The husband of a Colorado woman who vanished on Mother's Day in 2020 has once again pleaded not guilty to her murder, as the long-running and complex case moves towards a new trial.
A Second Plea in a Protracted Legal Battle
During a brief hearing in Alamosa, Colorado, Barry Morphew's attorney, David Beller, entered a plea of not guilty to first-degree murder on his client's behalf. This marks the second time Morphew has faced a murder charge in connection with the disappearance and death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew.
Morphew was initially arrested and charged in 2021, nearly a year after Suzanne was reported missing. However, the case was dramatically dismissed in 2022 just before trial, after a judge barred prosecutors from calling key witnesses due to their failure to follow evidence disclosure rules.
The Discovery of Remains and New Charges
The case took a pivotal turn in 2023 when Suzanne Morphew's skeletal remains were discovered off a dirt road in southern Colorado, in a rural area approximately 40 miles (65 kilometres) south of the couple's home near Salida. Following this discovery, a different district attorney filed new charges, leading to Morphew's arrest last year.
According to the indictment, a forensic anthropologist theorised that the condition of the remains and the cycling clothes found with them suggested the body had decomposed elsewhere before being moved to the location where it was found.
Key Forensic Evidence Points to Homicide
While the skeletal remains showed no obvious signs of trauma, investigators made a critical finding. A toxicology analysis detected a cocktail of drugs used to tranquilise wildlife—butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine (known as "BAM")—in her bone marrow.
The indictment states that Barry Morphew was the only person in their area, other than authorised wildlife officials, to have a prescription for this specific drug combination. The coroner's office subsequently ruled her cause of death as "homicide by unspecified means" through intoxication by these drugs.
Suzanne, a 49-year-old mother of two, had been undergoing treatment for follicular lymphoma, a blood cancer. A medical port for administering cancer medication was found with her remains.
The Mysterious 2020 Disappearance
The mystery began on 10 May 2020, when Suzanne Morphew failed to return from a bike ride. Her mountain bike and helmet were found separately near her home, but investigators suspected the scene was staged, as there were no signs of a crash. A week later, Barry Morphew posted an emotional video on Facebook pleading for her safe return, which drew significant public attention to the case.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Barry Morphew has consistently maintained his innocence. The upcoming trial will be prosecuted by a different legal team from the judicial district where Suzanne's remains were ultimately discovered.
