A FAMILY faced tragedy when a mother of two suddenly disappeared after leaving her home for a bike ride.
Three years after Suzanne Morphew vanished, her remains were discovered and her case evolved into a homicide investigation.
Who was Suzanne Morphew and when did she go missing?
On May 10, 2020, 49-year-old Suzanne Moorman Morphew was declared missing.
On Mother's Day, Suzanne vanished after leaving her home for a bike ride.
A mother of two, she was a former teacher who resided with her husband Barry Morphew, and their daughters in Salida, Colorado.
She also ran a non-profit charity organization called the Suzanne R. Morphew Hope Foundation.
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Suzanne and Barry have two daughters named Mallory and Macy.
"These last few years have been the most painful thing that we've ever experienced," confessed Mallory and Macy.
They told : "We just miss our mom so much and we want her to be found."
"It's been such an emotional rollercoaster and just traumatizing."
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When was Suzanne Morphew found?
On September 22, 2023, the El Paso County Coroner confirmed they found Suzanne's remains in Moffat, Colorado.
Suzanne's corpse was located in a shallow grave about 40 minutes away from her home.
Police accidentally made a break in the case when they found Suzanne's body during their search for 56-year-old Edna Quintana.
Regarding the discovery, the Moorman family announced: "The Moorman family would like to thank all involved for the discovery of our sister Suzanne.
"Over the last three years, countless hours have been spent looking for Suzanne by a determined group who have never given up hope that she would be found.
"The memories of her gentle spirit and wonderful smile have been a constant presence since her disappearance to all who knew and loved her.
"Fate may have played a key role in finding her, but it does not negate the resolute commitment of all those involved.
"We look forward to finding long-awaited justice for Suzanne in the successful prosecutions of those involved in her disappearance."
What was Suzanne's cause of death?
On April 29, 2024, police revealed that Suzanne's autopsy concluded her death was a homicide.
The autopsy confirmed she was killed by a mixture of both human and veterinarian pharmaceutical drugs.
A combination of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine was found in Suzanne's system.
The coroner's report stated: "These drugs are marketed as a compounded injectable chemical immobilizer for wildlife."
On May 5, 2021, Barry Morphew was arrested in connection to his late wife's missing persons case.
Barry was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
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On April 19, 2022, the case against Barry was dropped.
Throughout the investigation, he has continued to maintain his innocence.