A grand jury in Colorado has returned an indictment towards Barry Morphew, charging him with the homicide of his spouse, Suzanne Morphew, officers introduced Friday.
Suzanne Morphew used to be reported lacking on Mom’s Day in Would possibly 2020. Her stays had been discovered greater than 3 years later whilst investigators had been looking in an unrelated case. Her dying used to be therefore dominated a murder.
Her husband, Barry Morphew, used to be charged along with her presumed homicide in 2021, however the ones fees had been dropped in April 2022 simply ahead of an ordeal used to be intended to start out.
The grand jury returned the indictment towards Morphew on Wednesday. He used to be taken into custody in Arizona and can be extradited to the San Luis Valley to stand fees, consistent with the 12th Judicial District Legal professional’s Workplace.
Suzanne Morphew is observed on this undated picture launched by way of Chaffee County Sheriff’s Workplace.
Chaffee County Sheriff’s Workplace
“Federal, State and native legislation enforcement have by no means stopped operating towards justice for Suzanne,” 12th Judicial District Legal professional Anne Kelly stated in a observation on Friday. “The 12th Judicial District Legal professional’s Workplace stands in harmony with Suzanne’s circle of relatives and the electorate of Chaffee and Saguache Counties in pursuing the Grand Jury’s indictment.”
Barry Morphew used to be the ultimate recognized particular person to peer his spouse alive, consistent with the possible purpose observation within the indictment.
The day she used to be reported lacking, he informed police she had deliberate to head on a motorcycle trip whilst he used to be out of the city on a piece go back and forth, consistent with the indictment. Her motorcycle and helmet had been later situated in separate places close to the house.
In early interviews with legislation enforcement following his spouse’s disappearance, Barry Morphew allegedly stated their marriage used to be “the most productive,” consistent with the indictment. Even though his statements had been “inconsistent with different witness accounts and proof situated,” the indictment mentioned, noting that Suzanne Morphew had “confided in those that she used to be unsatisfied within the marriage within the weeks and months resulting in her disappearance” and had mentioned plans to divorce her husband with a detailed pal.
Investigators additionally exposed a screenshot of a textual content message from Suzanne Morphew on her husband’s telephone that mentioned, consistent with the indictment: “I am completed. I may just care much less what you might be as much as and feature been for years. We simply want to determine this out with politeness.” The screenshot used to be stored on Would possibly 6, 2020 — 4 days ahead of she used to be reported lacking by way of a neighbor, consistent with the indictment.
Suzanne Morphew’s frame used to be present in September 2023 close to town of Moffat, not up to an hour south of the place she lived, consistent with the indictment.
Her dying used to be decided to were led to by way of murder “by way of undetermined method within the atmosphere of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication,” consistent with the post-mortem.
Legislation enforcement particularly asked that the coroner’s workplace check for the presence of butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine, which contain a chemical aggregate referred to as BAM this is used for sedating animals, consistent with the indictment.
Previous to transferring to Colorado in 2018, Barry Morphew used to be a deer farmer in Indiana and used BAM to sedate and shipping deer on his farm, consistent with the indictment. He allegedly admitted to the usage of BAM in Colorado as lately as April 2020 to tranquilize a deer on his belongings, consistent with the indictment.
In keeping with the indictment, information of BAM prescriptions confirmed that Barry Morphew ultimate bought BAM by way of prescription in March 2018, and that no particular person or industry within the Colorado area the place the Morphews lived and the place Suzanne Morphew’s stays had been discovered had bought BAM prescriptions from 2017 to 2020.
“In the end, he prescription information display that once Suzanne Morphew disappeared, just one non-public citizen dwelling in that complete house of the state had get entry to to BAM: Barry Morphew,” the indictment mentioned.
A mug shot of Barry Morphew, launched by way of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Workplace on Would possibly 5, 2021.
Chaffee County Sheriff’s Workplace
Barry Morphew has denied any involvement in his spouse’s dying.
“All over again, the federal government permits their predetermined conclusion to steer their seek for proof,” his lawyer, David Beller, stated in a observation to ABC Information on Friday. “Barry maintains his innocence. The case has no longer modified and the result is not going to both.”
Barry Morphew and his daughters spoke to ABC Information in Would possibly 2023 when they filed a lawsuit towards prosecutors, pronouncing he used to be wrongfully charged.
“They have got were given tunnel imaginative and prescient and so they checked out one particular person and they have were given an excessive amount of satisfaction to mention they are unsuitable and glance elsewhere,” he stated on the time. “I do not have anything else to fret about. I have completed not anything unsuitable.”
