Autopsy: Colorado mother Suzanne Morphew died by homicide
DENVER (KDVR) — After Suzanne Morphew went missing in 2020 and her remains were found in September 2023, an autopsy has revealed her cause of death.
The autopsy results, which were released Monday, show that Morphew died by "undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication,” and according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, her death has been ruled a homicide.
Butorphanol can be used as a nasal or an injection and is used to relieve pain severe enough to require opioid treatment," the Mayo Clinic states. Azaperone is a tranquilizer often used in veterinary care. Medetomidine is used in anesthesia.
"These drugs are marketed as a compounded injectable chemical immobilizer for wildlife providing pharmacologically reversible analgesia, sedation and immobilization," reads the autopsy report.
The full autopsy report obtained by Nexstar's KDVR said that Morphew's skeletal remains and part of her clothing were submitted for examination. The coroner found no indication of trauma to her body at the time of death.
However, it is important to note that clinical history found that Morphew was receiving maintenance rituzan chemotherapy after the complete remission of recurrent follicular lymphoma.
“The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and our law enforcement partners understand and appreciate the public interest surrounding this case," said CBI Director Chris Schaefer. “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.”
CBI said that the autopsy results were shared with the Morphew family as soon as the coroner received them.
What has happened since Morphew's disappearance in 2020
Morphew's case captured the nation's attention after she went on a bike ride in Chaffee County on Mother's Day in 2020 and never returned home. Five days later, a personal item of Morphew's was found, but it would be three more years before her remains were discovered.
Nearly a year after Morphew's disappearance, her husband, Barry Morphew, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Timeline of the investigation
- Timeline: What we know about the disappearance of Suzanne Morphew
- Where was Barry Morphew on May 9 and 10?
- 130 pages of arrest documents released in Barry Morphew case
- Court releases evidence in Morphew investigation from preliminary hearing
In 2020, KDVR spoke by phone to Barry, who denied killing his wife.
“Absolutely not,” he answered. “I love my wife. I would never hurt my wife. She is the light of my and my daughter’s lives. This whole thing is killing us, and that is why I want our privacy.”
In 2022, the district attorney for the 11th Judicial District ultimately dismissed the murder charge against Barry without prejudice. In documents released in 2022, before the case was dismissed, one of the CBI agents who had been working on the case told an internal affairs investigator that Barry Morphew had been arrested prematurely and that it was “the worst decision that could be made.”
Nearly a year after the charges were dismissed, his attorneys filed a complaint against the district attorney and prosecutors involved in the case.
The allegations of misconduct range from unethical practices and continued pattern of discovery violations to failure to respond to security concerns for court personnel and violations of the Victims Rights Act.
The years-long investigation came to a head on Sept. 27, 2023, when Morphew's remains were found and positively identified. Her remains were found in Saguache County during an unrelated search of the area.