Former Colorado prosecutor believes Barry Morphew will use "alternate suspect" defense
Colin McCallin, a Colorado-based lawyer and former deputy district attorney for the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Colorado, told Fox News Digital he believes Barry Morphew will use an "alternate suspect" defense.
Barry Morphew, accused of killing his wife Suzanne Morphew, returned to court Monday for the first time in months, as prosecutors and defense attorneys prepare for the next phase of a case that began with her disappearance on Mother’s Day 2020.
Morphew entered a not guilty plea Monday in an Alamosa County courtroom to one count of first-degree murder in connection with his wife's death.
His defense attorney entered the plea on his behalf and told the judge that Morphew is waiving his right to a speedy trial, which under Colorado law would otherwise require the case to be tried within 180 days.
A trial in the case is currently scheduled to begin Oct. 13. The court also set a status conference for March 9 and a motions hearing for July 6.
BARRY MORPHEW ACCUSED OF WIFE SUZANNE’S MURDER: SEE HOW THE 5-YEAR COLORADO MURDER MYSTERY UNRAVELED
Barry Morphew leaves a Fremont County court building in Canon City, Colo., with his daughters, Macy, left, and Mallory, after charges against him in the presumed death of his wife were dismissed Tuesday, April 19, 2022. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP)
Suzanne disappeared from the couple’s home in Chaffee County on May 10, 2020, prompting a massive search that initially turned up few answers.
Morphew was first charged with her murder in 2021, but those charges were dropped the following year after prosecutors cited issues with the case and said they were close to discovering new evidence that could change its direction. His defense team argued at the time the case was dismissed because prosecutors were unlikely to win at trial.
After the charges were dropped, Morphew left Colorado and relocated to Cave Creek, Arizona — more than 600 miles from where Suzanne disappeared. While living there, he kept a low profile and used aliases, including "Bruce" and "Lee Moore." Acquaintances later told Fox News Digital they were unaware of his connection to the high-profile Colorado case until his re-arrest.
Suzanne’s remains were discovered in September 2023 in a shallow grave in the San Luis Valley, roughly an hour south of the family’s home. An autopsy later ruled her death a homicide.
BARRY MORPHEW MAY USE MYSTERY DNA FOR DEFENSE IN WIFE’S MURDER: FORMER PROSECUTOR
Libby Spruill said Barry Morphew flirted with him when they were at Harold's Cave Creek Corral in 2024. (Libby Spruill)
According to court records, a powerful animal tranquilizer known as BAM — a combination of butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine — was found in Suzanne's bone marrow. Prosecutors said the presence of a metabolized form of the drug indicates she was alive long enough to process it, ruling out accidental or environmental contamination.
The indictment alleges Morphew had access to BAM through his work with deer and was the only private citizen in the area known to possess the drug at the time of Suzanne’s disappearance. Investigators have also pointed to evidence involving a tranquilizer dart rifle found in the home, along with phone and vehicle data they say contradict Morphew’s account of events.
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Barry Morphew was previously booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
A Colorado grand jury re-indicted Morphew in June 2025. He was arrested in Goodyear, Arizona, extradited to Colorado and later released on bond in September after supporters helped post part of his $3 million bond. He remains under house arrest with an ankle monitor.
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Legal analysts said the defense is expected to focus on alternate suspect theories as the case moves forward.
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Colin McCallin, a Colorado-based attorney and former deputy district attorney, previously told Fox News Digital he expects Morphew’s legal team to challenge the prosecution’s narrative and attempt to introduce evidence pointing to another potential suspect as proceedings continue.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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