Barry Morphew: Husband of missing mom Suzanne Morphew files $15M lawsuit after charges dropped in wife's disappearance case
SALIDA, COLORADO: The Colorado man, who was charged with killing his wife after she disappeared on Mother's Day three years ago, has broken his silence and filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking $15 million in damages. Suzanne Morphew was last seen with her husband, Barry Morphew, on May 10, 2020.
According to reports, she had gone for a bike ride and never returned. Eventually, she was presumed dead as she couldn't be located. Barry was subsequently accused of her murder, along with charges of tampering with evidence. He pleaded not guilty, and in April 2022, the charges against him were dropped.
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'They've [prosecutors] got tunnel vision'
Prosecutors dismissed the charges against Barry "without prejudice," allowing for the possibility of refiling them in the future, as reported by People. In an interview with ABC News, Barry, 55, expressed the pain of losing his reputation and integrity. He stated, "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. I don't have anything to worry about. I've done nothing wrong."
Barry's two daughters, Mallory Morphew and Macy Morphew, are standing by their father during this challenging time. Speaking on the station, they shared that the past three years have been their worst nightmare. Macy expressed, "I've never had a shred of doubt," while Mallory added, "Not one."
Both daughters stated that there were no signs of trouble prior to their mother's disappearance, and they had never witnessed any alarming arguments between their parents. However, text messages cited by the outlet, which were received through prosecutors, indicated a strained marriage. In one message, Suzanne referred to Barry as "Jekyll and Hyde" and told him, "I am done," just before she was reported missing. Suzanne Morphew confided in a friend in another text message, expressing, "Macy and I had a very tough talk yesterday... She’s weary of the tension here. She knows how he is toward me and almost begged me to divorce him... He’s still pulling Mal in."
'We had a wonderful life, a wonderful marriage'
Despite the messages, Barry denied any strain in the marriage during his interview on the station, stating, "We had a wonderful life, a wonderful marriage." He emphasized, "She was incredibly loving, giving, and a great mother." Additionally, he acknowledged, "I know she was dealing with some difficult issues and made some poor choices. She was struggling with chemotherapy and medications."
'They could find Suzanne'
Regarding Suzanne's two-year love affair with another man, Barry initially expressed disbelief, stating, "I didn't believe it," but upon discovering the truth, he admitted, "My heart was broken." His defense attorneys, Jane Fisher-Byrialsen and Iris Eytan, said they "know he's innocent." Fisher-Byrialsen told the outlet, "I know that $15 million is a huge number but I don't think that, in my mind, that covers any of the damage that's happened to Barry and the girls." Eytan added, "If they would just look for Suzanne outside of where they hypothesized Barry could've possibly buried her remains, they could find her."