In the quiet mountain town of Salida, Colorado, a chilling mystery has gripped the community for over five years. Suzanne Morphew, a 49-year-old mother of two, vanished on Mother’s Day 2020, leaving behind a life that seemed idyllic but was unraveling beneath the surface. Her skeletal remains, discovered in September 2023 in a shallow grave near Moffat, Colorado, revealed a shocking truth: her death was a homicide, linked to a rare animal tranquilizer called BAM. Now, her husband, Barry Morphew, stands accused of her murder for the second time, with a $3 million bond he’s fighting to reduce to $500,000. Amidst the mounting evidence, whispers of complicity swirl around their daughters, Mallory and Macy, who have steadfastly supported their father, raising questions about loyalty, truth, and the shadows of a fractured family.
Suzanne’s disappearance sparked a nationwide frenzy, fueled by true crime enthusiasts and relentless media coverage. On May 9, 2020, she sent a final selfie to a man with whom she was having a two-year affair, just 32 minutes before Barry returned home. Her phone went silent thereafter, and her bike and helmet were found staged near their $1.5 million home, with no signs of a crash. Barry, a former deer farmer and avid hunter, claimed he left early the next morning for a landscaping job in Broomfield, 150 miles away, leaving Suzanne asleep. Yet, investigators uncovered a damning timeline: Barry’s phone entered airplane mode for nearly eight hours that day, and his truck’s data suggested suspicious movements, including backing into the garage at 3:25 a.m.
The case deepened when Suzanne’s remains were found, revealing traces of BAM—a potent mix of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine—in her bone marrow. This tranquilizer, used to sedate wildlife, was uniquely tied to Barry, who admitted to using it as recently as April 2020. Prescription records confirmed he was the only private citizen in the region with access to BAM from 2017 to 2020. A tranquilizer rifle, darts, and a needle cap found in the Morphew home—some in the dryer alongside Barry’s shorts—further tightened the noose. The autopsy showed Suzanne’s body had begun metabolizing the drug, indicating she didn’t die immediately, painting a haunting picture of her final moments.
Barry’s narrative of a “wonderful marriage” crumbled under scrutiny. Suzanne’s texts revealed a woman desperate to escape, telling Barry on May 6, 2020, “I’m done. I could care less what you’re up to and have been for years.” She confided in friends about his controlling behavior, including a 2018 incident where he allegedly shoved her into a closet and held a gun to his head. Her affair with an old high school friend, Jeff Libler, added fuel to the marital discord. Yet, Barry maintained his innocence, even as he was arrested in Arizona on June 20, 2025, following a grand jury indictment for first-degree murder.
The Morphew daughters, Mallory and Macy, have been a constant presence at their father’s side, attending court hearings and defending his innocence. In 2021, when Barry was first charged, they stood by him as he was released on a $500,000 bond. Those charges were dropped in April 2022 due to prosecutorial missteps, including withheld exculpatory evidence like unknown male DNA in Suzanne’s SUV. Now, with Barry facing a new trial, only one daughter appeared at his July 2025 court hearing, smiling as he beamed back from the courtroom in Alamosa County. The absence of the other has sparked speculation: are the daughters unwavering in their support, or is doubt creeping in?
Barry’s legal team argues the case remains circumstantial, with no direct witnesses or definitive proof. They challenge the $3 million bond, citing his compliance during his previous release and his role as a father. Prosecutors, however, point to the chilling evidence: Suzanne’s body was moved at least twice after her death, her bones bleached and scattered in a remote “boneyard” 40 miles from home. The lack of animal predation and minimal decomposition in her cycling clothes suggest she was killed elsewhere, possibly in the Morphew home, before being relocated.
As Barry awaits extradition to Colorado’s San Luis Valley, the case continues to captivate and divide. The daughters’ steadfast loyalty contrasts with the mounting evidence against their father, leaving a community grappling with uncomfortable questions. Did Barry Morphew, unable to accept his wife’s desire to leave, resort to a hunter’s tactics to end her life? And do Mallory and Macy truly believe in his innocence, or are they shielding a darker truth? With a trial looming, the answers may finally unravel the mystery of Suzanne Morphew’s tragic end.
