When Suzanne Morphew disappeared on Mother’s Day back in 2020, one of the people who refused to let her name fade into the background was her friend, Tisha Leewaye.
While the rest of the world watched the mystery unfold from afar, Tisha was out in the Colorado wilderness with volunteers, combing the woods near Suzanne’s home and desperately trying to find answers.
She wasn’t part of law enforcement. She didn’t have high-tech gear or a badge.
Just a bond with Suzanne and a gut feeling that something was terribly wrong.
A Mother Missing, A Family in Turmoil
Suzanne, 43, vanished on May 10, 2020, the day meant to celebrate mothers.
Her husband, Barry Morphew, was out of town for work, and neither he nor their two daughters could reach her.
When neighbors couldn’t find her either, the panic began.
At first, the story was that Suzanne had gone out for a bike ride and never returned.
But Barry’s theories were all over the place—maybe she was kidnapped, attacked by a mountain lion, or had an accident.
Then came the first eerie discovery: her bike was found down a steep hill near the house, looking oddly placed.
Her helmet turned up later—almost a mile away by the highway.
Something about the scene didn’t sit right with police.
A Search Turns Sour
Tisha organized one of many search parties near the area where the bike was discovered.
But what should’ve been a united community effort turned uncomfortable fast.
An elderly man with their group accidentally wandered onto the Morphew property—only to be met by Barry, allegedly armed with a shotgun, screaming at him to get off the land.
“It was shocking,” Tisha told Daily Mail. “Why would someone act like that when we were trying to find his wife?” she wondered.
“Now we know why—he never wanted her to be found.”
As time dragged on with no sign of Suzanne, Tisha kept pushing forward, even as Barry reportedly drove by angrily and shouted at the searchers.
Signs of a Troubled Marriage Behind the Disappearance
Soon, the cracks in the perfect-family image began to show.
While Barry publicly claimed they had a loving marriage, investigators found something very different: Suzanne had been having an affair with her married high school boyfriend—and she had told Barry days before she went missing that she was done.
Text messages recovered later showed years of tension.
Suzanne had accused Barry of emotional abuse and even referenced a disturbing moment when he allegedly put a gun to his head in a desperate plea to keep her from leaving.
Suspicious Clues and a Chilling Discovery
Barry’s behavior raised even more eyebrows. He had visible scratches on his arms when police interviewed him two days after Suzanne’s disappearance.
Investigators found evidence he had made several trash dumps at odd locations far from home.
Inside the Morphew residence, police discovered a live .22 caliber bullet near Suzanne’s bed and—strangely—a needle cap from a tranquilizer dart in the dryer.
Eventually, they found a dart gun, empty darts, and needles—tools Barry said he used to hunt deer. But the implication was sinister.
An Arrest, a Collapse, and a Lawsuit
A year after Suzanne disappeared, Barry was arrested and charged with her murder.
Investigators believed he killed her on May 9 and got rid of her body the next morning.
Her last message, to her secret boyfriend, was sent at 2:13 p.m. on May 9—about half an hour before Barry returned home.
Strangely, Barry’s phone kept going into airplane mode that night, and his truck door opened and closed several times during the early hours of May 10.
Still, the case fell apart before it ever went to trial.
The charges were dropped, with prosecutors saying they needed more time to find her remains.
Barry hit back with a $15 million lawsuit, accusing investigators of framing him. It was dismissed in 2024.
A Heartbreaking Breakthrough in ‘The Boneyard’
Then, in September 2023—more than three years later—Suzanne’s remains were found in a shallow grave in an area ominously known as “The Boneyard,” near Moffat, Colorado.
The remains were so degraded that no cause of death could be confirmed.
But toxicology results told another story: traces of BAM, a powerful animal tranquilizer mix, were found in her bones.
Another Arrest and a Stronger Case
Just after Father’s Day 2025, police made their move again.
Barry Morphew was arrested during a traffic stop in Cave Creek, Arizona—his new home.
Prosecutors believe they finally have the smoking gun: prescription records show Barry was the only private citizen in the area who had access to BAM when Suzanne went missing.
They also suspect Suzanne wasn’t killed where her body was buried—and that her remains had been moved.
Forensic experts said her cycling clothes were too intact and her bones too clean for the site to be the original burial place.
Barry Pleads Not Guilty as Daughters Stand By Him
Barry appeared in court this week in Arizona, waived his extradition rights, and will be sent back to Colorado.
His bond has been set at $3 million. As before, he’s pleading not guilty.
Leewaye, who has always believed Barry was involved, isn’t expecting him to crack. “He’s too arrogant,” she said.
And while the new evidence might be powerful, she thinks his daughters, Mallory and Macy, will keep defending him.
“They’ve already lost their mom—they don’t want to lose their dad too,” she added.
Justice for Suzanne: The Fight Isn’t Over
In the years since Suzanne disappeared, Tisha Leewaye founded the Justice for Suzanne Morphew group.
She’s held vigils, fundraisers, and continued to speak out.
Now, she’s planning to attend every one of Barry’s court hearings to remind everyone that Suzanne’s life mattered.
“Barry thought she’d be forgotten,” she said. “But we’re not going anywhere.
We’ll be right there in court making sure justice is done.”
The Legal Battle Ahead
Barry’s lawyers have remained firm. One of them, David Beller, dismissed the new indictment as more of the same.
“The case hasn’t changed,” he insisted. “And neither will the outcome.”
For now, no next court date has been set. But for the people still fighting for Suzanne’s memory, the clock is ticking—and the courtroom is waiting.