Suzanne Morphew went missing in 2020 while on a bike ride on Mother’s Day. Her remains were found last September.
Toxicology reports for Suzanne Morphew, who went missing four years ago, show she had an animal tranquilizer in her system.
The Colorado mother went missing in 2020 while on a bike ride on Mother’s Day. The newly released toxicology report says three drugs were found in her bones. It is believed they were used to tranquilize and immobilize her.
Dr. Pryia Banerjee is a forensic pathologist who is following the case.
“Looks like it’s a mixture of a pain medication, an anesthetic, and a paralytic,” Banerjee tells Inside Edition. “She’s a rather petite woman so it’s going to knock her out very effectively.”
Morphew’s husband, Barry Morphew, was arrested a year after she went missing and charged with first-degree murder. Text messages between the couple show Suzanne wanted to end the marriage but before Barry’s murder trial, the charges were dropped.
Barry walked free, with his two daughters showing their support for him. In an interview with ABC News in May 2023, they said that Barry is innocent.
Suzanne’s remains were found last September in a shallow grave 44 miles from where her bike was found.
With the toxicology findings, observers say Barry could face new charges.
“There’s no reason these three medications should ever be found in a human body,” Banerjee says.
In a search of the Morphews' home in 2021, investigators said they found a dart gun, empty darts, and a needle used to inject tranquilizer. The fluid was missing.
Barry told investigators he had used the darts to tranquilize deer near his home to collect antlers.
Deer hunting expert Pat Reeve, who hosts a show on the Outdoor Channel, spoke with Inside Edition.
"I don't know any hunters who use tranquilizer in the United States, especially to go deer hunting," Reeve says.
Barry’s lawyer says he is innocent.
“The tranquilizer that was found in her bones, allegedly, is a very common animal tranquilizer that could be used on farms or by hunters,” Barry’s lawyer said.
Suzanne’s exact cause of death has not been determined, only that it was a homicide “in the setting of” drug intoxication.
