Suzanne Morphew’s remains found, positively identified 3 years after she went missing

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (TCD) -- Officials have discovered and positively identified the remains of Suzanne Morphew, a 49-year-old woman who went missing three years ago while out for a bike ride on Mother's Day.

On Wednesday, Sept. 27, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced investigators were conducting a search Sept. 22 at an undisclosed location in the 12th Judicial District, which comprises of Alamosa, Rio Grande, Costilla, Mineral, Conejos, and Saguache counties, and found the remains. The El Paso County Coroner positively identified the remains as Morphew’s on Sept. 27.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said they would not share information about the "the location and the state of the remains," and no arrests have been made.

Morphew was reported missing to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office May 10, 2020. A neighbor said they saw her leave for a bike ride, but she never came home. The search spanned months, but investigators were never able to find her.

On May 5, 2021, one year after she disappeared, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced Morphew’s husband, Barry Morphew, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and attempt to influence a public servant.

Eleven months after his arrest, the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office filed a motion to dismiss the charges against Barry Morphew without prejudice. The statement says this means prosecutors could charge him again in the future.

KDVR-TV reports Barry Morphew’s attorney, Iris Eytan, said in a statement on behalf of the family, "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."

Eytan said law enforcement officials did not tell her daughters Mallory and Macy that Morphew’s remains were found.

Eytan’s statement continued, "From what we know, Barry is as innocent as he was from Day 1. DA Stanley and law enforcement got it wrong. We hope the authorities will quickly admit their wrongful persecution of Barry, an innocent man, to treat the Morphews like the victims they are, and charge the person(s) responsible for Suzanne’s killing."

Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze said in the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s news release, "While this case has garnered attention from around the world, it has touched our community and the sheriff’s office deeply. We have never stopped our investigation and will continue to follow all leads in pursuit of justice for Suzanne."

MORE:

• Remains positively identified as Suzanne Morphew - Colorado Bureau of Investigation
• Press Release, 5/11/2020 - Chaffee County Sheriff's Office
• Arrest Made in Suzanne Morphew Case in Chaffee County, 5/5/2021 - Chaffee County Sheriff's Office
• Motion filed to dismiss charges, 4/19/2022 - Chaffee County Sheriff's Office
• Lawyer for Suzanne Morphew’s husband releases statement after her remains found - KDVR