ALAMOSA, Colo. — Barry Morphew is expected to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon, and his team has filed a motion asking for his cash-only $3 million bond to be reduced.
He faces a first-degree murder charge connected to the death of his wife Suzanne Morphew after an indictment issued by a grand jury this summer. That indictment claims Barry Morphew was the only private citizen, at the time of his wife's disappearance, living in the area with access to a certain tranquilizer that was discovered during Suzanne Morphew's autopsy.
Her 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.
Suzanne Morphew was first reported missing by a neighbor on Mother's Day in 2020. Her remains were found in September of 2023 in a shallow grave in Saguache County.
This is the second time Barry Morphew has been charged with his wife's murder. He was arrested roughly a year after Suzanne Morphew disappeared on charges of first-degree murder after deliberation, tampering with physical evidence and an attempt to influence a public servant.
In April of 2022, a judge granted a request by the prosecution to dismiss the case less than two weeks before his trial was set to begin in Fremont County. The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning Barry Morphew could be tried again if charges were refiled.
He was arrested in Arizona on June 20 of this year and is set to stand trial in Alamosa, since a grand jury determined there was probable cause to proceed with the case.
Barry Morphew received a $3 million, cash-only bond. Near the end of August, his defense team filed a motion that seeks to reduce that bond, requesting no more than a $500,000 cash/surety/property bond.
In that motion, Barry Morphew's defense team writes, "He is an honest person who is genuinely eager to clear his name so that his former fine reputation can be restored."
Suzanne Morphew
Barry Morphew appears in CO court after being charged again in wife's death
Also filed at the end of August was a victim impact statement from Suzanne Morphew's brother, David Moorman. Moorman begins the document by saying he has "laid awake many nights pondering the last few minutes of my sister Suzanne's life."
Moorman told the court, "The interim release of Barry Morphew should under no circumstances be granted. I am sure the grand jurors who indicted him would agree."
Moorman continued to call Barry Morphew a flight risk — something defense attorneys disagreed with in their filing.
The victim impact statement from Moorman advocates for a life sentence without the possibility of parole, claiming Barry Morphew is "a soulless, sadistic, amoral predator that has hunted or used those around him his entire life."
Barry Morphew's status conference is scheduled for Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the 12th Judicial District, which encompasses the six counties of the San Luis Valley.
- Denver7 has closely followed this case. In the timeline below, see key dates from the investigation into what happened to Suzanne Morphew.
