Husband of Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew arrested for her murder for the second time

The husband of Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew has been arrested for first-degree murder in her death more than five years ago. This is the second time Barry Morphew has faced murder charges in connection with her homicide after the initial charges were dismissed. 

Suzanne Morphew was reportedly last seen on Mother’s Day May 10, 2020, when she went for a bike ride and never returned. 

Suzanne Morphew left behind two teenage daughters and a husband, Barry Morphew, who was not only the prime suspect in her disappearance at the time but was also charged with her murder.  

Barry Morphew was arrested on May 5, 2021, for the first time, on charges of murder after deliberation, tampering with physical evidence and attempting to influence a public servant. Less than a year later, in April 2022, a judge dismissed the case against Barry Morphew. 

TIMELINE: Suzanne Morphew case: Timeline of events in the death of the Colorado mother

At the time, the 11th Judicial District Attorney, Linda Stanley, filed the motion to “dismiss without prejudice,” which means that prosecutors could file charges against Barry Morphew at a later date. Since then, a disciplinary board has recommended Stanley be disbarred because of improper statements made to the media during the investigation, which they claim contributed to a change of venue for the trial. 

After the first set of charges were dismissed, Barry Morphew filed a $15 million lawsuit against the Eleventh Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the CBI, claiming he was wrongfully charged in his wife’s disappearance and, at the time, presumed death in May 2023. That case was dismissed in September 2024.

According to the CBI, Suzanne’s remains were located during the course of a search in Moffat on Sept. 22, 2023, and those remains were positively identified just five days later as those of Suzanne Morphew by the El Paso County Coroner. Her death was determined to be a homicide of “undetermined means,” and drugs typically used as tranquilizers for wildlife were detected in her remains.

On Wednesday, the Twelfth Judicial District Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Barry Morphew with first-degree murder of his wife. He was taken into custody in Gilbert, Arizona, on Friday. The district attorney’s office said it will seek to extradite Barry Morphew back to the San Luis Valley. 

“Federal, State and local law enforcement have never stopped working toward justice for Suzanne,” said Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly in a statement. “The Twelfth Judicial District Attorney’s Office stands in solidarity with Suzanne’s family and the citizens of Chaffee and Saguache Counties in pursuing the Grand Jury’s indictment.”  

According to the indictment, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office conducted the autopsy on Suzanne Morphew’s remains. In addition to the standard toxicology testing, the coroner’s office conducted additional toxicology testing at the request of law enforcement for the presence of a chemical mixture known as BAM or the combination of Butorphanol, Azaperone and Medetomidine. The coroner’s office determined the cause of death and manner of death as, “Homicide by unspecified means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication.”

BAM is described as a drug combination primarily used for chemical immobilization and sedation in veterinary medicine, particularly for wildlife and exotic animals.

Investigators have not released details on why the case is now being prosecuted in the Twelfth Judicial District Attorney’s Office when it was initially prosecuted in the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. 

The public is asked to continue to report any information about this case by calling (719) 312-7530 or emailing cdps_suzannemorphew_tipline@state.co.us.