ALAMOSA COUNTY, Colo. — Barry Morphew made his first appearance in a Colorado court on Tuesday afternoon, 11 days after he was indicted again in connection with his wife's 2020 death.
Morphew, 57, was taken into custody in Maricopa County, Arizona, on June 20 on a charge of first-degree murder. He was moved from Arizona to Colorado on Monday morning and had his first Colorado court appearance in the 12th Judicial District Court in Alamosa County on Tuesday.
His wife, Suzanne Morphew, disappeared on Mother's Day in 2020 after leaving her home for a bike ride in the Salida area. Almost a year afterward, Barry Morphew was arrested on May 5, 2021 on multiple charges, including first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and that summer, Denver7 listened into the four-day preliminary hearing.
In April 2022, two weeks before his trial was set to begin, the prosecution filed a motion asking the court to dismiss the charges without prejudice — meaning Barry can be tried again if prosecutors refile charges — and a Fremont County judge granted the motion.
About 17 months later, in September 2023, Suzanne Morphew’s body was found in a shallow grave in a Saguache County field during an unrelated investigation into another missing woman, whose remains were found just a few days ago.
Suzanne Morphew's death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy, which noted that a powerful mix of sedatives — butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine, or BAM — was found in her system.
Records from Barry Morphew's 2025 indictment revealed that BAM is only available by veterinarian prescription, and that only Barry Morphew, along with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the National Parks Service, had been issued prescriptions of the sedative in the years leading up to Suzanne Morphew's disappearance.
The indictment also detailed evidence that suggested Suzanne Morphew's body did not decompose in the shallow grave where she was found in Saguache County, as there was minimal bug activity or "animal predation" on the remains and a lack of decomposition in her clothing.
About 21 months after her body was discovered, Barry Morphew was indicted for murder in connection with his wife's death. The indictment, filed by a 12th Judicial grand jury, came more than three years after the first murder case against him was dismissed.
Suzanne Morphew
Suzanne Morphew case: Grand jury indicts husband Barry Morphew for murder
Denver7 was in the Alamosa County courtroom Tuesday for Morphew's initial hearing in front of Judge Amanda Hopkins. He entered the courtroom handcuffed, wearing an orange and white jail suit, before sitting next to his counsel, David Beller and Jane Fisher-Byrialsen.
Morphew's face noticeably lit up as soon as he saw one of his daughters, who was there to support him. His other daughter was noticeably absent.
The 30-minute hearing was mostly procedural. Judge Hopkins spent several minutes outlining standards for media coverage and courtroom etiquette.
"Our community needs to use this courthouse undeterred," the judge said. "They don’t deserve to be subjected to this just because there is interest in Mr. Morphew’s case."
A possible conflict of interest was brought up regarding Morphew and the public defender's office. Hopkins said the potential conflict should be addressed by the office within 24 hours.
Morphew will stand trial in the county, and his next court appearance was set for Sept. 2 at 1:30 p.m. One of the defense attorneys said they will challenge Morphew's $3 million cash bond at that time. Hopkins said she would ensure there was enough time to discuss the bond at the next appearance.
Crime
Barry Morphew extradited to Colorado after arrest in Arizona
According to a grand jury indictment unsealed on June 20, Barry Morphew was the only private citizen in the south-Central Colorado counties — where the Suzanne Morphew death investigation unfolded — who had access to the mix of drugs in her system when she died. His indictment came more than three years after the first murder case against him was dismissed and 21 months after Suzanne’s remains were found.
Following the indictment, 12th Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly held a press conference, where few new details in the case were revealed, but she shared that she felt it was important to hold the briefing to update the community.
“Cold case homicides are tremendously difficult," Kelly said at the time. "They're difficult for the families of the victims and the communities who wait patiently for answers. While it may seem at times that the world forgets about these victims, I can assure you that my law enforcement partners and Colorado's law enforcement community do not forget. Every unsolved murder is a tragedy, and we must never give up on our efforts to find answers in these cases.”
- Denver7 has closely followed every turn in this case. In the timeline below, see what led up to this new indictment of Barry Morphew.
