Seven Fremont County prosecutors under investigation related to Morphew murder case

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Attorney Regulation Counsel (ARC) is now investigating seven Fremont County prosecutors, including District Attorney Linda Stanley, following allegations of repeated prosecutorial misconduct.

The investigation centers on the now-dismissed murder case against Chaffee County husband Barry Morphew, who was previously charged in his wife's disappearance, after Barry's attorney filed an 83-page complaint to the ARC.

Within the complaint, Barry Morphew's defense attorney, Iris Eytan, alleges Stanley's office violated a dozen attorney rules.

Those alleged violations include failure to uphold victim rights, dishonest and unethical practices, and the repeated failure to turn over evidence.

Suzanne Morphew disappeared back on Mother's Day in 2020.

Nearly a year later, Chaffee County deputies arrested her husband Barry and charged him with Suzanne's murder, though to this day her body has never been found.

In April 2022, two years after Suzanne's disappearance, District Attorney Linda Stanley dismissed the murder case against Barry "without prejudice," which means Morphew could be charged in the future if new evidence is discovered.

When that dismissal came down last year, Morphew's attorney said she believed Stanley dismissed the case because they knew if it went to trial, Barry would be acquitted.

Morphew's attorney's complaint filed today follows a year-long court battle, where Morphew's defense team alleged a pattern of prosecutorial misconduct in the murder case.

The ARC said if it finds violations, it could either attempt to reach a settlement with attorneys or file a formal complaint with a presiding disciplinary judge.