A Colorado man suspected of killing his spouse was charged Friday for the second time with first diploma homicide in her 2020 demise, the Twelfth Judicial District Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned in a launch.
Barry Morphew was beforehand charged with first diploma homicide, amongst different costs, in Could 2021 within the killing of his spouse, Suzanne Morphew, who was final seen on Mom’s Day in 2020. However these costs have been dropped with out prejudice — that means costs might be filed once more at a later date — in April 2022 as prosecutors have been closing in on discovering the girl’s stays.
Officers took Morphew into custody Friday in Arizona, the District Legal professional’s workplace mentioned, however the workplace is working to extradite the person again to the San Luis Valley in Colorado.
It was not instantly clear whether or not Morphew is being held in jail or he has obtained authorized illustration.
Iris Eytan, the legal professional who represented Morphew within the earlier costs, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. It was not instantly clear if she continues to be representing him.
Suzanne Morphew was final seen on Could 10, 2020, close to County Highway 225 and West Freeway 50 in Maysville, about 100 miles west of Colorado Springs. She was on a motorbike experience on the time.
A 49-year-old mom of two, Suzanne Morphew was reported lacking from her Chaffee County dwelling that very same day. Additionally that day, her mountain bike and helmet have been found on the facet of a county street in Salida, Colorado, close to the household’s dwelling.
Her husband had repeatedly denied his involvement in her demise and pleaded not responsible to the preliminary costs.
One week earlier than Morphew was set to face trial on the preliminary cost of first diploma homicide in his spouse’s disappearance, prosecutors dismissed the costs as a result of they mentioned they’d zeroed in on an space the place they believed her stays to be, however climate within the area was prohibiting officers from restoration efforts, slowing down the case.
Suzanne Morphew’s stays have been lastly uncovered in September 2023, officers mentioned on the time. They have been discovered throughout an unrelated search close to Moffat in Saguache County.
An April 2024 post-mortem decided she died by murder, which reported that medication usually used as animal tranquilizers have been present in her system.
Suzanne Morphew “died on account of murder by unspecified means within the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication,” the El Paso County coroner’s report, obtained by NBC Information on the time, mentioned.
“The medication are marketed as a compound injectable chemical immobilizer for wildlife offering pharmacologically reversible analgesia, sedation, and immobilization,” based on the report.
Prosecutors had mentioned they believed Morphew used a tranquilizer gun in his spouse’s homicide. They’d additionally mentioned he was the one one with motive to kill Suzanne Morphew, as a result of she was having an affair, believed her husband was having one, too, and had plans to file for divorce.
Days earlier than her disappearance, Suzanne Morphew texted her husband that their relationship was “finished,” based on the preliminary arrest affidavit from 2021.
“Let’s deal with this civilly,” she mentioned, based on the affidavit.
“It had turn out to be clear that Barry couldn’t management Suzanne’s insistence on leaving him, and he resorted to one thing he has finished his total life — hunt and management Suzanne like he had hunted and managed animals,” the affidavit mentioned.
Morphew additionally filed a $15 million lawsuit towards authorities who accused him of killing his spouse in Could 2023. On the time, the couple’s daughters spoke in assist of their father.
The District Legal professional’s workplace within the Friday launch mentioned the investigation into Suzanne Morphew’s demise has been ongoing.
“Federal, State and native legislation enforcement have by no means stopped working towards justice for Suzanne,” mentioned Twelfth Judicial District Legal professional Anne Kelly.
