SUZANNE MORPHEW AND THE MOTHER'S DAY KILLING

An autopsy conducted on the remains of a Colorado mother who disappeared while on a bike ride in 2020 and was found dead three years later determined she died by homicide and had a drug cocktail in her system that is used to immobilize animals.

Suzanne Morphew, 49, vanished while on a bike ride on Mother's Day 2020. Her husband was initially charged in the killing, but prosecutors dropped the charges in 2022, saying they had hoped her body would be found. Morphew’s remains were discovered in September 2023 roughly 50 miles south from where she was reported missing. No one is currently charged in the case.

The autopsy conducted on Morphew’s remains found her death was a “homicide by unspecified means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication,” according to a report released by the El Paso County coroner. The combination of the three drugs is often used to immobilize wildlife and can cause analgesia and sedation, the coroner’s office said.

In a statement on Monday, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Schaefer said investigators working on the case continue to “follow the evidence and only the evidence as we seek justice for Suzanne’s death.”

Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Anne E. Kelly’s Office said in a separate statement she was unable to comment as the case remains under active investigation, but added her office continues to “seek justice for Suzanne.”

Morphew was reported missing by a neighbor on Mother’s Day 2020 after she went cycling near Maysville, Colorado, and never came back home. Maysville is in Chaffee County. According to the coroner’s report, Morphew’s bike and helmet were found in separate places in the county “without significant damage.”

In 2021, Morphew’s husband, Barry Lee Morphew, was charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and attempting to influence a public servant in connection with Suzanne Morphew’s death. He pleaded not guilty, and in April 2022, prosecutors moved to dismiss the charges, saying they hoped his wife’s body would have been found by the time the trial started. A judge ruled prosecutors can still pursue the same charges against him in the future.

The couple shared two daughters together. Barry Morphew has since moved away from Colorado...