Barry Morphew, Colorado man accused of killing his wife Suzanne Morphew, enters not guilty plea

Barry Morphew, the Colorado man who has been arrested and charged with his wife's murder twice, entered a not guilty plea in an Alamosa County courtroom on Monday afternoon. Barry Morphew faces a single charge of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew.

Last summer, Barry Morphew was arrested for the second time on suspicion of killing his wife. She was reported missing on Mother's Day 2020 from Chaffee County, more than three years before her remains were discovered approximately 45 miles away in Saguache County.

He was arrested on June 20, 2025 in Arizona and extradited to Colorado after a grand jury indictment. 

Suzanne Morphew's remains were discovered accidentally in 2023 near the town of Moffat as authorities were searching for another missing woman, a year after prosecutors dropped their initial prosecution of Morphew. That case was dismissed in 2022 without prejudice, meaning the prosecutors could refile those same charges in the future.  

The most recent charges of first-degree murder are being prosecuted by Colorado's 12th Judicial District Attorney's Office after the initial case against him was dropped because of prosecutorial issues with evidence, and former 11th Judicial District DA Linda Stanley was disbarred.  

A 2024 autopsy report stated Suzanne Morphew died of "unspecified means" but ruled her death a homicide. While her remains showed no signs of trauma, investigators found in her bone marrow a drug cocktail used to tranquilize wildlife that her husband had a prescription for, according to the indictment.

Barry Morphew has maintained his innocence since his wife disappeared. He was released from custody on $3 million bond in September 2025.

For his court appearance, Barry Morphew wore a collared shirt and blue jeans. The judge set a trial date of Oct. 13 with a six-week time frame.