Morphew put out a reward of $100,000 and a family friend matched the amount, totaling $200k for Suzannes safe return. Macy, 16 years old when her mom disappeared, lived at home. Chromebooks are excellent alternatives to traditional laptops and have built-in security software. The disappearance of Gannon Stauch: A timeline of the case Police searched Kelsey's home but turned up no signs of foul play. That's exactly what we did here. Ashley Franco: He says I have a metal pipe that I'll leave outside my property that you can come pick up, and I want you to go wait for Kelsey at her townhome. University of Colorado law professor Aya Gruber has followed the case. Oct. 13, 2020 DENVER For more than three decades, the disappearance of Jonelle Matthews hung over the city of Greeley, Colo., where the 12-year-old was taken from her family's home days . Stepmom of Gannon Stauch Allegedly Searched 'I Don't Like My Stepson' Krystal said he told her,"You need to get out here now, you got a mess to clean up.". In this still image from video, Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colo., Thursday, May 6, 2021. The judge's penalty was to knock out 14 prosecution witnesses including experts in DNA and cell phone and vehicle data recovery. In their arrest affidavit, prosecutors spelled out what they believe happened to Suzanne: "It had become clear that Barry could not control Suzanne's insistence on leaving him and he resorted to something he has done his entire life hunt and control Suzanne like he had hunted and controlled animals.". I met her one day, she came out during one of the trimmings and spent the day. Neither Barry, his daughters nor his lawyer had any advance warning. "We are going to find Gannon, and that's the main goal that we all have. Aya Gruber: What he did was delete all his social media accounts that he had used to communicate with Suzanne. She was a cowgirl who liked to have fun. Peter Van Sant: So, this side of the road? She told the El Paso County Sheriff's Office he left home between 3:15 p.m. and 4 p.m. local time to walk to a friend's house in Colorado Springs. Ashley Franco: She buys ingredients for a sweet potato casserole. "Today is all about Suzanne, and it's about her family, and it's about all the individuals that knew her and loved her and cared about her. But the abduction theory could not be so easily dismissed especially after that mysterious DNA was found in Suzanne's Range Rover. Clint Cline has known Frazee for seven years. POLICE CHIEF MILES DE YOUNG [to reporters]: We are treating Kelsey's disappearance as a missing person's case at this time. You know, it is a computer Log files, they only last so long. He was not happy that she didn't go through with it. Husband of missing Colorado woman arrested, charged with murder year There was no working tranquilizer rifle found in the Morphew's home. Stories About Missing Teen - CBS Colorado There's bloody footprints every inch of the townhome is covered in blood. Missing Person(s) Resource Page | Colorado Bureau of Investigation Berreth is carrying a poinsettia plant she had just purchased at Safeway. But the truck's computers show that someone was opening and closing the truck's doors around 3:30 a.m. Investigators believe Barry began driving toward Broomfield much earlier than he claimed, but there is a 4-hour windowapproximately 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.when no activity was recorded by the vehicle's computers. If you are looking for statistics on missing persons in Colorado, our library can help. Dan Ridenour: They had a couple of daughters one in college And they had a daughter in high school . Please feel free to contact the Colorado Bureau of Investigation at 303-239-4211 if you have any further questions File: UPs in Colorado 2021 (PDF) 11:44 AM EDT, Sun September 13, 2020. Ashley Franco: When the employee was interviewed, he told investigators that the room that Barry checked out of, it had a strong smell of chlorine or bleach. If the body proves to be there, further forensic examination could potentially inculpate or exculpate the Defendant," the filing states. "Prosecutors need to be held responsible, and they need to pay for the damage they caused to Barry, which is frankly nearly irreparable. KMVT ANCHOR: Tonight, we have new information about a 32-year-old Twin Falls woman that may have helped Patrick Frazee cover up the disappearance and alleged murder of his fiance, Kelsey Berreth. Market data provided by Factset. ABC News was unable to reach Morphew's attorney. Although he did not come forward on his own, Jeff did assist agents after they found him. But it did partially match the DNA of an unknown male who had attacked other women and it raised a disturbing question: had Suzanne fallen into the hands of a sexual predator? He started a landscaping business. NEWS REPORT: Tonight, the husband of Suzanne Morphew is behind bars accused of killing her. believe he faked 19 calls between the two phones, agreed to plead guilty to evidence tampering, how she said she cleaned up the crime scene. "So, the things that were thrown into the fire by me were the belongings from Kelsey's house, the curtains, the pillows," she tells investigators in the video. Cody Cox: You know, he was real quiet stern He knew what he was doin', 'cause that's what he did in Indiana. In her motion, the DA pointed to the court's decision to bar "several key witnesses without this crucial evidence and without the victim's body, the People cannot move forward at this time in good faith.". He agreed to provide access to his DNA, phone records and his passwords for those deleted accounts. KRYSTAL LEE [points to fireplace]: Right there. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation publishes an annual report on missing children. According to the arrest affidavit previously. Nikki Battiste: Your last witness, I think jaws dropped when he started testifying. Mystery of missing Colorado mother Suzanne Morphew on 'Dateline' Keith Lonnquist and Reggie Franklin (left to right), with El Paso County Search & Rescue, launch a drone to search an area near Drennan Rd for missing, endangered child, Gannon Stauch on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020. CHERYL BERRETH [to reporters]: Kelsey we just want you home. Ashley Franco: When Suzanne and Barry moved to Colorado, Suzanne messaged him on Facebook. "Wait, what?" Michelle Stein: And, so, I was like Well I was in shock at first because who says that? . Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A neighbor reported 49-year-old Suzanne Morphew as missing on May 10, 2020, after she went for a bike ride near Maysville, Colorado, and never returned. Lee was recently divorced with two children. School leaders and community advocates have been sounding the alarm about missing children for months. Andrew Katers: What I'm holding is a TeleDart model 706 rifle they use this a lot in parks throughout the country. Melinda Moorman: My sister had sent me a text message It was very lengthy. Iris Eytan: I didn't know a dismissal was coming today, although the writing was on the wall . Whether investigators ultimately were able to recover some of that missing data or received a tip about the location of Suzanne's remains is not known. Horses, open spaces? So, it wasn't a surprise when a Colorado cowboy named Patrick Frazee caught Kelsey's eye on a dating website in 2016. Friends say Kelsey was struggling to balance the baby, her job and a long commute. Nikki Battiste: Who goes to get a Sonic burger after cleaning up what she describes as a horrific bloody scene for three to four hours? Call us if you can. "We just know our dad better than anyone else, and we know he was not involved in our moms disappearance.". Gauch's stepmother, Letecia, who was arrested March 2, is now facing additional charges. But there were also rumblings about the state of the Morphew's marriage. They bolstered their case with surveillance videos and photos, including one of the black tote in the back of Frazee's truck that Lee says he would use to dispose of her body. There's no evidence to show he was involved. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Patrick Frazee entered a plea of not guilty, but from the beginning, investigators had questions about Patrick Frazee's story starting with his initial claim that the day before Thanksgiving, Kelsey told him she wanted to break up and "go their separate ways.". You can come out here and I'll give you a new way to to kill her. Police say this is likely when Frazee killed her: CHIEF MILES DE YOUNG [to reporters]: investigators have recovered a number of items that make us suspicious that the crime did occur at Kelsey's residence. If you want a pest-free patio this spring, the most important thing you can do is take away those elements that bugs find desirable. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Agents took the circumstantial evidence they gathered Barry's apparently suspicious behavior, his contradictory statements, the puzzling data from his truck, Suzanne's disturbing texts and those five trash runs and brought it all to the district attorney. Michelle Stein: You talk horses and that's you're speaking her love language, you know. Over the course of two years, investigators have announced murder charges, among others, in connection with the case against Suzannes husband, Barry Morphew and then dropped the charges months later, just weeks before he was headed to trial. There was blood on the front of the stove. Cody Cox: She was a sweetheart. Susanne Morphew, center, with daughters Macy, left, and Mallory. MISSING MOM SUZANNE MORPHEW: COLORADO JUDGE DISMISSES CASE AGAINST HUSBAND WEEKS BEFORE TRIAL. "Weve decided we finally want to break the silence," Mallory said. Frazee was driven from the jail in a black SUV. Dan Ridenour: She would have been injured. Patrick Frazee sits in a grim Cripple Creek, Colorado, jail put there by his former girlfriend Krystal Lee for the murder of his fiance Kelsey Berreth. Linda Stanley, district attorney for Colorado's 11th Judicial District, said during the briefing she is "confident" in the charges. Aya Gruber:Yeah, that is you know just something that feels really unbelievable. Peter Van Sant: How do prosecutors interpret that? Gannon is reported missing by his stepmother, Letecia . Like I said, I could hear almost every phone call he had. The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office says that Barry Morphew was arrested this morning. Interactive Map: Help find these missing Colorado children In the months after Suzanne went missing, Jeff kept quiet. Think outside the box this Mothers Day and opt for gifts other than flowers and chocolate. In exchange for her testimony against Frazee, sheagreed to plead guilty to evidence tampering. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. And she was flying planes. This would dispel all rumors of her whereabouts.". The jury needed to hear that, they needed to hear how brutal this was, how uncaring he was. Ashley Franco: They asked her, "when was the last time you talked to him?" Ashley Franco: Investigators find a doorframe within the Morphew home that has been broken. After three-and-a-half hours of deliberations, there was a verdict. In the days, weeks and months after Suzanne Morphew was reported missing on Mother's Day 2020, her trail went cold, but the mother of two's disappearance had become the biggest story in. Ashley Franco: He was furious. They would not, he said, be allowed to testify. They've received 555 tips, but he still hasn't been found. This list will be updated. Records show that Suzanne and Jeff messaged each other 59 times that day, much more than usual, authorities say. Michelle Stein: And she said that he had told her it was because she wanted to take him back to court to get custody of the baby and he was in fear that she was going to harm the baby. Clint Cline: Well, this isn't the most affectionate place in the world [laughs], so I'd say that day, no. CHIEF MILES DE YOUNG [to reporters]: Patrick told officers that he hadn't seen her since Thanksgiving, November 22nd when he exchanged their daughter Kaylee Berreth. But more than 5,600 cases for missing Native women or . It was the early morning hours of Saturday, April, 28, 1990. There was no evidence of any chipmunk shootings around Barry's house. At 8:10 a.m. on Mother's Day morning, the truck's computers again begin recording data. He told agents he was merely being cheap, not criminal. In this still image from video, Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colo., on May 6. She admitted to getting rid of the gun, to tossing Kelsey's keys in a canyon and destroying her phone. Ashley Franco: The prosecution's case is that Barry snapped at one point the day before Mother's Day. Lee went with investigators to Frazee's ranch. Nicole Haywood: From the pictures she's gorgeous, obviously, and very put together and so you might think that she's this prissy girl, but she was not. The case went to the jury. Prosecutor Jennifer Viehman: She was in love with Patrick Frazee and has been for a long time as the trial went on and we saw some of that dark side of Patrick Frazee, that Krystal saw, that Kelsey saw, I think you can understand some of that fear. I don't know their names and I don't know where they live. Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew has been missing since May 10, with investigators now zeroing in on her social media presence By KC Baker Published on November 19, 2020 01:15 PM We, in the Magic Valley, we work hard to be able to do this on the weekends. Almost a year after Kelsey Berreth's disappearance, there was a long line to get a seat in the courtroom at Patrick Frazee's murder trial. In September, Suzanne's brother Andy Moorman initiated an independent, volunteer-run search in the area where she was said to have vanished. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Nicole Haywood: Yeah, she was out their driving tractors and bucking bales. AGENT GREGG SLATER: When you came in what did you see? Ashley Franco: Investigators found Suzanne's bike helmet up that road. The text read in part: "He's also been abusive emotionally and physically I feel more angry now. It took FBI agents six months before they uncovered the identity of Suzanne's secret lover: Jeff Libler, a man Suzanne and Barry knew from their Alexandria, Indiana, high school. He loves her and he misses her, and he wants to know where Suzanne Morphew is. Questions about Gannon's stepmother became so persistent early in the search that she responded twice. I kept telling her to call and tell somebody. I don't know we'll ever understand entirely why she did what she did. Ashley Cogburn: It appeared that way from what I saw And it seemed like it was just knocking her spirit down. Where is Suzanne? Going to jump in the shower. Our library has issues from 1985 to the present on our website. After nearly two months, authorities found Gannon Stauch, an 11-year-old boy from Colorado, who was reported missing in late January on the other side of the country. Gannon disappeared on Jan. 27 from his home in Lorson Ranch, a neighborhood southeast of the Colorado Springs Airport. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Surveillance image shows Frazee at an ATM earlier that day with a black tote in his truck. A closer look at Kelsey and her fianc's cell phone activity Thanksgiving weekend would lead them to her suspected killer. Colorado, by comparison, has 186 missing persons cases still open from 2000 to the present, the 21st highest number in the country. Because it's hard for anybody to believe that Barry is not who they claim he was.". Was she in love with him? I would never, never, ever hurt this child. Who'd even wanna hurt her?". LOL??". Ashley Franco: Barry Morphew is wearing an ankle monitor for them to track him, to make sure that he is staying in Chaffee County. It is important to note, however, that over time missing persons are found and their cases are no longer considered open, so they are removed from this accounting. Nikki Battiste: And the first idea on how to kill Kelsey was what? Nikki Battiste: Did she sound normal? Though widely visible, the Morphew tragedy is far from the only open missing persons case in the state. She pointed out where she claims she intentionally left blood for them to find. I was probably walking around my house shooting chipmunks.". During her interview with investigators, Lee said Frazee told her while baby Kaylee was in another room, he took a baseball bat and "he went to swinging.". KRYSTAL LEE: I did. Suzanne competed for homecoming queen. "And thats my point. Defense attorney Eytan denies Barry has any involvement in his wife's disappearance. Melinda Moorman: Barry was very dominant in the relationship, and my sister was a very passive, gentle soul he had a great tendency to overpower, intimidate people to get what he wanted. A Colorado Springs boy who disappeared in January 2020 and whose remains were found two months later in a suitcase 1,400 miles away, was shot in the jaw and stabbed at . Kade Atwood[on horesback]: This is Krystal's world. Almost a year ago, the murder charge against Barry Morphew was dismissed. Ashley Franco: He saw a herd of elk, and he's a hunter. There's blood everywhere. She was a real kind lady She's almost like an angel, like somethin' you'd see off a Hallmark movie, you know real nice, almost too perfect. I'm just ready for Gannon to come home.". Gas prices are dropping, Cron powers Rockies to 12-4 win over Diamondbacks, Former Broncos players daughter drowns in pool, Avs forward Cogliano fractured neck in Game 6, Barry Morphew arrested on murder charge in disappearance of wife, Suzanne Morphew, Timeline: What we know about the disappearance of Suzanne Morphew, Video: See the moment Barry Morphew was arrested, While Barry Morphew has been charged with murder, 5 brands that consistently make great Chromebooks, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day. They argued that they felt they were close to finding Suzanne Morphew's remains, which could help or hurt their case against Barry. We've compiled this list of children still listed as missing by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Aya Gruber: The critical question is what happened in between around 1:30, 1:45 and 3:30 when they get that picture of him. Meanwhile, Jeff Libler was cleared. Nationally, there are 374 missing persons cases that remain open from the year 2000. This photo taken from police body cam footage shows Suzanne Morphew's mountain bike after being discovered by sheriff's deputies on the side of a cliff off a road near the family home. Morphews daughters, Macy and Mallory, stood by their father during an interview with ABC, which aired Friday. Murphy said he was "obligated" to set bond for Barry. Prosecutors say he later used this gas to burn Kelsey Berreth's body at his ranch. Michelle Stein: So, I was supposed to call somewhere in Colorado and say, hey there's some guy in Colorado that wants to kill some girl. PeterVan Sant: So, if Suzanne had been struck by one of these darts would she have time to run around, try to escape? Ashley Franco: But it's suspicious that you would go to five different trash areas to dispose of several things. After the judge granted the motion to dismiss homicide charges against Barry, he walked out of court a free man, flanked as usual by his loyal daughters. Nikki Battiste: But, I think, Michelle, people watching will say "call the police." And it's just not right. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Yet, there she was shopping the next day for the family dinner. That's what she liked. Tools including a shovel. Nikki Battiste: What are you thinking at that point? After that,, Stock market today: Markets steady after latest bank, Insider Q&A: Aurora CEO Chris Urmson on self-driving, A good sign for summer travel? A Warner Bros. The Colorado Cold Case Database features unsolved homicides, missing person, and unidentified person cases to assist law enforcement agencies in the development of information, which can lead to the identification, and arrest of any person(s) who may have committed any crime described on this page. Frazee chose not to testify. Lee claims she waited for Kelsey outside her home. What Lee revealed to investigators would become the center of the prosecution's case against Patrick Frazee. Her husband posted an emotional plea. Kade Atwood:Krystal and her family are a big part of the rodeo community. On nearly the anniversary of Suzanne's disappearance, Barry is arrested in May 2021. Patrick Frazee sits in a grim Cripple Creek, Colorado, jail - put there by his former girlfriend Krystal Lee - for the murder of his fiance Kelsey Berreth . All rights reserved. Cody Cox: I talked pretty highly about Barry 'cause I was with him all the time. Barry Morphew previously said investigators were trying to blame him for the May 10 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne. Barry knew that his daughters would be away on their camping trip that Saturday afternoon and authorities say he took advantage of that opportunity to kill Suzanne and clean up the crime scene. No one knows. Police: Teacher 'grazed' after gun fired in Tennessee school And she said, "Yeah he asked me if I would kill the mother of his baby.". so, I was like. Then, she changed her story. Da: Authorities Are "Close" to Finding Suzanne'S Body Andrew Katers, the owner and CEO of Animal Care and Equipment Services, showed us a tranquilizer rifle he'd typically use on animals. Kelsey loves her God, she loves her family and friends and she loves her job. Even after their daughter Kaylee was born in October 2017, the couple still didn't live together but shared parenting duties. She says, "I'm new to the neighborhood, someone had told me that you had helped get my dogs out of trouble" and Kelsey says, "no, I didn't do that.". That is the connective thread for everything," says University of Colorado law professor Aya Gruber. Barry was a star baseball player who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. Suzanne's sister Melinda says she agrees with the request to dismiss charges against Barry at this point. Gannon's biological mother and father make a gut-wrenching plea together for anyone with information to come forward. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. "He just broke down crying and said, 'She lied. We certainly see a certain amount of justice but not the justice this case deserves. Details on what led to the discovery were not released, but the El Paso County Sheriff's Office asked for anyone who had seen Letecia Stauch in Florida from March 3 to 5 to come forward. CHIEF MILES DE YOUNG [to reporters]: Today we arrested Patrick Frazee on charges of first-degree murder of Kelsey Berreth As a reminder Patrick Frazee is presumed innocent until proven guilty. '", Dan Ridenour [reading]: "And I'll tell you exactly what I did I shoot 'em. What do authorities believe happened during that time? The tale begins with the haunting images of a mother in the grocery store shopping with her baby. "There was blood on the wall here, there was blood on the wall here, and there was blood right here," Lee points out to investigators in video obtained by "48 Hours.". They seem outlandish and wild. This image was captured shortly before her murder. And then that's it. Families of missing Black men plead for police accountability Peter Van Sant: Why is data missing sometimes? I guess that's what people think I should have done. So if you have anything that's credible, if you're afraid, don't worry about it. She told them that she and Patrick went to the ranch together, and that she watched him burn that tote along with other evidence. Laura Stutzman has known Lee since she was a teenager. Ashley Franco: That he could be cleaning up a crime scene. / CBS News, [This story originally aired on January 22, 2022. Updated: Feb 25, 2022 / 12:55 PM EST (NBC News) Friday on "Dateline," when Colorado mother Suzanne Morphew vanishes on Mother's Day in 2020, investigators are left with minimal clues until a. Details on the circumstances of the boy's death have been sparse, however, with authorities keeping a tight lip about the investigation.