Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Suzanne Morphew‘s husband, Barry Morphew, was once a suspect in the missing Colorado mother’s disappearance or murder. According to CNN, Investigators initially suspected Barry killed Suzanne, who went missing on Mother’s Day 2020. They arrested and charged the husband with murder before her body was discovered. Prosecutors later dropped the charges after failing to find Suzanne’s remains. However, the charges that prosecutors “dismissed without prejudice” means they can charge him again.
The outlet reported that investigators found Suzanne’s remains in September 2023. A subsequent autopsy revealed she had a drug cocktail in her system when she died. The coroner ruled her death “homicide by unspecified means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication.” Reportedly, these chemicals are present in animal tranquilizers.
People Magazine stated that prosecutors could re-file murder charges against Suzanne Morphew’s husband, Barry Morphew, after recent findings. Previously, investigators had found a tranquilizer dart cap in their family home. Prosecutors had alleged that Barry, a hunter, murdered the mother of two using a tranquilizer gun, per NBC News.
CBS 48 Hours revisited the case in its episode “The Suzanne Morphew Case: Nothing Is What It Seems.” The episode delved into the investigation into Suzanne’s mysterious disappearance and the case against her husband, Barry Morphew.
When was Suzzane Morphew’s Husband Barry Morphew first arrested?
According to People Magazine, authorities first arrested Suzzane Morphew’s Husband Barry Morphew in 2021. Prosecutors then filed several charges against him, including murder, tampering with physical evidence, and attempting to influence a public servant. Barry pleaded not guilty, denying any involvement in Suzanne’s disappearance. The mother of two went on a bike ride in 2020 and never returned home.
CBS News stated that investigators found evidence that led to Barry’s arrest. They reportedly discovered a tranquilizer dart cap during a search of the house. They claimed the accused was a hunter who often shot deer using tranquilizer darts to cut off their antlers without killing them. Prosecutors alleged he murdered Suzanne using a tranquilizer gun after learning about her alleged affair. Another key piece of evidence they found was a text message he sent her before the disappearance. The message said, “I’m done,” per NBC News.
However, in April 2022, prosecutors dropped all charges against Suzanne Morphew’s husband. They moved to dismiss Barry Morphew’s case without prejudice about a week before his murder trial. Prosecutors claimed that they had hoped to find Suzanne’s body by then but had failed. However, their decision to dismiss the charges without prejudice allows them to re-file charges against Barry in the future.
Then, investigators found Suzanne’s body in September 2023 while they were looking into a separate missing case. A recent autopsy revealed more details about the case. The coroner ruled that her death was a “homicide by unspecified means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication.” The drugs in question are present in animal tranquilizers.
Following Suzanne Morphew’s autopsy revelations, her husband Barry Morphew released a statement via his attorneys, per CBS. In the statement, he maintained his innocence in the murder while his attorneys urged investigators to look into veterinarians. His attorneys believe Suzanne’s killer possibly got these drugs, “a very common animal tranquilizer,” using a prescription, per People Magazine. They claimed Barry couldn’t possibly have used his tranquilizer gun to murder his wife as the weapon wasn’t working when she disappeared.
Authorities are yet to make an arrest in Suzanne Morphew’s homicide after the latest autopsy revelations.
