In the latest episode of “Zone 7,” host Sheryl McCollum is joined by two special guests who help analyze the case details surrounding the disappearance and death of Suzanne Morphew.
Retired NYPD detective Dan Murphy, who co-hosts the popular, “Gold Shields” podcast along with fellow retired NYPD detective, Tom Smith, told McCollum that he became alarmed following Barry Morphew’s reaction when he learned his wife disappeared.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Suzanne Morphew, a mother of two, inexplicably vanished in May 2020 in Salida, Colorado, with her remains being found three years later, on September 22, 2023.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said the badly deteriorated remains were discovered “in the area of Moffat in Saguache County,” with her bones found scattered in a remote desert field.
Prior to the discovery, Barry Morphew’s behavior was questionable, Murphy said, since he didn’t react how the husband of a missing wife would typically act after learning his wife had vanished.
“It reminds me of OJ [Simpson] when he was called in the hotel in Chicago and told his wife was dead,” Murphy said.
“He said, ‘Oh my God, I’ll get it in the next flight.’ He never asked what happened, And OJ never asked about his kids because he knew they were okay. Right, So something stinks right away when that’s the reaction. Is it hard evidence? No. But it could certainly lead you in the right direction.”
On May 10, 2020, the day Suzanne was reported missing, Barry left their residence near Salida at around 5 a.m. and drove to a job site around 150 miles away in Broomfield, Colorado. The pair’s two daughters, who were on a camping trip at the time, sent Suzanne a text to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day, but Suzanne never responded.
Smith said another red flag happened when investigators determined that Barry Morphew hadn’t bought any gifts or planned any activities on Mother’s Day. Instead, he left for the job site, although he didn’t have a work permit for Sunday, and got a hotel in the area.
After learning his wife was missing, Barry Morphew started providing information as to what could have happened to her, claiming that she may have been attacked by a mountain lion. Murphy questioned why the defendant began “offering up alternate theories” instead of immediately helping police find her.
“Something stinks right away when that’s the reaction,” Murphy said.
Information obtained by investigators later revealed that Suzanne was having an affair and planned on leaving Barry Morphew, according to police.
“That’s what jumped out at me. Oh yeah, if he has an inkling of the affair, now the motive starts to creep into his head,” Murphy said. “Then the planning starts, The premeditation starts of how do I get away with this? Is it even possible to get away with?”
“You know, when you start mapping out ways you can do it, and a lot of times it’s then it becomes an impulse… You’re not thinking rationally, obviously, as someone who’s gonna possibly commit a murder, especially to his wife.”
Both Smith and Murphy acknowledged that, despite the red flags, and although circumstantial evidence existed, there was not any hard evidence to tie Barry Morphew to the crime.
“You have to be as objective and open-minded as possible in these cases,” Murphy said, adding that there could be an explanation for Barry’s behavior. “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has facts.”
Investigators later found signs of a possible struggle inside the couple’s home, including a cracked door frame and a clear plastic needle cap inside their dryer. Prosecutors allege that Barry Morphew injected Suzanne with a tranquilizer and used a syringe when he failed to find a working tranquilizer gun.
The defendant told investigators that he had no idea how the cap got into the dryer and denied having anything to do with her disappearance. Then, security footage emerged showing the defendant stopping at numerous locations to dump trash on the day his wife vanished.
Police arrested Barry Morphew on May 5, 2021, and charged him with murder before finding Suzanne, but the charge was tossed out, based on lack of evidence and reported discovery violations.
Smith said patience is important in a case like this, as people tend to forget their lies as time goes by.
“People forget their own lies after a while,” Smith said. “That’s when you started digging in a little more and getting more information. I would have waited myself and given him time to unravel…which normally does happen.”
“The more patient you are, the more you see clearly.”
Barry has not been charged again for his wife’s death. He reportedly continues to claim other culprits may have possibly been involved and denies any responsibility.
Meanwhile, a medical examiner is working on determining Suzanne’s cause of death. Charges could possibly follow after the report is handed over to investigators.
“If it’s a blunt trauma to any part of her body, if it’s a stab wound or something like that, you have to remember the amount of tools that he had at his hands,” Smith said. “[Then] you start going into what he had in his home, in his car. So again, you start down that evidentiary road after you determine the cause of death.”
Meanwhile, Attorney Karen Steinhauser told CBS News that Barry Morphew’s charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning that he can be charged with murder again.
“Just the fact that a body is found doesn’t necessarily mean it will be easier for the prosecution,” Steinhauser said. “In some way, depending on what is found, it could be more helpful to the defense.”
Listen to the full episode below.
[Feature Photo: Suzanne Morphew/Facebook]
