Barry Morphew, indicted for the murder of his wife, Suzanne, appeared for the first time on a new murder charge in a Colorado courtroom on Tuesday, where the court reiterated that the proceedings can be recorded by the news, but with some limitations.
Morphew’s brief appearance in Alamosa, more than 200 miles southwest of Denver, marked the beginning of a do-over of the high-profile, made-for-true-crime case. The disappearance of Suzanne on Mother’s Day of 2020 spawned numerous documentaries, YouTube shows and podcasts. Barry Morphew was present in court in custody Tuesday, wearing a white-and-orange striped jail uniform.
It’s Morphew’s second time facing a murder charge in the case. The media’s interest helped lead to the downfall of the last prosecutor after Morphew was first charged with the murder of his wife back in 2021. Former 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley, a frequent guest on those true-crime shows, eventually lost her law license, partly because of statements she made about the case during the appearances.
The previous murder charge against Morphew was dropped without prejudice, allowing it to be refiled. Then Suzanne’s remains were found in 2023 in a shallow grave 40 miles from her home, and a 2024 autopsy detected tranquilizer chemicals that Barry Morphew admitted using in the past to sedate wildlife.
Morphew’s attorneys filed an objection to the judge’s order allowing media recording of the case. They argued the public has a general right to observe trials, but there is no right to televise or record.
But the judge in the case, Amanda Hopkins, had previously issued an order allowing news media recording of the case in a preemptive order on June 20, the day the indictment was unsealed against Morphew. Hopkins said in court on Tuesday that recording must be limited to this case and not disrupt other trials and hearings not related to the Morphew case. The public is not allowed to record or rebroadcast the proceedings.
One of his Morphew’s attorneys is Jane Fisher-Byrialsen, a board member of the Korey Wise Innocence Project. She wrote in a court filing: “Pervasive and prejudicial coverage erodes Mr. Morphew’s right to the presumption of innocence, to due process, and to a fair trial.”
But Morphew’s attorneys admitted that the arguments are moot since Judge Hopkins had already granted approval for media access.
The next hearing is a status check-in on the case set for Sept. 2. Another of Morphew’s attorneys, David Beller, advised the court that they would challenge the $3 million bond in the case at that time. For now, he will remain held in jail.
- Barry Morphew indicted for murder in death of his wife, Suzanne
- Suzanne Morphew died by homicide with tranquilizer chemicals present in body, according to autopsy report
- Suzanne Morphew’s remains found 3 years after she went missing in Colorado. What happened to her?
- Morphew lawyers accuse Fremont County DA of hiding evidence in wife’s disappearance case
