On Monday afternoon, Barry Morphew entered a plea of not guilty to charges of murdering his wife, Suzanne Morphew, who went missing on Mother’s Day 2020.

The court has scheduled a jury trial for October, as reported by Colorado Public Radio.

Barry Morphew was taken into custody in June while in Arizona, his residence after a judge previously dismissed a murder case against him in 2021, allowing for the possibility of refiling, according to CrimeOnline. This legal action was renewed following the discovery of Suzanne Morphew’s remains in a secluded part of Saguache County in September 2023.

Suzanne Morphew vanished during a bike ride in 2020, with her husband suggesting she was kidnapped. Authorities identified the skeletal remains found in Saguache County through dental records.

The El Paso County coroner’s office announced last year that analysis of Suzanne Morphew’s femoral trabecular bone revealed she died from “undetermined means in the context of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication.” These substances are known as a combined injectable drug, used to safely sedate, immobilize, and provide reversible analgesia for wildlife.

Investigators found a needle cap used with a tranquilizer gun in Barry Morphew’s dryer during their investigation of his wife’s disappearance. Prosecutors say Morphew had access to the tranquilizer found in his wife’s system and was, in fact, the only person in Colorado with access to it.

After his arrest in June, Barry Morphew argued to have his bond lowered from $3 million, claiming he couldn’t possibly raise that money. The judge denied the bond but did allow him to find a bondsman to guarantee his bail, which he did in September, raising thousands of dollars to secure the bail.

In court on Monday, Morphew’s attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his client’s behalf. Morphew agreed to waive his right to a speedy trial after his attorney complained that he “does not think that it’s realistic” to have his case ready to go in 180 days, despite already having more than that time since Morphew’s arrest.