Suzanne Morphew, the Colorado mother who went missing on a bike ride in May 2020, died of homicide, according to an autopsy published Monday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced.
Her death was the result of “homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication,” according to the autopsy.
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“These drugs are marketed as a compounded injectable chemical immobilizer for wildlife,” according to the El Paso County coroner’s autopsy.
Her body showed no signs of trauma at the time of her death, according to the investigation.
Suzanne’s husband, Barry Morphew, was charged with her murder in 2021, but the charges were dropped in April 2022, just before the trial was scheduled to begin. Since then, no one has been arrested in this case.
“The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and our law enforcement partners recognize and value the public’s interest in this case,” CBI Director Chris Schaefer said in a statement Monday. “The investigative team assembled to work on this case continues to follow the evidence, and only the evidence, as we seek justice for Suzanne’s death.”
Authorities discovered her body in September 2023 while investigating an unrelated crime. Her remains were discovered in Moffat, Colorado, Saguache County, approximately 90 minutes south of her home in Chaffee County.
“For the past four years, the Morphews have agonized over Suzanne’s disappearance,” the Morphew family stated in a statement from their lawyer. “This included not only the agony of losing their wife and mother, but also Barry Morphew’s false charges and conviction.” The Morphews have prayed that the authorities will remove their blinders and find not just Suzanne, but also the culprit responsible for her disappearance and murder. However, the Morphews are left with more questions than answers and a sense of injustice for Suzanne, her family, and the town.”
In addition to her clothing, the autopsy reports that a “weathered bullet” was discovered alongside her bones.
Barry and the couple’s older children, Macy and Mallory, also claimed that detectives did not tell them if they examined the bullet or the clothing for DNA evidence.
Barry and his kids talked with ABC News in May 2023 after filing a lawsuit against authorities, alleging he was wrongly charged.
“They’ve got tunnel vision, and they looked at one person, and they’ve got too much pride to say they’re wrong and look somewhere else,” Morphew told reporters at the time. “I have nothing to worry about. I have done nothing wrong.”
