Remains of Suzanne Morphew, Colorado Mom Last Seen 3 Years Ago, Found
Remains of the married mother of two, who vanished on Mother's Day after going for a bike ride, have been located
Suzanne Morphew's remains have been identified, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation confirmed on Wednesday evening, after she vanished during a bike ride in the mountainous area near her home over three years ago.
Morphew was 49 when she went missing on Mother’s Day on May 10, 2020, according to the official press release from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Suzanne Morphew/Facebook
The mother of two was reported missing in Maysville where she lived with her husband, Barry, who was reportedly in Denver for work, and their two daughters, Mallory and Macy, who were on a camping trip in another state.
Her remains were discovered three years later on Sept. 22, 2023, in the area of Moffat in Saguache County, Colorado, by authorities who were out investigating an unrelated case.
Five days later, the remains were positively identified as Morphew by the El Paso County Coroner.
“While this case has garnered attention from around the world, it has touched our community and the sheriff’s office deeply,” said Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze in the press release. “We have never stopped our investigation and will continue to follow all leads in pursuit of justice for Suzanne.”
No arrests have been made.
A year after her disappearance, her husband Barry was charged with first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and attempting to influence a public servant.
Barry pled not guilty and his trial was set to begin in April 2022, but Assistant District Attorney Linda Stanley dropped the charges without prejudice. He can still be charged at a later date.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Wednesday, Barry’s lawyer Iris Eytan said, “Barry is with his daughters and they are all struggling with immense shock and grief after learning today that their mother and wife whom they deeply love was found deceased. They had faith that their wife and mom would walk back into their lives again. The news is heartbreaking.”
“From what we know, Barry is as innocent as he was from Day 1. DA Stanley and law enforcement got it wrong,” Eytan claimed in the statement. “We hope the authorities will quickly admit their wrongful persecution of Barry, an innocent man, to treat the Morphew’s like the victims they are, and charge the person(s) responsible for Suzanne’s killing.”
Following his arrest and dropped charges last year, Barry and the couple’s two daughters spoke out for the first time with ABC News to discuss Suzanne’s disappearance.
Barry explained, "They've [prosecutors] got tunnel vision and they looked at one person and they've got too much pride to say they're wrong and look somewhere else." He added, "I don't have anything to worry about. I've done nothing wrong."
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"I just hope that Linda [the assistant district attorney] will step up to the plate and do everything she can to find our mom," said Mallory. "Because what they've done is not fair and we're never going to stop looking for our mom."
Related: Barry Morphew Pondered Whether Wife Suzanne's Disappearance Was Divine Intervention: Affidavit
At the time of his arrest, the judge ruled that investigators had laid out sufficient evidence for Barry to stand trial for allegedly killing Suzanne, according to the Associated Press.
Four days before she vanished, Suzanne sent Barry a text saying she was "done" and wanted to end their marriage, reported 9 News. Barry allegedly indicated that he was going to commit suicide as a result, reported CBS Denver.
Her sister, Melinda Moorman, told Colorado radio station Heart of the Rock Radio that her sister’s marriage was deteriorating. “She definitely made implications that she had concerns about her safety. ... And the condition of their relationship had, I think, deteriorated quite a bit over the last several years."
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