Husband of missing Suzanne Morphew was seen dining out with a mystery redhead

Barry Morphew is seen in his mugshot after he was arrested for the murder of his wife Suzanne on Wednesday

Barry Morphew is seen in his mugshot after he was arrested for the murder of his wife Suzanne on Wednesday

Barry Morphew was photographed with a mystery woman just two months before he was arrested and charged with missing wife Suzanne’s murder, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Exclusive photos taken in late February show the father-of-two enjoying dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Salida, Colorado, with the younger redhead before dropping her off at a nearby hotel.

The pair were seen again two days later having an animated conversation in his distinctive white truck outside the Salida Comfort Inn.

Barry, 52, is currently being held in the Chaffee County Jail on charges of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and attempting to influence a public official.

Suzanne, 49, vanished without a trace on May 10 last year after reportedly setting off on a solo bike ride from the home she shared with Barry near Salida.

A few days later Barry posted a tearful video pleading for his wife’s safe return, saying: ‘I want you back so bad.’ 

Barry, who works as a landscaping boss, has spent the last year insisting that he had nothing to do with Suzanne’s disappearance while obtaining guardianship of her to enable him to sell several of their joint properties.

One, sold in March, was the $1.5million family home where Suzanne was last seen on Mother’s Day.  

Barry Morphew was photographed with a mystery woman just two months before he was arrested and charged with missing wife Suzanne's murder, DailyMail.com can reveal

Barry Morphew was photographed with a mystery woman just two months before he was arrested and charged with missing wife Suzanne’s murder, DailyMail.com can reveal

Exclusive photos taken in late February show the father-of-two enjoying dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Salida with the younger redhead before dropping her off at a nearby hotel

Exclusive photos taken in late February show the father-of-two enjoying dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Salida with the younger redhead before dropping her off at a nearby hotel

The identify of the mystery woman with Barry is unknown

The identify of the mystery woman with Barry is unknown 

Barry's distinctive white drunk was seen sitting outside of a Mexican restaurant as he and a mystery woman grabbed food

Barry’s distinctive white drunk was seen sitting outside of a Mexican restaurant as he and a mystery woman grabbed food 

The pair were seen again two days later, having an animated conversation in his distinctive white truck outside the Salida Comfort Inn

The pair were seen again two days later, having an animated conversation in his distinctive white truck outside the Salida Comfort Inn

The pair were seen again two days later, having an animated conversation in his distinctive white truck outside the Salida Comfort Inn

The husband of missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew has been charged with her murder almost one year after she vanished without trace on Mother's Day. Barry and Suzanne together

The husband of missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew has been charged with her murder almost one year after she vanished without trace on Mother’s Day. Barry and Suzanne together

The other was a plot of land close to Poncha Springs where cadaver dogs picked up the scent of human remains during a search organized by Suzanne’s brother Andy Moorman in September.

DailyMail.com revealed that the land – which Barry sold in February – was then dug up by FBI search teams, although no body was found.

Barry has now moved into a modest condo in Poncha Springs. 

Photos taken by DailyMail.com in February show he has continued to work on his landscaping business and was pictured driving an excavator on a site behind his new home the same month.

On Wednesday, Barry was taken into police custody on three separate charges. He will make his first court appearance on Thursday morning. 

His arrest comes despite the fact that investigators have not found Suzanne’s body. 

In a press conference held Wednesday evening, Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze and District Attorney Linda Stanley defended their investigation from criticism that it has taken almost 12 months for detectives to make an arrest, and insisted that their case was strong. 

The pair admitted that they do not know Suzanne’s cause of death, but implied that they have knowledge of an ‘incident’ that led to her killing.    

Barry’s arrested affidavit remains sealed amid the ongoing investigation, and he has retained legal counsel ahead of his court appearance.  

Suzanne was last seen by Barry, on the morning of Mother's Day, May 10 before he left their home and traveled to Denver for a landscaping job

Barry has long insisted he had nothing to do with his wife’s disappearance but Suzanne’s brother has said he believes him responsible 

Barry and Suzanne pictured together with their daughters Mallory and Macy in a social media snap taken several years ago

Barry and Suzanne pictured together with their daughters Mallory and Macy in a social media snap taken several years ago  

Last month, Barry sold off the $1.5million family home he shared with Suzanne (pictured). The home was twice searched by investigators, and was reportedly the last place Suzanne had been before she set off on a bike ride on May 10 last year

Last month, Barry sold off the $1.5million family home he shared with Suzanne (pictured). The home was twice searched by investigators, and was reportedly the last place Suzanne had been before she set off on a bike ride on May 10 last year

A map shows the distance between Morphew's home and where a personal item belonging to the missing mom was discovered

A map shows the distance between Morphew’s home and where a personal item belonging to the missing mom was discovered 

Court documents posted online show that all three charges are for offenses dated May 10, 2020, the day Suzanne disappeared. This indicates police believe she was murdered that day. 

If convicted of first-degree murder, Barry faces up to life in prison.  

Suzanne’s sister Melinda Moorman told FOX 21 the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office had told the family about Barry’s arrest that morning. 

Moorman said her first reaction was ‘relief’ to finally have answers over her sister’s disappearance and that the family was ‘so grateful’ for the ‘tireless’ work of investigators on the case.  

‘Today, justice is beginning for my sister. It’s been a journey that no one ever imagines that they’ll take,’ she said.  

‘I want the world to know that my sister was the darling of our family. She was the rose among thorns. That’s what I used to call her.’

She added that she still loves her brother-in-law in a message to Suzanne’s daughters, as she said she wanted to tell them: ‘I’m here for you.’ 

‘I love your dad even though he’s done a terrible thing,’ she said.  

Barry has long maintained his innocence, issuing a bizarre video online in the days after she went missing pleading with her to come home and saying: 'Honey, I love you and I want you back so bad' (above)

Barry has long maintained his innocence, issuing a bizarre video online in the days after she went missing pleading with her to come home and saying: ‘Honey, I love you and I want you back so bad’ (above)

Suzanne, 49, disappeared on May 10 last year after reportedly setting off on a bike ride from the home she shared with Barry in Salida, Chaffee County

Suzanne, 49, disappeared on May 10 last year after reportedly setting off on a bike ride from the home she shared with Barry in Salida, Chaffee County

Barry and Suzanne are pictured on their wedding day in 1994. The couple shared two children together

Barry and Suzanne are pictured on their wedding day in 1994. The couple shared two children together 

Barry released love letters penned by his missing wife last October as he shared his belief that she was still alive

Barry released love letters penned by his missing wife last October as he shared his belief that she was still alive

A sweet note penned by Suzanne recounts all of her memories with her husband

A sweet note penned by Suzanne recounts all of her memories with her husband 

TIMELINE OF SUZANNE MORPHEW’S DISAPPEARANCE

May 8, 2020: Suzanne is last seen by locals in her hometown of Salida, Colorado

May 10: Suzanne is reported missing after her daughters, Mallory and Macy, return from a camping trip in Idaho and were unable to make contact with their mom. Police theorize Suzanne had set off on a solo bike ride as her bicycle was missing from her home. Her husband, Barry, is reportedly out of town at the time. Her bike was discovered a short distance from her $1.5 million home the same day. 

May 11: Police launch large-scale search of the rural areas around Salida, complete with drones and cadaver dogs. There is no sign of Suzanne

May 15: A personal item of Suzanne’s – believed to be her bike helmet – is discovered a short distance from her home

May 17: Barry Morphew releases a public video tearfully begging for Suzanne to come home and offering a $100,000 reward for her safe return 

May 19: Investigators seize the Morphew home to carry out a thorough search of the property. They are seen leaving the property with evidence bags. The home is later handed back to the family

May 22: Investigators conduct a three day search at a riverfront property around 12 miles from Barry and Suzanne’s home.  Barry had reportedly completed landscaping work at the residence shortly before Suzanne’s disappearance

July 10: Police search the Morphew home for a second time, seizing more evidence from the property

August 11: Barry gives his first interview since Suzanne’s disappearance. He insists he has nothing to do with her mysterious vanishing

September 3: Barry’s co-workers reveal he spent the night before Suzanne’s disappearance at a cheap hotel in Denver and left the room reeking of chlorine

September 24: Suzanne’s brother, Andy Moorman, launches his own six-day search to find his sister, saying he believes she was ‘murdered’

October 14: Barry shares old photos and love letters from Suzanne in a bid to prove his innocence

November 18: Suzanne’s father, Gene Moorman, passes away. In his obituary, Suzanne is ‘presumed dead’

March 5, 2021: Barry and Suzanne’s $1.5 millionhome in Salida is sold after six months on the market

May 5, 2021: Barry is arrested on charges for murdering Suzanne   

Barry has repeatedly tried to convince the public, authorities and Suzanne’s family that he had nothing to do with his wife’s disappearance. 

He has also thrown out several theories as to her whereabouts including that an animal attacked her while she was on a bike ride, that she had gotten into an accident on the road or – later – that she had been abducted by an unknown assailant. 

The 52-year-old has also taken aim at cops for ‘screwing up’ the investigation and shared private photos and love notes between the couple in an effort to prove his innocence. 

Suzanne was reported missing on May 10, 2020 after reportedly vanishing while riding her bike close to her Salida home.

Her bike was found the same day by a bridge close to the luxury home and she had not been heard from since May 8.

Two days later, a personal item – thought to be her bike helmet – was found, while police divers were photographed searching a local dam by DailyMail.com.

A week later, Barry posted an impassioned video on Facebook begging for her safe return. 

‘Oh Suzanne, if anyone is out there and can hear this, that has you, please, we’ll do whatever it takes to bring you back. We love you, we miss you, your girls need you,’ Barry said in the video on May 17. 

‘No questions asked, however much they want – I will do whatever it takes to get you back. Honey, I love you, I want you back so bad.’   

Barry also offered a $100,000 reward for her safe return.

He told police he had spent the night before her disappearance on a firefighter training course in Denver, before switching stories to claim he had been on a work job in Broomfield.

Last September, DailyMail.com revealed Barry had spent the night before Suzanne’s disappearance in a Holiday Inn in Broomfield, Colorado, and had left his room stinking of chlorine and littered with mail.

Contractor Jeff Puckett, 49, of Salida, Colorado, said he was ordered to Denver by Barry on the day Suzanne vanished but didn’t see him because he had already left ‘due to a family emergency’.

Puckett said: ‘I got there Sunday night and the room smelled like chlorine real bad.

‘It was his room and he’d taken a shower – his towels were all over the floor.’

A manager at the $92-a-night property confirmed to DailyMail.com that they do not use chlorine to clean guest rooms and have handed security footage from the weekend of May 9 to police.

Puckett also said he discovered a pile of mail in the room – including a letter about property insurance – and later turned it over to the FBI. 

Police demanded security footage from businesses in the area close to the hotel between Thursday May 7 and Sunday May 10, DailyMail.com learned. 

Barry fired back at the revelation in an interview with Fox 21 saying: ‘I did nothing wrong in the hotel. There’s cameras all over the hotel, I did nothing wrong.’ 

He admitted that the room smelled strongly of chlorine, but claimed he had nothing to do with the stench.  

A landscaper hired by Barry to work with him that weekend also denied rumors she was having an affair with him. 

Morgan Gentile did, however, say Barry was acting strangely at the time of his wife’s disappearance and said she was ‘scared’ of her former boss. 

Contractor Jeff Puckett, 49, of Salida, Colorado, said he was ordered to Denver by Morphew on the day Suzanne vanished but didn’t see him because he had already left ‘due to a family emergency’

Contractor Jeff Puckett, 49, of Salida, Colorado, said he was ordered to Denver by Morphew on the day Suzanne vanished but didn’t see him because he had already left ‘due to a family emergency’

DailyMail.com revealed in September that a co-worker of Barry’s took over his Holiday Inn hotel room (pictured) on May 10 and found it scattered with wet towels and stinking of chlorine

DailyMail.com revealed in September that a co-worker of Barry’s took over his Holiday Inn hotel room (pictured) on May 10 and found it scattered with wet towels and stinking of chlorine

Barry was seen barbecuing at his home in Salida in July - just two months after his wife went missing

Barry was seen barbecuing at his home in Salida in July – just two months after his wife went missing 

Photos taken by DailyMail.com in February show Barry continued to work on his landscaping business and was pictured driving an excavator on a site behind his new home the same month

Photos taken by DailyMail.com in February show Barry continued to work on his landscaping business and was pictured driving an excavator on a site behind his new home the same month 

Suzanne Morphew’s sister says she FORGIVES brother-in-law Barry as he is charged with murder  

 Suzanne Morphew’s sister says she forgives brother-in-law Barry in an emotional appeal to reconnect with the couple’s two adult daughters. 

Melinda Moorman made her moving comments to KXRM-TV on Wednesday after Barry was arrested over Suzanne’s murder. 

Moorman said that it has been over a year since she has been able to have any contact with her nieces, Mallory and Macy. 

‘I would say to Mallory and Macy that I’ve been praying for you every day and that I adore you girls as the offspring of my beautiful sister and I will never stop loving you,’ Moorman said.

‘I am here for you whenever you need me girls, I am here and I have all the love in the world for you. And I love your dad, though he has done a terrible thing, I still love him girls, and I will pray for him and I will continue to pray for him, and I will never stop.’

She added: ‘I am here waiting for you girls, whenever you need me.’

Suzanne Morphew posted this picture to Facebook with her two daughters, Mallory and Macy, the day before she disappeared. They have not spoken publicly about their mom's mysterious vanishing

Suzanne Morphew posted this picture to Facebook with her two daughters, Mallory and Macy, the day before she disappeared. They have not spoken publicly about their mom’s mysterious vanishing

Meanwhile, Suzanne’s family, who live in Indiana, have long been skeptical about Barry’s innocence.

Her brother Andy Moorman, 58, has repeatedly spoken about his suspicions and in September, called for Barryto take a lie detector test.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, he said: ‘I think he should have done a lie detector and voice analysis. I know that’s not admissible in court but it kind of clears you.

‘It says, look, I’m here and I’ll tell you everything you need to know. I’ll take several of them if you need me to. And that didn’t happen. That kind of made me suspicious as well.’

He also launched a crowd-funded search for Suzanne that included cadaver dogs and lasted five days but failed to find his sister.

In October, Barry then released unseen photos and love letters penned by his missing wife in an apparent effort to portray their loving relationship. 

A letter allegedly written by Suzanne on Valentine’s Day 2020 read: ‘Just want you to know – my life would be nothing without your love and the excitement you bring to our marriage and my life. All my love – Suzanne.’ 

Barry has long insisted he had nothing to do with his wife's disappearance but Suzanne's brother has said he believes him responsible

Barry has long insisted he had nothing to do with his wife’s disappearance but Suzanne’s brother has said he believes him responsible 

Barry has released old photos and love letters penned by his missing wife in an apparent effort to portray their loving relationship

Barry has released old photos and love letters penned by his missing wife in an apparent effort to portray their loving relationship 

source: dailymail.co.uk