Barry Morphew, the husband of missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew, has been arrested for a second time and charged with her murder—more than five years after she vanished on Mother’s Day 2020.
The 52-year-old mother of two was last seen on May 10, 2020, after reportedly going for a bike ride near her home in Chaffee County and never returning. Her disappearance drew national attention and intense speculation, with Barry quickly emerging as the prime suspect.
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Barry was first arrested in May 2021 on multiple charges including first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and attempting to influence a public servant. But in April 2022, the charges were dismissed “without prejudice”—meaning prosecutors could refile them—after issues with the handling of evidence and public comments from prosecutors compromised the case.
In September 2023, a major break came when Suzanne’s remains were discovered in Moffat, Colorado, during a search by law enforcement. A coroner positively identified them five days later and ruled her death a homicide by “unspecified means.” Toxicology reports revealed the presence of a powerful veterinary sedative cocktail—Butorphanol, Azaperone, and Medetomidine (known as BAM), typically used to tranquilize wild animals.
On June 19, 2025, a grand jury in Colorado’s Twelfth Judicial District indicted Barry Morphew for first-degree murder, following a lengthy reinvestigation. He was arrested in Gilbert, Arizona on Friday and is currently being held on a $3 million bond while awaiting extradition to Colorado.
“Federal, state, and local law enforcement have never stopped working toward justice for Suzanne,” said Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly. “We stand in solidarity with Suzanne’s family and the citizens of Chaffee and Saguache Counties in pursuing this indictment.”
Interestingly, this new case is being handled by a different judicial district—the 12th instead of the 11th, which initially prosecuted Barry. Officials haven’t disclosed why the jurisdiction changed.
After the first charges were dropped in 2022, Barry filed a $15 million wrongful prosecution lawsuit against multiple agencies, including the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, the CBI, the FBI, and the District Attorney’s Office. That lawsuit was dismissed in September 2024.
Suzanne Morphew left behind two teenage daughters, who have remained largely out of the spotlight. Barry has consistently denied involvement in his wife’s disappearance and death.
Now, with new forensic evidence and a second round of charges, the case heads back to court—this time with Suzanne’s remains recovered, and a motive potentially tied to a rare wildlife tranquilizer.
