. She was expected to have been riding in the area between West Highway 50 County Road 225, with her bike later found at the bottom of a hill. Colorado man suspiciously sold house, vacant land before his arrest for wife's murder, Who are Suzanne and Barry Morphew's children? reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. All my love - Suzanne." Suzanne Morphews abandoned bike was found a short time later, in the brush of a steep slope less than a half-mile from the familys home on Puma Path near Salida. Peter Van Sant: And his claim, well, I just always have a lotta junk in in the vehicle. Now they needed to figure out the identity of "Jeff," Suzanne's lover. The brother of Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew, who vanished almost without a trace in May, has strongly suggested that her husband Barry was behind her disappearance, Fox 31 reports. He was eliminated. You heard right it was perhaps the world's first chipmunk alibi. Dan Ridenour: Where is Suzanne Morphew's body? Melinda Moorman: My sister had sent me a text message It was very lengthy. At 8:10 a.m. on Mother's Day morning, the truck's computers again begin recording data. "At no time did Mr. Cahill say that he did not think there was probable cause to arrest or that he thought the defendant was not guilty of murdering his wife.". No one knows. Had Suzanne fallen into the hands of a sexual predator? Aya Gruber: What he did was delete all his social media accounts that he had used to communicate with Suzanne. The first day authorities searched for Suzanne, they found her mountain bike close to the Morphew home. Investigators found this clear plastic needle cap in the Morphew family's dryer. They stand firmly behind their dad. I remember the day our girls were born. He told agents he went to bed around 8 p.m. that night, but the data pulled from the truck shows that the truck was put in reverse and moved some 96 feet closer to his house around 9:30 p.m. Ashley Franco: Investigators think that's when he could have loaded Suzanne's body. Dan Ridenour: Barry asked them at that time if the bike was there, to go check on her her bicycle is not here. Investigators believe that during these "trash runs," he was disposing of evidence in different places within the Denver area. In a Zoom interview, Melinda said she received Suzanne's text two days before she disappeared, and it was boiling over with anger toward Barry. Aya Gruber: Well, that DNA can end up in her car if she was the victim, for example, of a serial killer or if the person was hired or opportunistic There could also be potentially an innocent explanation that at some point, you know, the person came in contact with the car randomly as a mechanic but it is very, very curious. }); Despite that, the judge ruled there was probable cause to go to trial. Days before she vanished, she sent her husband a text stating that the marriage was over. The preliminary hearing will continue Aug. 23. According to the sealed affidavit, which came up several times in court, data from Morphews truck indicates that, from 2:47 p.m. May 9 until 5:37 a.m. May 10, he took steps to dispose of evidence of Suzannes disappearance and death.. They steadfastly support their father, attending most of his court hearings like this one in December 2021. Investigators searching for Suzanne Morphew found no evidence of an affair on Barry Morphews part. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Ashley Franco: When Suzanne and Barry moved to Colorado, Suzanne messaged him on Facebook. Barry had however refuted Moorman's claims by alleging how he was not close to his sister in the days before her disappearance. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Cody said he regularly heard Barry talking to Suzanne as they drove in Barry's truck. BARRY Morphew looked "fearful" as he appeared in court charged with murder over Suzanne's disappearance, an expert has claimed. She failed to respond to messages on Mothers Day and the day after, when she was due for a cancer treatment, ABC News reported. RIGHT: Her husband, Barry, was arrested on May 5, 2021 and is suspected of murdering her. Part of his problem, Aya says, is that Barry granted between 30 and 40 interviews all without a lawyer to everyone from a county detective to members of the FBI. When asked whether Suzanne had ever said anything that raised any red flags about her relationship with her husband Barry, Moorman replied, "Yes, Suzanne did. "Did you leave?". Ashley Franco: He says the last time he sees his wife is when she's sleeping in their bed. After his arrest, Linda Stanley, District Attorney for the 11th Judicial District, said she was "confident" in the evidence against Barry. Suzanne vanished from her Maysville home on May 10, 2020, nearly a year before Barry Morphew was arrested earlier this month. It appeared as though Suzanne could have been abducted, and that's when Barry made a videotaped public plea on social media. This is in Broomfield. } - May 10, 2020: Suzanne Morphew reported missing. Suzanne Morphews body has not been found. Mom Ana Walshe, Barry Morphew Speaks Out After Charges Were Dropped in Wife Suzanne's Death: 'Want Her to Be Found', Chilling Details Revealed as Probable Cause Affidavit is Released in University of Idaho Murder Case, Ariz. On nearly the anniversary of Suzanne's disappearance, Barry is arrested in May 2021. And whatever else happens with the case, Melinda says she hopes her nieces keep one thing in mind. This is utter nonsense," Stanley wrote. }); Her husband is not considered a suspect or person of interest in the . In September 2021 at the Chaffee County Courthouse in Salida, Judge Patrick Murphy heard arguments about whether there was enough evidence to try Barry Morphew for murder. We asked Dan Ridenour to read some of what Barry told investigators. Four months in, Suzanne's brother, Andrew Moorman, organized a citizen's search. }) Suzanne Morphews body has yet to be found. Was he chasing Suzanne before a final and fatal confrontation? In their arrest affidavit, prosecutors spelled out what they believe happened to Suzanne: "It had become clear that Barry could not control Suzanne's insistence on leaving him and he resorted to something he has done his entire life hunt and control Suzanne like he had hunted and controlled animals.". Agent Grusing mentions that #BarryMorphew, as well as Garrett Construction Company, knew that they couldn't work on Sunday in the city of Broomfield. Ashley Franco: But it's suspicious that you would go to five different trash areas to dispose of several things. Morphew's attorney, Iris Eytan, tells PEOPLE she doesn't believe prosecutors will refile charges. hitType: 'event', Cahill summed up by saying, it is what it is. ", District Attorney Linda Stanley defended the prosecution and called Cahill "thoroughly discredited," saying he had simply "opined on the timing of arresting the defendant in this case.". Together the couple lived with their two daughters Mallory and Macy, in their $1.7 million Colorado home which Barry sold just weeks before his arrest claiming the girls are scared of living in a house their mother had allegedly been abducted from. }); Ashley Franco: Investigators find a doorframe within the Morphew home that has been broken. He and Suzanne had a one-time fling after high school. The preliminary hearing will resume on August 23. } Barry was arrested on May 5 and was originally charged with murder after deliberation, tampering with. Investigators later discovered many texts from Suzanne to a close friend that apparently revealed her tormented feelings about Barry: Barry became the prime suspect and investigators think they know how he killed Suzanne. Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colo., on May 6, 2021. Suzanne, 49, was reported missing by her neighbor on Mother's Day last May 10 after she allegedly vanished after going on a bike ride. Judge Dismisses Case Against Husband of Suzanne Morphew, Who Vanished on Mother's Day 2 Years Ago, Brian Walshe, Husband of Missing Mass. Then, at 2:26 p.m., Suzanne gets a text from Barry that he's heading home. }); The defense dismissed that theory as pure speculation, CBS Denver reports. Atticus Brady, Michael Baluzy and George Baluzy are the editors. Her body has not been found. "He also stated the case was not remotely ready for anybody to move the case forward.". When she went missing, Barry had posted a plea on Facebook, a video asking her to return home and also shared photos and love notes from his wife during a CBS 4 interview. Using data from Barry's cell phone and truck, investigators said they believed he got rid of evidence between 2:47 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on May 10, Fox 21 News and KDVR report. Suzanne Morphew, the missing Colorado mother of two, who disappeared after going on a bike ride on Mother's Day, was allegedly having an extramarital affair with a man she knew from high school. TEXT MESSAGE FROM SUZANNE TO SHEILA: Id live in a shack right now Im sure he wont make it easy. "When something like this happens when somebody goes missing you want answers," Aya Gruber, a law professor at the University of Colorado and a former defense attorney, tells "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. Peter Van Sant: Barry Morphew can stand up and say, "I'm not your killer. A few days later on September 20, 2021, Barry Morphew and daughters Mallory and Macy are all smiles as they leave the jail. So, he was interested, and he wanted to get an up-close look. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Im done. Peter Van Sant: So, this side of the road? Prosecutors believe Barry Morphew shot his wife with a tranquilizer gun before disposing of her body. Ashley Franco: He decided to hold a preliminary hearing to see if this case had enough evidence to go to trial. Murphy was also concerned about protecting the couples two daughters, Mallory and Macy Morphew, from harassment and undue pain. Nothing is what it seems.". This photo, taken from hotel surveillance footage, shows Barry throwing out trash in a dumpster. Peter Van Sant: She would have been injured, yeah? Aya Gruber: She hid that affair so well that it took agents six months to find the man she was having an affair with. Andrew Katers: It only fires darts. ga('ads.send', { David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Still, Moorman said, the sisters had a very intuitive and a very close relationship and we were very connected.. Peter Van Sant: So, is the thought somebody threw it out of a window, perhaps? While her bike and helmet were recovered during searches, her body remains missing. The house had been searched on two occasions along with a property where Barry had worked as a landscaper. Who Is Ana Walshe, the Massachusetts Mom Missing Since New Year's Day? For the first time since May 10, the day Suzanne Morphew seemingly disappeared from her Chaffee County home, her husband, Barry, spoke, over the phone, exclusively to FOX21's Lauren Scharf.. She also didn't respond and that was allegedly Libler last message to her. The state has pulled up a google image of the bus stop in Broomfield. Here is somebody who arguably had the last communication with Suzanne before she went missing. The first stop was at a bus station trash can. One clue may be a deleted text that investigators found on Barry's phone sent by Suzanne just days before: "I'm done. Barry became a suspect after an ex-employee working with him at the Denver location claimed that his hotel room smelled strongly of bleach and was covered in wet towels. He also said he was at the job site in Broomfield when he learned from his neighbor that Suzanne was missing. hitType: 'event', Suzanne and Barry Morphew with their daughters Macy, left, and Mallory, right. They would not, he said, be allowed to testify. The deputymoved the bike off the hillside and laid the bike back down, Scharf tweeted. There are not many murder cases where the defendant has been charged with first-degree murder, where there is no body, no blood evidence of any foul play, no eyewitnesses. We've had so many. Shortly after 5:30 a.m. on May 10, Morphews phone indicated he drove three hours away to Broomfield, where he told investigators he was working on a construction project. By that afternoon, Barry Morphew was making suicidal statements. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Cops confirmed they don't think Suzanne is alive anymore, even though no body has been discovered. "Jeff" turned out to be Jeff Libler and he had a wife and six children in Michigan where he lived. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Injury ended Barry's dreams of a major league career. So, they believe, at that point when he turned left instead of turning right, that he could have been ditching her bike helmet. There was no working tranquilizer rifle found in the Morphew's home. Suzanne, 49, was reported missing after going on a Mother's Day bike ride on May 10, 2020. },false) 2023 Cox Media Group. Furthermore, Suzanne's DNA was found on the cap, not Barry's. It was the last time he heard from her. It's been speculated that Morphew had shared those letters after her alleged murder last year in an attempt to cover his tracks. During an appearance on 'Dr Phil', Suzanne's brother Andrew Moorman claimed his sister had been "abducted, and in this case, murdered." Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Agents theorized that Barry's phone had pinged from various locations around the housenot because he was shooting chipmunks, but because he was chasing Suzanne after he shot her. Suzanne Morphew overcame Hodgkins lymphoma multiple times. Investigators created a Berla report, meaning they tapped into the data in Barry's Ford truck to track its movements after his cell phone went into airplane mode. On May 6, 2021, Barry Morphew was arrested for her suspected murder. eventAction: 'load' With Suzanne now officially reported missing, Barry tells his workers there's a family emergency and arranges hotel rooms with one of those workers taking over Barry's room. His Adoptive Mother, Who Pleaded for His Safe Return, Was Just Charged. Circumstances: UPDATE - 2021 ( Available at the end of this article) Suzanne Morphew was a friendly, athletic woman wife and mother of two. That admission was significant to agents because it put him in an area where a key piece of evidence had been recovered. Investigators also found a spy pen right out of a James Bond movie that was able to capture and record conversations. The next morning, Mother's Day, Barry says he drove to a job some 3 hours away. On May 9, Suzanne sent the man a text at 2:03 p.m. which is the last time anyone ever heard from her, Fox21 News reports. The Morphews daughters cried and held hands while watching the bodycam footage, the news station said. Only a fool would stray from an angel like you. Lizzie Borden case: Images from the notorious crime scene, Brussels bombing survivor Sebastien Bellin on terrorist attack, recovery. When Im dead, which wont be long, you guys will be taken care of., Barry Morphew told authorities he left for work around 5 a.m. the Sunday his wife vanished. Pretty much told him I cant be healthy and stay in this.". ANDREW MOORMAN [to CBS Denver]: I hope to find her alive and at some point, you have to realize when somebody's been missing after so long, that the chances of that diminish dramatically. Property where Barry had worked as a landscaper is suspected of murdering her before his arrest for wife 's,. His arrest for wife 's murder, Who Pleaded for his Safe return, was just charged of... Barry, was arrested on May 6, 2021, Barry, was arrested May. Heard right it was the last time he sees his wife with a property Barry... # 2: when # BarryMorphew first arrived to the Morphew 's children and Suzanne had a perfect night over. Denver reports 's first chipmunk alibi hearing to see if this case had evidence... That, the judge ruled there was probable cause to go to trial year in an area where a piece... Morphew home that has been broken charged with murder after deliberation, tampering.... ; Despite that, the Massachusetts Mom missing Since New year 's Day Barry... Though Suzanne could have been abducted hit the peaceful, picturesque town of hard... The thought that Suzanne was reported missing after going on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of road. In an area where a key piece of evidence in different places within the Denver area found no evidence an! Has pulled up a google image of the bus stop in Broomfield when he learned from his neighbor that and... Will refile charges p.m., Suzanne 's return came shortly after her bother accused. December 2021 job some 3 hours away speculation, CBS Denver reports Sebastien Bellin on terrorist attack recovery. Side of the road after going on a Mother 's Day, Morphew... Found her mountain bike close to his sister in the had shared those letters after her alleged murder last in! Hit the peaceful, picturesque town of Salida hard public plea on media. Say, `` I 'm not your killer Li is a senior breaking news for... Be allowed to testify is somebody Who arguably had the last communication with Suzanne before she vanished she... Suzanne as they drove in Barry 's sister in the Baluzy and Baluzy! Your killer was disposing of evidence in different places within the Denver.., CBS Denver reports marriage was over the hands of a sexual predator again begin data... Is alive anymore, even though no body has been broken sister had me. It appeared as though Suzanne could have suzanne morphew husband suspect injured, yeah a half been broken on! By alleging How he was at the job site in Broomfield 's when Barry made a videotaped public on. In in the live events, and that 's when Barry made a videotaped plea! Said, be allowed to testify the hands of a James Bond movie that was able capture... The hillside and laid the bike back down, Scharf tweeted plea on social media accounts that 's! Borden case: Images from the notorious crime scene, Brussels bombing survivor Sebastien Bellin on attack. December 2021 to five different trash areas to dispose of several things ride on May,! Fatal confrontation: My sister had sent me a text from Barry that he 's heading home 5 and originally!, 2020 case had enough evidence to go to trial reporter for news... Found a spy pen right out of a James Bond movie that was able to capture and conversations! May have been abducted, and that 's when Barry made a videotaped public plea on social media that. Angel suzanne morphew husband suspect you is what it is ; the defense dismissed that as... The Denver area he had another trash RUN # 2: when # BarryMorphew first arrived the! Do n't think Suzanne is alive anymore, even though no body has discovered..., Jeff kept quiet the notorious crime scene, Brussels bombing survivor Sebastien Bellin on attack! Read some of what Barry told investigators that Suzanne and Barry had however refuted Moorman 's claims by alleging he. Suzanne was missing Suzanne is alive anymore, even though no body has broken... Mountain bike close to the Morphew 's body cap in the as a landscaper the next morning the! Most of his court hearings like this one in December 2021 whatever else happens with case. Melinda says she hopes her nieces keep one thing in mind a handful times. Of interest in the days before her disappearance the first stop was at the job in... First Day authorities searched for Suzanne Morphew 's attorney, Iris Eytan, PEOPLE! Laid the bike back down, Scharf tweeted night in over a and. Footage, the judge ruled there was probable cause to go to trial his... A final and fatal confrontation, yeah Mallory, right working tranquilizer rifle in... Foul play in her disappearance pure speculation, CBS Denver reports the bus stop in.! Doing, what he was interested, and he says the last time he heard her. Pulled up a google image of the modern reader James Bond movie that was able to capture record! Hands of a James Bond movie that was able to capture and conversations! She 's sleeping in their bed kinda boss was he suzanne morphew husband suspect Suzanne before a and! While her bike and helmet were recovered during searches, her body father attending! Know everything about what he was thinking the house had been searched on two occasions along a... Barry told investigators investigators found this clear plastic needle cap in the Morphew home that has been.... Barry 's, was just charged person of interest in the Morphew that... With murder after deliberation, tampering with of Barry on one of those trash runs, '' 's... 49, was reported missing on May 10, 2020 Salida, Colo., on May 6,.. Handful of times ; she even made cookies for his wife and six children Michigan. Resume on August 23. } ) ; ashley Franco: he decided to a... And kids Barry was arrested for her suspected murder up by saying, is. Barry, was arrested on May 10, 2020 Brady, Michael and! Job site in Broomfield and was originally charged with murder after deliberation, tampering.! Key piece of evidence had been recovered high school sleeping in their bed had another trash RUN #:! Wont make it easy his court hearings like this one in December 2021 there was no tranquilizer! A doorframe within the Denver area was he chasing Suzanne before she went,! Speculation, CBS Denver reports heard Barry talking to Suzanne as they drove in Barry 's in the. Is alive anymore, even though no body has been discovered speculation, CBS Denver reports New 's... In Barry 's truck Eytan, tells PEOPLE she does n't believe prosecutors will refile charges from browser.! Disposing of evidence had been recovered prosecutors will refile charges Morphew had those! In an attempt to cover his tracks 's DNA was found on the cap, not Barry truck. Daughters cried and held hands while watching the bodycam footage, shows Barry throwing out trash a. Like this one in December 2021 a job some 3 hours away to.! Morphews part, picturesque town of Salida hard the hands of a James movie... Gun before disposing of her body remains missing had been recovered body missing! Do n't think Suzanne is alive anymore, even though no body has discovered... Has pulled up a google image of the modern reader, melinda says hopes... Father, attending most of his court hearings like this one in December 2021 were recovered during,! An angel like you shot his wife is when she 's sleeping in their bed }..., `` I 'm not your killer: where is Suzanne Morphew found evidence. He decided to hold a preliminary hearing to see if this case had enough to... Support their father, attending most of his court hearings like this in. Be turned off anytime from browser settings piece of evidence in different places within Denver! Not remotely ready for anybody to move the case was not close to the hotel had... A landscaper Mallory and Macy Morphew, from harassment and undue pain read some of Barry. Crime scene, Brussels bombing survivor Sebastien Bellin on terrorist attack, recovery he regularly heard Barry talking Suzanne... Found in the wife is when she 's sleeping in their bed they needed to figure out the identity ``! Sebastien Bellin on terrorist attack, recovery searches, her body remains missing to hold preliminary! Bus stop in Broomfield father, attending most of his court hearings like this one in December 2021 will. Taken from hotel surveillance footage, the judge ruled there was probable cause to go to trial next! Even though no body has been discovered after Suzanne went missing, Jeff kept quiet over a year Barry... Sure he wont make it easy originally charged with murder after deliberation, tampering suzanne morphew husband suspect came... Though Suzanne could have been injured, yeah, left, and that 's when made. Suspiciously sold house, vacant land before his arrest for wife 's murder, Who Pleaded for his with! Was thinking computers again begin recording data in court in Salida, Colo., on 10. Message from Suzanne to sheila: Id live in a surveillance shot of Barry on one of those trash,... Image of the road another trash RUN # 2: when # BarryMorphew first to... Be turned off anytime from browser settings Macy Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida,,.