missing in colorado 2020 missing in colorado 2020

Grunwalds last contact with family and friends was more than two weeks ago, officials said. Nikki Battiste: But, I think, Michelle, people watching will say "call the police." Our library has issues from 1985 to the present on our website. Elena DiFiore is the field producer. We won't quit looking [emotional]. Nikki Battiste: She only faces at max, three years in prison. CONEJOS COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - As the investigation continues into an unsettling case centered around a rural area in Colorado, authorities have . Market data provided by Factset. KRYSTAL LEE: He poured gasoline in the bucket and then pitched it into the fire. I don't know their names and I don't know where they live. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events, Chad Daybell's kids claim he was "fooled in worst, most deadly way possible", Exonerated man fulfills dream of walking daughter down the aisle, Lamar Johnson: "I am a freed man and a blessed man". And she was flying planes. POLICE CHIEF MILES DE YOUNG [to reporters]: We are treating Kelsey's disappearance as a missing person's case at this time. Four months in, Suzanne's brother, Andrew Moorman, organized a citizen's search. Ashley Franco: Barry Morphew is wearing an ankle monitor for them to track him, to make sure that he is staying in Chaffee County. DA Dan May: He keeps, beating her, and beating her, and beating her. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation publishes an annual report on missing children. Peter Van Sant: It's something like eight out of 10 times, when a spouse dies the other one's involved. The inside of the Morphew family's garage with Barry's collection of deer heads and a pile of antlers. But when the FBI made their initial call to Lee, she said she had "no idea" who Kelsey Berreth was. 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.". Dan Ridenour: Maybe a new place, a new home, new scenery around them would strengthen their family and therefore strengthen their marriage. So, an accident is certainly plausible. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Records show that Suzanne and Jeff messaged each other 59 times that day, much more than usual, authorities say. I would do anything to have stopped that somehow. Mitchell Dale Stehling, 51, had set out in June 2013 for a short hike to the park's Spruce Tree House, a 130-room archaeological site with eight ceremonial chambers, known as kivas. As Colorados population has gone up, so has its annual number of missing persons. Aya Gruber is a professor of law at the University of Colorado and a former defense attorney. 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. It was updated on April 30.]. 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. 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.". Here's the timeline of Suzanne Morphew's disappearance: May 10, 2020: Suzanne Morphew disappeared. Suzanne's spy pen had surfaced with that intimate conversation. It was between them and God. A cadaver dog alerted to the area. The next morning, Mother's Day, Barry says he drove to a job some 3 hours away. He was not happy that she didn't go through with it. There was blood on the Hobby Lobby bag that was sitting there. Colorados numbers mirror national missing persons statistics. Nikki Battiste: Krystal had a reputation of getting what she wanted? Peter Van Sant: And are they monitoring him in some fashion? On nearly the anniversary of Suzanne's disappearance, Barry is arrested in May 2021. Market data provided by Factset. Beginning in 2015, the number of missing persons nationally went sharply upward. Though widely visible, the Morphew tragedy is far from the only open missing persons case in the state. While his body has still not been found, she has been charged with first-degree murder of a child under 12 by a person in a position of trust; child abuse resulting in death; tampering with a deceased human body; and tampering with physical evidence, according to El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder. "I took care of Gannon for the last two years in our home. BARRY MORPHEW: Let me tell you what happened. Barry declined "48 Hours"' request for an interview. They stand firmly behind their dad. They had pulled up the floor boards where they found Kelsey's blood. They would not, he said, be allowed to testify. (KUSA via AP, Pool), This undated photo shows Barry and Suzanne Morphew. Ashley Franco: That he could be cleaning up a crime scene. Michelle Stein: And, so, I was like Well I was in shock at first because who says that? Cody Cox: I talked pretty highly about Barry 'cause I was with him all the time. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Then, she changed her story. He told agents he was in Michigan that weekend and his alibi checked out. She has family in Colorado. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Tuesday is Colorado Missing Persons Day, an opportunity to honor more than 524 people currently missing for more than a year in Colorado. You heard right it was perhaps the world's first chipmunk alibi. "Did you leave?". In comparison, Arkansas has 25.77 missing persons per 100,000. Patrick Frazee, seen in court before his trial for the murder of Kelsey Berreth, was sentenced to life in prison plus 156 years. They argued that they felt they were close to finding Suzanne Morphew's remains, which could help or hurt their case against Barry. MISSING MOM SUZANNE MORPHEW: COLORADO JUDGE DISMISSES CASE AGAINST HUSBAND WEEKS BEFORE TRIAL. Officials believe that Steven Grunwald, 24, from Greenville, New York, was attempting the Glacier Gorge . Andrew Katers: It only fires darts. Investigators found this clear plastic needle cap in the Morphew family's dryer. A bond hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 10:30 a.m. MDT. Sunday marked the second Mother's Day without missing Colorado woman Suzanne Morphew since the mom of two disappeared in 2020. "We are going to find Gannon, and that's the main goal that we all have. Peter Van Sant: Give me a sense of how your technology, from your company, helps solve criminal cases. Then, she says, she drove to Kelsey's home. Suzanne's sister Melinda says she agrees with the request to dismiss charges against Barry at this point. Authorities believed that it was Krystal Lee who travelled to Idaho with Kelsey's phone. 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. At one point, Suzanne messaged her lover this selfie, which investigators dubbedher last "proof of life" photo. Berreth is carrying a poinsettia plant she had just purchased at Safeway. 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. Prosecutor Jennifer Viehman | Teller County DA's Office: I don't think we would have known what happened to Kelsey without Krystal Lee. We asked Dan Ridenour to read some of what Barry told investigators. "Prosecutors need to be held responsible, and they need to pay for the damage they caused to Barry, which is frankly nearly irreparable. Gannon Stauch, 11, has been missing from his Colorado Springs, Colo., home since Jan. 27, 2020. 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. 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. Police say this is likely when Frazee killed her: CHIEF MILES DE YOUNG [to reporters]: investigators have recovered a number of items that make us suspicious that the crime did occur at Kelsey's residence. Cases like the disappearance of Suzanne Morphew. On November 24, 2018, Patrick Frazee is captured on a Conoco gas station surveillance camera filling up a gas can. Kelsey Berreth " wasn't afraid to challenge the typical boundaries," said friend Nicole Haywood. Laura Stutzman | Krystal Lee's friend: The Krystal I knew could do no wrong but the Krystal that has done the things that came out of her mouth is somebody I don't know. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Michelle Stein: She was bawling. The defense called no witnesses. (KUSA via AP, Pool), In this still image from video, Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colo., on May 6. Thanksgiving Day, 2018 the last time Kelsey Berreth was seen in public. She says Lee called and confided in her about a disturbing conversation she and Frazee had a month before Kelsey disappeared. 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. She was crying she was extremely upset and scared. Laura Stutzman: No, I wouldn't say it was a reputation of getting what she wanted Krystal worked so hard at everything she did to try to do everything completely correct. Gauch's stepmother, Letecia, who was arrested March 2, is now facing additional charges. Barry follows up, appearing to wonder where Suzanne is. Letecia Stauch is arrested and held without bond in Horry County, South Carolina, before she is extradited to Colorado Springs. KKTV reporter Ashley Franco summed up the defense case: no body, no murder weapon, and no clear motive. She pointed out where she claims she intentionally left blood for them to find. When investigators tell Barry of the affair, he denies knowing anything about it. She was a flight instructor. Dan Ridenour: And that's when the call to 911 was placed, that Suzanne is missing. How do I keep bugs off my patio this spring? Suzanne and Barry Morphew with their daughters Macy, left, and Mallory, right. Suzanne, who shared two daughters with her husband, disappeared on May 10, 2020, near the small mountain town of Salida, in Chaffee County. I think it's very possible he would have gotten away with that. COLORADO There are more than 524 people currently missing for more than a year in Colorado. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Stein says she pushed Lee to call the police. She responds by saying she'll "load up" her WhatsApp account and then at 2:11 p.m., Suzanne writes, "Okay I'm on WA". She would have turned 51 years old. No one knows if Suzanne saw that text or was preoccupied with Jeff, but she does not answer. 2. They grew up together in Moses Lake, Washington. The unit manages the Missing Person Alert Program in Colorado and functions as the Clearinghouse for the state of Colorado. One clue may be a deleted text that investigators found on Barry's phone sent by Suzanne just days before: "I'm done. Letecia Stauch makes her first appearance in El Paso County District Court in Colorado Springs, Colo., Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Suzanne taught middle school before becoming a full-time mother. Why would Lee help Frazee? 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 Cogburn: You know, he was, like, a country boy and that's what she was used to. He was also worried agents considered him a suspect. Clint Cline: I think a lot of people that knew Patrick they don't think that the candle story adds up. She admitted to getting rid of the gun, to tossing Kelsey's keys in a canyon and destroying her phone. Peter Van Sant: So, is the thought somebody threw it out of a window, perhaps? 1 arrested in Michigan in connection to fatal 2020 shooting of 8-year-old girl at birthday party . Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Fed is set to raise rates yet again. Prosecutor Jennifer Viehman: Yeah, I do. Nikki Battiste: So, Krystal brings this Starbucks Caramel Macchiato right here [to Kelsey's house]. A judge on Tuesday dismissed a murder case against Barry Morphew, the Colorado husband charged in the 2020 disappearance and presumed death of his . Story tips can be sent to stephanie.pagones@fox.com and on Twitter: @steph_pagones. Turns out, he says, Frazee gave him a hit list -- some of the names handwritten on paper towels he was instructed to flush. Nikki Battiste: Is there justice for Kelsey and Kaylee? It was updated on August 1, 2020.]. or redistributed. In this still image from video, Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colo., Thursday, May 6, 2021. Please enter valid email address to continue. That is the connective thread for everything," says University of Colorado law professor Aya Gruber. Investigators dub it her last "proof of life" photo. What was I supposed to do? And with so few answers, rumors have persisted. Questions about Gannon's stepmother became so persistent early in the search that she responded twice. Patrick Frazee, seen on surveillance video at a drive-through ATM on November 22, 2018, was on his way toKelsey Berreth's home just before her murder. believe he faked 19 calls between the two phones, agreed to plead guilty to evidence tampering, how she said she cleaned up the crime scene. Murphy said he was "obligated" to set bond for Barry. After checking out the work site, Barry headed back to his room at the Holiday Inn, and investigators say he stayed there from 12:42 p.m. to 6:03 p.m. By then, he'd already spoken to older daughter Mallory who told him she could not get in touch with her mother. In disturbing evidence -- the heart of the prosecution's case against Frazee at his trial -- Lee tells her story about a crime scene cleanup, a plan to transport a body and her help in making sure there would be no trace of it left behind. Family members previously said Barry Morphew was out of town in Denver when his wife disappeared, CBS affiliate KCNC reported. and last updated 2020-02-07 13:48:35-05. The judge wrote that while he did not find those actions "willful the court does find this pattern to be negligent, bordering on, reckless." He told agents he went to bed around 8 p.m. that night, but the data pulled from the truck shows that the truck was put in reverse and moved some 96 feet closer to his house around 9:30 p.m. Ashley Franco: Investigators think that's when he could have loaded Suzanne's body. In 2008, she was crowned queen of the Magic Valley Rodeo. I'd wanna know everything about what he was doing, what he was thinking. "No questions asked, however much they want, I will do whatever it takes to get you back," he said. Ashley Franco: Krystal says that she can't come out that same day, but will come out a few days later She's in Idaho loads up the car with cleaning supplies, bleach, hair nets, you know, gloves, trash bags . In this still image from video, Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colo., on May 6. Sunday marked the second Mothers Day without missing Colorado woman Suzanne Morphew since the mom of two disappeared in 2020. Morphews daughters, Macy and Mallory, stood by their father during an interview with ABC, which aired Friday. After Kelsey Berreth's death, her parents took over the care of her toddler, Kaylee. If the body proves to be there, further forensic examination could potentially inculpate or exculpate the Defendant," the filing states. Suzanne, who shared two daughters with her husband, disappeared on May 10, 2020, near the small mountain town of Salida, in Chaffee County. We, in the Magic Valley, we work hard to be able to do this on the weekends. The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office says that Barry Morphew was arrested this morning. Nikki Battiste:Did Kelsey say what was it she liked about Patrick? On December 21, 2018, Frazee was arrested at his ranch andcharged with Kelsey Berreth's murder. "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. Nikki Battiste: Were they in a sexual relationship? Girlfriend of convicted killer shows cops where she cleaned up victims blood. The thought that Suzanne may have been abducted hit the peaceful, picturesque town of Salida hard. After Lee said she couldn't go through with the poison plan, she told investigators Frazee came up with a different idea. "I need to find her, need to bring her home, give her a proper burial and closure for my family," he told KMGH-TV before the Sept. 24 search began. She was unable to provide further details on the arrest affidavit, which is sealed, or a suspected cause of death. So, they believe, at that point when he turned left instead of turning right, that he could have been ditching her bike helmet. Dan Ridenour [pointing]: It was found right over this little cliff right here resting on these boulders. Cheryl Berreth: No. Peter Van Sant [at ravine]: Where was the mountain bike found? Andy Moorman, Suzanne Morphews brother, announced in mid-September he was recruiting volunteers to conduct an independent search. May 14, 2020 . Patrick Frazee was arrested on charges of first-degree murder in the death of Kelsey Berreth. Ashley Franco: She says that he takes a sweater from Kelsey's room and blindfolds her with the sweater and has candles sitting out in front of Kelsey and is telling Kelsey to guess the scent of each candle. Michelle Stein: Of course, I regret it. I'd have to look at my phone." BARRY MORPHEW 'HUNTED AND CONTROLLED' WIFE SUZANNE LIKE AN ANIMAL, INVESTIGATORS SAY, Eytan, Barry Morphew's lead attorney, slammed Stanley's office's handling of the case and called the charges "false from the beginning.". Injury ended Barry's dreams of a major league career. 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. The initial press release on his disappearance describes the call about him as a "report for a juvenile runaway.". And from that moment they had talked almost every single day nonstop. But prosecutors then changed course, successfully asking a judge on April 19 to drop the charges. A Warner Bros. He's being held without bail. He told them that the day before Thanksgiving, Kelsey saidshewanted to end their relationship. 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? She loved you with her whole being. Dan Ridenour: Barry asked them at that time if the bike was there, to go check on her her bicycle is not here. Although he did not come forward on his own, Jeff did assist agents after they found him. "In typical homicide cases, the fact of the victims death is rarely at issue, but in a case such as this, the most influential fact of consequence is whether or not Ms. Morphew is deceased. So if you have anything that's credible, if you're afraid, don't worry about it. Ashley Franco: She says, "I don't have a personal relationship with Patrick Frazee. But the truck's computers show that someone was opening and closing the truck's doors around 3:30 a.m. Investigators believe Barry began driving toward Broomfield much earlier than he claimed, but there is a 4-hour windowapproximately 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.when no activity was recorded by the vehicle's computers. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Gannon's biological mother and father make a gut-wrenching plea together for anyone with information to come forward. Barry was not home, as the lovers' texts heat up: At 2:05 p.m., Suzanne writes: "I'm just in love with you. Ashley Franco: Investigators found Suzanne's bike helmet up that road. He said it was "unlikely" Suzanne had run off on her own, even though she and lover Jeff Libler had discussed moving to Ecuador. A week after she went missing, Barry Morphew posted a video on Facebook pleading for her safe return. Peter Van Sant: So, this side of the road? It's unfortunately a part of my profession that sometimes in order to solve a case we have to give a deal to the devil. Ashley Franco, who reported on the case for the CBS affiliate in Colorado Springs, KKTV, has read the police documents and she says Barry has repeatedly told the same story. Think outside the box this Mothers Day and opt for gifts other than flowers and chocolate. Kade Atwood is KMVT's news director and a weekend cowboy. Dan Ridenour: She would have been injured. 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. Keith Lonnquist and Reggie Franklin (left to right), with El Paso County Search & Rescue, launch a drone to search an area near Drennan Rd for missing, endangered child, Gannon Stauch on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020. Even after their daughter Kaylee was born in October 2017, the couple still didn't live together but shared parenting duties. May 17, 2020: Pueblo County Sheriffs Office Dive Rescue Team searched water sites, April 19, 2022: The district attorney for the 11th Judicial District. While Barry Morphew has been charged with murder, Suzannes disappearance remains an open missing person case because her remains have not been found. They wanted tosplit custody fifty/fifty and they were just not meshing anymore. Aya Gruber: And he says, "Well, lemme think about that. Nicole Haywood: She wasn't afraid to challenge the typical boundaries. No one knows where Kelsey is. A mug shot of Barry Morphew, released by the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office on May 5, 2021. Authorities provide the latest update on the search for Gannon. Nikki Battiste: Did Kelsey ever say he was physically abusive? That admission was significant to agents because it put him in an area where a key piece of evidence had been recovered. Nikki Battiste: Did she sound normal? Furthermore, Suzanne's DNA was found on the cap, not Barry's. Investigators also found a spy pen right out of a James Bond movie that was able to capture and record conversations. Police later examined the spot where they believe Kelsey's body was burned. But her cell phone was missing. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. After the judge granted the motion to dismiss homicide charges against Barry, he walked out of court a free man, flanked as usual by his loyal daughters. The man whose DNA is in my wife's car, tied to past sexual assaults, that's your killer.". 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. Cody Cox was part of Barry's landscaping crew for nearly two years when Barry first arrived in Colorado. Suzanne Morphew, 49, disappeared on Mother's Day last year. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He and Suzanne had a one-time fling after high school. He was eliminated. "If you want to honor Suzanne and you want to honor the daughters, go find Suzanne," Eytan told ABC. This would dispel all rumors of her whereabouts.". Can there ever be justice? Eytan is calling for a review of the prosecutors handling of the case. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Dan Ridenour [riding in car with Peter Van Sant]: What happened on this road is a real mystery. Cody Cox: : they seemed to communicate pretty well. I excuse me [in tears]. He had his ranch to take care of. And they say that there could have been a chase and then a struggle. I would only ask, "Where's Suzanne?". He only began cooperating after he was located by investigators, who learned Jeff had taken steps to hide the nearly two-year affair. Dylan Redwine La Plata County Sheriff. What do authorities believe happened during that time? There was blood on the front of the stove. The law enforcement teams looked into more than 1,400 tips. Kade Atwood:Krystal and her family are a big part of the rodeo community. He told agents he took a left upon leaving his home instead of a right because, even though it was dark, he remembered seeing some elk. Ashley Cogburn: He never came to see her, but she would, like on her days off, she would go back and be with him. He loves her and he misses her, and he wants to know where Suzanne Morphew is. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. DA Dan May: A heck of a lot more time than three years. Ashley Franco: He decided to hold a preliminary hearing to see if this case had enough evidence to go to trial. Lee also went with investigators to Kelsey's home she's wearing a police jacket and hat. There's no evidence to show he was involved. Stein says she asked Lee why Frazee wanted to kill Kelsey.