Mother who disappeared while riding a bicycle in Colorado died of homicide, autopsy revealed

Colorado investigators determined that Suzanne Morphew, a mother who disappeared under mysterious circumstances while out on a bike ride in May 2020, died of homicide after a lengthy search.

The autopsy, performed by the El Paso County coroner, revealed that Suzanne’s death was caused by “homicide by undetermined means in the context of butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine intoxication,” the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reported. ).

The autopsy report found no signs of trauma on Suzanne’s body at the time of her death. Her remains were found in September 2023 in Moffat, Colorado, about 90 minutes south of her Chaffee County home, while investigators were working on an unrelated case.

Given this, Suzanne’s husband, Barry Morphew, was charged with murder in 2021, but the charges were dropped in April 2022 before the start of the trial, and no further arrests have been made in connection with the case.

CBI Director Chris Shaefer said in a statement Monday that the bureau and its law enforcement partners understand and appreciate the public interest surrounding this case.

“The investigative team assembled to work on this case continues to follow the evidence and only the evidence as we seek justice for Suzanne’s death,” Shaefer noted.

Suzanne’s husband’s family spoke out in her defense

In a statement, the Morphew family said they have suffered greatly over the past four years, not only from the loss of Suzanne, but also from the accusations and prosecution of Barry Morphew. They have asked the authorities to search not only for Suzanne, but also for the real culprit of her disappearance and murder.

“For the past four years, the Morphews have agonized over Suzanne’s disappearance,” Barry’s family said in a statement from their attorney. “This included not only the pain of the loss of his wife and mother, but also the false accusations and prosecution of Barry Morphew. The Morphews have prayed that the authorities would take off their blinders and not only find Suzanne, but also find the suspect responsible for her disappearance and murder, however, the Morphews are left with more questions than answers and a lack of justice for Suzanne, family and community.

A “spent bullet” and her clothing were found next to Suzanne’s remains. Barry and the couple’s adult daughters, Macy and Mallory, have accused investigators of not telling them whether they examined these items for DNA evidence. In May 2023, Barry and his daughters filed a lawsuit against prosecutors, alleging that Barry had been wrongfully accused.

With information from ABC News