In October 2023, a Colorado medical examiner completed an autopsy for Suzanne Morphew, a mother of two who had gone missing in 2020 before her remains were found. Suzanne’s remains were located in Moffat, Colorado, in Saguache County, about 45 miles south of her home in Maysville, where she was reported missing on May 10, 2020. The autopsy results are expected to be released soon, providing answers surrounding Suzanne’s mysterious disappearance and death, four years after she vanished from a Mother’s Day bike ride. Her remains were found in a shallow grave in a dry desert field of sagebrush and natural grasses, contradicting earlier accusations and speculation about the location.
Suzanne’s bicycle was discovered in a ravine along Highway 50 and County Road 225 in Chaffee County, near her family’s Maysville home, on the same day she went missing. Her husband, Barry Morphew, who was initially accused of killing her and charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence in 2021, claimed he was working in Broomfield, Colorado at the time. Charges against Barry were dropped the following year as prosecutors wanted more time to find Suzanne’s body. Barry then filed a $15 million lawsuit against prosecutors and investigators, accusing them of violating his constitutional rights.
During a hearing in 2021, investigators revealed that no traces of blood were found near the Morphew home in Maysville or in their family vehicles. However, DNA was discovered on Suzanne’s glovebox, which matched profiles developed in sexual assault cases from Chicago, Phoenix, and Tempe, Arizona. Barry’s DNA did not match that sample. Unsealed text messages from Suzanne and Barry in June 2023 suggested that they were both having affairs just before her disappearance. Suzanne had texted Barry saying she was “done” and that they needed to figure things out civilly, indicating a strained relationship.
No other arrests have been made in the case. The charges against Barry were dismissed without prejudice, leaving the option for prosecutors to still pursue charges against him. Authorities are urging anyone with information about the case to come forward by contacting the provided phone number. The findings from Suzanne Morphew’s autopsy are anticipated to shed light on the cause and manner of her death, bringing her family one step closer to closure and understanding regarding her tragic disappearance and demise. The discovery of Suzanne’s remains in a remote desert field has raised new questions and concerns surrounding the circumstances of her death, further complicating an already complex and puzzling case.
