Husband of missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew charged with murder

The husband of Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew, who went missing on Mother’s Day last year, has been charged with first-degree murder in her disappearance.

Barry Morphew was taken into custody and charged by the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, Fox News 21 in Colorado reported Wednesday.

Morphew, 52, is charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and attempting to influence a public servant, KKTV said in a report.

Authorities have scheduled a press conference later on Wednesday.

“I can confirm that Mr. Morphew has been arrested and I recommend you reach out to Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office for details,” Courtney Bernal, a spokesperson for the Denver FBI office told KKTV.

“The FBI continues to work with the Chaffee County SO, the 11th District Attorney’s Office, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.”

Morphew had been under suspicion in the case but insisted he was innocent.

“My first reaction was relief,” the missing woman’s sister, Melinda Moorman, told Fox News. “And grateful. I’m just so grateful.”

“Today, justice is beginning for my sister,” she said. “It’s been a journey that no one ever imagines that they’ll take.”

Suzanne Morphew was reported missing by a neighbor after failing to return from a bike ride on May 10, 2020, while her husband was allegedly away on business.

Her bike was found near a bridge close to the home the couple shared with their two children.

Barry Morphew launched a campaign to find his wife shortly after her disappearance, including using Facebook to ask for help.

He offered a $100,000 reward for her return and took part in massive efforts to locate his wife — or her body.

But questions began to surface about his possible role in the case, including reports that he left a Denver hotel room scrubbed clean and smelling like chlorine prior to Suzanne Morphew’s disappearance.

That disclosure came from Jeff Puckett, a co-worker of Barry Morphew who said he was summoned to the hotel to work on a project with him.

However, Puckett waited for two days and never met with Barry Morphew, nor did he ever work on the contracting job he was summoned for, he said.

Instead, he said he found a pile of mail in the room — including correspondence from an insurance company — and said “the room smelled like chlorine real bad.”

“It was kind of weird,” Puckett said. “My first thought was that this must be an alibi. That’s what it felt like.”