(RepublicanNews.org) – A mother-of-two who disappeared while riding her bicycle in 2020 died by homicide, and was found to have had a powerful cocktail of sedatives in her system, according to the coroner’s office in El Paso County, Colorado.
Suzanne Morphew, 49, was reported missing by her neighbor on May 10th, Mothers’ Day, after her daughters were unable to get in touch with her and she failed to return from her bike ride. Her body was only found three years later near the town of Moffat, 50 miles away from her home in Salida, Colorado. Authorities have now been able to confirm that three strong sedatives were discovered in her body: azaperone, which is used in veterinary surgery; medetomidine, a surgical anesthetic, and butorphanol, a tranquilizer.
In 2021, her husband Barry Morphew was charged with her murder, with prosecutors holding out hope that Suzanne’s body would be found before the trial and would shed more light on her untimely death. When her body remained missing and Barry continued to protest his innocence, the case was dismissed without prejudice, which means that Barry Morphew could yet be arrested and charged once more, although Colorado authorities have not released any information on suspects as yet.
When Barry Morphew was initially charged with his wife’s first-degree murder, prosecutors argued that the evidence against him was decidedly incriminating. He was found to have several cuts and scratches on his arms shortly after Suzanne’s disappearance, and an empty tranquilizer dart was discovered in the couple’s home. He was also spotted leaving a hotel room in Broomfield, Colorado, with a witness describing him as smelling strongly of chlorine.
Prosecutors accused him of killing his wife after becoming angry over an alleged affair she had carried out for the final two years of their marriage, despite Barry also having an account on a dating website. They claimed that while Barry wanted to remain married to his wife, she wanted a divorce.
Barry Morphew has always vehemently denied killing Suzanne, and their daughters Mallory and Macy have stood by him throughout the investigation. His attorney released a statement following the release of the autopsy results in which he claimed the Morphew family believed in Barry’s innocence and were desperate for the authorities to find the real killer.
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