The investigation into Suzanne Morphew’s disappearance seemed to be stalled after Barry Morphew’s murder charge was dismissed in 2022. This changed when investigators discovered a rare chemical compound in her body, which prosecutors argue links Barry Morphew directly to her death.

Barry Morphew was apprehended near Phoenix, Arizona on June 20 following a grand jury indictment accusing him of killing his wife, 49-year-old Suzanne Morphew, a mother of two who disappeared on Mother’s Day in 2020. The Morphews resided near Salida, Colorado. Morphew chose to waive an extradition hearing and is currently held at the Alamosa County Jail in Colorado.

A few months after murder charges against Barry Morphew were dismissed in 2022 due to prosecutorial misconduct, investigators discovered Suzanne Morphew’s body in September 2023 during a search in Saguache County, located in the southwestern region of the state.

According to the June 20 grand jury indictment charging Barry Morphew with first-degree-murder after deliberation, many of Suzanne Morphew’s bones were found “significantly bleached” when her remains were found in 2023. 

“I think prosecutors absolutely have an uphill battle and any sort of celebration for justice would be premature. I think that, you know, the case is largely circumstantial,” Faddis said. “And on top of that, the prosecution has been handcuffed by the court based on their prior prosecutorial misconduct. And so they are not going to be able to call many of the experts who would be beneficial to proving the case. So for all of those reasons this is by no means a slam dunk and, in fact, I think on the balance it’s actually going to be very difficult to prove.”