Barry Morphew arrested on warrant after hit-and-run amid murder trial preparations
Murder suspect Barry Morphew was arrested on an outstanding warrant in Boulder County after allegedly violating his $3 million bond conditions with a Denver hit-and-run.
Murder suspect Barry Morphew jailed after alleged hit-and-run triggers warrant
Barry Morphew, who faces trial next year for the first-degree murder of his wife Suzanne Morphew, was arrested Thursday evening in Boulder County on an outstanding warrant from Alamosa County for failure to comply, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. Deputies took him into custody at around 9:11 p.m., abcnews.com reports.
The arrest came a day after District Court Judge Amanda Hopkins had already ordered Morphew confined to his home following allegations that he was involved in a hit-and-run crash in Denver.
GPS data and airport trip prompted warrant request
Prosecutors requested the arrest warrant on Thursday after reviewing GPS data tied to the day of the alleged hit-and-run. According to a court filing, the state alleges Morphew drove to Denver International Airport last week for non-work purposes, in violation of his $3 million bond conditions.
Morphew's attorney reportedly told prosecutors that their client may have been picking up his daughter from the airport, according to the same filing.
After leaving the airport, GPS data showed Morphew was in "areas of hotels and a mall at various points in the day" before being in the area of the alleged hit-and-run incident, prosecutors said. They argued the activity "also presents an extreme flight risk."
"After reviewing only this single day of GPS data it appears the Defendant was using his work exception for things other than work, in violation of his bond," prosecutors wrote.
Judge Hopkins granted the request for the arrest warrant on Thursday.
Hit-and-run: video, cash offer, and scratches buffed with a shirt
Earlier that week, Hopkins had issued a home confinement order after a "concerned citizen" alerted her that Morphew had been involved in a hit-and-run in Denver on 26 August, in which he allegedly drove aggressively before striking two vehicles.
One of the other drivers filmed the encounter. In the video, a "person who is very clearly" Morphew "refused to provide his name or identification," the judge stated in her Wednesday order. He then offered the driver $300 for the damage and was seen buffing scratches on her vehicle with his shirt and hand.
The truck involved carried the same Indiana licence plate that Morphew is "alleged to have used on more than one vehicle," the judge noted, citing a motion filed by the prosecution in the murder case.
When the driver refused Morphew's cash offer and indicated she was calling police, "the Defendant leaves the scene, almost striking another individual and driving over a curb to do so," Hopkins stated.
Denver police confirmed Thursday that they are investigating the report of a "non-injury, hit-and-run crash" on 26 August, in which the caller reported the involved driver left without exchanging information or contacting authorities. Police said they were working to contact the registered owner of the pickup truck.
Strict confinement and a hearing set for 8 September
In the Wednesday order, Hopkins tightened Morphew's conditions to home detention at all times, "no exceptions." "If the Defendant has a medical emergency during that time, he can call 911 and be transported by ambulance," the judge stated.
A hearing has been scheduled for 8 September to discuss his bond. Prosecutors also filed a motion on Wednesday seeking to eliminate the work and other exceptions from his house arrest and to increase the financial conditions of his bond.
"His driving in this case appears to put others at risk, and were he to flee in the present case, that is a new consideration for the Court as it pertains to community safety," prosecutors wrote. "The fact that the driving appears to be in direct response to impending police involvement indicates a willingness to flee police specifically."
The judge noted that while the incident may involve "potentially felonious conduct," Morphew has not been charged by the local jurisdiction in connection with the crash.
Prior GPS reports had shown no violations of Morphew's conditions of release, Hopkins said. The judge had also ordered Morphew's GPS provider to submit monthly data related to any permissions he held to be away from home at the time of the incident, though she noted the provider did not comply.
Background: wife reported missing in 2020, remains found in 2023
Morphew is set to stand trial in July 2027, charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife Suzanne Morphew. He has pleaded not guilty and has denied any involvement in her death.
Suzanne Morphew was reported missing on Mother's Day in May 2020. Her remains were found in September 2023 while investigators were conducting an unrelated search. Her death was subsequently ruled a homicide.
The autopsy determined that her death was caused by homicide "by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication."
Morphew had previously been charged with his wife's presumed murder in 2021, but those charges were dropped in April 2022. He was later indicted on first-degree murder charges and is being held on $3 million bond.
ABC News said it had reached out to Morphew's attorneys for comment on the court order but had not yet received a response.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)