Colorado Man Is Charged a 2nd Time With Wife's Murder

A Colorado man who was charged in 2021 with murdering his wife and went on to file a $15 million lawsuit after the charges were dropped without prejudice a year later has been charged a second time. Barry Morphew is accused of killing his 49-year-old wife and mother of two, Suzanne Morphew, who authorities say was planning to file for divorce. She was reportedly having an affair and believed her husband was having one, too. She was last seen in Maysville, in Chaffee County, during a Mother's Day bike ride in 2020, per NBC News. Her bike and helmet were later found in different locations. Her body was ultimately found in a shallow grave in neighboring Saguache County in September 2023.

Morphew told police he left home around 5am on May 10, 2020, while his wife was still asleep. He said he drove to Broomfield, checked into a hotel, then visited a job site, where he remained when neighbors called saying his daughters couldn't reach their mother. The indictment describes different events, alleging cameras placed Morphew at his hotel throughout the afternoon and that an employee told police Morphew unexpectedly changed plans without telling him and left for Broomfield solo on the morning of May 10 rather than traveling together in the evening as initially planned. Local cameras captured him throwing "unknown items in separate trash cans" around the town, the indictment reads, per NBC.

Authorities believe Suzanne Morphew's remains were moved some time after her killing. An autopsy found she'd been exposed to the animal tranquilizer drug combination BAM (butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine), which her husband, a deer farmer, admitted to using, per the indictment. In fact, it claims Barry Morphew was the only private citizen in the area with access to BAM. An affidavit claims Morphew, who kept a tranquilizer gun and darts, sought to "hunt and control" his wife like he did his animals. He was arrested Friday in Phoenix, with officials now working to have him extradited. His bond is set at $3 million, per the Arizona Republic. His lawyer says, "Barry maintains his innocence. The case has not changed, and the outcome will not, either," per USA Today. (More murder stories.)