Suzanne Morphew Vanished on Mother’s Day: Why the Case Returned to Court

The murder case of Colorado woman Suzanne Morphew, for the first time, made people aware of the alleged misuse of junk science.

The mother of two went missing on May 10, 2020, coinciding with Mother’s Day. She was last seen after leaving for a bike ride.

It was believed she had gone for a ride near her home and would soon return, but that did not happen. When Suzanne Morphew never came back, her husband, Barry Morphew, reported her missing and pleaded for help on social media.

As the investigation for the missing Suzanne Morphew began, her husband was questioned about possible marital discord between the two. On being quizzed whether his wife had an extramarital affair, Barry allegedly responded: “Maybe in God's eyes this was his way of resolving something."

Sparking suspicion, it was a year after Suzanne’s disappearance that her husband was arrested on grounds of murder with deliberation. Additionally, he was charged with tampering with evidence and attempting to influence a public servant.

It was three years later when investigators found the remains of Suzanne, about 50 miles away from her home. A coroner’s report ruled her death a homicide, and its cause was determined to be a result of junk science medicine.

The report stated that the victim’s body had traces of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication. This drug cocktail is often used as an animal tranquilizer in zoos, a chemical combination which immobilizes wildlife. There was no evidence of trauma.

Investigators later revealed that on the day of Suzanne’s disappearance, her husband Barry made frequent runs for the trash cans. He allegedly disposed of the tranquilizers he used to inject his wife. In the meantime, Barry’s lawyers argued that there was a suspicious bullet found among his wife’s biking gear and clothes. However, its possible use could not be confirmed.

Barry Morphew, according to investigators, tried to hunt and control Suzanne just like he did with animals. This allegedly came after his wife accused him of multiple affairs and asked for divorce. Incidentally, she was also involved in a relationship with a former high school classmate named Libler.

During successive hearings of the case, it was established that while there were plausible reasons for Barry to have murdered his wife, the evidence wasn’t enough. For instance, his defense attorneys claimed that his client’s dart gun wasn’t functional at the time of Suzanne’s disappearance. It thus implied that he could not have used it on her.

Thus, by April 2022, all charges were dropped against Barry. A judge granted the prosecutor’s request to dismiss charges without prejudice. It would allow them to refile them against Barry at a later date.

Eventually, a grand jury indicted Barry Morphew with Suzanne’s murder on June 20, 2025. He was taken into custody in Arizona and would be extradited to San Luis Valley to face charges. While he pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, Barry’s murder trial is set to begin on October 13, 2026.