Current:Home > NewsRemains of Suzanne Morphew found 3 years after her disappearance -TradeWise
Remains of Suzanne Morphew found 3 years after her disappearance
View
Date:2025-04-11 15:15:11
The remains of Suzanne Morphew, a Colorado mother of two who went missing in 2020, have been found, authorities said.
Human remains located on Sept. 22 during an unrelated search in the town of Moffat in Saguache County were positively identified as Suzanne Morphew on Wednesday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.
"Specific information about the location and the state of the remains are being withheld at this time," the agency said.
Suzanne Morphew was reported missing from her home in Chaffee County on May 10, 2020, which was Mother's Day, after she never returned home from a bike ride, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office said at the time.
Her husband, Barry Morphew, 55, was arrested almost a year later on charges including first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with his wife's disappearance. But all charges were dropped in April 2022, just days before he was set to stand trial.
The move came after the judge presiding over the case barred prosecutors from using most of their key witnesses at trial as punishment for repeatedly failing to turn over evidence in the defendant's favor.
The case was dismissed without prejudice, which allows prosecutors to file charges against Barry Morphew again.
MORE: Barry Morphew and daughters speak out for 1st time since murder charges were dropped
No arrests have been made since Suzanne Morphew's remains were located, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.
"While this case has garnered attention from around the world, it has touched our community and the sheriff's office deeply," Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze said in a statement. "We have never stopped our investigation and will continue to follow all leads in pursuit of justice for Suzanne."
Spezze said that while locating her remains "is a critical component of this investigation, and for her family, we are left with many more questions than answers."
Family notifications have been made following the formal identification of the remains, authorities said.
MORE: Suzanne Morphew's husband and daughters speak out for 1st time since filing lawsuit
Barry Morphew filed a $15 million federal lawsuit in May against prosecutors, the sheriff and several investigators, claiming that his life has been ruined by false accusations.
"It's very hurtful to lose your reputation and your integrity," Barry Morphew told ABC News in an exclusive interview following the filing.
When asked whether he has anything to do with his wife's disappearance, Barry Morphew told ABC News: "Absolutely not."
"They've 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."
The couple's daughters, Mallory and Macy Morphew, told ABC News that the last three years have been "literally our worst nightmare," and they never doubted their father's innocence.\
Following the news that Suzanne Morphew's remains had been found, a lawyer for the family issued a statement.
"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," the statement read.
The family has asked for privacy at this time.
veryGood! (94)
Related
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Exclusive First Look: Charlotte Tilbury 2024 Holiday Beauty Collection, Gift Ideas & Expert Tips
- Invitation Homes agrees to pay $48 million to settle claims it saddled tenants with hidden fees
- Hurricane Helene: Tracking impact of potential major hurricane on college football
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Invitation Homes agrees to pay $48 million to settle claims it saddled tenants with hidden fees
- Bella Hadid Returns to the Runway at Paris Fashion Week After 2-Year Break From Modeling
- Pennsylvania county must tell voters if it counted their mail-in ballot, court rules
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Whoopi Goldberg asks for 'a little grace' for Janet Jackson after Kamala Harris comments
Ranking
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Pac-12 might be resurrected, but former power conference is no longer as relevant
- Passenger killed when horse smashes through windshield during California highway crashes
- Hurricane Helene: Tracking impact of potential major hurricane on college football
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- US company accuses Mexico of expropriating its property on the Caribbean coast
- Mississippi’s Republican governor pushes income-tax cut, says critics rely on ‘myths’
- Brent Venables says Oklahoma didn't run off QB Dillon Gabriel: 'You can't make a guy stay'
Recommendation
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
Pac-12 files federal lawsuit against Mountain West over $43 million in ‘poaching’ penalties
A man who killed 2 Dartmouth professors as a teen is challenging his sentence
Can dogs eat apples? Why taking your pup to the orchard this fall may be risky.
North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
A's owner John Fisher's letter sparks inspired news anchor response
Family of Black World War II combat medic will finally receive his medal for heroism
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Bares His Abs in Romantic Pic With Wife Sam Taylor-Johnson