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The 2020 disappearance of Colorado resident Suzanne Morphew raised multiple questions as her body remained at large for days. As her husband, Barry, was charged with her murder and subsequently dismissed, the investigators struggled to find clues that would solve the case.
The investigators discovered an unknown male DNA sample from her car's glovebox and bike, which resulted in a partial match with a man with three unsolved s*xual assault cases. This piece of information among others set Barry Morphew free and led him to file a civil lawsuit of $15 million against the prosecutors.
Episode 19 of season 18 of 48 Hours was re-aired on May 8, 2024, on Investigation Discovery and showcases the details of Suzanne Morphew's unsolved murder case. The official synopsis reads:
"Colorado mother of two Suzanne Morphew vanished on Mother's Day 2020. Then, bizarre clues emerged - a chipmunk-chasing alibi from her husband, a spy pen and an affair. Peter Van Sant reports."
Five details about Suzanne Morphew's murder explored
1) Suzanne Morphew disappeared on May 10, 2020
Suzanne Morphew was last seen on May 10, 2020, when she left her Maysville home for a bike ride. According to her husband Barry Morphew's testimony, he had stepped out early in the morning on a business trip to a job site in Broomfield, as per CBS News.
Suzanne's daughters who were away from home on a camping trip were unable to reach her for their Mother's Day wishes. Barry allegedly took a neighbor's help to check for Morphew's bike in the house and to alert the police.
The officers found her mountain bike discarded on a cliffside along Chaffee County Road 225 from Highway 50, as reported by CBS News. The bike was undamaged and indicated no signs of struggle due to the absence of skid marks. Her bike helmet was found four days later a mile away from Route 50.
2) Barry Morphew was arrested on murder charges
While Suzanne Morphew's alleged accident looked staged to the authorities, they suspected Barry of foul play. He had made five trips to a dumpster around Broomfield, Colorado on May 10, discarding multiple trash bags - the contents of which Barry was unable to elaborate on.
The detectives found scratches on his upper arm and a crack in the door frame as signs of struggle, as per 9News. His cellphone records were unusually distributed throughout the house. An unspent .22-caliber bullet was found on the floor.
A clear plastic needle cap of a syringe found in the dryer served as the key evidence in the case. He had testified to retiring to bed around 8 pm local time on May 9 but his truck's camera showed him backing the vehicle up at 9:30 pm local time.
Barry Morphew was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human body, tampering with physical evidence, possession of a dangerous weapon, and attempt to influence a public servant.
3) Suzanne Morphew's skeletal remains were discovered
Four years after Suzanne went missing, the authorities recovered her skeletal remains from a desert area in Moffat in Saguache County, as per Fox News. Her remains were discovered on September 22, 2023, during an unrelated case, and was initially labeled Jane Doe.
The bones of the skull, vertebrae, thigh bones, and ribs were sent for forensic analysis and were positively identified using dental records by the El Paso County Coroner on September 27.
According to 9News, her biking clothes were found with the remains.
4) Autopsy reports of Suzanne showed a high amount of animal tranquilizers
The autopsy reports prepared by the El Paso County Coroner's Office stated the manner of Suzanne's death as homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication. Her femur bone was tested to have an unusual concentration of the chemicals found in animal tranquilizers apart from caffeine in her system.
While there was no indication of trauma, the report stated the presence of a "weathered" bullet from the grave site, according to PEOPLE. The mixture of chemicals found in Suzanne Morphew's body is reportedly used as a strong sedative for large animals.
5) Barry Morphew was an avid hunter and experienced tranquilizer dart gun shooter
Even though the court had dismissed Barry Morphew and dropped all charges against him under the ruling of dismissed without prejudice, he stands the risk of being charged again in case of new evidence, as reported by CBS News. In his testimony, he had admitted to being an experienced tranquilizer dart gun shooter as he often sedated deers around his house for their antlers.
He shared with the investigators:
"The first thing I thought of when I came here and saw deer in my yard with big horns, I'm like, 'I'm getting them horns...And I'll tell you exactly what I did...I shoot 'em. They go to sleep, I cut their horns off....It's totally illegal…But you're gonna find tranq darts around my property because I've done that."
According to 9News, Barry Morphew admitted in a 2021 affidavit to the use of the chemical kit BAM, found in Suzanne's body, to sedate deer.
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