Barry Morphew has been re-indicted for murder after forensic evidence suggested his wife, Suzanne Morphew, may have been moved at least twice after her death, casting further suspicion in the long-running Colorado case.
Suzanne vanished on Mother’s Day in 2020 from the couple’s home near Salida, Colorado. Her remains were discovered in September 2023 in a shallow grave off Highway 17 in Saguache County, more than three years later. On June 20, 2025, Barry Morphew was re-arrested in Arizona, where he had been living in a Cave Creek trailer park, and charged again with first-degree murder.
Key Forensic Findings
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Deer tranquilizer (BAM)—butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine—was found in Suzanne’s bone marrow, according to her 2024 autopsy.
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Her bones showed signs of being “significantly bleached”, indicating long-term sun exposure.
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Forensic scientists noted little decomposition at the site her body was found, and no hair mass or signs of animal predation, suggesting she did not decompose there.
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Experts believe Suzanne was killed in one location, decomposed in another, and later buried in a third.
“There’s certainly every indication that decomposition occurred in a place other than where the body was found,” said Peter Valentin, a forensic science professor and former law enforcement agent.
“The lack of clothing decomposition and the bleaching of bones points to the body being exposed and moved.”
Legal and Investigative Status
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The new indictment alleges Barry Morphew deliberately killed his wife, then concealed and moved her body.
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His next court appearance is scheduled for September 2, 2025.
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Investigators believe deer tranquilizer use may have been key to incapacitating Suzanne before her death.
This development marks a major shift in the case after an earlier murder charge against Barry was dismissed in 2022 due to lack of evidence. With Suzanne’s remains now recovered and new forensic insights revealed, the case is expected to return to the spotlight during fall proceedings.
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