Suzanne Morphew case: Colorado prosecutors add charges against husband
05/20/2021 2:07 pm PDT
CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. (TCD) --
Prosecutors filed additional charges Tuesday against Barry Morphew, accused of murdering his wife Suzanne Morphew, who went missing over Mother's Day weekend last year.
Chaffee County court records show prosecutors added new charges against Barry Morphew. Morphew is charged with first-degree murder; tampering with a deceased human body; tampering with physical evidence; possession of a dangerous weapon; and attempt to influence a public servant.
The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office announced May 11, 2020, that they received a missing-person report the day before regarding Suzanne Morphew. She was reportedly last seen going for a bicycle ride. Since then, the sheriff's office has posted updates about their search and investigation into her disappearance.
On May 5. 2021, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Barry Morphew, who was booked into the Chaffee County Detention Facility without bond. The sheriff's office said they interviewed more than 400 people in the case and have investigated 1,400 tips. The arrest warrant remained sealed.
According to the court records, prosecutors allege Barry Morphew "unlawfully, feloniously, after deliberation, and with the intent to cause the death of a person other than himself, caused the death of Suzanne Renee Morphew" sometime between May 9 and May 10, 2020."
The charges also allege he "unlawfully and feloniously willfully destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed, or altered a human body, part of a human body, or human remains with intent to impair its or their appearance or availability in the official proceedings."
Morphew will also receive a charge of forging public documents after he allegedly submitted a ballot for the 2020 presidential election in Suzanne's name, KKTV-TV reports.
According to KKTV, Barry Morphew said he did it because he "wanted Trump to win." The FBI agent asked if he knew it was illegal to send in someone else's ballot, and he responded, "I didn’t know you couldn’t do that for your spouse."
Barry Morphew is due in court on May 27.
MORE:
- The People of the State of Colorado vs. Barry Lee Morphew - Colorado Judicial Branch
- Colorado man suspected in wife’s death cast presidential ballot in her name, 5/14/21 - KKTV
- Suzanne Morphew missing person announcement, 5/11/21 - Chaffee County Sheriff's Office
- Arrest Made in Suzanne Morphew Case in Chaffee County, 5/5/21 - Chaffee County Sheriff's Office
- Timeline: What we know about the disappearance of Suzanne Morphew, 5/5/21 - KDVR-TV