Law enforcement officials last week discovered the remains of Suzanne Morphew, the 49-year-old Chaffee County woman missing since 2020 whose disappearance sparked a yearlong search and embroiled her husband Barry Morphew in an ongoing legal battle.

Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents located human remains in the area of Moffat in Saguache County on Friday during an unrelated investigation, according to an announcement from the agency.

Moffat is a town of approximately 100 people located 45 miles south of Maysville, where Morphew lived and was last seen before she was reported missing by a neighbor on Mother’s Day in 2020.

The El Paso County Coroner’s Office identified the remains as Suzanne Morphew on Wednesday.

CBI officials declined to release specific information about the location or state of the remains.

“While this case has garnered attention from around the world, it has touched our community and the sheriff’s office deeply,” Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze said in a statement. “We have never stopped our investigation and will continue to follow all leads in pursuit of justice for Suzanne.”

In a news release, the agency stated no arrests have been made since the remains were located. Prosecutors initially charged Barry Morphew with first-degree murder in his wife’s death, but later dropped the charges after missteps by prosecutors.

Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly was notified because the remains were found in the district, according to the agency. Megan Bagwell, the director of administration for the 12th Judicial District, wrote in an email that it has not been determined whether that district or the 11th Judicial District, which initially prosecuted Barry Morphew, will take up the case. Bagwell declined to comment on the case further. The 11th Judicial District also declined to comment.

Barry Morphew’s attorney, Iris Eytan, said Wednesday that Barry Morphew and his daughters were “struggling with immense shock and grief” after learning Suzanne’s body had been found. She said Barry Morphew is “as innocent as he was from day one.”

“They had faith that their wife and mom would walk back into their lives again,” she said in a statement. “The news is heartbreaking… DA Stanley and law enforcement got it wrong. We hope the authorities will quickly admit their wrongful persecution of Barry, an innocent man, treat the Morphews like the victims they are and charge the person(s) responsible for Suzanne’s killing.”

Suzanne Morphew’s disappearance sparked a massive, yearlong search and led to the arrest of Barry Morphew on suspicion of her murder.

A neighbor reported Suzanne Morphew missing on May 10, 2020, after a bicycle ride, and investigators found her mountain bike in rough terrain at the bottom of a steep ditch off a county road near U.S. 50. Her helmet was found a little less than a mile away a few days later.

The ensuing search involved tracking dogs, water rescue teams and tactical mountain search-and-rescue teams along with volunteers from the community and across the country. Barry Morphew posted a video pleading for his wife’s return on social media the week after she disappeared, and her family offered a $200,000 reward for information leading to her return.

Suzanne Morphew’s brother, Andrew Moorman of Indiana, crowdfunded and organized another search for his sister in September 2020. The case involved 70 investigators serving 135 search warrants, interviewing more than 400 people and reviewing 1,400 tips in the disappearance.

Barry Morphew was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, tampering with a body, possessing an illegal short rifle and attempting to influence a public servant in May 2021.

In early court hearings, prosecutors argued Barry Morphew killed his wife on the night of May 9, 2020, after discovering her nearly two-year extramarital affair, then disposed of her body and staged a bike crash before leaving early the next day to work in Broomfield.

Barry Morphew told investigators he last saw his wife asleep in bed before he left for a landscaping job in Broomfield at around 5 a.m. and did not learn of her disappearance until 12 hours later, when a neighbor called him.

On April 22, 2022 — nearly a year after Barry Morphew was arrested, two years after Suzanne Morphew disappeared and nine days before the case was set to go to trial — 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley dropped all charges against Barry Morphew.

Stanley’s office was barred from using 12 of its 14 expert witnesses after a Fremont County District Court judge found prosecutors engaged in a pattern of “negligent, bordering on reckless” behavior, including missing deadlines, misrepresenting evidence and failing to turn over key information in the case.

The case was dismissed without prejudice, which means charges can be refiled.

In May, Barry Morphew filed a $15 million lawsuit against law enforcement and government officials for what he described as malicious criminal prosecution in his wife’s disappearance. Morphew has maintained his innocence throughout the case, and his two daughters have given public statements of support for their father.

Denver Post staff writer Shelly Bradbury contributed to this report.

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