Ashley Cogburn, Amanda Smith and Nicole Haywood had an unbreakable bond with Kelsey. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Aya Gruber: The theory that the prosecution is going to put forward is that that was Patrick with her phone and he's texting, pretending to be Kelsey. Ashley Franco: Investigators find a doorframe within the Morphew home that has been broken. Amanda Smith: I did. And Krystal Lee had already lied to law enforcement, so she's the one to blame for this. The state currently has eight such cases since last May. A cadaver dog alerted to the area. There was no evidence of any chipmunk shootings around Barry's house. Authorities say Barry Morphew told them he went to bed around 8 p.m. on May 9, but his truck's computer shows the truck, seen in this evidence photo, was put in reverse and backed up towards the house around 9:30 p.m. On May 10, 2020, the day Suzanne Morphew is reported missing, investigators discovered Barry Morphew threw out trash at multiple locations around Broomfield, Colorado, while in town for work. Morphewwas chargedin May 2021 with murder, tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with physical evidence, among others, in connection with the May 2020 disappearance and presumed death of his wife. Aya Gruber: Everything. Nikki Battiste: But, I think, Michelle, people watching will say "call the police." Attorney Iris Eytan laid out 12 specific complaints against 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley and six other prosecutors involved in the case. The love affair between Suzanne and Jeff became a key part of the investigation as agents tried to figure out what happened to her on that Saturday, May 9, the day before Mother's Day. A few days later, investigators found an item possibly belonging to her, but several searches that included waterways did not turn up a body. It may have looked incriminating, but Barry claims it was just another day at the office. Nearly two years after Suzanne Morphew, a mother of two, disappeared on Mother's Day, authorities say they are "close to discovering the victim's body" but need to wait for snowpack to melt. In 2008, she was crowned queen of the Magic Valley Rodeo. Where is Suzanne? How do I keep bugs off my patio this spring? He said he doesn't expect there to be any further arrests at this time. But Barry helped fill in some of the missing data. "I'm literally just there to search -- I need to find her, need to bring her home, give her a proper burial and closure for my family," he told Denver ABC affiliate KMGH. Nikki Battiste: When you hear that Patrick said Kelsey was unstable that she was maybe suicidal. Aya Gruber: This is a case without a body. Kade Atwood:Krystal and her family are a big part of the rodeo community. Colorado Cold Case Files - Home Page Peter Van Sant: It's something like eight out of 10 times, when a spouse dies the other one's involved. The Glacier Gorge Traverse is an expansive route that touches 11 summits in the Rocky Mountains over approximately 19 miles. Ashley Franco: They found trace amounts of blood everywhere in the bathroom. Ashley Franco: There was a point in time when Patrick Frazee had told Krystal Lee, when you go to clean up her townhome, there is possibly a tooth somewhere. Market data provided by Factset. As for Krystal Lee, she's facing a maximum of up to three years in prison. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 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. Investigators found no proof Kelsey had harmed her daughter but did find evidence that Frazee had planned to challenge Kelsey for custody and believe that may have been his motive for murder. 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.". Family members previously said Barry Morphew was out of town in Denver when his wife disappeared, CBS affiliate KCNC reported. "Jeff" turned out to be Jeff Libler and he had a wife and six children in Michigan where he lived. Dan Ridenour [riding in car with Peter Van Sant]: What happened on this road is a real mystery. Friends say Kelsey was struggling to balance the baby, her job and a long commute. "So, what this case lives and dies on is the testimony of Krystal Lee. We've compiled this list of children still listed as missing by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 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. The neighbor of a Salida, Colorado construction site where the husband of Suzanne Morphew, who has been missing since Mother's Day, worked as a landscaper is now reporting she heard a mysterious, ongoing loud noise emanating from the property the night before mom of two disappeared, the Daily Mail reports. Girlfriend of convicted killer shows cops where she cleaned up victims blood. 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. Missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew's home sells for $1.6M nearly 10 Here's the timeline of Suzanne Morphew's disappearance: May 10, 2020: Suzanne Morphew disappeared. Kade Atwood is KMVT's news director and a weekend cowboy. I'll call you guys when I get out. / CBS News, Produced by Marcelena Spencer and Susan Mallie, [This story previously aired on November 23, 2019. Officials believe that Steven Grunwald, 24, from Greenville, New York, was attempting the Glacier Gorge . 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 . Ashley Franco: And at that point Krystal knows something has happened to Kelsey. I think it's very possible he would have gotten away with that. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. US Marshals find 14-year-old Cleveland girl missing since July in Columbus with 41-year-old man . Ashley Cogburn: You know, he was, like, a country boy and that's what she was used to. Lee, who had cut that deal with prosecutors, seemed shaken when she appeared in court after she turned herself in to authorities. If you wish to submit an anonymous tip, you can do so by calling Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867. The inside of the Morphew family's garage with Barry's collection of deer heads and a pile of antlers. 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. Kelsey would be sitting here talking to you, not us. Ashley Franco: She buys ingredients for a sweet potato casserole. Cody Cox: She was a sweetheart. In this still image from video, Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colo., Thursday, May 6, 2021. Im not about finding somebody guilty or trying to inflict punishment on anyone. Hiker Steve Grunwald went missing at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. There's no evidence to show he was involved. There was no working tranquilizer rifle found in the Morphew's home. Michelle Stein: This is the thing. Stauch faces several charges, including first-degree murder of a child, in the presumed death of 11-year-old Gannon Stauch. In this still image from video, Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colo., Thursday, May 6, 2021. AGENT: I believe yesterday you said that you also collected wood and put it into the burn pit? There's plenty of places to dispose of of a body. She did not speak during her appearance, but authorities said they had filed over 100 search warrants in the case and were confident the boy's stepmother was their suspect. Dan Ridenour: She was new at mountain biking. I met her one day, she came out during one of the trimmings and spent the day. Decades passed until Suzanne reached out to Jeff, out of the blue, in 2018. 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. Kelsey didn't seem all that worried about it. "No questions asked, however much they want, I will do whatever it takes to get you back," he said. 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. She can be seen holding a poinsettia. May 11, 2020: Search efforts continue with drones and scent-tracking dogs. Ashley Franco: Jeff and Suzanne had talked about moving away moving to Ecuador at one point . April 19, 2022: The prosecution was manufacturing a murder case: May 6, 2022: Morphew, along with his daughters, June 1, 2022: Linda Stanley, the district attorney in the Morphew case, was. Andrew Katers: She could. A neighbor comes forward with surveillance footage that he says shows Letecia Stauch leaving the house with him and returning hours later alone. Colorado Bureau of Investigation Phone . April 19, 2022, 1:46 PM PDT. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The 5,798 missing kindergartners and 13,802 students missing in first through fifth grade account for almost two-thirds of the enrollment decline. Ashley Franco: The prosecution's case is that Barry snapped at one point the day before Mother's Day. This is completely out of character. "In fact, there is DNA that is placed on all the critical items of evidence in this case on the bike, on the bike helmet, in the house, in the car that is linked to unknown males and has been linked to convicted sex offenders in this country. Despite that, the judge ruled there was probable cause to go to trial. Stories About Missing Teen - CBS Colorado Missing Teen Found In Colorado Springs A 13-year-old disappeared and then was found in Colorado Springs. He entered the courthouse through a white tent -- out of sight from the media. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Investigators asked Barry to explain that unusual phone activity. Lee told investigators after the cleanup she met with Frazee. Of 543,018 people reported missing in 2020, more than 182,000 or . Involving Krystal was -- it was a stupid plan. It was Cheryl Berreth who reported her 29-year-old daughter missing after trying to reach her for days. Dan Ridenour has covered the story for his local morning show. On the way, Barry speaks to sheriff deputies who advise him they've found Suzanne's bike and he arrives at that ravine at around 8:40 p.m. Ashley Franco: And investigators say that when he arrived there, he was pretty emotional for a few minutes. Park rangers are searching for a missing hiker at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Imagine my son. He came home around 3 p.m. on May 9, 2020 and had a pleasant evening with Suzanne. As Colorados population has gone up, so has its annual number of missing persons. Nikki Battiste: Is there justice for Kelsey and Kaylee? Elena DiFiore is the field producer. They steadfastly support their father, attending most of his court hearings like this one in December 2021. Suzanne Morphew, 49, disappeared on Mother's Day last year. They said that weather complicated recovery efforts, but believed they were close to locating her body. In September 2021 at the Chaffee County Courthouse in Salida, Judge Patrick Murphy heard arguments about whether there was enough evidence to try Barry Morphew for murder. Peter Van Sant: How do prosecutors interpret that? Records show that Suzanne and Jeff messaged each other 59 times that day, much more than usual, authorities say. and last updated 2020-02-07 13:48:35-05. And Barry's truck told a different story than what he was telling investigators. This Internet advisory, accessed Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020 from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, shows Gannon Stauch, of Colorado Springs, Colo. El Paso County Law enforcement and volunteers use poles to search snowy areas for 11-year-old missing Colorado Springs boy Gannon Stauch on private property in southern Douglas County near Larkspur Colo., on Feb. 13, 2020. Patrick Frazee, seen in court before his trial for the murder of Kelsey Berreth, was sentenced to life in prison plus 156 years. DA Dan May: She did. Gannon Stauch Was Shot in Jaw, Stabbed 18 Times, Colorado Detective Berreth is carrying a poinsettia plant she had just purchased at Safeway. Nikki Battiste: Describe to me what was in the 16 notes passed between Patrick and the former inmate. That's exactly what we did here. 11:44 AM EDT, Sun September 13, 2020. According to Lee, Kelsey's body was not inside. He told investigators he often dropped trash in accessible bins to avoid paying to have it disposed of at a landfill. Dan Ridenour: I came home every day and my wife asked me, "had they found her yet?". And when she comes, hit her on the back of the head. 1 arrested in Michigan in connection to fatal 2020 shooting of 8-year-old girl at birthday party . August 1, 2020 / 11:03 PM Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Prosecutor Beth Reed: He actually had started calling our office while we were in the middle of trial. 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. What you need to know about bank, BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this spring, Mothers Day inspo: This foot massager has 20,000, Drew Barrymores Walmart collection is perfect for, Best Mothers Day gifts for the budding plant mom, Best Mothers Day Gifts for moms obsessed with books, Search continues for missing Lakewood man, Denver restaurant closes after 50 years in business, Set of quadruplets set to graduate from MSU together, Air pollution on the Front Range has gotten worse, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Ashley Franco: The judge says that because of the evidence that's been presented about how loving Suzanne was toward her daughters and toward her family that she could never do that.". Ashley Franco: Barry Morphew is wearing an ankle monitor for them to track him, to make sure that he is staying in Chaffee County. Letecia Stauch is arrested and held without bond in Horry County, South Carolina, before she is extradited to Colorado Springs. Cody Cox: : they seemed to communicate pretty well. Investigators found this clear plastic needle cap in the Morphew family's dryer. A week later she says Frazee called with a new murder plan. A surveillance image shows Frazee at a gas station. The way Krystal Lee tells it, she drove to Kelsey's house with that metal pipe, but didn't attack her and drove back to Idaho. . Colorado has an even lower ranking for the number of missing persons per capita. A neighbor reported her missing, officials said at the time. Investigators believe that during these "trash runs," he was disposing of evidence in different places within the Denver area. Ashley Franco | KKTV reporter: Right the last day she's seen publicly. Aya Gruber: The prosecution's theory is that at some point, when Barry came home on the 9th and snapped, and decided to murder Suzanne, he used a tranquilizer dart that you would use on animals . Andrew Katers, the owner and CEO of Animal Care and Equipment Services, showed us a tranquilizer rifle he'd typically use on animals. Unable to track Barry's cell phone, investigators tapped into a relatively new investigative technique digital vehicle forensics to pull a stream of data out of Barry's Ford truck. Today, her husband Barry Morphew was arrested on murder charges by Chaffee County Sherriffs Department. NEWS REPORT: Tonight, the husband of Suzanne Morphew is behind bars accused of killing her. Nikki Battiste: What does she buy here at Safeway? Sean Garrison, Grunwalds brother, told CNN that his brother is an adept hiker and climber who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and most of the peaks in the Adirondacks in New York, along with other locations across the US and Mexico. Park rangers are searching for a missing hiker at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Can there ever be justice? She could have saved Kelsey so many times over so many months, and it's totally inexcusable. 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. For the year 2020, there are 1,186 missing persons cases that remain open. They stand firmly behind their dad. Ashley Franco: He was furious. And with so few answers, rumors have persisted. Another big question investigators had was when Frazee said he last saw Kelsey. A slew of text messages between Suzanne Morphew and a close friend in the months and days leading up to her disappearance reveal the Morphews' marriage remained rocky. Ashley Franco: They pulled cell phone records and found that on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, all of a sudden Kelsey's phone and Patrick's phone started traveling together But Patrick and Kelsey were not together. One woman may have the answer. Peter Van Sant: And what did she message him? Ashley Franco: That he could be cleaning up a crime scene. On May 9, 2020, the day before Mother's Day,records show Suzanne Morphew and Jeff Libler messaged each other 59 times leading up to the moment investigators believe Barry Morphew murdered his wife. The law enforcement teams looked into more than 1,400 tips. They grew up together in Moses Lake, Washington. You heard right it was perhaps the world's first chipmunk alibi. No one knows. By Amy Zimmer: Published on February 3, 2017. 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.". Prosecutor Beth Reed: Well, they were requests that a certain number of witnesses needed to disappear, but it was very specific as to Krystal Lee, graphic descriptions of what needed to happen to Krystal Lee he described putting a bullet in her head. Dan Ridenour: Which would be to our left. Dan Ridenour: Maybe a new place, a new home, new scenery around them would strengthen their family and therefore strengthen their marriage. Nikki Battiste:None of you received any responses? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Suzanne, who shared two daughters with her husband, disappeared on May 10, 2020, near the small mountain town of Salida, in Chaffee County. Peter Van Sant [at ravine]: Where was the mountain bike found? Missing Mom Suzanne Morphew Presumed Dead in Father's Obituary - People By looking through the couple's iCloud accounts and phone records, agents were able to piece together their relationship, including the times they met in person. Peter Van Sant: And what kinda boss was he? Laura Stutzman: Krystal was so kind with everybody that it was just so difficult to turn her down in any way. So if you have anything that's credible, if you're afraid, don't worry about it. Kelsey loves her God, she loves her family and friends and she loves her job. Michelle Stein: And, so, I was like Well I was in shock at first because who says that? Say, "you need to talk to my friend. "This area received a significant amount of snow over the winter months before a search could be completed," the motion states. Barry ultimately hired high-profile lawyers from Denver, and, in the summer of 2021, Judge Patrick Murphy heard the prosecution's evidence in open court. I would do anything to have stopped that somehow. Because it's hard for anybody to believe that Barry is not who they claim he was.". Nikki Battiste: Krystal had a reputation of getting what she wanted? May 14, 2020 . Peter Van Sant: And this does not fire bullets or shot? Stephen A. McCain is the development producer. "Prosecutors need to be held responsible, and they need to pay for the damage they caused to Barry, which is frankly nearly irreparable. / CBS News, [This story originally aired on January 22, 2022. Barry Morphew previously said investigators were trying to blame him for the May 10 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne. And he's like, an inspiration to me almost he was a real cool guy. The El Paso County District Attorney's Office to file nine additional charges against his stepmother, including one count of first-degree murder after deliberation and eight counts of committing a crime of violence. Letecia Stauch makes her first appearance in Colorado, after being extradited from South Carolina where she was arrested. Prosecutor Beth Reed | Teller County DA's Office: Very charming, very manipulative, and controlling, all traits consistent with being a sociopath. Atticus Brady, Michael Baluzy and George Baluzy are the editors. Two days later, on Saturday morning, Lee says she drove 800 miles to Frazee's ranch to pick up a set of Kelsey's keys he left for her outside. This is a case without a lot of physical evidence. Despite the intensity of the investigation into 49-year-old Suzanne's disappearance . Cogburn says Kelsey once mentioned there may have been another woman in Frazee's life. Barry talked to investigators dozens of times, but they believe he knows more than he's saying. appreciated. Horses, open spaces? And there was one more crucial issue the prosecution had to deal with one that its own forensic team uncovered. During the investigation, the FBI got a tip that Michelle Stein had explosive information about the case. DA Dan May: Justice in this case? Then, eight months before Kelsey disappeared, Lee and Frazee's relationship heated up. First published on November 23, 2019 / 11:02 PM. Last May, he shared an emotional video pleading for her to come home. Stepmom of Gannon Stauch Allegedly Searched 'I Don't Like My Stepson' While Barry Morphew has been charged with murder, Suzannes disappearance remains an open missing person case because her remains have not been found. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP). According to the arrest affidavit previously. Police later examined the spot where they believe Kelsey's body was burned. Nikki Battiste: What was Krystal's tone when she was telling you this? Gannon's younger sister, Laila, also sat down with the parents for the statement. Cody Cox: So, when I heard about the news, I didn't believe it I heard it actually on the radio. He's being held without bail. Peter Van Sant: From 2:47 p.m. until 10:17 p.m., just under 8 hours, Barry's phone goes into airplane mode. And it's just not right. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Sunday marked the second Mothers Day without missing Colorado woman Suzanne Morphew since the mom of two disappeared in 2020. "He just broke down crying and said, 'She lied. The case has made national headlines and brought people across the country. The defense tried mightily to blunt the state's case, countering that the clear, plastic cap found in the dryer means nothing because no one could say how long it had been there. Nikki Battiste: What does Krystal do next? They wanted tosplit custody fifty/fifty and they were just not meshing anymore. Suzanne's sister Melinda says she agrees with the request to dismiss charges against Barry at this point. Agents are able to track Barry's cell and truck movements and can see that he first pulled over at a Broomfield bus stop where he discarded something in a garbage can. I saw blood up the wall. Tools including a shovel. Ashley Franco: The first idea was to get aCaramel Macchiato from Starbucks, Kelsey's favorite drink and put poison in it. Tuesday will mark two years since Morphew was last seen on May. I'll poison the coffee.". Colorado boy Gannon Stauch's body found 2 months after going missing Neighbor reports 'loud noise' night before Colorado mom went missing Aya Gruber:Yeah, that is you know just something that feels really unbelievable. 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. CONEJOS COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - As the investigation continues into an unsettling case centered around a rural area in Colorado, authorities have . Here is somebody who arguably had the last communication with Suzanne before she went missing. Lee claims Frazee was back at his ranch during the cleanup. Nikki Battiste: Do you think if Patrick hadn't involved Krystal, he would've gotten away with Kelsey's murder? When investigators tell Barry of the affair, he denies knowing anything about it. Investigators also uncovered DNA on the glovebox of Suzanne Morphew's Range Rover, which traced back to an unknown male connected to three sexual assaults. 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.". Lee was recently divorced with two children. Lee claims she waited for Kelsey outside her home. Ashley Franco: They were using Barry's own car against him. Barry, investigators say, told them he didn't know how the cap got there, but admitted he was an experienced tranquilizer dart gun shooter. Peter Van Sant: Why is data missing sometimes? Alerts | Colorado Bureau of Investigation Suzanne Morphew, the mother of two daughters, disappeared on May 10, 2020, Mothers' Day, in the Salida area of Colorado. Iris Eytan: I didn't know a dismissal was coming today, although the writing was on the wall . El Paso County Sheriff's Office Allen would not elaborate on what he believes happened to Gannon. Lee says he was buying gas to start a fire: Kelsey's body was moved to Frazee's ranch: AGENT: Were your present when he started the fire? At 8:10 a.m. on Mother's Day morning, the truck's computers again begin recording data. She described to them how he said he lured Kelsey to her death. 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. The DNA also did not match Suzanne's lover Jeff Libler. April 30 is Suzanne Morphew's birthday. Michelle Stein: She was bawling. Today has officially been declared Colorado Missing Persons Day . PeterVan Sant: So, if Suzanne had been struck by one of these darts would she have time to run around, try to escape? I excuse me [in tears]. Lee also went with investigators to Kelsey's home she's wearing a police jacket and hat. Stein claims she didn't know the full names of either Frazee or Berreth. So how did her phone end up in Idaho? Frazee was driven from the jail in a black SUV. Missing Person(s) Resource Page | Colorado Bureau of Investigation A surveillance image from November 22, 2018 shows the last time Kelsey Berreth was seen in public. Clint Cline: He trims their feet.
Sam Stein And Nicolle Wallace Relationship,
Police Activity Contra Costa County,
10,000 Odds Prediction,
Articles M
missing in colorado 2020