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MOUNTAIN MAN

‘Killer’ Barry Morphew ‘would know where to hide a body,’ pal claims, as hunt for wife Suzanne’s remains continues

SUSPECTED murderer Barry Morphew 'would know where to hide a body in Colorado' and police would 'likely never find it', a pal has claimed following his arrest.

Barry's wife , 49, was last year when she vanished after going on a bike ride.

Barry Morphew has been charged with murder after his wife's disappearance
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Barry Morphew has been charged with murder after his wife's disappearanceCredit: AP
Suzanne vanished after going out for a bike ride and her body has not yet been found
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Suzanne vanished after going out for a bike ride and her body has not yet been foundCredit: Chaffee County Sheriff's Office

Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office . Her body has still .

"Everyone is saying the bad guy. Well, maybe he's a bad guy, I don't really know," the pal said.

"The public perception of this is so tainted now and I just wish one person would put out the facts. 

"If he is guilty, I doubt anybody would ever find the body. He knows those mountains. He's an avid hunter and outdoorsman. 

Police launched a huge man hunt and are now confident the mom-of-two is no longer alive
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Police launched a huge man hunt and are now confident the mom-of-two is no longer aliveCredit: Chaffee County Sheriff's Office
Barry's home was on of a number of sites which were searched by investigators
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Barry's home was on of a number of sites which were searched by investigatorsCredit: CBS 4

"He knows those woods and Colorado better than anybody out there, he hunted and fished every day of his life.

"There's no way in the world [they would find her]. You can't cover that much ground out there that he's covered [since] they moved.

"Unless somebody steps forward and says, 'Hey, this is where it is' ... I'd be shocked'."

But the friend, who has known Barry for a number of years, said he didn't believe he was capable of murder and said he was "shocked" by the arrest, despite months of speculation.

Barry's pal claims the pair had a 'great relationship' and he's shocked by the arrest
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Barry's pal claims the pair had a 'great relationship' and he's shocked by the arrestCredit: Facebook
The landscaper appeared in an orange and white jumpsuit in court after being charged
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The landscaper appeared in an orange and white jumpsuit in court after being chargedCredit: AP

"I'm honestly shocked that they charged him with murder because you have to be missing for a year to be declared dead, so they didn't have a death certificate when they arrested him. 

"How do you charge somebody with murder when you don't have a body?

"They have circumstantial evidence I guess but they've not released what they have. 

"So if you have that much evidence to say that she's dead, why did they not get a death certificate."

Suzanne's sister claims she was frightened of her husband and sent her 'powerful' texts
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Suzanne's sister claims she was frightened of her husband and sent her 'powerful' textsCredit: Facebook Suzanne Morphew

The pal described Barry and his wife as having a "great relationship" and claims neither of them were ever unfaithful.

"From an outsider's perspective they had a great relationship, that's why it caught everybody by surprise," he said.

"They weren't the couple that I would worry about. I mean, it wasn't like the police got called on him for domestic or anything like that."

If Barry is guilty, the friend said he can only speculate what his motive would be, and suggested he stood to gain financially if she died.

The search continues for Suzanne's body, which hasn't been found in 12 months
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The search continues for Suzanne's body, which hasn't been found in 12 monthsCredit: Chaffee County Sheriff's Office

"They had a house here in Indiana worth a lot of money, that was $1.5 million," he said.

"And they do have quite a bit of money invested in cars and houses and whatever. I mean, money [could] always be a motive."

 appeal, just days after she vanished as he pleaded for his wife's safe return and appeared on the verge of tears.

He has maintained his innocence throughout the search for the former teacher and issued a $100,000 reward for her return, claiming she may have been abducted.

Barry and Suzanne appeared to be the perfect couple in social media snaps
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Barry and Suzanne appeared to be the perfect couple in social media snapsCredit: Facebook Suzanne Morphew

Police confirmed this month that Barry has been charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and attempting to influence a public servant in his wife’s disappearance.

Cops also revealed that they now believe Suzanne is no longer alive.

District Attorney Linda Stanley told reporters at a press conference that even though a body has not been found, her office would not have brought charges without being “confident” about the case.

Suzanne's sister, Melinda Moorman, said she revealed she was frightened of her husband before she disappeared.

"The Friday before Mother's Day, my sister had sent me a text message that morning. It was very lengthy. It was very powerful. It was very revealing," Moorman told .

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"She had been ready to share some things close to her chest. She said she was scared."

Morphew has  to any of the charges he’s facing. He’s scheduled to appear in court again on May 27.

Barry Morphew in court in jail jumpsuit over ‘murder’ of wife Suzanne
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