(SALIDA, Colo.) — The remains of Suzanne Morphew, a Colorado mother of two who went missing in 2020, have been found, authorities said.
Human remains located on Sept. 22 during an unrelated search in the town of Moffat in Saguache County were positively identified as Suzanne Morphew on Wednesday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.
“Specific information about the location and the state of the remains are being withheld at this time,” the agency said.
Suzanne Morphew was reported missing from her home in Chaffee County on May 10, 2020, which was Mother’s Day, after she never returned home from a bike ride, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said at the time.
Her husband, Barry Morphew, 55, was arrested almost a year later on charges including first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with his wife’s disappearance. But all charges were dropped in April 2022, just days before he was set to stand trial.
The move came after the judge presiding over the case barred prosecutors from using most of their key witnesses at trial as punishment for repeatedly failing to turn over evidence in the defendant’s favor.
The case was dismissed without prejudice, which allows prosecutors to file charges against Barry Morphew again.
No arrests have been made since Suzanne Morphew’s remains were located, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.
“While this case has garnered attention from around the world, it has touched our community and the sheriff’s office deeply,” Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze said in a statement. “We have never stopped our investigation and will continue to follow all leads in pursuit of justice for Suzanne.”
Spezze said that while locating her remains “is a critical component of this investigation, and for her family, we are left with many more questions than answers.”
Family notifications have been made following the formal identification of the remains, authorities said.
Barry Morphew filed a $15 million federal lawsuit in May against prosecutors, the sheriff and several investigators, claiming that his life has been ruined by false accusations.
“It’s very hurtful to lose your reputation and your integrity,” Barry Morphew told ABC News in an exclusive interview following the filing.
When asked whether he has anything to do with his wife’s disappearance, Barry Morphew told ABC News: “Absolutely not.”
“They’ve got tunnel vision and they looked at one person and they’ve got too much pride to say they’re wrong and look somewhere else,” he added. “I don’t have anything to worry about. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
The couple’s daughters, Mallory and Macy Morphew, told ABC News that the last three years have been “literally our worst nightmare,” and they never doubted their father’s innocence.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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