The state of missing mum Suzanne Morphew’s scattered remains will make it difficult for her husband Barry to clear the cloud of suspicion over him, a forensics expert has claimed.
Barry Morphew (55), husband of Suzanne Morphew who went missing in May 2020, had murder charges filed against him and later dropped in connection with his wife’s disappearance.
Suzanne’s remains were found last month in a shallow grave in a remote field near Moffat in Saguache County, Colorado, about 50 miles from her home. They are thought to have been scattered by the elements in the three years she has been missing.
Morphew, 49, disappeared in Colorado while on a Mother’s Day bike ride. Her marriage to Barry Morphew, with whom she shared two daughters, was crumbling when she disappeared.
Both spouses were having extramarital affairs and were trying to figure out how to end their marriage. Days before her disappearance, she texted her husband that she was ‘done’ with their relationship.
Forensic specialist Joseph Scott Morgan, a professor at Jackson State University, said a significant amount of DNA evidence would have been lost from Suzanne’s remains – making it more difficult to define whether her death was the result of any foul play or not.
Suzanne Morphew disappeared without a trace on May 10, 2020 after leaving her home on a Mother’s Day bike ride. Her bike was found the same day, and now her remains have finally been found, more than three years later, in Moffat, Saguache County, as investigators look into an entirely separate case.
“Right now, what I think they’re probably struggling with is the fact that they don’t have any soft tissue to work off of,” Morgan said. The American Sun.
“The reason it’s a problem is any kind of trauma, for example, if we have someone who’s been stabbed or beaten or shot, you’ll see focal areas of bleeding.
“You can get a feel for the dynamics of the injury, but when you’re after a skeletal remains, and I suspect that’s what they’re dealing with in an exposed environment for three years, that layer of potential evidence is gone.” ‘
Morgan said the harsh conditions Suzanne’s body was likely exposed to could make the investigation more difficult to move forward.
‘If you’re looking for transfer DNA, whether it’s anything related to a bodily fluid, let’s just say it was some sort of sexually motivated attack.
“In my opinion, it’s all going to be gone unless they have a piece of clothing that they repaired.
“But it will be so very fragile over this period, and we are talking about three years in a very difficult environment,” he said.
He added that those environmental factors could make it more difficult to ultimately convict or clear anyone of her murder — including her husband, who has steadfastly maintained his innocence.
“I can’t imagine that there would be anything there that would lead to him being excluded from the suspect list,” he said.
What forensic investigators and scientists will rely on are ‘particular skeletal remains’. Morgan said relevant parties are “hoping against hope” that one of the skeletal structures will yield evidence of trauma.
“They’re going to look for things like gunshot wounds to the skull, which you’ll still be able to see that defect, depressed skull fracture, and obviously any type of weapon that may have been used that hit a bone,” he said.
Morphew’s remains were found during a police search for missing woman Edna Quintana, 55, who disappeared in early May. Quintana has yet to be found and is suffering from known medical complications.
Quintana is part of a fifth generation family native to Saguache, Colorado. After her disappearance, her loved ones said she hung out with a bad crowd.
Barry Morphew was initially arrested and charged with the murder of his wife Suzanne even though there was no body, but the charges were later dropped
Cadaver dogs are brought back to the scene where Chaffee County Sheriff’s officials, FBI and CBI searched for Suzanne Morphew in Colorado
A group of investigators are searching near where Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found in late September
Morphew’s remains were found while investigators were searching for 55-year-old Enda Quintana, who has been missing since early May.
Following Barry Morphew’s (left) arrest for Suzanne’s murder in 2021, evidence revealed that both spouses had extramarital affairs and were on a path to separation.
Mallory and Macy Morphew flank their father as they walk to court after his arrest for their mother’s murder. The charges were eventually dropped and his daughters maintain their belief in his innocence
Barry Morphew was initially arrested and charged with his wife’s murder one year after her disappearance. The two daughters he shared with Suzanne stood by his side throughout the ordeal, and the case was eventually dismissed due to prosecutorial misconduct.
The judge dismissed the case ‘without prejudice’, meaning new charges could be brought against Barry later if new evidence is uncovered.
In May of this year, Barry filed a $15 million civil rights lawsuit against law enforcement authorities for tarnishing his ‘name and reputation beyond repair’.
No additional arrests have been made since the discovery of Suzanne’s remains.