Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew's cause of death revealed in shocking autopsy four years after she went
Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew was tranquilized and murdered, an autopsy report released Monday has revealed.
The mom-of-two, 49, vanished from her home in Salida, Colorado, on Mother's Day nearly four years ago.
Last year, her skeletal remains were discovered lying in a remote field outside Moffat – a small town 50 miles south of her home.
Now police have confirmed the cause of her death was 'homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication'.
All three drugs are powerful tranquilizers, with azaperone routinely used in veterinary medication while medetomidine is used as a surgical anesthetic.
Police have released the autopsy report for Suzanne Morphew after her skeletal remains were discovered last year 50 miles from her home
The mom-of-two, 49, vanished from her home in Salida, Colorado, on Mother's Day nearly four years ago
Suzanne Morphew's remains were found in the fall. Cadaver dogs are pictured at the scene where Chaffee County Sheriff's officers, FBI and CBI were searching in Colorado
In a statement, Colorado Bureau of Investigation boss Chris Schaefer said: 'The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and our law enforcement partners understand and appreciate the public interest surrounding this case.
Barry Morphew was initially arrested and charged with the murder of his wife Suzanne despite there being no body but the charges were later dropped
'The investigative team assembled to work this case continues to follow the evidence and only the evidence as we seek justice for Suzanne's death.'
The CBI said Suzanne's family have been informed of the results, among them husband Barry, 56, who was arrested and charged with her murder in 2021 before the prosecution dramatically collapsed the following year.
That case was dismissed without prejudice which means prosecutors can still charge Morphew with murder again if they uncover fresh evidence.
The autopsy report is now with authorities in Chaffee County and the findings echo a theory advanced by the prosecution in arguments made in the pretrial hearing – that Morphew had used animal tranquilizer to knock out his wife before killing her in a jealous rage.
The mom-of-two's disappearance made headlines in May 2020 with Suzanne reported missing when daughters Mallory and Macy were unable to get hold of her to wish her a happy Mother's Day.
Her family went on to make a series of emotional appeals for her return, with Morphew seen sobbing on camera as he begged his wife to come home.
But as DailyMail.com revealed, police were suspicious from the start with the CBI and local cops seen searching the couple's luxury $1.5m Salida home in the days after she vanished.
In May 2021, Morphew was arrested and charged with first degree murder with cops saying he killed his wife after learning she had had an affair.
During the preliminary hearing, the court heard how the Morphew's happy marriage was a sham, with Suzanne enjoying a two-year fling with married dad-of-six Jeff Libler while Morphew was signed up to extramarital dating website Ashley Madison.
Following Barry Morphew's arrest for Suzanne's murder in 2021, evidence revealed that both spouses had conducted extramarital affairs and were pursuing a path toward separation
Mallory and Macy Morphew flank their father as they walk into court following his arrest for their mother's murder. The charges were ultimately dropped and his daughters maintain their belief in his innocence
Suzanne's affair included overnight trips to Florida and New Orleans and she regularly sent the married dad racy photos – including her final photo which showed her posing in a bikini top the day before she was reported missing.
Prosecutors say that while Morphew was desperate to save his marriage, Suzanne was equally determined to leave – a motive, they claim, for murder.
Police said Morphew was seen with multiple cuts and scratches on his arms and hands in the days after Suzanne vanished, while an empty tranquilizer dart was found in the laundry room.
In 2021, DailyMail.com revealed how Morphew had left a hotel room in Broomfield, Colorado, stinking of chlorine on the day Suzanne was reported missing.
Since being released from jail, Morphew has acquired a girlfriend – Shoshona Darke, 53 – and was pictured exclusively by DailyMail.com with the mom-of-one in October 2022.
According to Morphew's arrest affidavit, cops were first tipped off about his new squeeze in December 2020 but were unable to catch them together so mounted a camera on a telegraph pole outside her home.
DailyMail.com witnessed Morphew visit the property on consecutive nights – staying until the following morning – but was unable to verify the identity of the occupant or their relationship with Morphew.
Police were later able to obtain security footage from Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs taken on Valentine's Day which showed the pair checking in together.
Darke has refused to speak about her relationship with Morphew, despite being repeatedly approached by DailyMail.com, and maintained a low profile during his stay in jail.
She also denied being in a relationship with him when confronted by the cops but later admitted to meeting him in October 2020.
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