Judge modifies Barry Morphew’s bond to $3 million after alleged bond violation
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Judge grants District Attorney's motion to modify Barry Morphew's bond, setting a new bond of $3 million cash only after GPS data allegedly showed Morphew violating bond conditions.
Morphew was arrested by the Boulder County Sheriff's Office Thursday night, according to officials.
Morphew was booked into the Boulder County Jail at approximately 12:24 a.m. on September 4 on a failure-to-comply charge for an outside agency.
According to a court order issued Wednesday, Sept. 2, a judge was notified that Morphew, who has been accused of killing his wife, was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash on Aug. 26 at about 7:30 p.m.
Due to the alleged crash, a judge ordered Morphew to remain at home with no exceptions. Morphew's previous release conditions require him to remain at home except for limited circumstances, including medical appointments or emergencies, meetings with his legal team, court appearances, or work.
Accused hit-and-run
The court order explained that a driver involved in the incident reported that Morphew was driving aggressively before striking two vehicles. The judge also said they viewed video of the encounter that was included in a CBS Colorado report.
The judge said the video appears to show Morphew refusing to provide his name or identification and saying he did not have insurance. According to the order, Morphew offered one driver $300 for the damage, which she refused.
The court said Morphew then appeared to rub scratches on the vehicle with his hand and T-shirt before leaving the scene after the driver said she was calling police. The judge said Morphew nearly struck another person and drove over a curb while leaving.
The vehicle Morphew was driving also had an Indiana license plate that prosecutors previously raised concerns about in connection with his bond.
In the court order, Morphew was ordered to remain in his home at all times, with no exceptions.
The judge also ordered Morphew to provide proof that the vehicle involved in the Denver incident is registered in his name with the license plate that was attached.
In that order, the court mentioned that GPS monitoring was requested to obtain information on Morphew's whereabouts.
GPS data received
The District Attorney (DA) filed a Motion to Modify Bond in Morphew's case on Sept. 3.
In the motion, the DA says GPS data was received from RMS and indicated Morphew drove to Denver International Airport (DIA) while given permission only for a “work” exception from his bond conditions.
According to the DA, Morphew's attorney said Morphew was not working at the airport but may have been picking up his daughter. The DA says that, regardless of the reason for going to the airport, any reason other than work is considered a breach of his bond.
The DA says this presents Morphew as an extreme flight risk. Additional details from RMS showed that Morphew drove from his home to DIA around 10 a.m., arriving at the airport around 11:45 a.m., and then immediately leaving, according to the DA.
The DA details in the motion that Morphew is then in the hotel area and a mall at various points in the day before he is in the area at the alleged hit-and-run. According to the DA, Morphew then returned home.
The judge granted the DA's motion modifying Morphew's bond to $3 million cash only and issued a warrant for his arrest.
The court has scheduled a hearing for September 8th.
Background
Morphew's wife, Suzanne, disappeared in Salida back on Mother's Day in 2020. She was reported to have gone on a bike ride in Chaffee County and never returned.
A year after her disappearance, her husband, Barry, was arrested and charged with murder-- but the case was dismissed in 2022.
Her body was later found in 2023, and her death was ruled a homicide. Her body being found meant the case had new evidence, and Morphew was charged with murder once again.
READ MORE: New evidence leads to Barry Morphew’s arrest in the alleged murder of his wife
Suzanne's death was rulled 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.
Morphew has maintained his innocence in his wife's death since she disappeared.
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