Suzanne Morphew’s body may have been moved twice after she died, according to a forensic scientist.
Barry Morphew was charged with murder once again by a grand jury in Colorado on June 20. He is accused of killing his wife, Suzanne Morphew, who disappeared on Mother’s Day in 2020 at the age of 49. The couple resided near Salida, Colorado, which is the last place Suzanne was reportedly seen alive.
According to booking documents, Barry Morphew was detained near Phoenix, Arizona, on June 20. Records show he had been staying in a trailer park in Cave Creek, Arizona, as noted in property tax documents.
Despite Suzanne Morphew going missing in 2020, her remains were discovered by Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents on September 22, 2023. Prosecutors have stated that a 2024 autopsy revealed traces of a deer tranquilizer known as “BAM,” which includes the chemicals butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine, were found in her bone marrow.
Prosecutors said Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found “in and around a shallow clandestine grave” in Saguache County, Colorado, a “few hundred feet” off Highway 17.
Barry Morphew was booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
Valentin also said there’s an “absence of evidence” suggesting that the clothing Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found in is what she decomposed with.
Suzanne Morphew’s bones were found “significantly bleached,” according to the indictment. Valentin said the term “bleached,” in this context, refers to how much sun exposure the bones had.
In this case, Valentin said the “significantly bleached” bones help support prosecutors’ argument that Suzanne Morphew’s body was moved.
Suzanne Morphew and Barry Morphew (Fox News/ Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)
“As part of the decomposition process, so if some bones are bleached and some aren’t, you can get a sense of you know how the remains are positioned. If where Suzanne Morphew’s remains are found, are in a place that are not exposed to the sun, therefore they couldn’t be bleached at the site where they recovered that would be another indicator that she was.”
Barry Morphew’s next court date is Sept. 2.
