Court: Unknown DNA found on Suzanne Morphew’s bike amid her disappearance

SALIDA, Colo. (KRDO) -- During the final day of preliminary hearings in Chaffee County, the defense questioned an FBI agent who said unknown DNA was found on Suzanne Morphew's bike.

Morphew went missing on Mother's Day of 2020, and her husband, Barry Morphew, is facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with her disappearance.

Suzanne's husband, Barry Morphew, was out of town when she vanished. He told investigators he thought she had gone for one of her daily bike rides and either been picked up by a suspect or had been attacked by a mountain lion.

Unknown DNA was found on Suzanne's bike grips and handlebars. It did not match Barry, although some of Barry's DNA was found on the bike's seat. An expert testified Monday that the way the bike was found indicated that someone had pushed the bike without riding it. It was found the day Suzanne was reported missing in rough terrain just off of a Chaffee County road not far from the Morphew home.

There was also DNA found on Suzanne's glovebox in her car. When investigators ran that DNA through a database (CODIS), it was a partial match to three suspects in different sex assault cases: one out of Tempe and another out of Chicago. Those cases are all unsolved.

During testimony Tuesday, the defense questioned a Chaffee County Sheriff's Deputy. The defense asked the deputy if he placed a piece of tranquilizer dart in the Morphew's dryer trap. It was found there during the investigation. The Sheriff's Deputy denied placing the piece there.

After 20 hours of testimony, Judge Patrick Murphy decided he will hold a hearing on September 17, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. to rule whether #BarryMorphew will go trial and whether the 127-page arrest affidavit will be released to the public. Attorneys will be able to make arguments at this hearing as well.