Overview

• Barry Morphew was arrested June 20 in Gilbert, Arizona, at the request of Colorado authorities and is being held pending extradition to face trial.
• A San Luis Valley grand jury returned the June 18 indictment after prosecutors presented new forensic evidence in the case.
• Toxicology testing on remains found in September 2023 revealed traces of BAM, a powerful deer tranquilizer, in Suzanne Morphew’s bone marrow.
• Investigators say Morphew had exclusive access to the animal sedative from his prior deer-farming in Indiana and that no visible trauma was evident on the recovered remains.
• His initial 2021 murder charges were dropped in 2022 due to withheld evidence and the absence of a body, but the dismissal was without prejudice, allowing for the fresh indictment.