Colo. mom Suzanne Morphew’s death ruled a homicide 4 years after she went missing

SALIDA, Colo. (TCD) -- The Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced this week that Suzanne Morphew’s cause of death has officially been ruled a homicide.

According to a statement released April 29, Morphew’s autopsy has been completed and it was concluded that she died from "homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication." The Mayo Clinic says butorphanol is a narcotic nasal spray typically used "to relieve pain severe enough to require opioid treatment and when other pain medicines did not work well enough or cannot be tolerated."

A 2022 article published in the peer-reviewed journal Wildlife Society Bulletin said those three drugs together have "grown in popularity for wildlife capture." Azaperone is a type of tranquilizer that slows the nervous system, while medetomidine is another type of sedative to help relieve pain. The study says the combination is a "reversible drug combination with low toxicity to humans."

Morphew was reported missing the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office on May 10, 2020, after a neighbor noted she left for a bike ride but never returned home. Law enforcement officials searched for the 49-year-old mother but did not find her remains until September 2023 in Saguache County. Detectives reportedly discovered Morphew’s body while in the area for an unrelated investigation.

Morphew’s husband, Barry Morphew, was arrested May 5, 2021, on charges of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and attempt to influence a public servant. In April 2022, however, the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him without prejudice, which means they can refile charges against him.

In the motion to dismiss, the district attorney’s office said finding Morphew’s body was a top priority because "further forensic examination could potentially inculpate or exculpate the Defendant, which is incredibly important evidence for the jury to hear in determining the merits of the case."

Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Schaefer said following the autopsy results, "The investigative team assembled to work this case continues to follow the evidence and only the evidence as we seek justice for Suzanne’s death."

MORE:

• Suzanne Morphew Autopsy Results - Colorado Bureau of Investigation
• Helicopter-based immobilization of moose using butorphanol–azaperone–medetomidine, 6/7/2022 - Wildlife Society Bulletin
• Missing Person, 5/11/2020 - Chaffee County Sheriff's Office
• Arrest Made in Suzanne Morphew Case in Chaffee County, 5/5/2021 - Chaffee County Sheriff's Office
• Motion to Dismiss Without Prejudice, 4/19/2022 - 11th Judicial District
• Suzanne Morphew’s remains found, positively identified 3 years after she went missing, 9/28/2023 - TCD