Suzanne Morphew, the Colorado mom who went missing on a bike ride in May 2020, died by homicide, according to an autopsy released Monday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
Her death was determined to have been caused by “Homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication,” according to the autopsy.
“These drugs are marketed as a compounded injectable chemical immobilizer for wildlife,” according to the autopsy from the El Paso County coroner.
There was no indication of trauma to her body at the time of her death, according to the report.
Barry Morphew, Suzanne’s husband, was charged with her murder in 2021, but those charged were dropped in April 2022 just before a trial was supposed to begin.
Her remains were found in Moffat, Colorado, in Saguache County, about 90 minutes south of where she lived in Chaffee County.
“For the past four years the Morphews have agonized over Suzanne’s disappearance,” the Morphew family said in a statement from their lawyer.
“This included not only the pain of the loss of their wife and mother but also the false accusations and prosecution of Barry Morphew.
According to an autopsy released on Monday, Suzanne Morphew, a mother from Colorado who vanished while out for a bike ride in May 2020, was murdered, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
The autopsy report stated that “Homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication” was the explanation for her death.
The coroner’s autopsy report for El Paso County states that these medications are sold as a compounded injectable chemical immobilizer for wildlife.
The report states that at the time of her death, there was no sign of any physical trauma.
Suzanne’s husband, Barry Morphew, was charged in 2021 with her murder; however, the charges were dropped in April 2022, right before the trial was set to start. Since then, no one has been taken into custody in relation to the case.
In a statement released on Monday, CBI Director Chris Schaefer said, “The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and our law enforcement partners understand and appreciate the public interest surrounding this case.”. In our pursuit of justice for Suzanne’s passing, the investigative team put together to work this case is still focusing solely on the evidence. ****.
In September of 2023, while detectives were looking into a separate case, her body was discovered. Her remains were discovered in Saguache County, Moffat, Colorado, approximately 90 minutes south of her Chaffee County home.
The Morphew family stated in a statement provided by their attorney that they had been in agony over Suzanne’s disappearance for the previous four years. This included not just the grief of losing their mother and wife, but also Barry Morphew’s false charges and prosecution. The Morphew family has been praying that the police will take off their blinders and discover Suzanne, as well as the person who killed and disappeared her. However, the Morphews feel that Suzanne, her family, and the community did not receive enough justice, and they are left with more questions than answers. “.
The autopsy reports that a “weathered bullet” was discovered with her remains in addition to her clothes.
In addition, Barry and the couple’s grown daughters Macy and Mallory claimed that the investigators had withheld information about whether or not they had examined the bullet or the clothing for DNA evidence.
After suing prosecutors, claiming he was falsely charged, Barry and his daughters spoke with ABC News in May 2023.
The statement, “They’ve got tunnel vision and they looked at one person and they’ve got too much pride to say they’re wrong and look somewhere else,” was made at the time by Morphew. “There’s nothing to be concerned about. Nothing wrong with me. “.
This article was written with assistance from Erielle Reshef, Jenn Leong, Jenna Harrison, Meredith Deliso, and Morgan Winsor of ABC News.
