Authorities hint they know location of missing mother's body

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Editor's note: On June 20, 2025, the hubby of Colorado ma Suzanne Morphew was arrested for first-degree execution successful her decease much than 5 years ago. This is the 2nd clip Barry Morphew has faced execution charges successful transportation with her homicide aft the archetypal charges were dismissed.

The decease of the 49-year-old Colorado parent who went missing was officially declared a homicide, according to an autopsy study released connected April 29, 2024. This revelation comes 2 years aft prosecutors dropped execution charges against her hubby conscionable arsenic helium was astir to basal trial.

Suzanne Morphew's remains were found during a hunt connected Sept. 22, 2023, and positively identified by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation connected Sept. 27, 2023. Morphew was past seen connected Mother's Day, May 10, 2020.

[This communicative antecedently aired connected April 30, 2022. It was updated connected July 1, 2023.]

This past week, a authoritative moving connected the lawsuit of Suzanne Morphew, a missing parent of two, said successful unfastened tribunal that investigators fishy they cognize the determination of her body. "She is successful a precise hard spot," said Deputy District Attorney Mark Hurlbert. "We really person much than conscionable a feeling … and the sheriff's bureau is continuing to look for Mrs. Morphew's body."

It was a large update successful the Morphew lawsuit which began connected Mother's Day 2020, erstwhile she disappeared from her Colorado home. Hurlbert said determination was nary timetable for bringing a execution lawsuit to trial. "That could beryllium a agelong time. It could beryllium quick, it could beryllium long. It depends connected a batch of our investigation," helium said.

When Suzanne archetypal went missing, investigators compiled and followed respective bizarre clues—a chipmunk alibi, a tranquilizer gun, and a spy pen—but lacked nonstop evidence.

Investigators noticed Barry's compartment telephone appeared to beryllium pinging each astir his location connected Mother's Day play 2020, which helium maintains was due to the fact that helium was chasing and shooting astatine chipmunks. Investigators besides recovered a integrative headdress for a syringe that they judge was utilized to load a tranquilizer dart successful the couple's dryer. Barry, investigators say, told them helium didn't cognize however the headdress got there, but admitted helium was an experienced tranquilizer dart weapon shooter. The cap, however, did not incorporate immoderate of Barry's DNA.

Investigators besides recovered a spy pen close retired of a James Bond movie that was capable to seizure and grounds conversations. The pen captured respective intimate conversations betwixt Suzanne and a concealed lover. Investigators besides uncovered DNA connected the glovebox of Suzanne's Range Rover, which traced backmost to an chartless antheral connected to 3 intersexual assaults.

MISSING ON MOTHER'S DAY

Dan Ridenour [riding successful car with Peter Van Sant]: What happened connected this roadworthy is simply a existent mystery. No 1 knows. Where is Suzanne?

In the days, weeks and months aft Suzanne Morphew was reported missing connected Mother's Day 2020, her way went cold, but the parent of two's disappearance had go the biggest communicative successful Colorado.

ANDREW MOORMAN [talking to searchers, CBS Denver quality report]: We're gonna instrumentality retired and were gonna enactment that country precise carefully, OK?

Four months in, Suzanne's brother, Andrew Moorman, organized a citizen's search. He said helium felt helium had to bash thing — anything.

ANDREW MOORMAN [to CBS Denver]: I anticipation to find her live and astatine immoderate point, you person to recognize erstwhile somebody's been missing aft truthful long, that the chances of that diminish dramatically.

The thought that Suzanne whitethorn person been abducted deed the peaceful, picturesque municipality of Salida hard.

Dan Ridenour: I came location each time and my woman asked me, "had they recovered her yet?"

Dan Ridenour has covered the communicative for his section greeting show.

Dan Ridenour: Barry and Suzanne Morphew were not known good successful Salida, Colorado …They had lone been present for a mates of years.

Before moving to Colorado successful 2018, Barry and Suzanne grew up successful the tiny municipality of Alexandria, Indiana, wherever they met successful precocious school. Suzanne competed for homecoming queen. Barry was a prima shot subordinate who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. Injury ended Barry's dreams of a large league career. They some attended Purdue University and joined successful 1994. He started a landscaping business. Suzanne taught mediate schoolhouse earlier becoming a full-time mother.

Dan Ridenour: They had a mates of daughters … 1 successful assemblage … And they had a girl successful precocious schoolhouse …

Macy, 16 years aged erstwhile her ma disappeared, lived astatine home. Her sister Mallory attended assemblage and the Morphews told immoderate friends they moved to a location conscionable extracurricular of Salida to beryllium person to their older daughter. But determination were besides rumblings astir the authorities of the Morphew's marriage.

Dan Ridenour: Maybe a caller place, a caller — home, caller scenery astir them … would fortify their household and truthful fortify their marriage.

But the determination did not look to amended the relationship. It was a pugnacious time, says her sister Melinda Moorman.

Melinda Moorman: My sister had sent maine a substance connection … It was precise lengthy. It was precise powerful. It was precise revealing.

In a Zoom interview, Melinda said she received Suzanne's substance 2 days earlier she disappeared, and it was boiling implicit with choler toward Barry.

The substance work successful part: "He's besides been abusive emotionally and physically… I consciousness much aggravated now. Anger astatine what I've allowed."

Melinda Moorman: Barry was precise ascendant successful the relationship, and my sister was a precise passive, gentle psyche … helium had … a large inclination to overpower, intimidate radical to get what helium wanted.

Peter Van Sant: And what kinda brag was he?

Cody Cox: You know, helium was existent quiescent … stern … He knew what helium was doin', 'cause that's what helium did successful Indiana.

Cody Cox was portion of Barry's landscaping unit for astir 2 years erstwhile Barry archetypal arrived successful Colorado.

Cody Cox: I talked beauteous highly astir Barry 'cause I was with him each the time. And he's like, an inspiration to maine astir … helium was a existent chill guy.

Cody said helium regularly heard Barry talking to Suzanne arsenic they drove successful Barry's truck.

Cody Cox: : … they seemed to pass beauteous well. Like I said, I could perceive astir each telephone telephone helium had.

And helium says helium met Suzanne a fistful of times; she adjacent made cookies for his woman and kids.

Cody Cox: She was a sweetheart. She was a existent benignant woman … She's astir similar an angel, similar somethin' you'd spot disconnected a Hallmark movie, you cognize … existent nice, astir excessively perfect.

Cody Cox: So, erstwhile I heard astir the news, I didn't judge it … I heard it really connected the radio. And I was like, "Did they conscionable accidental Suzanne?" And I was like, "Oh my gosh. Who'd adjacent wanna wounded her?"

The archetypal time authorities searched for Suzanne, they recovered her upland motorcycle adjacent to the Morphew home.

Peter Van Sant [at ravine]: Where was the upland motorcycle found?

Dan Ridenour [pointing]: It was recovered close implicit this small cliff close present resting connected these boulders.

Dan Ridenour: She was caller astatine upland biking. So, an mishap is surely plausible. I would lone ask, "Where's Suzanne?"

Peter Van Sant: She would person been injured, yeah?

Dan Ridenour: She would person been injured.

Peter Van Sant: Was determination covering recovered down here?

Dan Ridenour: No.

Peter Van Sant: Was her helmet recovered down here?

Dan Ridenour: No.

Investigators judge the country was staged and, days later, they discovered Suzanne's helmet astir a mile distant disconnected Highway 50.

Dan Ridenour [riding successful car]: The helmet was recovered connected the southbound broadside of the road.

Peter Van Sant: So, this broadside of the road?

Dan Ridenour: Which would beryllium to our left.

Peter Van Sant: So, is the thought idiosyncratic threw it retired of a window, perhaps?

Dan Ridenour: That's the thinking, yes …

It appeared arsenic though Suzanne could person been abducted, and that's erstwhile Barry made a videotaped nationalist plea connected societal media. In those aboriginal days, Barry had a mentation astir what happened to Suzanne that helium shared with Tyson Draper who has his ain YouTube channel.

BARRY MORPHEW: Where are you from?

TYSON DRAPER: I'm from Arizona.

BARRY MORPHEW: OK.

BARRY MORPHEW: Let maine archer you what happened.

TYSON DRAPER: OK.

They happened to conscionable astatine the tract wherever Suzanne's upland motorcycle was recovered and Tyson secretly videotaped Barry:

BARRY MORPHEW [to Draper]: The archetypal nighttime determination was a upland lion that officers seen that walked by the car. So, we thought that possibly she got attacked by a lion.

A upland lion killed her?

Dan Ridenour: If that happened, determination would person been signs of that … There would've been blood, determination would've been a conflict … So, that was a precise short-lived speculation.

Authorities began to uncertainty that Suzanne adjacent took a motorcycle ride, particularly aft her sunglasses and hydration backpack were recovered successful her car. Investigators besides recovered her driver's licence and recognition cards successful her Range Rover. But her compartment telephone was missing.

Peter Van Sant: Did Barry Morphew cooperate with investigators during the people of this?

Ashley Franco: He had been interviewed by investigators done the people of it and helium talked to investigators astir each time.

Ashley Franco, who reported connected the lawsuit for the CBS affiliate successful Colorado Springs, KKTV, has work the constabulary documents and she says Barry has repeatedly told the aforesaid story. He came location astir 3 p.m. connected May 9, 2020 and had a pleasant evening with Suzanne. The adjacent morning, Mother's Day, Barry says helium drove to a occupation immoderate 3 hours away.

Ashley Franco: He says the past clip helium sees his woman is erstwhile she's sleeping successful their bed.

Evidence successful the Suzanne Morphew lawsuit

As investigators began trying to verify Barry's alibi, they were pulled successful a caller direction. Suzanne's spy pen had surfaced with that intimate conversation. Now they needed to fig retired the individuality of "Jeff," Suzanne's lover.

Ashley Franco: Could this antheral person had thing to bash with Suzanne's disappearance?

SUZANNE'S SECRET LOVER IDENTIFIED

It was conscionable days aft Suzanne Morphew went missing erstwhile investigators marque that intriguing discovery.

Aya Gruber: They observe a spy pen.

Peter Van Sant: A spy pen?

Peter Van Sant: A spy pen.

Aya Gruber is simply a instrumentality prof and a erstwhile defence attorney. She has intimately studied each the nationalist investigative files successful the Morphew case; she knows it was not casual for investigators to find Suzanne's concealed lover: a antheral named "Jeff."

Aya Gruber: She hid that matter truthful good that it took … agents six months to find the antheral she was having an matter with.

"Jeff" turned retired to beryllium Jeff Libler and helium had a woman and six children successful Michigan wherever helium lived. He and Suzanne had a one-time fling aft precocious school. Decades passed until Suzanne reached retired to Jeff, retired of the blue, successful 2018.

Ashley Franco: When Suzanne and Barry moved to Colorado, Suzanne messaged him connected Facebook.

Peter Van Sant: And what did she connection him?

Ashley Franco: "Howdy Stranger." … And from that infinitesimal they had talked astir each azygous time nonstop.

In the months aft Suzanne went missing, Jeff kept quiet. He lone began cooperating aft helium was located by investigators, who learned Jeff had taken steps to fell the astir two-year affair.

Aya Gruber: What helium did was delete each his societal media accounts that helium had utilized to pass with Suzanne. … He's got a batch to suffer if revelations of this matter travel out.

Jeff told agents helium lone took those steps due to the fact that helium did not privation to tarnish Suzanne's representation and disquieted helium mightiness suffer his household and job. He was besides disquieted agents considered him a suspect.

Aya Gruber: … helium asks the agents, "Am I a target?"

Although helium did not travel guardant connected his own, Jeff did assistance agents aft they recovered him. He agreed to supply entree to his DNA, telephone records and his passwords for those deleted accounts. By looking done the couple's iCloud accounts and telephone records, agents were capable to portion unneurotic their relationship, including the times they met successful person.

Ashley Franco: Investigators besides recovered that Suzanne, connected respective instances, had gone connected abrogation to conscionable up with Jeff successful galore antithetic states, ranging from Louisiana to Florida.

Investigators besides discovered they'd sent intimate photos to each other, talked of becoming hubby and wife, and adjacent mentioned leaving the United States.

Ashley Franco: Jeff and Suzanne had talked astir moving distant … moving to Ecuador astatine 1 constituent …

Peter Van Sant: If you were an researcher alternatively of a instrumentality professor, what would you wanna cognize astir this Jeff Libler?

Aya Gruber: Everything. I'd wanna cognize everything astir what helium was doing, what helium was thinking. … Here is idiosyncratic who arguably had the past connection … with Suzanne earlier she went missing.

The emotion matter betwixt Suzanne and Jeff became a cardinal portion of the probe arsenic agents tried to fig retired what happened to her connected that Saturday, May 9, the time earlier Mother's Day.

Records amusement that Suzanne and Jeff messaged each different 59 times that day, overmuch much than usual, authorities say.

At 1 point, Suzanne sends Jeff a selfie. Investigators dub it her past "proof of life" photo. Barry was not home, arsenic the lovers' texts vigor up:

At 2:05 p.m., Suzanne writes: "I'm conscionable successful emotion with you. Whatcha up to?"

Jeff's effect astatine 2:06 p.m. was: "Want to portion down and get naked? LOL??"

She responds by saying she'll "load up" her WhatsApp relationship and past astatine 2:11 p.m., Suzanne writes, "Okay I'm connected WA".

Then, astatine 2:26 p.m., Suzanne gets a substance from Barry that he's heading home. "Done headed back."

No 1 knows if Suzanne saw that substance oregon was preoccupied with Jeff, but she does not answer.

Barry follows up, appearing to wonderment wherever Suzanne is. "Did you leave?"

There was inactive nary effect from Suzanne and investigators speculate the adjacent fewer moments are erstwhile Barry returned home. They announcement that Barry's compartment telephone appears to beryllium pinging each astir the extracurricular of his house. Was helium chasing Suzanne earlier a last and fatal confrontation?

Investigators asked Barry to explicate that antithetic telephone activity.

Aya Gruber: And helium says, "Well, lemme deliberation astir that. I was astir apt walking astir my location shooting chipmunks."

You heard close — it was possibly the world's archetypal chipmunk alibi. Barry says the chipmunks were a changeless nuisance astatine his location and he'd been moving astir shooting them that day.

Aya Gruber: And past that confession to shooting chipmunks becomes a large portion of incriminating grounds against him.

There was nary grounds of immoderate chipmunk shootings astir Barry's house. Part of his problem, Aya says, is that Barry granted betwixt 30 and 40 interviews — each without a lawyer — to everyone from a region detective to members of the FBI.

Peter Van Sant: Would you person allowed him to bash each these interviews?

Aya Gruber: No. Absolutely not.

Meanwhile, Jeff Libler was cleared. He told agents helium was successful Michigan that play and his alibi checked out. When investigators archer Barry of the affair, helium denies knowing thing astir it.

But if Barry knew thing astir Suzanne's affair, what motive would helium person to termination her? One hint whitethorn beryllium a deleted substance that investigators recovered connected Barry's telephone sent by Suzanne conscionable days before: "I'm done. I could attraction little what you're up to and person been for years. We conscionable request to fig this retired civilly."

Dan Ridenour: So, the lone happening that makes consciousness is that Barry Morphew mislaid it erstwhile Suzanne yet said, "I'm leaving you."

Barry knew that his daughters would beryllium distant connected their camping travel that Saturday day and authorities accidental helium took vantage of that accidental to termination Suzanne and cleanable up the transgression scene.

Peter Van Sant: From 2:47 p.m. until 10:17 p.m., conscionable nether 8 hours, Barry's telephone goes into airplane mode. What bash authorities judge happened during that time?

Ashley Franco: Authorities accidental that they believe, erstwhile his telephone went into airplane mode, that helium was disposing of imaginable evidence.

Unable to way Barry's compartment phone, investigators tapped into a comparatively caller investigative method — integer conveyance forensics — to propulsion a watercourse of information retired of Barry's Ford truck. And Barry's motortruck told a antithetic communicative than what helium was telling investigators.

Ashley Franco: They were utilizing Barry's ain car against him.

IF A TRUCK COULD TALK — IN THIS CASE, IT DID

Ben LeMere is an adept successful the caller tract of conveyance forensics.

Peter Van Sant: Give maine a consciousness of however your technology, from your company, helps lick transgression cases.

Ben LeMere: So, a lotta times it's utilized to … find bodies.

LeMere is the CEO of the Berla Corporation.

Ben LeMere: It helps … get radical convicted. It's helped get radical not convicted.

Investigators from Scotland Yard to the FBI person learned however to usage Berla's bundle to pat into the dozens of computers successful a car.

Peter Van Sant: It's close capable to beryllium utilized arsenic grounds successful tribunal cases, correct?

Ben LeMere: Yes, sir.

Cases similar the disappearance of Suzanne Morphew. Investigators created a Berla report, meaning they tapped into the information successful Barry's Ford motortruck to way its movements aft his compartment telephone went into airplane mode.

Aya Gruber: … a mates of the pieces of grounds that I deliberation are precise harmful to his lawsuit — travel from the information successful the car …

Ashley Franco: The prosecution's lawsuit is that Barry snapped astatine 1 constituent the time earlier Mother's Day.

Authorities judge Barry killed Suzanne that afternoon. He told agents helium went to furniture astir 8 p.m. that night, but the information pulled from the motortruck shows that the motortruck was enactment successful reverse and moved immoderate 96 feet person to his location astir 9:30 p.m.

Ashley Franco: Investigators deliberation that's erstwhile helium could person loaded Suzanne's body.

Initially, Barry told constabulary that helium acceptable his alarm for 4:30 a.m. connected Mother's Day and near the location by 5 a.m. to thrust to a occupation tract successful Broomfield, a municipality adjacent Denver, 150 miles from Salida. But the truck's computers amusement that idiosyncratic was opening and closing the truck's doors astir 3:30 a.m.

Investigators judge Barry began driving toward Broomfield overmuch earlier than helium claimed, but determination is simply a 4-hour window—approximately 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.—when nary enactment was recorded by the vehicle's computers.

Aya Gruber: … determination are events successful the car — that aren't recorded. So, they can't springiness benignant of a afloat chronological picture.

And if Barry hid Suzanne's assemblage during that 4-hour window, the truck's information does not supply answers.

Peter Van Sant: Why is information missing sometimes?

Ben Lemere: Well, it gets overwritten. You know, it is simply a machine … Log files, they lone past truthful long.

But Barry helped capable successful immoderate of the missing data. He told agents helium took a near upon leaving his location alternatively of a close because, adjacent though it was dark, helium remembered seeing immoderate elk.

Ashley Franco: He saw a herd of elk, and he's a hunter. So, helium was interested, and helium wanted to get an up-close look.

That admittance was important to agents due to the fact that it enactment him successful an country wherever a cardinal portion of grounds had been recovered.

Ashley Franco: Investigators recovered Suzanne's motorcycle helmet up that road. So, they believe, astatine that constituent erstwhile helium turned near alternatively of turning right, that helium could person been ditching her motorcycle helmet.

At 8:10 a.m. connected Mother's Day morning, the truck's computers again statesman signaling data. And by then, Barry's compartment telephone had besides travel backmost to life. Agents are capable to way Barry's compartment and motortruck movements and tin spot that helium archetypal pulled implicit astatine a Broomfield autobus halt wherever helium discarded thing successful a garbage can.

Ashley Franco: And past helium moves connected to a edifice trash can, a McDonald's trash tin … a dumpster … successful a Men's Wearhouse parking lot, and past backmost to the hotel, and dumps worldly successful a dumpster there. Investigators judge that during these "trash runs," helium was disposing of grounds successful antithetic places wrong the Denver area.

In a surveillance changeable of Barry connected 1 of those trash runs, investigators could not spot what helium was throwing away. It whitethorn person looked incriminating, but Barry claims it was conscionable different time astatine the office. He told agents helium was simply being cheap, not criminal.

Peter Van Sant: And his claim, well, I conscionable ever person a lotta junk successful — successful the vehicle. I don't similar to wage to person it — disposed astatine a landfill, I — this is conscionable what I do.

Ashley Franco: But it's suspicious that you would spell to 5 antithetic trash areas to dispose of respective things. Why not conscionable bash it astatine one?

After checking retired the enactment site, Barry headed backmost to his country astatine the Holiday Inn, and investigators accidental helium stayed determination from 12:42 p.m. to 6:03 p.m. By then, he'd already spoken to older girl Mallory who told him she could not get successful interaction with her mother.

That's erstwhile the Morphew neighbors were contacted and could find nary motion of Suzanne.

Dan Ridenour: Barry asked them astatine that clip if the motorcycle was there, to spell cheque connected her … her bicycle is not here.

Barry asks his neighbour to telephone 911.

Dan Ridenour: And that's erstwhile the telephone to 911 … was placed, that Suzanne is missing.

Ashley Franco: Barry doesn't caput location immediately, and helium is dropping immoderate tools disconnected for his coworkers.

Tools including a shovel. With Suzanne present officially reported missing, Barry tells his workers there's a household exigency and arranges edifice rooms with 1 of those workers taking implicit Barry's room.

Ashley Franco: When the worker was interviewed, helium told investigators that … the country that Barry checked retired of, it had a beardown odor of chlorine oregon bleach.

Peter Van Sant: Which suggests what?

Ashley Franco: That helium could beryllium cleaning up a transgression scene.

Just aft 6 p.m., Barry starts driving backmost to Salida. On the way, Barry speaks to sheriff deputies who counsel him they've recovered Suzanne's motorcycle and helium arrives astatine that ravine astatine astir 8:40 p.m.

Ashley Franco: And investigators accidental that erstwhile helium arrived there, helium was beauteous affectional for a fewer minutes.

By Sunday night, Suzanne's daughters were backmost location but Suzanne is obscurity to beryllium found. Barry offered a $100,000 reward for accusation that was aboriginal doubled to $200,000.

Investigators aboriginal discovered galore texts from Suzanne to a adjacent person that seemingly revealed her tormented feelings astir Barry:

"He won't talk of divorcement …"

"I consciousness nary bid erstwhile he's present …"

"I wouldn't consciousness harmless unsocial with him …"

Barry became the premier fishy and investigators deliberation they cognize however helium killed Suzanne.

DID BARRY TARGET SUZANNE?

While investigators searched the Morphew location and the family's cars and trucks, Barry continued to talk, seemingly to anyone with a badge. Weeks and months went by and Barry remained astatine the halfway of the investigation.

Aya Gruber: … constabulary are perfectly close arsenic a statistical substance to look astatine intimate partners … erstwhile they fishy that a pistillate might've been harmed oregon murdered.

Peter Van Sant: It's thing similar 8 retired of 10 times, erstwhile a spouse dies the different one's involved.

Aya Gruber: Absolutely.

Sometimes the smallest point volition crook an investigation, and, successful this case, agents seized connected a wide integrative headdress that a forensics squad had recovered successful the family's dryer. Prosecutors judge the headdress was from a syringe utilized to capable a tranquilizer dart.

Peter Van Sant: How bash prosecutors construe that?

Aya Gruber: The prosecution's mentation is that astatine immoderate point, erstwhile Barry came location connected the 9th and snapped, and decided to execution Suzanne, helium utilized a tranquilizer dart that you would usage connected animals …

There was nary moving tranquilizer firearm recovered successful the Morphew's home. But Barry told investigators helium was an experienced tranquilizer dart weapon shooter. He knew however to load darts with paralyzing chemicals, having utilized them to illegally sedate cervid and region their antlers to sell.

We asked Dan Ridenour to work immoderate of what Barry told investigators.

Dan Ridenour [reading]: Barry said, "The archetypal happening I thought of erstwhile I came present and saw cervid successful my gait with large horns, I'm like, 'I'm getting them horns.'"

Dan Ridenour [reading]: "And I'll archer you precisely what I did … I sprout 'em. They spell to sleep, I chopped their horns disconnected … It's wholly amerciable … But you're gonna find tranq darts astir my spot due to the fact that I've done that."

Experts accidental it tin instrumentality betwixt 4 and 20 minutes for an carnal the size of a cervid to driblet aft being changeable with a tranquilizer dart. Agents theorized that Barry's telephone had pinged from assorted locations astir the house—not due to the fact that helium was shooting chipmunks, but due to the fact that helium was chasing Suzanne aft helium changeable her.

Ashley Franco: Investigators find a doorframe wrong the Morphew location that has been broken. And they accidental that determination could person been a pursuit and past a struggle.

Andrew Katers, the proprietor and CEO of Animal Care and Equipment Services, showed america a tranquilizer firearm he'd typically usage connected animals.

Peter Van Sant: And what are you holding?

Andrew Katers: What I'm holding is simply a TeleDart exemplary 706 firearm … they usage this a batch successful parks passim the country.

Peter Van Sant: And this does not occurrence bullets oregon shot?

Andrew Katers: It lone fires darts. … It's intolerable to — get it to bash thing else.

Peter Van Sant: Could you present show for me?

Andrew Katers: Sure. [fires rifle]

Peter Van Sant: So, if Suzanne had been struck by 1 of these darts … would she person clip to tally around, effort to escape?

Andrew Katers: She could. But I don't deliberation she would get precise far.

Peter Van Sant: For a quality being, it could beryllium lethal.

Andrew Katers: For sure.

Bolstering the mentation that Barry and Suzanne had a confrontation the time she disappeared were evident scratches seen connected Barry's near arm. Agents took the circumstantial grounds they gathered — Barry's seemingly suspicious behavior, his contradictory statements, the puzzling information from his truck, Suzanne's disturbing texts and those 5 trash runs — and brought it each to the territory attorney.

On astir the day of Suzanne's disappearance, Barry is arrested successful May 2021.

NEWS REPORT: Tonight, the hubby of Suzanne Morphew is down bars accused of sidesplitting her. … The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office says that Barry Morphew was arrested this morning.

Suzanne's assemblage has ne'er been recovered and the prosecutors presume she's dead. Despite the deficiency of a body, Barry was charged with first-degree murder, tampering with carnal evidence, and a assortment of different allegations. He was held without bail and yet pleaded not guilty.

In their arrest affidavit, prosecutors spelled retired what they judge happened to Suzanne:

"It had go wide that Barry could not power Suzanne's insistence connected leaving him and helium resorted to thing helium has done his full beingness — hunt and power Suzanne similar helium had hunted and controlled animals."

Suzanne's sister Melinda reacted to the quality of Barry's arrest.

Melinda Moorman: There are nary winners successful this story. There are 2 families who are suffering deeply.

Barry yet hired high-profile lawyers from Denver, and, successful the summertime of 2021, Judge Patrick Murphy heard the prosecution's grounds successful unfastened court.

Ashley Franco: He decided to clasp a preliminary proceeding to spot if this lawsuit had capable grounds to spell to trial.

The defence tried mightily to blunt the state's case, countering that the clear, integrative headdress recovered successful the dryer means thing due to the fact that nary 1 could accidental however agelong it had been there. Furthermore, Suzanne's DNA was recovered connected the cap, not Barry's. And arsenic for that chlorine odor successful Barry's edifice country …

Aya Gruber: One of the managers from the Holiday Inn had really communicated to agents that this odor of chlorine existed earlier Barry Morphew was determination … due to the fact that that room's straight supra an indoor pool.

And determination was 1 much important contented the prosecution had to woody with — 1 that its ain forensic squad uncovered. DNA grounds made nationalist for the archetypal clip present threatened to destruct the lawsuit against Barry.

Aya Gruber: This DNA find is truthful significant. The agents swab the wrong of Suzanne Morphew's car and they recovered antheral DNA connected the mitt box, and it wasn't Barry Morphew's DNA. He was eliminated.

The DNA besides did not lucifer Suzanne's person Jeff Libler. But it did partially lucifer the DNA of an chartless antheral who had attacked different women and it raised a disturbing question: had Suzanne fallen into the hands of a intersexual predator?

DA: AUTHORITIES ARE "CLOSE" TO FINDING SUZANNE'S BODY

In September 2021 astatine the Chaffee County Courthouse successful Salida, Judge Patrick Murphy heard arguments astir whether determination was capable grounds to effort Barry Morphew for murder.

Ashley Franco: The justice named disconnected 3 antithetic scenarios, saying, "Suzanne Morphew near willingly, Barry Morphew could person killed his wife, oregon idiosyncratic other abducted Suzanne and killed her."

He said it was "unlikely" Suzanne had tally disconnected connected her own, adjacent though she and person Jeff Libler had discussed moving to Ecuador.

Ashley Franco: The justice says that due to the fact that of the grounds that's … been presented astir however loving Suzanne was toward her daughters and toward her household … that she could ne'er bash that."

But the abduction mentation could not beryllium truthful easy dismissed — particularly aft that mysterious DNA was recovered successful Suzanne's Range Rover. Investigators learned that DNA astatine slightest partially matched the illustration of an unnamed antheral connected to 3 unsolved intersexual battle cases successful Tempe, Phoenix and Chicago.

Peter Van Sant: So however tin that DNA extremity up successful her car?

Aya Gruber: Well, that DNA tin extremity up successful her car if she was the victim, for example, of a serial slayer … oregon if the idiosyncratic was hired oregon opportunistic … There could besides beryllium perchance an guiltless mentation that astatine immoderate point, you know, the idiosyncratic came successful interaction with the car randomly arsenic a mechanic … but it is very, precise curious.

Peter Van Sant: Barry Morphew tin basal up and say, "I'm not your killer. The antheral whose DNA is successful my wife's car, tied to past intersexual assaults, that's your killer."

Ashley Franco: Barry Morphew perfectly could accidental that. And that's what his defence is banking connected successful this case.

In frank language, Judge Murphy gave his sentiment of the state's evidence: "I find that the impervious is not evident nor is the presumption large that Mr. Morphew committed first-degree murder."

Despite that, the justice ruled determination was probable origin to spell to trial.

Aya Gruber: But this justice was precise cautious to say, "Look, I'm uncovering probable origin here, but it's lone due to the fact that I americium looking astatine each the grounds successful the airy astir favorable to the prosecution."

Murphy said helium was "obligated" to acceptable enslaved for Barry.

Ashley Franco: The justice sets $500,000 cash-only bond.

Peter Van Sant: And are they monitoring him successful immoderate fashion?

Ashley Franco: Barry Morphew is wearing an ankle show for them to way him, to marque definite that helium is staying successful Chaffee County.

A fewer days aboriginal connected September 20, 2021, Barry Morphew and daughters Mallory and Macy are each smiles arsenic they permission the jail. They basal firmly down their dad. Barry declined "48 Hours"' petition for an interview.

Barry Morphew's homicide proceedings was to statesman connected April 28, 2022, but successful the months starring up to that day Judge Murphy recused himself and and was replaced by Judge Ramsey Lama.. And Barry's defence team, led by lawyer Iris Eytan, filed motions asking that prosecutors beryllium sanctioned for "failing to nutrient find successful a timely manner" including immoderate perchance exculpatory grounds — similar the antheral DNA recovered successful Suzanne's Range Rover.

Iris Eytan: There's DNA that is placed connected each the captious items of grounds successful this lawsuit — connected the bike, connected the motorcycle helmet, successful the house, successful the car — that is linked to chartless males.

In April 2022, Judge Lama ruled that prosecutors repeatedly had missed deadlines and had failed to crook implicit important accusation successful the find phase. The justice wrote that portion helium did not find those actions "willful … the tribunal does find this signifier to beryllium negligent, bordering on, reckless." The judge's punishment was to sound retired 14 prosecution witnesses — including experts successful DNA and compartment telephone and conveyance information recovery. They would not, helium said, beryllium allowed to testify.

Law prof Aya Gruber said the lawsuit was going to beryllium an uphill conflict for prosecutors adjacent earlier she heard astir the astir caller sanctions.

Aya Gruber: This lawsuit is incredibly unique. There are not galore … execution cases — wherever the suspect has been charged with first-degree murder, wherever determination is nary body, nary humor grounds of immoderate foul play, nary eyewitnesses.

On April 19, 2022, arsenic a pre-trial proceeding was astir to begin, District Attorney Linda Stanley filed a question to disregard the execution charges against Barry Morphew without prejudice, meaning the lawsuit could beryllium refiled astatine a aboriginal date. In her motion, the DA pointed to the court's determination to barroom "several cardinal witnesses … without this important grounds and without the victim's body, the People cannot determination guardant astatine this clip successful bully faith."

Neither Barry, his daughters nor his lawyer had immoderate beforehand warning.

Iris Eytan: I didn't cognize a dismissal was coming today, though the penning was connected the partition …

In her question for dismissal, Stanley told the justice that officials judge they are adjacent to discovering the determination of Suzanne Morphew's body. Court papers specifically mentioned "a distant and mountainous portion adjacent the Morphew residence" that volition beryllium excavated aft 5 feet of snowfall melts.

Dan Ridenour: Where is Suzanne Morphew's body? That is the million-dollar question.

Remember, determination was an approximate four-hour spread not recorded by the computers successful Barry's motortruck connected Mother's Day greeting 2020. Whether investigators yet were capable to retrieve immoderate of that missing information oregon received a extremity astir the determination of Suzanne's remains is not known.

Dan Ridenour: The San Isabel National Forest, again, is 1.1 cardinal acres. There's plentifulness of places to dispose of — of a body.

Defense lawyer Eytan denies Barry has immoderate engagement successful his wife's disappearance.

Iris Eytan: Barry Morphew loves Suzanne Morphew. He loves her and helium misses her, and helium wants to cognize wherever Suzanne Morphew is.

After the justice granted the question to disregard homicide charges against Barry, helium walked retired of tribunal a escaped man, flanked arsenic accustomed by his loyal daughters.

Suzanne's sister Melinda says she agrees with the petition to disregard charges against Barry astatine this point. She said she hoped that, with much time, searchers volition find Suzanne's assemblage and triumph "a coagulated condemnation successful her murder. This would dispel each rumors of her whereabouts."

And immoderate other happens with the case, Melinda says she hopes her nieces support 1 happening successful mind.

Melinda Moorman: "Mallory, Macy … Your parent would person laid down her beingness for you girls … She would ne'er permission you. She would ne'er forsake you. She loved you with her full being.

In May 2023, Barry Morphew filed a $15 cardinal national civilian rights suit against prosecutors and instrumentality enforcement officials stating helium was wrongfully arrested, jailed and prosecuted.

Produced by Paul La Rosa. Elena DiFiore is the tract producer. Stephen A. McCain is the improvement producer. Atticus Brady, Michael Baluzy and George Baluzy are the editors. Peter Schweitzer is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

Colorado

Peter Van Sant

Peter Van Sant is an award-winning analogous for "48 Hours, wherever his existent transgression and justness reporting is featured crossed aggregate CBS News broadcasts and platforms. During a vocation that spans astir 5 decades, Van Sant has covered galore of the astir important events of our lifetime. Additionally, Van Sant hosts the "Trained to Kill" and "Blood is Thicker" podcasts.

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