Aya Gruber: So, one of the things Krystal says is that after she does about three to four hours of cleaning she goes and gets a Sonic burger. Cody Cox: So, when I heard about the news, I didn't believe it I heard it actually on the radio. "But as we investigate further that may change, so at this time I can't comment. He loves her and he misses her, and he wants to know where Suzanne Morphew is. I don't think she cared about the big wedding kind of thing. She also denied knowing Patrick Frazee. Im not about finding somebody guilty or trying to inflict punishment on anyone. The tale begins with the haunting images of a mother in the grocery store shopping with her baby. To this day, the body of Suzanne Morphew has not been found. Stories About Missing Teen - CBS Colorado There are two families who are suffering deeply. I think it's very possible he would have gotten away with that. And Barry's truck told a different story than what he was telling investigators. Morphewwas chargedin May 2021 with murder, tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with physical evidence, among others, in connection with the May 2020 disappearance and presumed death of his wife. Andrew Katers: It only fires darts. In a Zoom interview, Melinda said she received Suzanne's text two days before she disappeared, and it was boiling over with anger toward Barry. It was updated on August 1, 2020.]. When she returns in the truck at 2:19 p.m., Gannon is nowhere to be seen. 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. Ashley Franco: He was furious. Aya Gruber: But this judge was very careful to say, "Look, I'm finding probable cause here, but it's only because I am looking at all the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution.". Ashley Cogburn: I think Kelsey had mentioned one time about an ex-girlfriend who still kinda wanted to be with Patrick Kelsey wasn't worried about it. Suzanne's sister Melinda says she agrees with the request to dismiss charges against Barry at this point. Nikki Battiste: Were they affectionate at all? Police say Frazee told them Kelsey struggled with depression hinting that she may be suicidal. May 17, 2020: Pueblo County Sheriffs Office Dive Rescue Team searched water sites, April 19, 2022: The district attorney for the 11th Judicial District. Although many have not been seen in years or even decades, they are never far from our hearts and minds. Records show that Suzanne and Jeff messaged each other 59 times that day, much more than usual, authorities say. 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.". Authorities began to doubt that Suzanne even took a bike ride, especially after her sunglasses and hydration backpack were found in her car. I don't know if it's 'cause she knew she lived far away. CHIEF MILES DE YOUNG [to reporters]: Reports are correct that Kelsey's phone gave a location near Gooding, Idaho, on November 25. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Fed is set to raise rates yet again. Colorado has an even lower ranking for the number of missing persons per capita. Peter Van Sant: From 2:47 p.m. until 10:17 p.m., just under 8 hours, Barry's phone goes into airplane mode. 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. KRYSTAL LEE: blood all over the floor. 7 haunting missing person cases in Colorado Michelle Stein:She was very, very upset, very distraught she had told me that he had asked her to "take care of his baby mama.". The Associated Press contributed to this report. On day four, the prosecution's star witness, Krystal Lee took the stand. The judge's penalty was to knock out 14 prosecution witnesses including experts in DNA and cell phone and vehicle data recovery. Frazee was driven from the jail in a black SUV. Drayton says he showed the security footage for Gannons father on Sunday. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Fed is set to raise rates yet again. Kelsey's mother Cheryl alerted investigators who returned to the house. Da: Authorities Are "Close" to Finding Suzanne'S Body Someone is asking her to kill someone.". A Colorado Springs boy who disappeared in January 2020 and whose remains were found two months later in a suitcase 1,400 miles away, was shot in the jaw and stabbed at . She can be seen holding a poinsettia. Nikki Battiste: Did Kelsey ever say he was physically abusive? That's what this day is about. 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. Barry talked to investigators dozens of times, but they believe he knows more than he's saying. Meanwhile, the judge dismissed murder charges against her husband Barry Morphew. Nikki Battiste: What was Krystal's tone when she was telling you this? Morphews daughters, Macy and Mallory, stood by their father during an interview with ABC, which aired Friday. Ashley Franco: She says, "I don't have a personal relationship with Patrick Frazee. If you are looking for statistics on missing persons in Colorado, our library can help. Surveillance image of Kelsey Berreth on November 22, 2018, at the Woodland Park, Colorado, Safeway grocery store. Investigators also found a plastic cap for a syringe that they believe was used to load a tranquilizer dart in the couple's dryer. Clint Cline: I did. DA Dan May: Justice in this case? Her mother Cheryl says they were engaged. First published on January 22, 2022 / 11:02 PM. Stepmom of Gannon Stauch Allegedly Searched 'I Don't Like My Stepson' Suzanne's spy pen had surfaced with that intimate conversation. READ PROSECUTORS' MOTION TO DISMISS HERE: They wrote that investigators had hoped to recover Morphew's remains in a remote area near the couple's mountainous home before the trial, but weather stymied their efforts. Ashley Franco: Barry Morphew is wearing an ankle monitor for them to track him, to make sure that he is staying in Chaffee County. Dan Ridenour: The San Isabel National Forest, again, is 1.1 million acres. 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 ". Where is Suzanne? It appeared as though Suzanne could have been abducted, and that's when Barry made a videotaped public plea on social media. It was very powerful. Suzanne competed for homecoming queen. Colorado Cold Case Files - Home Page (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP). Nikki Battiste: Did she have a dress yet? Experts say it can take between 4 and 20 minutes for an animal the size of a deer to drop after being shot with a tranquilizer dart. In images from a neighbor's security camera on that Thanksgiving Day, Patrick Frazee and Kelsey are seen at her door with a baby carrier after Kelsey returned from the store. Police said they were told Suzanne Morphew left for a bike ride on May 10, 2020, but never returned. Was she in love with him? Peter Van Sant: So how can that DNA end up in her car? Lee, a nurse, told investigators she suggested the perfect potion: a lethal dose of Ambien and Valium. Ashley Franco: They asked her, "when was the last time you talked to him?" The judge wrote that while he did not find those actions "willful the court does find this pattern to be negligent, bordering on, reckless." On December 21, 2018, Frazee was arrested at his ranch andcharged with Kelsey Berreth's murder. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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". I excuse me [in tears]. The man whose DNA is in my wife's car, tied to past sexual assaults, that's your killer.". Think outside the box this Mothers Day and opt for gifts other than flowers and chocolate. In exchange for her testimony against Frazee, sheagreed to plead guilty to evidence tampering. In the months after Suzanne went missing, Jeff kept quiet. Neither parent addressed the rumors about Letecia Stauch. The thought that Suzanne may have been abducted hit the peaceful, picturesque town of Salida hard. Heres the timeline of Suzanne Morphews disappearance: At one point in the investigation, police said they believed Suzanne Morphews body was in a remote and mountainous region near the Morphew home. He was not happy that she didn't go through with it. Michelle Stein: I was just in shock and disbelief . ABC News was unable to reach Morphew's attorney. Nikki Battiste: I think a lot of our viewers are probably thinking, "Krystal Lee, given what she's admitted to, got a really good deal.". For the year 2020, there are 1,186 missing persons cases that remain open. At 8:10 a.m. on Mother's Day morning, the truck's computers again begin recording data. They go to sleep, I cut their horns off It's totally illegal But you're gonna find tranq darts around my property because I've done that.". "A kid doesn't just disappear and no one sees him. We love you. But Barry helped fill in some of the missing data. BARRY MORPHEW: Let me tell you what happened. A surveillance image shows Frazee at a gas station. He had his ranch to take care of. So, an accident is certainly plausible. Colorado Bureau of Investigation Phone . 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. Eventually Kelsey moved to Colorado from Washington State to be closer to Frazee and they were expecting a child. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Stein says she asked Lee why Frazee wanted to kill Kelsey. Park rangers are searching for a missing hiker at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. 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. '", Dan Ridenour [reading]: "And I'll tell you exactly what I did I shoot 'em. And if Barry hid Suzanne's body during that 4-hour window, the truck's data does not provide answers. Investigators asked Barry to explain that unusual phone activity. Nikki Battiste: What does that say about Patrick Frazee? Agents theorized that Barry's phone had pinged from various locations around the housenot because he was shooting chipmunks, but because he was chasing Suzanne after he shot her. Barry offered a $100,000 reward for information that was later doubled to $200,000. Please enter valid email address to continue. April 30 is Suzanne Morphew's birthday. So, people had thought maybe they heard from Kelsey. He gives 'em, as we call it, donkey manicures. But when the FBI made their initial call to Lee, she said she had "no idea" who Kelsey Berreth was. AGENT GREGG SLATER: Around the tooth, what was there, if anything? I saw blood up the wall. Cody said he regularly heard Barry talking to Suzanne as they drove in Barry's truck. 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. ", She called the charges an "important and incredibly crucial step. Here is somebody who arguably had the last communication with Suzanne before she went missing. Trump asks for mistrial in E. Jean Carroll rape lawsuit, U.S. to let Afghan evacuees renew temporary legal status, First Republic Bank seized by regulators, then sold to JPMorgan Chase, Texas man who lost wife and son in shooting shares story, Tornado hits Virginia Beach, damaging up to 100 homes, More Americans escape Sudan as country teeters on edge of civil war, Mental health of LGBTQ youth worsening in current "hostile political climate", Stray bullet strikes college baseball player during game, Texas police say, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo found dead at 46. Cody Cox: I talked pretty highly about Barry 'cause I was with him all the time. Produced by Paul La Rosa. 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. Nikki Battiste: And the surveillance video here at Safeway becomes central to this case? COLORADO There are more than 524 people currently missing for more than a year in Colorado. Mystery of missing Colorado mother Suzanne Morphew on 'Dateline' In October 2020, DNA testing revealed at least a partial match to an unnamed man connected to three unsolved sexual assault cases in Tempe, Phoenix and Chicago. "Prosecutors need to be held responsible, and they need to pay for the damage they caused to Barry, which is frankly nearly irreparable. At the time of Kelsey's disappearance, phone records show that Patrick Frazee was in touch withKrystal Kenney Lee a nurse and avid horsewoman who grew up here. Jan. 27. NEWS REPORT: Tonight, the husband of Suzanne Morphew is behind bars accused of killing her. Before moving to Colorado in 2018, Barry and Suzanne grew up in the small town of Alexandria, Indiana, where they met in high school. They bolstered their case with surveillance videos and photos, including one of the black tote in the back of Frazee's truck that Lee says he would use to dispose of her body. In a131-page affidavitreleased after Morphew's arrest, investigators described how Morphew realized he couldnt control his wife and her decision to leave him, so instead "he resorted to something he has done his entire life hunt and control Suzanne like he had hunted and controlled animals," the document states. 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? There was blood on the Hobby Lobby bag that was sitting there. While investigators searched the Morphew home and the family's cars and trucks, Barry continued to talk, seemingly to anyone with a badge. Ashley Cogburn, Amanda Smith and Nicole Haywood had an unbreakable bond with Kelsey. "So, what this case lives and dies on is the testimony of Krystal Lee. Nikki Battiste: Your last witness, I think jaws dropped when he started testifying. 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. And I'm not going to try to justify it in any way. She did not speak during her appearance, but authorities said they had filed over 100 search warrants in the case and were confident the boy's stepmother was their suspect. And by then, Barry's cell phone had also come back to life. Decades passed until Suzanne reached out to Jeff, out of the blue, in 2018. Iris Eytan: Barry Morphew loves Suzanne Morphew. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive 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. Nearly two years after Suzanne Morphew, a mother of two, disappeared on Mother's Day, authorities say they are "close to discovering the victim's body" but need to wait for snowpack to melt. Colorados numbers mirror national missing persons statistics. Cheryl Berreth: No. KRYSTAL LEE: I did. "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. Ben LeMere: So, a lotta times it's used to locate bodies. They believe he faked 19 calls between the two phones over Thanksgiving weekend and was sending texts between them including this one from Kelsey's phone: KELSEY BERRETH: I'm going running I'll call you guys when I get home. 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. I'll call you guys when I get out. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. MISSING COLORADO MOM SUZANNE MORPHEW'S DAUGHTERS STANDING BY THEIR FATHER AFTER DISMISSAL OF MURDER CHARGES. He was eliminated. DA Dan May | Teller County, Colorado: I gotta tell you, it's one of the most emotional trials I have ever been through and I've been through a lot of trials in my career. A closer look at Kelsey and her fianc's cell phone activity Thanksgiving weekend would lead them to her suspected killer. Andrew Katers: What I'm holding is a TeleDart model 706 rifle they use this a lot in parks throughout the country. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Nikki Battiste | CBS News correspondent: Did any of you text her or try to call her? Aya Gruber: Everything. The next morning, Mother's Day, Barry says he drove to a job some 3 hours away. 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. Cline says Frazee was quiet and dedicated to his work. A week later she says Frazee called with a new murder plan. "Wait, what?" Peter Van Sant: And his claim, well, I just always have a lotta junk in in the vehicle. There's no evidence to show he was involved. Those involved in the search include the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Colorado Springs Police Department. Nationally, there are 374 missing persons cases that remain open from the year 2000.