Inside Barry Morphew's secretive life 600 miles away from epicenter of murder investigation into wife's death
Share and Follow

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Over 600 miles away from Salida, Colorado, where Suzanne Morphew vanished on Mother’s Day in 2020, Barry Morphew found an escape from the state where prosecutors initially tried, but failed, to convict him of killing his wife.

Barry Morphew was indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder in the first degree after deliberation on June 20 in relation to the death of his wife, 49-year-old Suzanne Morphew, who was also the mother to two daughters. Barry Morphew was arrested in Goodyear, Arizona, almost 11 hours from where his wife went missing.

Barry Morphew settled down in Cave Creek, Arizona, after prosecutors dropped murder charges in 2022 relating to his wife’s disappearance. The charges were dropped after alleged prosecutorial misconduct and failure to comply with discovery rules, resulting in the judge barring several state witnesses from testifying.

One restaurant employee in Cave Creek, Arizona told Fox News Digital he didn’t know Barry Morphew by his first name – and thought he was an entirely different person. Charlie Loots, bar manager at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral, told Fox News Digital that Barry Morphew went by the name “Bruce.”

Barry Morphew

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

According to the June 20 grand jury indictment, Barry Morphew went by the alias “Lee Moore.” A local gas station clerk told Fox News Digital he knew Barry Morphew by the name “Lee.”

Public records indicate Barry Morphew paid property taxes at the Stardust Trailer park and was self-employed. In Colorado, he was a landscaper and independent contractor, but he didn’t hold any professional license to do either in Arizona.

Colin McCallin, a Colorado-based lawyer and former deputy district attorney for the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Colorado, told Fox News Digital the use of two aliases is uncommon.

“That’s weird,” McCallin said. “I mean, that certainly is evidence that this is a person who does not want to be known by his true name, maybe even, know, a little reckless with the use of those aliases.”

“It’s clear he did not want to be known by Barry,” he said, adding its possible Barry Morphew was trying to live a double life in Cave Creek, Arizona.

Prosecutors wrote in a June 20 indictment that the chemicals butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine were found in Suzanne Morphew’s bone marrow. They alleged that Barry Morphew used “BAM” deer tranquilizer to sedate and transport deer on his farm when he lived in Indiana.

Barry and Suzanne Morphew.

Barry Morphew (R) and Suzanne Morphew (L) (Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)

Barry Morphew was also the only person with a prescription for the deer tranquilizer within the area of the state he lived in, prosecutors said. The only two other entities with access to the BAM compound within the surrounding counties were Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the National Park Service, officials said.

“Ultimately, the prescription records show that when Suzanne Morphew disappeared, only one private citizen living in that entire area of the state had access to BAM: Barry Morphew,” the indictment states.

Morphew’s attorney, David Beller, previously told Fox News Digital Morphew “maintains his innocence.”

“Yet again, the government allows their predetermined conclusion to lead their search for evidence,” Beller said. “The case has not changed, and the outcome will not either.”

Barry Morphew’s lawyer declined to comment.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
20 years later, search continues for missing Wisconsin teen Madeline Edman

Two Decades On, the Search Persists for Missing Wisconsin Teen Madeline Edman

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WFRV) – July 29, 2025, marks 20 years since…
Secret Service agent tried to smuggle his wife onto Trump trip

Secret Service Agent Attempts to Sneak Wife on Trump Trip

A Secret Service agent has prompted an investigation after attempting to sneak…
Cincinnati business owners slam viral 'out of control' beating amid fight to clean up downtown

Cincinnati business owners slam viral ‘out of control’ beating amid fight to clean up downtown

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! CINCINNATI – Business owners…
What are the tsunami alert levels? What do you do if you get a tsunami alert?

Understanding Tsunami Alert Levels and What Steps to Take

Some tsunamis are small and don’t cause damage. Others can cause massive…
Monkeys 'running a scam' at sacred temple, frustrated tourists say after phone thefts

Monkeys ‘running a scam’ at sacred temple, frustrated tourists say after phone thefts

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Monkeys have been stealing…
Jimmy Hoffa's family calls on Trump to release FBI files

Jimmy Hoffa’s family calls on Trump to release FBI files

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Fifty years ago today,…
Inside one mother's 19-day nightmare with British au pair

A Mother’s 19-Day Ordeal with a British Au Pair

At the beginning of July, Rebecca invited a young British au pair…
Congressman ridiculed after misspelling name of own state in TV ad

Congressman Mocked for Spelling State Name Incorrectly in TV Ad

The goal of any campaign launch is to generate attention, but as…