Colorado Man Pleads Not Guilty to Murder in Wife’s Disappearance

In Denver, the husband of a Colorado woman who went missing in 2020 has entered a not guilty plea to second-degree murder charges regarding her death.

Barry Morphew made his plea known through his attorney, David Beller, during a quick hearing held in Alamosa, Colorado.

He was originally arrested in 2021, almost a year after Suzanne Morphew vanished, facing charges of murder and evidence tampering. However, the case was dismissed in 2022 as the trial neared, following a judge’s decision that blocked the subpoena of crucial witnesses when prosecutors failed to meet evidence presentation requirements for the defense.

In 2023, the skeletal remains of Suzanne Morphew were found along a dirt road in southern Colorado. Following this discovery, Morphew was arrested again and charged with first-degree murder. He continues to assert his innocence.

While Suzanne’s remains showed no visible signs of trauma, investigators discovered a mix of sedative drugs in her bone marrow, used primarily to tranquilize wild animals. Notably, her husband was the only one in the vicinity with a prescription for these specific drugs, according to the indictment.

The coroner concluded that the cause of death was “homicide by unspecified means” due to the presence of three drugs: butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine, collectively referred to as “BAM.”

The case surrounding Suzanne Morphew’s disappearance began when she was reported missing on Mother’s Day in 2020. Initially, her mountain bike and helmet were found away from her home in a mountainous region near Salida, Colorado, but there were no indications of an accident. This led investigators to suspect the bike might have been deliberately discarded into a ravine. A week after her disappearance, Barry posted a video on Facebook, urging for her safe return, which quickly drew public attention.

This time around, Morphew’s prosecution is being overseen by a different district attorney in the area where Suzanne’s remains were discovered, about 60 miles south of their home.

Before going missing, Suzanne was undergoing treatment for follicular lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Investigators found a medical port in her body that had been used for her cancer-related treatments. Clothing similar to what she was last seen wearing was also located nearby.

A forensic anthropologist suggested that based on the state of the body and clothing, it likely decomposed in a different location before it was moved, as noted in the indictment.