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After a series of twists and turns, Fremont County District Judge Ramsey Lama cleared Suzanne Morphew's husband, Barry Morphew, of all charges related to her disappearance, nine days before the date of the trial. Suzanne is now presumed dead, and Barry was held in prison for her murder.
In a bizarre set of revelations, this case was one of the strangest ones involving missing persons. Suzanne Morphew disappeared after she went out biking on Mother's Day 2020. Barry was reportedly out during that time and returned after receiving a phone call from their neighbor.
CBS' 48 Hours will cover the case of Suzanne Morphew's disappearance in its upcoming episode on April 30, 2022.
Suzanne Morphew case update: Barry Morphew goes free of all charges
After a series of developments, including the discovery of a tranquilizer gun, a spy pen, texts revealing a faulty marriage, and Barry's inconsistent location during Suzanne's disappearance, authorities arrested him in 2021.
He was charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human body, tampering with physical evidence, possession of a dangerous weapon, and attempting to influence a public servant. He was released on bond and confined to Chaffee in Fremont County with his trial set for spring 2022.
On April 19, 2022, nine days prior to the trial, a session court judge agreed to drop all charges after the prosecutors failed to come up with potentially culpable evidence before the trial.
Defense attorneys repeatedly failed to meet deadlines and turn over important information. Prosecutors can, however, refile the charges in the future, perhaps after the body is discovered.
Iris Eytan, Barry's defense attorney, said in a statement:
"First I want to say that Mr. Morphew not only was presumed innocent and still is presumed innocent, he is innocent,...Forever they have stated that they don't need a body — that a body is irrelevant. But you need to know, that in this case, there has been not a single ounce of physical evidence that has been found connecting Mr. Morphew to this … alleged crime."
The case of Suzanne's disappearance is far from over, but until new evidence surfaces that points in the direction of Barry Morphew, he is a free man. This may also not be the final twist in the long saga.
Peter Van Sant will update the case on CBS' The Suzanne Morphew Case: Nothing is What It Seems.
CBS' 48 Hours will air on April 30, 2022, chronicling the twisted and complicated case of Suzanne's disappearance.
