Barry Morphew has made bail and will be out of jail during his pre-trial preparations. Morphew had been in custody at the Alamosa County Detention Center since June after being indicted by a 12th Judicial District Grand Jury.
Morphew is accused of the first-degree murder of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, who went missing in May 2020. Her remains were found in 2023 in a shallow grave off Highway 17 in Saguache County.
During a status conference earlier in September, Morphew and his attorneys requested a lower bond condition. Chief District Judge Amanda Hopkins denied lowering the bond from $3 million cash-only to the requested $500,000. Instead, because she saw that Morphew wasn’t a flight risk, Hopkins modified the bond from a $3 million cash-only bond to a $3 million cash, surety, or property bond, meaning Morphew only had to secure $300,000 to be released from jail.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Lt. William Squires of the Alamosa Detention Center confirmed with the Citizen that Morphew was in the process of signing paperwork and being fit with a GPS ankle monitor.
As part of the stipulations of a pre-trial release, Hopkins told Morphew that he is to be monitored at all times with an ankle monitor and isn’t allowed to leave Colorado.
David Beller, one of Morphew’s attorneys, told the court, “The evidence of Mr. Morphew’s innocence is substantial.”
He said that Morphew has complied with court orders and been in constant communication with his attorneys since his first arrest in 2021. Though he moved to Arizona, Beller said Morphew’s whereabouts were always known to his attorneys.
There were a number of criteria Judge Hopkins had to evaluate before determining a lower bond. She noted that there are several criteria in Morphew’s favor that warranted lowering the bond, including the support of his family, namely his daughters and mother, and that Morphew does not have a criminal history.
The charges filed in the 11th Judicial District in 2021 cannot be used against him because those charges were dropped. Hopkins said she does not believe Morphew will commit any offense if he is released and does not believe he would harass or intimidate anyone involved in the case.
Hopkins said Morphew’s ability to “pick up and go” and his ability to move around “under the radar” were factors that went against lowering the bond, but she did note that Morphew was consistent in his communication with counsel and that when he was arrested in Arizona law enforcement found him quickly and he did not deny his identity when arrested.
A protection order was issued preventing any contact with victims of the case. Hopkins did not limit contact with his daughters. The order prohibits Morphew from possessing firearms and ammunition and consuming alcohol and controlled substances.
Hopkins said with a modified bond order, Morphew would have $300,000 on the line and would have a bail bondsman looking for him if he attempted to flee.
Though the District Attorney’s Office has stated it is prepared to go to trial, Morphew’s attorneys said they are still going through terabytes of discovery.
A status conference is set for Nov. 3.