DENVER (KDVR) New details are emerging from the new murder indictment for Barry Morphew as the state now has less than 30 days to extradite him to Colorado.
For five years, Tisha Leeway has closely followed Suzanne Morphew’s disappearance.
“I know Suzanne from a salon that I worked at several years ago,” Leeway said. “They used to all come in and tan.”
On Friday, calls and texts started flooding her phone with the news of a new indictment in the case. Leeway went straight to the news conference after.
“After hearing the district attorney and her thoughts and her hard work, I felt pretty confident,” Leeway said. “I feel like he’s going to be convicted this time.”
Leeway finds confidence in the words from the District Attorney and the details in this new indictment.
“Just page six alone, if you read that, I mean, that’s pretty damaging evidence,” Leeway said.
On page six of the indictment, a specific tranquilizer, BAM, comes up.
“BAM is an acronym for three sedative anesthetics: butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine,” Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald said. “We don’t use it in general practice, in small animal practice.”
Fitzgerald, a local veterinarian of 42 years, spoke about the three chemicals that make up BAM.
“I’ve used it on wildlife, like for the Denver Zoo in Mongolia, when you are trying to immobilize wildlife, to put a radio collar on or to pull blood or to do some testing for different diseases,” Fitzgerald said.
According to the indictment, “The coroner’s office determined cause of death and manner of death as follows: ‘Homicide by unspecified means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication.’”
“It’s an anesthetic,” Fitzgerald said. “And so anesthetics are always risky because you’re slowing down heart rate and respiration.”
The indictment ends with the statement, “Ultimately, the prescription records show that when Suzanne Morphew disappeared, only one private citizen living in that entire area of the state had access to BAM: Barry Morphew.”
Records that give Leeway hope looking forward.
“You have to go through a lot of steps to get to that conclusion,” Leeway said. “So, I don’t think that they took this lightly, and I don’t think they’re taking it lightly.”
After the charges were announced, Barry Morphew’s attorneys made a statement to FOX31.
“Yet again, the government allows their predetermined conclusion to lead their search for evidence. Barry maintains his innocence. The case has not changed and the outcome will not either,” David Beller said.
