Barry Morphew, who stands accused of murdering his wife, Suzanne Morphew, made a court appearance on Monday for the first time in several months. Both the prosecution and defense are gearing up for the next stages of this high-profile case, which has captivated public attention since Suzanne vanished on Mother’s Day in 2020.

Morphew is anticipated to enter a plea to first-degree murder charges related to the death of his wife in the Alamosa County courtroom.

Suzanne Morphew disappeared from her Chaffee County home on May 10, 2020, sparking an extensive search that initially yielded few clues about her whereabouts.

In 2021, Barry Morphew was charged with her murder. However, those charges were dropped in 2022 due to prosecutorial concerns about the case and the potential emergence of new evidence that might alter its course. Morphew’s defense team argued that the charges were dismissed because the prosecution was unlikely to secure a conviction at trial.

Barry Morphew was seen leaving a Fremont County courthouse in Canon City, Colorado, alongside his daughters, Macy and Mallory, after the charges against him in connection with his wife’s presumed death were dismissed on April 19, 2022.

After the charges were dropped, Morphew left Colorado and relocated to Cave Creek, Arizona — more than 600 miles from where Suzanne disappeared. While living there, he kept a low profile and used aliases, including “Bruce” and “Lee Moore.” Acquaintances later told Fox News Digital they were unaware of his connection to the high-profile Colorado case until his re-arrest.

Suzanne’s remains were discovered in September 2023 in a shallow grave in the San Luis Valley, roughly an hour south of the family’s home. An autopsy later ruled her death a homicide.

Libby Spruill said Barry Morphew flirted with him when they were at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral in 2024. (Libby Spruill)

According to court records, a powerful animal tranquilizer known as BAM — a combination of butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine — was found in Suzanne’s bone marrow. Prosecutors said the presence of a metabolized form of the drug indicates she was alive long enough to process it, ruling out accidental or environmental contamination.

The indictment alleges Morphew had access to BAM through his work with deer and was the only private citizen in the area known to possess the drug at the time of Suzanne’s disappearance. Investigators have also pointed to evidence involving a tranquilizer dart rifle found in the home, along with phone and vehicle data they say contradict Morphew’s account of events.

Barry Morphew was previously booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)

A Colorado grand jury re-indicted Morphew in June 2025. He was arrested in Goodyear, Arizona, extradited to Colorado and later released on bond in September after supporters helped post part of his $3 million bond. He remains under house arrest with an ankle monitor.

Legal analysts said the defense is expected to focus on alternate suspect theories as the case moves forward.

Colin McCallin, a Colorado-based attorney and former deputy district attorney, previously told Fox News Digital he expects Morphew’s legal team to challenge the prosecution’s narrative and attempt to introduce evidence pointing to another potential suspect as proceedings continue.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.