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Barry Morphew Returns to Court as Murder Case Re-Enters Critical Phase
ALAMOSA COUNTY, CO – Barry Morphew, who stands accused of the first-degree murder of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, appeared in an Alamosa County courtroom on Monday, marking his first court appearance in months. This hearing kicks off the next crucial phase in a case that began with Suzanne’s disappearance on Mother’s Day 2020. Morphew is expected to enter a plea in connection with the charges.
Suzanne Morphew vanished from the couple’s Chaffee County home on May 10, 2020, triggering an extensive search that initially yielded few clues. Barry Morphew was first charged with her murder in 2021, but those charges were later dismissed in 2022. Prosecutors at the time cited impending new evidence that could alter the case’s direction, while Morphew’s defense maintained the dismissal was due to the prosecution’s weak standing for trial.
Following the dismissal, Morphew relocated to Cave Creek, Arizona, over 600 miles from the scene of his wife’s disappearance. During his time there, he reportedly maintained a low profile, using aliases such as “Bruce” and “Lee Moore.” Acquaintances later revealed they were unaware of his connection to the high-profile Colorado case until his subsequent re-arrest.
The case took a significant turn in September 2023 when Suzanne’s remains were discovered in a shallow grave in the San Luis Valley, approximately an hour south of the family’s former residence. An autopsy subsequently ruled her death a homicide.
Court records indicate that a potent animal tranquilizer, known as BAM (a combination of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine), was found in Suzanne’s bone marrow. Prosecutors contend that the presence of a metabolized form of the drug suggests she was alive long enough to process it, thereby ruling out accidental or environmental contamination.
The indictment further alleges that Morphew had access to BAM through his work with deer and was believed to be the only private citizen in the area possessing the drug at the time of Suzanne’s disappearance. Investigators have also highlighted evidence of a tranquilizer dart rifle found in the home, along with phone and vehicle data that they claim contradict Morphew’s version of events.
A Colorado grand jury re-indicted Morphew in June 2025. He was arrested in Goodyear, Arizona, and extradited back to Colorado. After supporters helped post a portion of his $3 million bond, he was released in September and remains under house arrest, monitored by an ankle bracelet.
Legal analysts anticipate that the defense will likely center on alternate suspect theories as the trial progresses. Colin McCallin, a Colorado-based attorney and former deputy district attorney, previously indicated that he expects Morphew’s legal team to challenge the prosecution’s narrative and introduce evidence pointing to another potential suspect.