Colorado husband accused of killing wife appears in court

SALIDA, Colo. – Investigators connected Monday provided glimpses of a troubled matrimony betwixt a Colorado pistillate who vanished connected Mother's Day 2020 and her husband, who is charged successful her decease aft pleading connected societal media for her harmless return.

Before she was reported missing by a neighbour aft failing to instrumentality from a bicycle ride, Suzanne Morphew utilized a “spy pen,” a instrumentality that looks similar a pen and tin automatically grounds conversations erstwhile dependable is detected, due to the fact that she feared her hubby Barry Morphew was having an affair, Chaffee County Sheriff’s Commander Alex Walker said. The grounds came astatine the commencement of a proceeding successful the upland assemblage of Salida to find whether Barry Morphew, 53, volition basal proceedings successful his wife’s death.

Investigators did not find immoderate grounds that Barry Morphew was having an affair, but the pen's recordings revealed that Suzanne Morphew was, Walker said. The antheral she had had an matter with for 2 years did not interaction authorities aft Suzanne Morphew disappeared but spoke to investigators erstwhile they identified who helium was, Walker said.

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In different signaling captured by the pen which was hard to hear, the Morphews seemed to beryllium arguing astir money, FBI cause Kenneth Harris testified.

Prosecutors besides presented substance messages betwixt Suzanne Morphew and a person from 2019 and 2020 successful which she complained that her hubby was picking fights and putting their children successful the middle.

“He’s not stable,” Suzanne Morphew wrote successful 1 connection shown successful court. “It’s guilt and hopeless measures he’s taking … I can’t triumph with him. He’s excessively bully astatine the manipulation. I consciousness stuck.”

Barry Morphew sat successful beforehand of his 2 daughters successful court, occasionally whispering with his attorneys oregon pointing to papers successful beforehand of him. When his attorney, Dru Nielsen, talked astir him describing Suzanne Morphew arsenic his “angel” and a “special, fantastic person,” Morphew, wearing a grey striped suit and bluish aesculapian mask, appeared to go affectional and dabbed his eyes with a tissue.

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During a break, Morphew turned astir to look his 2 daughters and appeared to grin from down his mask, his hands successful his pockets. They took disconnected their masks truthful helium could spot their smiles. One of them showed him however agelong her hairsbreadth had grown.

The courtroom was kept astatine constricted capableness due to the fact that of coronavirus concerns. Everyone was required to deterioration masks and radical successful the assemblage were asked to support 3 feet (1 meter) of societal distancing. Members of the nationalist who wanted a spot lined up successful beforehand of the courthouse good earlier the doors opened astatine 8 a.m. Some wore T-shirts successful enactment of Suzanne Morphew and shook their heads erstwhile defence attorneys questioned witnesses.

Attorneys and prosecutors utilized a projector to show video and photos during the hearing. Body camera footage showed that investigators recovered Suzanne Morphew's bicycle down a abbreviated but steep ravine disconnected a region road. In the video, officers locomotion astir the motorcycle done rugged terrain, calling her name, and enactment that the motorcycle showed nary evident damage.

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Evidence gathered successful the lawsuit was kept concealed earlier the hearing, with a 130-page tribunal papers outlining the reasons for Barry Morphew's apprehension sealed contempt absorption from a conjugation of quality media organizations including The Associated Press.

Besides being charged with sidesplitting his woman astir May 10, 2020, which was Mother's Day, Morphew is besides accused of submitting a fraudulent vote connected his wife’s behalf for then-President Donald Trump successful November’s election.

Morphew is charged with tampering with his wife's deceased assemblage astir the clip she was killed arsenic good arsenic with grounds successful the lawsuit from past May done aboriginal March, astir 2 months earlier helium was arrested. He is besides charged with illegally possessing a abbreviated firearm and utilizing deceit to power instrumentality enforcement officers from the clip his woman disappeared until helium was arrested.

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The proceeding was scheduled to proceed Tuesday and resume again aboriginal this month.

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