Ashley Franco: Could this man have had something to do with Suzanne's disappearance? He is described as a fit trail runner, backpacker and climber with backcountry experience who may be wearing a brown beanie, yellow pants, a blue top layer and blue or red shoes, according to the NPS. Of those hundreds of people, there are 73 children whose cases are currently being handled by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Jan. 27. By Amy Zimmer: Published on February 3, 2017. April 30 is Suzanne Morphew's birthday. Prosecutors say he later used this gas to burn Kelsey Berreth's body at his ranch. "The affidavit that was filed in this case was egregious, and wrong, and had so many misstatements that carried it through to preliminary hearing where more lies and perjury were committed in order to get Mr. Morphew wrongfully convicted," she said at a press conference after the dismissal. Ashley Franco: Investigators found Suzanne's bike helmet up that road. Please feel free to contact the Colorado Bureau of Investigation at 303-239-4211 if you have any further questions File: UPs in Colorado 2021 (PDF) Dylan Redwine La Plata County Sheriff. But it did partially match the DNA of an unknown male who had attacked other women and it raised a disturbing question: had Suzanne fallen into the hands of a sexual predator? Nikki Battiste: Was Patrickemotionally abusive? I could care less what you're up to and have been for years. Clint Cline: I think a lot of people that knew Patrick they don't think that the candle story adds up. Michelle Stein | Krystal Lee's best friend: He would play head games with her a lot he just had a way of manipulating her into doing things. Ashley Franco: He had been interviewed by investigators through the course of it and he talked to investigators almost every time. And he's like, an inspiration to me almost he was a real cool guy. Nikki Battiste: Did Kelsey ever say he was physically abusive? In the days, weeks and months after Suzanne Morphew was reported missing on Mother's Day 2020, her trail went cold, but the mother of two's disappearance had become the biggest story in Colorado. Ashley Franco | KKTV reporter: He said that Kelsey wanted to go their separate ways and things weren't working out between them. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The cap, however, did not contain any of Barry's DNA. Nikki Battiste:None of you received any responses? Initially, Barry told police that he set his alarm for 4:30 a.m. on Mother's Day and left the house by 5 a.m. to drive to a job site in Broomfield, a town near Denver, 150 miles from Salida. There are 73 people in total. That day, a neighbor called 911 to report that the 49-year-old had gone for a bike ride and never returned, the sheriff's office said. That's when the Morphew neighbors were contacted and could find no sign of Suzanne. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. DENVER (KDVR) The number of missing persons per year has been going up both in Colorado and nationally, though Colorados number are in the middle of the national pack. And I was like, "Did they just say Suzanne?" Cody Cox was part of Barry's landscaping crew for nearly two years when Barry first arrived in Colorado. And it's gone. A surveillance image from November 22, 2018 shows the last time Kelsey Berreth was seen in public. Thanksgiving Day, 2018 the last time Kelsey Berreth was seen in public. Investigators dub it her last "proof of life" photo. "Today is all about Suzanne, and it's about her family, and it's about all the individuals that knew her and loved her and cared about her. Clint Cline: I don't know of any guys that would've thought of going out and buying candles and having their girlfriend be blindfolded and then smell the candles. On nearly the anniversary of Suzanne's disappearance, Barry is arrested in May 2021. Lee went with investigators to Frazee's ranch. But the move did not appear to improve the relationship. Gannon Stauch, 11, has been missing from his Colorado Springs, Colo., home since Jan. 27, 2020. A neighbor reported 49-year-old Suzanne Morphew as missing on May 10, 2020, after she went for a bike ride near Maysville, Colorado, and never returned. In comparison, Arkansas has 25.77 missing persons per. AGENT: I believe yesterday you said that you also collected wood and put it into the burn pit? So, an accident is certainly plausible. Aya Gruber: And he says, "Well, lemme think about that. Investigators, however, believe Barry was disposing of evidence. Our library has issues from 1985 to the present on our website. He knew how to load darts with paralyzing chemicals, having used them to illegally sedate deer and remove their antlers to sell. Meanwhile, Barry Morphews defense attorney, Iris Eytan, recently told ABC her team will be taking action against the district attorney on the case and will be calling for a probe into prosecutors mishandling of the investigation. And from that moment they had talked almost every single day nonstop. Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew has been missing since May 10, with investigators now zeroing in on her social media presence By KC Baker Published on November 19, 2020 01:15 PM Nearly a month after Kelsey Berreth vanished, Woodland Park Police Chief Miles De Young made this grim announcement: CHIEF MILES DE YOUNG | WOODLAND PARK POLICE [to reporters]: Patrick Frazee was taken into custody this morning in Florrisant, Colorado, just after 7 o'clock this morning Mountain Standard Time. They steadfastly support their father, attending most of his court hearings like this one in December 2021. Clint Cline has known Frazee for seven years. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. We miss you. Nikki Battiste | CBS News correspondent: Did any of you text her or try to call her? If the body proves to be there, further forensic examination could potentially inculpate or exculpate the Defendant," the filing states. Denver has the highest number of open missing person cases in the state at 41, followed by El Paso County at 39, Jefferson County at 32, Arapahoe County at 31 and Boulder County at 22. First published on November 23, 2019 / 11:02 PM. Thats not my job. CHIEF MILES DE YOUNG [to reporters]: As you can tell from the arrest, sadly, we do not believe Kelsey is still alive. "Prosecutors need to be held responsible, and they need to pay for the damage they caused to Barry, which is frankly nearly irreparable. Michelle Stein: And, so, I was like Well I was in shock at first because who says that? Dan Ridenour has covered the story for his local morning show. First published on January 22, 2022 / 11:02 PM. And she said, "Yeah he asked me if I would kill the mother of his baby.". Neighbor Roderrick Drayton told ABC News he decided to look through his footage once the search intensified and saw Stauch getting into a red pickup truck Monday morning at 10:13 a.m. Meanwhile, Jeff Libler was cleared. Aya Gruber: This DNA discovery is so significant. Before moving to Colorado in 2018, Barry and Suzanne grew up in the small town of Alexandria, Indiana, where they met in high school. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Kade Atwood[on horesback]: This is Krystal's world. Suzanne's sister Melinda reacted to the news of Barry's arrest. Experts say a human female tooth fragment was recovered from Frazee's ranch near the burn site, but there wasn't enough DNA to determine a profile. Please enter valid email address to continue. Ashley Franco: He saw a herd of elk, and he's a hunter. Gannon's biological mother and father make a gut-wrenching plea together for anyone with information to come forward. Peter Van Sant: Why is data missing sometimes? DA Dan May: A heck of a lot more time than three years. Barry, investigators say, told them he didn't know how the cap got there, but admitted he was an experienced tranquilizer dart gun shooter. Whatcha up to? I think it's very possible he would have gotten away with that. The law enforcement teams looked into more than 1,400 tips. 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. Ashley Franco: They asked her, "when was the last time you talked to him?" NEWS REPORT: Tonight, the husband of Suzanne Morphew is behind bars accused of killing her. She says, "I'm new to the neighborhood, someone had told me that you had helped get my dogs out of trouble" and Kelsey says, "no, I didn't do that.". Ashley Franco: He was furious. But her cell phone was missing. Nikki Battiste: Do you remember Kelsey talking about wanting to be a pilot? After killing Kelsey with that baseball bat on Thanksgiving Day, Lee says Frazee told her he put her body in a black tote. On Feb. 4, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation made the statement, "We celebrate Colorado Missing Persons Day by remembering all of those loved ones who have gone missing in Colorado for more than a year. If you want a pest-free patio this spring, the most important thing you can do is take away those elements that bugs find desirable. Questions about Gannon's stepmother became so persistent early in the search that she responded twice. During the investigation, the FBI got a tip that Michelle Stein had explosive information about the case. Sunday marked the second Mothers Day without missing Colorado woman Suzanne Morphew since the mom of two disappeared in 2020. See, you got to understand, I'm trusting her to do the right thing. Lee was recently divorced with two children. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. She says Lee called and confided in her about a disturbing conversation she and Frazee had a month before Kelsey disappeared. Investigators also found her driver's license and credit cards in her Range Rover. Jeff told agents he only took those steps because he did not want to tarnish Suzanne's memory and worried he might lose his family and job. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! After Lee said she couldn't go through with the poison plan, she told investigators Frazee came up with a different idea. That's exactly what we did here. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Records show that Suzanne and Jeff messaged each other 59 times that day, much more than usual, authorities say. What do authorities believe happened during that time? Letecia Stauch is arrested and held without bond in Horry County, South Carolina, before she is extradited to Colorado Springs. That text pinged off a cell phone tower 800 miles away. Cogburn says Kelsey once mentioned there may have been another woman in Frazee's life. Stauch faces several charges, including first-degree murder of a child, in the presumed death of 11-year-old Gannon Stauch. Defense attorney Eytan denies Barry has any involvement in his wife's disappearance. Dan Ridenour: And that's when the call to 911 was placed, that Suzanne is missing. Nikki Battiste: She only faces at max, three years in prison. She would never forsake you. Surveillance image shows Frazee at an ATM earlier that day with a black tote in his truck. 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. ANDREW MOORMAN [to CBS Denver]: I hope to find her alive and at some point, you have to realize when somebody's been missing after so long, that the chances of that diminish dramatically. FAQs I don't know we'll ever understand entirely why she did what she did. DA Dan May: He keeps, beating her, and beating her, and beating her. She said the family has received more than 20 death threats. Suzanne's sister Melinda says she agrees with the request to dismiss charges against Barry at this point. Also on Frazee's hit list: Krystal Lee's best friend, Michelle Stein, and Kelsey's mother Cheryl Berreth. Nikki Battiste: And the alarms go off in their minds? Investigators wondered, if Kelsey had broken up with Frazee why would she send him this text:"I bought some sweet potatoes in case you wanted sweet potato casserole ". MISSING MOM SUZANNE MORPHEW: COLORADO JUDGE DISMISSES CASE AGAINST HUSBAND WEEKS BEFORE TRIAL. Stein says she pushed Lee to call the police. Ashley Franco: The prosecution's case is that Barry snapped at one point the day before Mother's Day. Though officials don't specifically address any rumors, Letecia Stauch responded to online comments vilifying her in an interview with the local CBS affiliate KKTV. Ashley Franco: Barry Morphew is wearing an ankle monitor for them to track him, to make sure that he is staying in Chaffee County. Ashley Franco: He says I have a metal pipe that I'll leave outside my property that you can come pick up, and I want you to go wait for Kelsey at her townhome. Bolstering the theory that Barry and Suzanne had a confrontation the day she disappeared were apparent scratches seen on Barry's left arm. Sometimes the smallest item will turn an investigation, and, in this case, agents seized on a clear plastic cap that a forensics team had found in the family's dryer. 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. There was blood on the Hobby Lobby bag that was sitting there. Patrick Frazee lived on a 35-acre ranch in rural Florrisant, Colorado, where he trained cattle dogs, shoed horses and groomed donkeys. At one point, Suzanne messaged her lover this selfie, which investigators dubbedher last "proof of life" photo. Police said they were told Suzanne Morphew left for a bike ride on May 10, 2020, but never returned. Cat that loves Taylor Swift music up for adoption, Aerosmith says farewell with one last Denver show, Barbie unveils Anna May Wong doll for AAPI Heritage, Is it legal to have a tinted license plate cover, Feds: Hospitals that denied emergency abortion broke, Colorado Springs soldier killed in helicopter crash, Donald Trump travels to Scotland to open golf course, First Republic Bank seized, sold to JPMorgan Chase, Is my money safe? 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. Patrick Frazee sits in a grim Cripple Creek, Colorado, jail - put there by his former girlfriend Krystal Lee - for the murder of his fiance Kelsey Berreth . Barry knew that his daughters would be away on their camping trip that Saturday afternoon and authorities say he took advantage of that opportunity to kill Suzanne and clean up the crime scene. Now they needed to figure out the identity of "Jeff," Suzanne's lover. 1 arrested in Michigan in connection to fatal 2020 shooting of 8-year-old girl at birthday party . Nikki Battiste: What does that say about Patrick Frazee? Park rangers found his car parked at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead on Thursday and are asking for the publics assistance with any information about his disappearance. May 17, 2020: Pueblo County Sheriffs Office Dive Rescue Team searched water sites, April 19, 2022: The district attorney for the 11th Judicial District. Peter Van Sant: And this does not fire bullets or shot? 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. If you wish to submit an anonymous tip, you can do so by calling Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867. Nikki Battiste: You think that had to be a woman's idea? Suzanne, who shared two daughters with her husband, disappeared on May 10, 2020, near the small mountain town of Salida, in Chaffee County. A Warner Bros. It's helped get people not convicted. Ashley Franco: They were using Barry's own car against him. In a statement to ABC, Stanley's office said that prosecutors and law enforcement "have been diligently searching for Suzanne Morphew since she was reported missing" and continue doing so. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "We are going to find Gannon, and that's the main goal that we all have. I was probably walking around my house shooting chipmunks.". A mug shot of Barry Morphew, released by the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office on May 5, 2021. They said that weather complicated recovery efforts, but believed they were close to locating her body. Chromebooks are excellent alternatives to traditional laptops and have built-in security software. ANDREW MOORMAN [talking to searchers, CBS Denver news report]:We're gonna fan out and were gonna work that area very carefully, OK? It was updated on August 1, 2020.]. And by then, Barry's cell phone had also come back to life. Ashley Franco: I think at that point she kind of knows, "I have to come clean.". I would only ask, "Where's Suzanne?". The latest development in the case is that the attorney for Morphew filed an 83-page complaint to the Colorado Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. Melinda Moorman: "Mallory, Macy Your mother would have laid down her life for you girls She would never leave you. How do I keep bugs off my patio this spring? The next text from Kelsey's phone read: "Do you even love me?" Investigators say Frazee took Kelsey's cell phone after he killed her as part of a scheme to cover his tracks. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Peter Van Sant [at ravine]: Where was the mountain bike found? I'd wanna know everything about what he was doing, what he was thinking. Ashley Franco: He says the last time he sees his wife is when she's sleeping in their bed. Attorney Iris Eytan laid out 12 specific complaints against 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley and six other prosecutors involved in the case. AGENT GREGG SLATER |COLORADO BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Can you point, if you remember, where the tooth was? "No questions asked, however much they want, I will do whatever it takes to get you back," he said. Kelsey had been gone about a month before Stein talked to the FBI. In their arrest affidavit, prosecutors spelled out what they believe happened to Suzanne: "It had become clear that Barry could not control Suzanne's insistence on leaving him and he resorted to something he has done his entire life hunt and control Suzanne like he had hunted and controlled animals.". 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. Officials believe that Steven Grunwald, 24, from Greenville, New York, was attempting the Glacier Gorge . But if Barry knew nothing about Suzanne's affair, what motive would he have to kill her? That admission was significant to agents because it put him in an area where a key piece of evidence had been recovered. It took FBI agents six months before they uncovered the identity of Suzanne's secret lover: Jeff Libler, a man Suzanne and Barry knew from their Alexandria, Indiana, high school. Barry talked to investigators dozens of times, but they believe he knows more than he's saying. Later, her son is in the bathroom and notices blood on the base of the toilet. Colorado has an even lower ranking for the number of missing persons per capita. Frazee was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison plus 156 years. Ben LeMere: So, a lotta times it's used to locate bodies. 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. Ashley Franco: When that came out, I think everyone was was just shocked. "So, what this case lives and dies on is the testimony of Krystal Lee. It may have looked incriminating, but Barry claims it was just another day at the office. Prosecutor Beth Reed: He actually had started calling our office while we were in the middle of trial. Yet, there she was shopping the next day for the family dinner. Michelle Stein is Lee's best friend. The Glacier Gorge Traverse is an expansive route that touches 11 summits in the Rocky Mountains over approximately 19 miles. Ashley Franco: there was a text from Kelsey's phone to her supervisor at Doss Aviation saying "I won't be at work." He told them that the day before Thanksgiving, Kelsey saidshewanted to end their relationship. Saw blood on this wall. Prosecutor Beth Reed | Teller County DA's Office: Very charming, very manipulative, and controlling, all traits consistent with being a sociopath. No one knows exactly how many Native American women go missing or are murdered each year. Her sister Mallory attended college and the Morphews told some friends they moved to a home just outside of Salida to be closer to their older daughter. I wiped the there was blood on the front of the dishwasher. She was raised on a hay farm and very much a tomboy. "I love you, Bubba," she said at the end of the video. Legal Statement. Gannon's disappearance is now classified as a missing/endangered persons case. Nikki Battiste: Did she have a dress yet? The thought that Suzanne may have been abducted hit the peaceful, picturesque town of Salida hard. Ashley Franco: A purse, keys to the car, keys to the townhome and then a gun that Kelsey owned. 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.". Law professor Aya Gruber said the case was going to be an uphill battle for prosecutors even before she heard about the most recent sanctions. 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. Colorado has 3.22 open missing persons cases per every 100,000 residents based on its 2020 population, the 23rd lowest rate in the U.S. In 2008, she was crowned queen of the Magic Valley Rodeo. And she said, "I don't know. That day, a neighbor called 911 to report that the 49-year-old had gone for a bike ride and never returned, the sheriff's office said. Investigators believe that during these "trash runs," he was disposing of evidence in different places within the Denver area. She was unable to provide further details on the arrest affidavit, which is sealed, or a suspected cause of death. Gannon Stauch, 11, has been missing from his Colorado Springs, Colo., home since Jan. 27, 2020. So, it wasn't a surprise when a Colorado cowboy named Patrick Frazee caught Kelsey's eye on a dating website in 2016. Michelle Stein: So, I was supposed to call somewhere in Colorado and say, hey there's some guy in Colorado that wants to kill some girl. Ashley Franco: That he could be cleaning up a crime scene. The man whose DNA is in my wife's car, tied to past sexual assaults, that's your killer.". For the year 2020, there are 1,186 missing persons cases that remain open. In the months after Suzanne went missing, Jeff kept quiet. I'll call you guys when I get out. It is important to note, however, that over time missing persons are found and their cases are no longer considered open, so they are removed from this accounting. Michelle Stein: Of course, I regret it. Those involved in the search include the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Colorado Springs Police Department. Her mother still had hope of finding Kelsey alive. The family of a Colorado woman missing since May has sold their Salida home as their quest for answers continues, according to a recent report. She has closely studied all the public investigative files in the Morphew case; she knows it was not easy for investigators to find Suzanne's secret lover: a man named "Jeff.". Investigators noticed Barry's cell phone appeared to be pinging all around his house on Mother's Day weekend 2020, which he maintains was because he was chasing and shooting at chipmunks. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. So, what we mainly have connecting Patrick Frazee to an incredibly brutal and violent crime is Krystal Lee's testimony. Suzanne Morphew's three-bedroom Maysville home on. Michelle Stein: And she said that he had told her it was because she wanted to take him back to court to get custody of the baby and he was in fear that she was going to harm the baby. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. A closer look at Kelsey and her fianc's cell phone activity Thanksgiving weekend would lead them to her suspected killer.
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