Who is Barry Morphew? Colorado man suspiciously sold house, vacant land before his arrest for wife's murder
From the outside looking in, the Morphew family was living the good life. There was nothing missing from their lives - parents Suzanne and Barry Morphew seemed to have a strong relationship and their girls loved them dearly. A family friend had once reportedly described their family dynamic as, "The family structure where the husband loved being the provider and the wife loved being a homemaker. They fit that to the T."
That is until one fine day, on Mother's Day in 2020, Suzanne Morphew went missing. The family of the 49-year-old mom would go on to offer $200k for her safe return "no questions asked". Suzanne was reported missing on Sunday, May 10, 2021, and her body remains untraceable to date. Reports everywhere carried news of how the mother of two kids, Mallory and Macy, went on a bike ride from the home she shared with Barry Morphew and their children near Salida, in Chaffee County. She was never seen again. For the longest time, authorities conducted multiple searches of the area, but came up with nothing. And so, the case remained open and investigations continued. As per the latest reports now, her husband Barry Morphew has been arrested by Colorado police - who confirmed that the search for Suzanne's body is still ongoing.
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Who is Barry Morphew?
52-year-old Barry Morphew was taken into custody almost a year after his wife Suzanne first disappeared. Barry is arrested on charges of first-degree homicide, tampering with evidence, and attempting to influence a public servant on the morning of Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Readers, who have been following the case, will recall how nearly a year ago Barry had released a video in which he tearfully asked for help for Suzanne's return after her disappearance.
At the time of the disappearance, Barry, a landscaping supervisor, was apparently out of the station and reportedly around 150 miles away in Denver. He had also tried to maintain his innocence in the matter, releasing a video plea and even offering a $100,000 reward, which was made $200,000, thanks to a contribution made by a family friend.
Strong case against Barry Morphew
According to the latest reports, he is being held in custody and will be making his first court appearance on the morning of Thursday, May 6, 2021. DA Linda Stanley confirmed that he has retained a lawyer. Barry has long maintained his innocence, but his behavior has increasingly come under the spotlight in recent months. Suzanne's own brother, Andrew Moorman, said he suspected his brother-in-law had abducted and murdered his sister.
In a press conference held on the evening of Wednesday, May 5, 2021, Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze and District Attorney Stanley defended the criticism that detectives took almost 12 months to make an arrest. At the same time, they implied that they are aware of an 'incident' that led to her killing. While Barry's affidavit remains sealed, Stanley revealed that the case against him is going strong.
A temper problem or domestic abuse?
Over the course of the last year, Barry, despite his pleas of innocence, became a suspect. A cursory glance on social media would show just how many people keeping up with the case thought that Barry was involved from the get-go.
Social media users started digging and found facets of the man previously unknown. A Reddit user pointed out how Barry apparently assaulted a man running for State representative in Indiana on a job site. The man filed charges and Barry had to attend an anger management course. This was also revealed in a detailed interview with the creator of YouTube channel 'Gray Hughes Investigates'.
It was actually Suzanne's brother, Andy Moorman, who previously told Fox 31 Denver, "I don't think she ever got on her bike. I think she probably died on May 9 and she was hidden somewhere that night. I'm afraid this is domestic abuse."
Barry sells family home, land
Earlier this year, Barry reportedly sold their home in Salida for $1.6 million. He had put it up on the market months ago - an act which had invited speculation about motives. According to reports, he said that he made the sale because his daughters were apparently scared to continue living in the house, believing that it was where Suzanne was abducted. He also added that strangers roaming the property made his daughters anxious.
In March 2021, reports revealed that the Morphew family home was put on the market in October 2020 and was sold in March 3, 2021, for $1,625,000. In addition to that, Barry also sold another property in Salida, Colorado. The land was a 2-acre vacant lot in Longhorn Ranch Subdivision, purchased in June of 2020 for $165,000. In February of 2021, the property was sold for $150,000. According to reports online, human remains were later found near this plot of land.