Colorado vs. Barry Morphew

On June 18, 2025, a Twelfth Judicial District grand jury issued a second murder indictment against Barry Morphew in connection with the death of his wife, Suzanne, who disappeared on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2020.

Prosecutors say that new forensic findings—including traces of the animal tranquilizer compound “BAM” in Suzanne’s bone marrow—support allegations that Suzanne was sedated and moved and that new evidence overcomes the errors that derailed the initial prosecution in 2022

Since Suzanne’s remains were discovered in Saguache County in September 2023, officials classified her death as a homicide caused by unspecified means in the context of BAM intoxication.

Investigators have advanced a narrative that her body was moved multiple times post-mortem, and that Barry was the only private individual in the region with access to BAM—a medication he admitted to using on deer both in Indiana and in Colorado

Barry Morphew was extradited from Arizona following his June 20, 2025, arrest and appeared in Alamosa County Court on July 1, 2025. He is charged with first-degree murder, with new proceedings overseen by a different prosecutor and court than the 2021 attempt, addressing prior missteps in evidence handling.

Defense counsel continues to challenge media scrutiny, evidence protocols, and location jurisdiction—while the prosecution hones its case around forensic toxicology and telematics records. As this renewed trial unfolds, our category offers timely updates, key documents (like the July 18, 2025 indictment), and insightful context on this high-profile Colorado courtroom battle.

Barry Morphew outside the Chaffee County Courthouse, circa Jan. 2022. Dateline