Suzanne Morphew’s death ruled a homicide, animal sedatives found in her body
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - An autopsy by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office found missing Salida woman Suzanne Morphew was killed.
On May 10, 2020, Morphew supposedly went on a bike ride along County Road 225 and West Highway 50 in Chaffee County and never returned home. A neighbor reported her missing and her bike and helmet were eventually found along the side of the road the day she disappeared.
More than three years later, her body was found buried in a shallow grave just south of Moffat, along Highway 17, roughly 50 minutes south of her Salida home. The El Paso County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy days later but the results weren’t released until Monday.
The report said multiple bags of bones were recovered from the Saguache County site where her body was discovered, as well as seven bags worth of clothing.
The coroner determined Morphew died by “homicide by unspecified means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine intoxication.” Those three drugs are commonly used as an animal sedative for dogs, cats, pigs and even elephants.
“These drugs are marketed as a compound injectable chemical immobilizer for wildlife providing pharmacologically reversible analgesia, sedation and immobilization,” the autopsy report said.
“Before this autopsy came back, I had told several people I bet its going to come back with tranquilizer (drugs) in her,” said Tisha Leewaye, who became Suzanne’s friend after she started coming to her hair salon. “But at that point, two or three years later, after they found her, was there going to be anything even in her remains.”
However, she said even with the autopsy report, the Salida community is still left with many unknowns.
“There's not a lot of answers yet,” Leewaye said. “With this autopsy coming out, it raised a lot more questions.”
A year after Morphew disappeared, her husband Barry was arrested and charged with murder. During the investigation, authorities found a sheath to a tranquilizer dart in the Morphew's dryer. Prosecutors planned on calling a veterinarian to testify about animal tranquilizers and how it affects humans, but the judge ruled against it, citing a lack of Morphew's DNA on the tranquilizer sheath.
These problems persisted until April 19, 2022, when the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office dropped the charges against Barry because of a lack of evidence. Now, two years later, Iris Eytan, Barry Morphew’s attorney, said the family is still “skeptical about the integrity of this investigation.”
“The Morphews have prayed the authorities would remove their blinders and not only find Suzanne, but find the suspect responsible for her disappearance and murder,” said a statement from the family following the release of the autopsy report. “However, the Morphews are left with more questions than answers and a lack of justice for Suzanne, the family and the community.”
Eytan said unknown male DNA was found in Morphew’s car, where her bike was parked and even on her bike. However, she said authorities won’t tell the family if her clothes have been tested for DNA. The Colorado Bureau of Investigations is also in possession of a single “weathered bullet.”
“DNA left on her clothing by the murderer could bring justice for Suzanne, her family and the community,” the statement said. “The authorities will also not provide the Morphew’s any information regarding whether they have performed any testing on the bullet that was collected with Suzanne’s remains.”
Since Morphew’s body was discovered in Saguache County, the 12th Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly is part of the investigation and would be the one to press charges.
“I am aware that the autopsy report of Suzanne Morphew is now complete and that the cause of death was established as homicide by undetermined means. Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found in the area surrounding the town of Moffat in Saguache County. Because Saguache
- Anne Kelly
County is located in the Twelfth Judicial District, my Office continues to provide guidance to the
investigation team. Because the case is still under active investigation, I am unable to comment
further at this time. We will continue to follow the evidence and seek justice for Suzanne.”
The Morphew family was offered to retrieve Suzanne’s body, but “they want to ensure the suspect is apprehended before they take what could be an important piece of evidence in the suspect’s prosecution.”
Anyone with information regarding this case can contact the Morphew Tip Line Phone at 719-312-7530 or the Morphew Tip Line Email: cdps_suzannemorphew_tipline@state.co.us
For a detailed timeline of the case up to her remains being identified, click here.
The full statement from the Morphew's lawyer can be read below.
