Ashley Franco, who reported on the case for the CBS affiliate in Colorado Springs, KKTV, has read the police documents and she says Barry has repeatedly told the same story. That same day, the couple was fighting about money, according to text records. Her sister Mallory attended college and the Morphews told some friends they moved to a home just outside of Salida to be closer to their older daughter. He has always wanted control.. Ashley Franco: Investigators also found that Suzanne, on several instances, had gone on vacation to meet up with Jeff in many different states, ranging from Louisiana to Florida. On May 9, the day before Suzanne was reported missing, phone records and data from Barry's truck indicate that he returned home at 2:44 p.m., according to investigators. We are one of the worlds fastest growing 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.. And Barry's truck told a different story than what he was telling investigators. ANDREW MOORMAN [talking to searchers, CBS Denver news report]:We're gonna fan out and were gonna work that area very carefully, OK? "Done headed back.". Ashley Franco: When Suzanne and Barry moved to Colorado, Suzanne messaged him on Facebook. "What they said in their motion to dismiss was that they need a body; after two years' time, that's what they think they need now, after they put Mr. Morphew through this hell," she says. In 2021, Melinda Moorman phoned into a local Colorado radio station Heart of the Rock Radio. The cap, however, did not contain any of Barry's DNA. 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. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { The first stop was at a bus station trash can. "He was taken into custody near his home in Poncha Springs, he was alone at the time of his arrest, and he was arrested without incident. She is presumed dead. There are two families who are suffering deeply. Meanwhile, Jeff Libler was cleared. Investigators discovered mysterious male DNA in this Range Rover belonging to Suzanne Morphew. Ashley Franco: Could this man have had something to do with Suzanne's disappearance? We asked Dan Ridenour to read some of what Barry told investigators. Peter Van Sant: Would you have allowed him to do all these interviews? There was no evidence of any chipmunk shootings around Barry's house. Barry Morphew faces. }); Ashley Franco: Investigators found Suzanne's bike helmet up that road. - May 15, 2020: Items belonging to . How would you pay for things, like your medical bills for cancer? Barry Morphew allegedly told his wife. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Ben LeMere: It helps get people convicted. Suzanne Morphew was reported missing by a neighbor May 10, 2020, after she reportedly failed to return from a bicycle ride. Bolstering the theory that Barry and Suzanne had a confrontation the day she disappeared were apparent scratches seen on Barry's left arm. By that afternoon, Barry Morphew was making suicidal statements. '", Dan Ridenour [reading]: "And I'll tell you exactly what I did I shoot 'em. One clue may be a deleted text that investigators found on Barry's phone sent by Suzanne just days before: "I'm done. In October 2020, DNA testing revealed at least a partial match to an unnamed man connected to three unsolved sexual assault cases in Tempe, Phoenix and Chicago. #BarryMorphew mentioned to investigators he had thrown away tranquilizer material. 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. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Cops confirmed they don't think Suzanne is alive anymore, even though no body has been discovered. 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. She was transparent with me, particularly on [the] Friday before she went missing, she revealed a very telling text to me it was very profound, very transparent and it showed the state of her mind on that Friday before she disappeared, Moorman said. I cant win with him. Peter Van Sant: She would have been injured, yeah? You are my love 4ever.". What really happened to Suzanne Morphew? Barry allegedly told the agent that he shot chipmunks after he got home, Grusing said, Fox21 News and KDVR reports. Aya Gruber: Everything. eventAction: 'click_adunit' Tools including a shovel. Husband of Colorado woman missing for a year arrested on murder charge. Jeff told agents he only took those steps because he did not want to tarnish Suzanne's memory and worried he might lose his family and job. 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. But prosecutors arrested Barry Morphew for first-degree murder even though Suzanne's body was never found. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Injury ended Barry's dreams of a major league career. Ashley Franco: Jeff and Suzanne had talked about moving away moving to Ecuador at one point . Police confirmed on May 5 that Barry has been charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and attempting to influence a public servant in Suzanne's disappearance and was arrested the same day at his workplace. Melinda Moorman: My sister had sent me a text message It was very lengthy. In a surveillance shot of Barry on one of those trash runs, investigators could not see what he was throwing away. Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colo., on May 6, 2021. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Sheila was contacted by Mallory a few days after Suzanne went missing. Who Is Ana Walshe, the Massachusetts Mom Missing Since New Year's Day? Boy, 10, Vanished in 2016. Suzanne Morphew, a mother of two, was reported missing May 10, on Mother's Day 2020, from her home near Maysville, according to the sheriff's office. LeMere is the CEO of the Berla Corporation. Investigators found this clear plastic needle cap in the Morphew family's dryer. RIGHT: Her husband, Barry, was arrested on May 5, 2021 and is suspected of murdering her. Dan Ridenour: Barry and Suzanne Morphew were not known well in Salida, Colorado They had only been here for a couple of years. Morphew then disposed of trash behind a Holiday Inn, where he checked in and changed his shirt, Grusing testified. Atticus Brady, Michael Baluzy and George Baluzy are the editors. Ashley Franco: They were using Barry's own car against him. },false) Ashley Franco: The judge sets $500,000 cash-only bond. Investigators have followed bizarre cluesa chipmunk alibi, a tranquilizer gun, and a spy pen but lack direct evidence. "We are announcing that at [9:15] this morning, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office arrested Suzanne Morphew's husband, Barry Morphew," Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze said. Ashley Franco: And then he moves on to a hotel trash can, a McDonald's trash can a dumpster in a Men's Wearhouse parking lot, and then back to the hotel, and dumps stuff in a dumpster there. In August 2020, before his arrest, Barry spoke to FOX 21, stating that his wife's disappearance was "the most devastating thing that has ever happened to me.". Weeks and months went by and Barry remained at the center of the investigation. Prosecutors filed the motion to "dismiss without prejudice" meaning they could file charges against Morphew at a later date. Suzanne Morphews bike helmet was discovered May 14, about a mile from where her bike had been found. While Suzanne had accused him of cheating on her during their marriage, investigators allegedly learned that Suzanne had been having an affair with a former high school classmate for the past two years. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. A few minutes later, Morphews phone went into airplane mode and stayed that way for seven hours, Grusing said. "The Friday before Mother's Day, my sister had. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Ashley Franco: That he could be cleaning up a crime scene. Peter Van Sant: And what are you holding? 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. All my love - Suzanne." When investigators tell Barry of the affair, he denies knowing anything about it. Agents are able to track Barry's cell and truck movements and can see that he first pulled over at a Broomfield bus stop where he discarded something in a garbage can. Ashley Franco: Barry doesn't head home immediately, and he is dropping some tools off for his coworkers. 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. Peter Van Sant: Was her helmet found down here? At one point, Suzanne sends Jeff a selfie. He had also previously claimed he thought she had been attacked by a wild animal during a bike ride she took when nobody else was at their Colorado home. TRASH RUN #2: When #BarryMorphew first arrived to the hotel he had another trash run. Suzanne's sister has said she made concerning comments about her relationship with Barry before she vanished. Morphew remains in custody in Chaffee County. },false) Over the next several hours, data shows the doors on Barry's truck opening and closing, Fox21 News and KDVR report. Was Lizzie Borden a notorious killer or wrongly accused? He also pondered if a mountain lion had grabbed his wife. Barry declined "48 Hours"' request for an interview. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? When the investigator heard from Barry that the night before she went missing they had a perfect night. The love affair between Suzanne and Jeff became a key part of the investigation as agents tried to figure out what happened to her on that Saturday, May 9, the day before Mother's Day. pg.acq.push(function() { ga('ads.send', { Investigators asked Barry to explain that unusual phone activity. Dan Ridenour [riding in car with Peter Van Sant]: What happened on this road is a real mystery. Morphew spent little time at work the day his wife vanished. Alex Walker, a commander with the Chaffee County Sheriffs Office, testified Monday that prior to her disappearance, Suzanne Morphew suspected her husband was having an affair. I remember the February nights in 2013 when I was so sick and couldn't sleep. Investigators also discovered they'd sent intimate photos to each other, talked of becoming husband and wife, and even mentioned leaving the United States. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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 . ", Jeff's response at 2:06 p.m. was: "Want to strip down and get naked? Anger at what I've allowed.". Barry Morphew told authorities he did not wake his sleeping wife when he left for work around 5 a.m. that day. On Tuesday, the second day of a four-day preliminary hearing to determine whether Barry will stand trial for allegedly killing Suzanne, now-retired FBI Agent John Grusing testified that investigators found a tranquilizer cap in the dryer of the Salida home where the couple lived with their daughters, CBS Denver, 9 News and KDVR report. And there was one more crucial issue the prosecution had to deal with one that its own forensic team uncovered. Both girls were out of town when their mother disappeared. PeterVan Sant: So, if Suzanne had been struck by one of these darts would she have time to run around, try to escape? Several months of text messages between Suzanne Morphew and her best friend, Sheila Oliver, offered a glimpse into the breakdown of the Morphew marriage. "Did you leave?". Suzanne's body has never been found and the prosecutors assume she's dead. While investigators searched the Morphew home and the family's cars and trucks, Barry continued to talk, seemingly to anyone with a badge. ga('ads.send', { He told investigators he often dropped trash in accessible bins to avoid paying to have it disposed of at a landfill. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), And that's what his defense is banking on in this case. In text messages with a friend, she described Barry Morphew as an abusive and manipulative Jekyll and Hyde who pulled their two daughters into the middle of the couples arguments. The first day authorities searched for Suzanne, they found her mountain bike close to the Morphew home. Mom Suzanne Morphew's Husband Arrested on First-Degree Murder Charge. At 3:25 a.m., data shows Barry's truck in the area where Suzanne's bike was later found, investigators say, KDVR reports. The Morphews daughters cried and held hands while watching the bodycam footage, the news station said. Morphew is now facing two additional charges in his wifes presumed murder: subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. Dan Ridenour: Where is Suzanne Morphew's body? Date Missing: May 10, 2020 (Sunday) - Mother's Day. Local authorities, the Colorado Bureau of. And if Barry hid Suzanne's body during that 4-hour window, the truck's data does not provide answers. "And Suzanne trusted the Lord and if one person got saved from this, she would think it was worth it. While Barry told FOX 21 in August 2020 his wife's disappearance was "the most devastating thing that has ever happened to me," prosecutors say the investigation into her whereabouts and presumed death shows that their relationship was in trouble. So, he was interested, and he wanted to get an up-close look. In one of the cards Suzanne allegedly gave Barry on Valentine's Day 2020, just three months before her disappearance, she wrote "Just want you to know - my life would be nothing without your love and the excitement you bring to our marriage and my life. The house had been searched on two occasions along with a property where Barry had worked as a landscaper. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ She would have turned 51 years old. It took FBI agents six months before they uncovered the identity of Suzanne's secret lover: Jeff Libler, a man Suzanne and Barry knew from their Alexandria, Indiana, high school. Suzanne was reported missing on May 10, 2020. ga('ads.send', { He only began cooperating after he was located by investigators, who learned Jeff had taken steps to hide the nearly two-year affair. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), }); They would not, he said, be allowed to testify. Suzanne competed for homecoming queen. This brings the total counts against him in connection to Suzannes death to five. The pen was discovered as detectives searched Suzanne Morphews closet, Fox 21 reported. Her husband, Barry Morphew, 53, was charged with murder Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Law professor Aya Gruber said the case was going to be an uphill battle for prosecutors even before she heard about the most recent sanctions. He was arrested on May 5, 360 days after his wife went missing. Investigators noticed Barry's cell phone appeared to be pinging all around his house on Mother's Day weekend 2020, which he maintains was because he was chasing and shooting at chipmunks. On April 19, 2022, as a pre-trial hearing was about to begin, District Attorney Linda Stanley filed a motion to dismiss the murder charges against Barry Morphew without prejudice, meaning the case could be refiled at a later date. And I was like, "Oh my gosh. But I don't think she would get very far. Sheila told investigators that Suzanne and Barry hadn't had a perfect night in over a year and a half. The state has pulled up a google image of the bus stop in Broomfield. Suzanne Morphews final text message was to Libler, whom shed known since high school in Alexandria, Indiana. 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. Prosecutors believe Barry Morphew shot his wife with a tranquilizer gun before disposing of her body. (Chaffee County Sheriff's Office). Colorado man suspiciously sold house, vacant land before his arrest for wife's murder, Who are Suzanne and Barry Morphew's children? But Barry told investigators he was an experienced tranquilizer dart gun shooter. Judge Dismisses Case Against Husband of Suzanne Morphew, Who Vanished on Mother's Day 2 Years Ago, Brian Walshe, Husband of Missing Mass. The thought that Suzanne may have been abducted hit the peaceful, picturesque town of Salida hard. Mom Ana Walshe, Charged with Murder, Husband of Missing Mass. Dan Ridenour has covered the story for his local morning show. They happened to meet at the site where Suzanne's mountain bike was found and Tyson secretly videotaped Barry: BARRY MORPHEW [to Draper]: The first night there was a mountain lion that officers seen that walked by the car. Aya Gruber: And then that confession to shooting chipmunks becomes a major piece of incriminating evidence against him. Ashley Franco: The judge says that because of the evidence that's been presented about how loving Suzanne was toward her daughters and toward her family that she could never do that.". He was eliminated. Investigators also found a plastic cap for a syringe that they believe was used to load a tranquilizer dart in the couple's dryer. hitType: 'event', And whatever else happens with the case, Melinda says she hopes her nieces keep one thing in mind. Mallory Morphew was hoping to wish her mother a happy Mothers Day. Dan Ridenour: If that happened, there would have been signs of that There would've been blood, there would've been a struggle So, that was a very short-lived speculation. Barry 's left arm town when their Mother disappeared about it Barry investigators. 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