Trial date set for Barry Morphew for wife’s murder

ALAMOSA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A trial date has been set for Barry Morphew, the Colorado man accused of murdering his wife in 2020.

Morphew, who pleaded not guilty in January of this year to first-degree murder, will face trial a year from now, according to court records. His trial has been set for July 19, 2027.

Morphew appeared in court on Monday, July 6, to discuss a variety of topics related to his hearing, including timing for the defense to submit alternate suspects and any objection filings.

Morphew was originally arrested in 2021 for the murder of his wife, Suzanne, who went missing on Mother's Day 2020 after going for a bike ride. The initial charges against Morphew were dropped in 2022.

But, after Suzanne's body was discovered in 2023, her death was ruled a homicide. Because the case had new evidence, Morphew was arrested and charged with murder again.

Suzanne's death was ruled a “homicide by unspecified means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine (BAM) intoxication,"-- three drugs commonly used as animal sedatives. According to his indictment, law enforcement located a locked gun safe in the Morphew residence, which held a tranquilizer rifle. Investigators also discovered packages of darts in the safe and found a needle cap for one of those darts in the Morphews' dryer.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.