Suzanne Morphew’s body found 3 years after she vanished on Mother’s Day bike ride – as husband sues over murder arrest
THE body of a missing Colorado mom has been finally found over three years after she vanished during a bike ride the day before Mother's Day in 2020.
Suzanne Morphew's husband Barry, 55, was initially arrested for her murder, but the charges were later dropped, and he is now suing prosecutors and law enforcement for $15million over the case.
On Friday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations discovered her remains while investigating an unrelated case near the town of Moffat, about three hours south of Denver and just 45 minutes south of the Morphews' home in Maysville.
The mom of two was identified by the El Paso County Coroner on Wednesday.
No arrests have been made since the announcement and details on the state of her body have not been released.
"While this case has garnered attention from around the world, it has touched our community and the sheriff's office deeply," said Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze in a statement.
“We have never stopped our investigation and will continue to follow all leads in pursuit of justice for Suzanne.”
District Attorney Anne Kelly has been notified of the discovery as the body was found in her judicial district.
Spezze said the discovery left them with more questions than answers, and cannot give a press conference at this time.
SHOCKING DISAPPEARANCE
Suzanne's body was discovered halfway across the state from where Barry was working in Broomfield on May 10, 2020 - the last day anyone saw Suzanne.
Her bike was found wiped clean of DNA at the bottom of a ravine near their home in Salida, and police believe the scene was staged.
Barry initially told local outlets he feared his wife had been abducted and begged the public to help him with the search.
He was arrested one year after her disappearance. He and Suzanne's daughters stood by his side while friends of Suzanne voiced doubts that he was innocent.
During the investigation, his daughters stood by his side while friends of Suzanne continually voiced doubts that Barry was innocent.
It was revealed that the two had arguments over finances and that Suzanne had an illicit affair with a high school flame.
On the morning of May 6, Suzanne texted Barry telling him that she wanted to end their relationship.
The text reads: "I'm done I could care less what you're up to and have been for years. We just need to figure this out civilly."
Barry threatened suicide in his response, telling her, "When I'm dead, which won't be long, you guys will be taken care of."
Speaking out for the first time since filing the lawsuit, Barry said that he loved his wife and was heartbroken by the news of the affair.
"I didn't believe it," he told ABC News in May.
"We had a wonder life, a wonderful marriage.
"She was just so loving and giving, and such a good mother."
Barry's case was dropped without prejudice, meaning charges could be filed again at a later date.
He is still considered the prime suspect.
EERIE BEHAVIOR
Before he was cleared of wrongdoing, Barry's arrest affidavit revealed that he had listened to a series of podcasts Barry that shared eerie similarities to her disappearance.
Recorded on a spy pen left in his truck by Suzanne, Barry listened to Forensic Files podcast episodes about the killing of Mary Lee Wilson in 1977, Donna Payant in 1981, and Vicki Lynne Hoskinson.
Hoskinson, like Suzanne, went missing after a bike ride.
In another episode Barry listened to, the podcast discussed the case of Walter Scott, lead singer of the 1960s band Bob Kuban and the In-Men.
The lover of Scott's wife, James Williams, shot Scott in the chest, and in another eerie similarity, Williams was convicted of killing his ex-wife, Sharon, after staging a car crash to seem like an accident.
One friend convinced that Barry was behind the murder is Tisha Leewaye, a local who became acquainted with the Morphews in 2019.
In May 2023, she told The U.S. Sun that she doubted Suzanne's remains would ever be found.
CASE CLOSED?
Barry's case was notorious for issues before it was dropped in March 2022.
In December 2021, the judge assigned to Barry's case removed himself from the trial after the defense claimed that he had a relationship with a lawyer representing a woman Barry was allegedly seeing.
In February 2022, officials said the high-profile case had to be moved from Chaffee County to Fremont County due to pretrial publicity.
By the time March rolled around, Barry's team had prepared a case proving that the arrest of their client was inappropriate.
In a court filing, they claimed the defense was taking bits and pieces of information out of context and that the charges were premature.
It was dismissed in April 2022 by the 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley, but the decision did not completely sway public opinion.
Another source, who used to work in local law enforcement, told The U.S. Sun in May 2023 that Barry was socially acquainted with several local officials and theorized he may have received preferential treatment when the investigation began before his arrest.
"They botched the investigation in the first few days by failing to treat that home as a crime scene," the insider said.
"I know Barry was friendly with a lot of people in the sheriff's department through his work volunteering at the local fire department."
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Barry's attorney for comment.
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